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Each year Fist Lego League has a new theme and is made up of three components. The Technical Design: Where teams have to come up with unique designs for there robots, Programing/Robot challenge: Students program there robots to do as much missions as they can do in a 2 1/2 minute period, and a Project based side: Students have to come up with innovative technologies based on each years theme. This years theme is "Body Forward". Before we came up with a solution to this years theme we had to discuss as a team what "Body Forward" means to us. "Body Forward" to us means to improve the health and happiness of people on Molokai, Hawaii, the United States, and ultimately the World. This years challenge is to come up with a innovative technology that will do just that. Once we clarified as a team what "Body Forward" meant it was easy to move on from there.
The solution to our team’s problem is early detection for cancer through the use of the Nano-bio-chip technology, which is a diagnostic fluid based sensor. This technology was developed by John McDevitt at the University of Texas, then he moved to Rice University in Texas to further his research. This chip detects oral cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease and in the future, one drop of saliva could be screened for all sorts of diseases, not just cancer and heart disease. The Nano-bio-chip detects cancer by reading the type of proteins found in the cells of your saliva. Each type of cancer is uniquely identified by a specific type of protein. This test is painless and efficient. You simply spit on the chip witch is then moved into a machine called the lab now, its about the size of a toaster and in approximately 8 minutes, you will have your results. When you spit on the Nano-bio-chip the mixture travels through a small tube into a chamber then you put the chip in the lab now for analysis. The chamber has a porous membrane floor that drains out the fluid and leaves the larger cells in the chamber. Antibodies are then pumped into the chamber through the wholes in the floor. The antibodies are labeled with florescent dyes that attach to protein on the surface of cells called Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). If the EGFR is over expressed then there is cancer present. 
Very informative…Is the chip still in the research phase or is it being used by doctors today? Will you be working with any doctors on Molokai during your project?
ReplyDeleteWe are actually waiting to hear back from McDvitt. . . We are hoping to do a skype interview with him to talk to him about these questions. . . and if the LabNow is out yet we were thinking of teaming up with doctors on Molokai and maybe getting one for our island. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea. Going to be interesting to see what you all do with it. Specifically will you add a tutu and spectacles? :)
ReplyDeleteI'd also be interested to hear if it is actually being applied in hospitals yet. Although the research has been ongoing for a number of years from my understanding it's not quite yet ready for prime time.
Actually they are using it in very poor counties like the African Nations. This is why it had to be small, fast, and easy to use. They were also looking at putting the LabNow in dentist offices because people go to the dentist more than they go to they doctor.
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