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From 2012.igem.org

Arizona State's 2012 iGEM project aims to develop a portable water-borne pathogen biosensor feasible for real-time field application. To achieve both specificity and portability, the team is constructing two biosensors, each capable of detecting a specific pathogenic marker in water-borne bacteria. The first system, a split-enzyme engineered fusion protein, selectively binds to pathogen membranes in water samples and induces a colorimetric response. The second system will detect specific DNA sequences in pathogenic bacteria and activate a similar colorimetric change. The advantage of this design over previous designs in the field lies in the cheap production of probes and the enzymatic chain reaction. Samples can be tested in the field with minimal cost and high sensitivity.