Team:UChile Biotec/Fieldwork
1.
First Prototype
Prior our trip we designed a prototype of a device, taking into consideration main needs of affected people based in our knowledges about the problem. To achieve this, we used the following process to design a product. To find more information about steps in the design click here.
We knew that people who harvest shellfish canʼt know immediately if the products they extract are contaminated with HAB (harmful algal blooms) related toxins, so they have to extract everything, then test it and wait for the results to be able to sell the extracted products. Many times they lose everything because itʼs contaminated and as a consequence they waste a whole day of work and money that implicates less food in their houses. It is for that reason that fishermen carry in their boats a cat to which they give seafood and looks if it paralyzes, if it does, then it is contaminated so they have to move to another zone to extract shellfish.
We realized that we had to replace the “cat method” for a better and more reliable method to test shellfish in situ. So we create the BiMaTox (biosensing for marine toxins) Kit, considering a grinder to treat the sample, a piece of paper in which is going to be our lyophilized molecular construct, a drop for add buffer, easy to understand instructions and a box to protect all.
Considering all previous we got our first prototype, which was carved in wood to be tested.
Next we had to materialize testing this prototype and learn more about the people's life in the affected region, which we achieved by traveling to south of Chile.
3.
Trip
Seremi de Salud
It is an institution responsible for protecting people's health. SEREMI controls shellfish that will be consumed in Chile through “Red Tide Program”. They determine the so called "closed areas" where red tide (HAB) is lethal, and "open areas" where people are allowed to harvest shellfish because there isn't a lethal concentration of toxins related to the red tide. They also must take samples daily in Angelmó, Calbuco, Carelmapu and Maullín to authorize the extraction on these zones.
Additionally every product extracted must be authorized by SEREMI DE SALUD to be sold. To achieve this, the institution takes samples from harvested products and analyze them in their laboratories to evaluate the red tide concentration. If shellfish has toxic amounts of toxins related to HAB are found, the whole lot is discarded and thrown away. The commercialization of non-certified shellfish is penalized with a fine. This institution has a lot of duties more than just checking the red tide. They continually organize forums to educate the population, apart from other duties related to the health area.