Difference between revisions of "Team:Lambert GA/CHROME-Q"

Chrome Q

Laboratories often require plate readers to detect biological samples in a standardized environment which can be prohibitive to field work. Lambert iGEM offers a low-cost, portable substitute for standard plate readers which are expensive, immobile, and require an electrical power source. The QSystem, comprised of the Color Q app and the Chrome Q device, pinpoints relative color values by using the red, green, blue (RGB) system. A photo of the samples is taken by Color Q and circle detection is used to obtain RGB values. The 2018 Lambert iGEM team improved upon the 2017 design by removing individually-wired LEDs which previously altered the RGB values, skewing relative color value results. The modified base allows for more sample testing and an option for a positive/negative control. With the QSystem, we hope to provide a low-cost tool for the expansion and development of modern synthetic biology in developing regions of the world.

The Chrome Q is a 3-D printed dome/base used to quantify the relative color values of various samples by using the red, green, blue (RGB) system of pixels. The Chrome Q device acts as a very frugal but efficient alternative to industrial plate readers and florometers. The 2018 Lambert iGEM team improved upon the 2017 design by removing individually-wired LEDs which previously altered the RGB values, skewing relative color value results. This Chrome Q was found to have more accurate results when used without the presence of artificial light sources; light still enters the dome, because the dome is translucent, but this light has much less variation that a direct light source. In the 2018 Lambert iGEM project, the Chrome Q was used to quantify the relative expression of blue color in varying bacterial samples with T7 Toehold lacZ. Samples are arranged in a 6x6 array in the Chrome Q, with a +/- control, and is paired with the Color Q app to analyze the sample. A picture of the Chrome Q itself and its base are below.