1. First, describe a biological engineering application or tool you want to develop and why. This could be inspired by an idea for your HTGAA class project and/or something for which you are already doing in your research, or something you are just curious about.
This is A biosensor concept inspired from a research paper I read. This was a very fascinating concept of real time, noninvasive detection of SARS-CoV-2 at room temperature via a wearable that integrated a lyophilized CRISPR sensor.
Here is a breath emission simulator mimics real breathing and aerosolized viral emissions demonstrating the working of this mask:
The face-mask-integrated sensor demonstrated the ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA from exhaled aerosols within 1.5 hours, with a detection limit of 500 copies (17 aM), matching lab-standard RT-PCR sensitivity. The system operates without power, handles autonomous reactions at ambient temperatures, and provides visual outputs via an LFA strip, showing high specificity without cross-reactivity to other coronaviruses. Designed for simplicity and portability, the mask combines viral detection with respiratory protection, offering potential for real-time diagnosis and variant discrimination.
A breath-based mutation sensor could analyze VOCs, nucleic acids, or proteins in exhaled breath for the detection of genetic mutations responsible for diseases like cancer, metabolic disorders, or genetic conditions.
This could be done in several ways-