@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import ImageCarousel from "../components/md_components/ImageCarousel";
Traditional methods of diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) such as angiograms and echocardiograms are tedious and expensive, with costs ranging from \$500 to \$20,000. The length of time for diagnosis is prolonged by the fact it takes multiple days to receive test results for patients (Fogoros, 2023). To increase accessibility of CAD diagnostics, our team at Lambert iGEM developed a cost-effective biosensor that detects microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers correlated with CAD progression. Our biosensor utilizes rolling circle amplification (RCA) to correlate fluorescence intensity to specific miRNA concentrations, allowing doctors and clinicians to monitor CAD progression (see [RCA](https://2023.igem.wiki/lambert-ga/rca/)). However, existing fluorometers are bulky, immobile, and have prices upwards of $10,000, making point-of-care testing (POCT) impractical (Hixson et al., 2022).
In 2022, our team developed Micro-Q: a ~$15 PCR-tube fluorometer capable of quantifying fluorescent samples in seconds with 97.01% accuracy (See Lambert iGEM Hardware, 2022). This affordable solution, paired with its user-friendly mobile app, increases the accessibility of POCT in underfunded labs. However, after testing Micro-Q in Thailand, a couple of limitations were revealed: 1) quantifying batches of samples is tedious; 2) tuning excitation spectra for diverse fluorophores is complicated. Ultimately, these issues make testing and experimentation inefficient.
In 2022, our team developed Micro-Q: a ~$15 PCR-tube fluorometer capable of quantifying fluorescent samples in seconds with 97.01% accuracy [See Lambert iGEM Hardware, 2022](https://2022.igem.wiki/lambert-ga/hardware 2022). This affordable solution, paired with its user-friendly mobile app, increases the accessibility of POCT in underfunded labs. However, after testing Micro-Q in Thailand, a couple of limitations were revealed: 1) quantifying batches of samples is tedious; 2) tuning excitation spectra for diverse fluorophores is complicated. Ultimately, these issues make testing and experimentation inefficient.
This year, we addressed these issues by developing Micro-Q Pro—a camera-based fluorescence viewer under $10 capable of quantifying up to 8 PCR tubes simultaneously across the full visible wavelength spectrum. Since this detection uses camera imaging rather than photodiodes, users can record fluorescence videos and create real-time curves by snipping images at certain time points with 95.37% accuracy. This open-sourced fluorometer enables accurate and rapid sample quantification for diverse applications.
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@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Commercial spectrophotometers utilize white light lasers, which cover the full v
