Homework

Weekly homework submissions:

  • Week 1 HW: Principles and Practices

    Biological Engineering tools: Rapid Urinary Heavy Metals Ion detection - Paper Based Lateral Flow Assay Heavy metal ions pose a serious threat to both the environment and human health due to their high toxicity and tendency to bioaccumulate in biological systems. Although conventional analytical techniques such as chromatography offer high sensitivity and accuracy, they are often expensive, and impractical for rapid, on-site detection. Therefore, I plan to develop a portable urinary test the detection of heavy metal ions using modified bioreceptors, such as aptamers, DNA probes, or DNAzymes, to enable selective and sensitive recognition. This approach is inspired by multi-parameter drug test assays, which can simultaneously detect multiple analytes (e.g., amphetamines, morphine, THC, benzodiazepines, and cocaine), using Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) principles.

  • Week 2 HW: DNA read and Write

    Part 1 Benchling & In-Silico Gel Art I simulated restriction enzyme digestion of Escherichia phage Lambda (complete genome) using the listed enzymes. Here are the results of the virtual digestion: and I tried quick design using Ronan’s website: Part 3 DNA Design Challenge I choose Glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1). GSTM1 is a gene that encodes a Phase II detoxification enzyme, crucial for metabilizing xenobiotics, environmental toxins, and carcinogens by conjugating them with reduced glutathione. This gene located on chromosome 1p31 that protects cells from oxidative stress.

  • Week 3 HW: Lab Automation

    LAB Automation Post Lab Question Find and describe a published paper that utilizes the Opentrons Reference: Shaba, Chikondi, Decibel P. Elpa, and Pawel L. Urban. Automated and robotic sample delivery systems for mass spectrometry and ion-mobility spectrometry. Digital Discovery (2026). Objectives: Integration of Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) with an automated robotic sample delivery system. To reduce human labor in sample handling. Single-cell analysis is a key application area of automated MS methods.