Conclusions

Our project was divided in three main parts. First the background research that took a long time (nearly half time) but was important for our knowledge. To know what we were talking about and which direction would we choose. Then once we chose where to go, we made a quite simple device, and after some experiments we realised that some aspects of it had to be improved.

And finally we tested both prototypes with dextran, eGFP-E.Coli and the Arsenic biosensor. And we observed that the more complex the sample was the more difficult it was to get significant results. So we learnt that we need to repeat the experiments and be more strict in the following of the protocol (note everything in the lab-notebook). Thus, we could have determined if the manipulations we did are reproductible, or if we have to take another direction. Another point is that we were not trained to handle bacteria, so we should have been going to the lab more often to practice. We also should have contacted Dr. van der Meer and the team in Sion more rapidly, because we learnt a lot from them and it could have helped us for the direction of our project. For example, we discovered that the reporter bacteria expresses eGFP better if oxygen is present, and we realised we did not really think deeply enough about optics, which is an important part of the Prototype II. After all the tests, we also became aware that for other poeple to reproduce our prototype, it would be important to have more precise mesures with a clear pattern.

In the end, we did not get good results detecting our target with our devices, but we learnt so many things doing this project that we are happy with the conclusion of it. We learnt about team work, collaborating with each other and with people with other backgrounds. We discovered what really meant building a project from the start and that it is not always easy to find a direction and stay focused on it. We could have been faster if the had split the work more precisely, each digging a very specific part, but in that other hand, working together allowed us to be very aware of each steps of the project.

The fact that other people will continue to work on our project and that it could possibly be used in the real-world is something that really motivated us, and we hope that the first researched we did will help and inspire other people in the future.