Team:UChile Biotec/Abstract
A look into the past and a glimpse of tomorrow
Last year during BiMaToX project we developed a novel biosensor based in aptazymes in order to detect paralytic toxins (saxitoxin) produced during harmful algal blooms (HAB). Tenzyme Vilu project will expand this goal to design a platform to obtain functional aptazymes for biosensing other marine toxins. For this, we have fully characterized adenosine monophosphate (AMP) aptazyme to further investigate aptazymes molecules as a diagnostic platform for other marine toxins. In order to improve the affinity of the aptazymes with its respective ligand, we have tested alternative sequences by using a rational design to avoid false negative or positive detections that can eventually arise when analysing raw samples. Then, by using our approach we developed novel aptazymes for sensing different HAB toxins, such as paralytic, diarrheic and amnesic shellfish toxins. Finally, a cell-free cellulose matrix device with different lyophilized aptazyme will be tested to evaluate the presence of different marine toxins.