Fluorometer Biosensor
During an engineering design course at Queen's University, I worked with a group of students to design a portable, Arduino-based fluorometer in a 3D-printed casing to detect fluorescent proteins for real-world applications such as malaria detection.
Collaborators: Camille Miller, Abby Beaman, Taegan McGuire, Anthony Bianchet
Our team developed a fluorometer device designed to detect fluorescent proteins in biological samples. The goal was to create a portable, user-friendly tool that could be used by the Queen’s Genetically Engineered Machine Design Team (QGEM) at competitions and be applied to real-world problems such as malaria detection.
Figure 1 - Map displaying risk areas for malaria (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malaria_map.PNG)
After evaluating three possible designs, the team selected a solution using an Arduino microcontroller with Bluetooth connectivity, enclosed in a custom 3D-printed casing. The device was designed to detect two fluorescent proteins, mCherry and mNeonGreen, through a light excitation and absorption array.
A non-functional prototype was built that included the casing, circuitry, and operating code, though absorption and emission filters were excluded due to budget constraints. Testing included CAD-based drop and stress analysis, iterative code validation, and user feedback surveys. Feedback highlighted the device’s creativity, ease of use, and visual appeal, confirming that the design met its functional requirements and set the foundation for future iterations.
Figure 2 - Diagram of the top layer of the biosensor design.
Figure 3 - Visual of the user interface flow diagram.
Figure 4 - SolidWorks design and drop test stress results (N/m^2)
Figure 5 - Final assembled prototype