Our iGEM season finishes in November - but this is not the end of Ovulaid! Some of our members are evaluating the financial possibilities to continue with the development of the project and others are making a biosensor case for high school students. Furthermore, we hope that our project will have an impact on future developments in the field.

Science

The next step in the project is to successfully implement the functional human LH and the Estradiol receptors into the same yeast strain and analyze the functionality. Next step is to test with human saliva samples, and to file for a biobank. In summary, we need to control if color is developed under realistic conditions.
The search for suitable reporter genes is critical and several options are on the table so far. Therefore, we will have a selection process to find a system that delivers a strong color in a short time. Currently, we would test whether we could use betalains as a pigment.
The app will be programmed to detect incremental color changes and to construct a picture of the whole menstrual cycle by combining the pictures of the gum that are taken every day.
When this system is complete, further receptors will be added to the yeast strain to allow the detection of more hormones like FSH and Progesterone.

Legislation

While doing this project, we observed that reservations regarding GMOs are widely distributed among the general public.
Before Ovulaid has been properly evaluated by Danish authorities, Lægemiddelstyrelsen, it is hard to foresee the scope of the legal obstacles of putting a GMO containing medical device such as Ovulaid on the Danish market. We hope our engagement in this area has always been respectful and informative, and that our project will change the perspective of the lawmakers as well as the general public.

Women's Health

It would make us proud if our project has helped to break down the stigmas surrounding fertility and to normalize the discussion. After doing this project we can confirm the WHO’s claim¹ that the difficulties surrounding infertility are hardly known by men. We hope that our project helped to spread appreciation and to move the topic into the focus of all of the general public.
From the many interviews we have conducted we gained the impression that there is ample interest in non-invasive, fast, and easy alternatives to existing ovulation tests. Our project therefore shows that there is market potential ready to be exploited.

The Team

We, the iGEM team of the University of Copenhagen, have shared many wonderfull and stressfull moments. We have gone from good team mates to become really good friends. We truly believe that this is not the last time you will hear from Ovulaid, so stay tuned!

References

1. WHO (2019). Infertility is a global public health issue. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/infertility/perspective/en/ [Accessed 19 Oct. 2019].