Best Supporting Entrepreneurship
In developing our diagnostics device for iGEM, our team began to envision the possibility of being a viable and scalable product that may be one day used across the world in combating communicable disease spread, securing safe travel and maintaining healthy communities. To begin our entrepreneurial ventures we have explored and expanded on multiple strategic management considerations including the completion of a Business Model Canvas, strategic positioning statement, value proposition, a petal diagram, 2X2 chart and SWOT analysis. Our team has also conducted in-depth market research and customer discovery research to gain a solid foundational understanding of the diagnostics market. A cost analysis and preliminary company value chain analysis have been carried out to identify the key revenue drivers. Moreover, we have begun to take substantial steps towards attracting investors and have been exploring various incubators to partner with, one of which is startAD, a local UAE accelerator.
Best Hardware
NYUAD iGEM 2019’s project Volatect features a remarkable array of hardware components. Volatect strongly believes that our device works on time proof paradigms which are based on cross-pollination of innovative DETECTR protocols and actuation enhanced microfluidic chips. A microcontroller is used to interface with the sensors whose data is then transferred in a scalable manner to a Raspberry Pi that is connected to the API and displays data unambiguously.
Volatect has produced one of the first lab-on-a-chip-contraptions which is entirely made of 3M film and double-sided tape. The modular design allows for quick comprehensive troubleshooting and minimal training outside reading of the manual. The fluorescence is visible, robust and is the product of several iterations upon previous iGEM projects. Having integrated feedback from institutions likely to use our product, Volatect’s hardware bridges the gap between large-scale prevention of pandemics and the need for quick and reliable tests.
Best Software Tool
Volatect’s software products are a derivative of our academic research on infectious disease surveillance trends and input from travel clearance institutions. The software running on top of our hardware makes possible the communication of a microcontroller with the temperature sensor and detector. The python scripts ensure the microstepping of a stepper motor has the proper torque to make possible the needed precise actuation.
We created an API that could give users the ability to analyse data input from the device thus tracking and predicting disease spread. It comes with extensive documentation and easy to use functions. 256bit AES Encryption is used on sensitive data on the server (i.e. passport numbers) so only authorised personnel can access the encrypted data. The API requests take place through an http-standard-secure-SSL-connection. Our software empowers the ideal of iGEM through facilitating data sharing and improving the understanding of contagion through open-source proactive thinking.
Best Integrated Human Practices
The fast-growing dependence on aviation facilitates global disease outbreaks, including Coronavirus in our region. To solve this issue, Team NYUAD created a device to rapidly diagnose infectious diseases at travel checkpoints.
To guide the biological aspect, we contacted an expert on CRISPR who helped us design guides and primers. We also contacted a pathologist and an expert on diagnostic devices to help us select the target diseases and make the device more user-friendly. Next, we contacted our main target markets, airports and visa screening centers, and examined how our device can be integrated into their protocols. Our contacts emphasized the need to test many samples simultaneously, which we accounted for in our device and how it will be used. They also specified the testing time they preferred, which determined our biological techniques.
Since our reach is global, we interviewed experts from many countries, including the UAE, Albania, Australia, and Turkey.
Best Education & Public Engagement
Preventing the spread of infectious diseases starts with raising awareness and enabling individuals to protect themselves before external screening becomes necessary. We worked to increase knowledge of contagious diseases and foster interest in the practices, applications, and concerns of synthetic biology. Our high school workshops brought together students from the UAE community to learn about the spread of epidemics and the integration of biology and engineering, emphasizing iGEM’s role in making synthetic biology accessible to people of all age groups. We are hosting the Biotechnology Debates, bringing to light issues of privacy in the field of genetics. Our booth at NYUAD’s Student Activities Fest introduced the student body to iGEM. Based on demonstrated interest, we created a mailing list which serves as a platform alongside our social media for further education. The Science Sketch collaborations familiarize the public with the mechanisms behind our project as well as synthetic biology principles.
