Team:USP-Brazil

Project description

Our product is a bioengineered sensor, which will be able to detect levels of methanol above 2% in common alcoholic drinks. This will allow governments and independent producers to make high-throughput screening of ethanol drinks tainted will methanol. The device will be used as an initial low cost and portable test. The construction is based on the P_AOX1 promoter, which is activated by methanol and repressed by ethanol. Several parts of the device must be tuned for proper function in Pichia pastoris; P_AOX1 promoter; red fluorescent protein (RFP); Mxr1 transcriptional factor and P_FLD promoter.

Since we aim to develop a product ready for the consumer to use, we plan to develop a 3D printed plastic container for the lyophilised yeast that will help perform the test and will also contain the yeast. After use, the container will be able to apply bleach to eliminate the yeast.