Applications

Ratiometric sensors are a multifaceted tool with applications across the field of synthetic biology. Because our systems are modular, they could be used to sense ratios of chemicals important to...

Cancer

Ratios of growth factor to receptors can indicate the malignancy of tumors and predict when they are likely to metastasize. Our sensor could be used as either a research tool to discover more important ratios or as a method of targeting in-vivo drug delivery to those cells with tumor-like expression patterns.

Preterm Labor

Preterm labor is a leading cause of infant mortality, even in the US. Our sensor could detect hormone or bacterial imbalance and alert the expectant mother or her doctor that she is likely to enter preterm labor, allowing a pre-emptive response that could save her child's life.

Metabolic Flux

Bacterial manufacturing has huge economic potential, but is often limited by the efficiency of biological pathways. Our sensor could be used to regulate enzyme production, inhibiting enzyme output in the absence of substrate and increasing output once substrate becomes abundant.