ENGINEERING SUCCESS
Our engineering process was not a straight line. We tested different approaches, encountered unexpected problems, and changed our design as we learned more about DEHP, bacterial sequestration, and controlled release.
Explore Our JourneyTHE ENGINEERING PROCESS
We began with a simple question: how can we remove DEHP from the environment surrounding pregnant mothers? From there, our design evolved through a series of engineering decisions.
Instead of treating each experiment as an isolated result, we used what we learned from one stage to determine what we should try next. Some approaches worked. Others revealed problems that forced us to rethink our system.
This page follows those decisions from our original concept to the final Pillinator design.
OUR JOURNEY
Follow the major engineering decisions that shaped our final design.
WHERE WE STARTED
We began by defining the DEHP problem and considering three possible strategies: sequestration, degradation, and aggregation.
Explore →GATE 1
EstS1 and MphG1 introduced a major question: was degrading DEHP actually better than simply capturing and removing it?
DECISION: Capture and removeGATE 2
We evaluated several proteins before asking whether the bacterium itself could provide the DEHP-binding system we needed.
DECISION: Let the bacterium bind DEHPGATE 3
We investigated whether modifying the bacterial membrane would improve DEHP sequestration or introduce unnecessary complexity.
DECISION: Leave the membrane aloneTHE PILLINATOR
Capturing DEHP was only part of the challenge. We also needed our engineered bacteria to remain where they were needed long enough to work.
Meet the Pillinator →BUILDING THE SYSTEM
We developed Devices 4–9, selected targets, evaluated promoters, ordered DNA, and troubleshot our builds.
See the build →MODELING
Computational modeling helped us investigate our designs and understand how our biological components could interact.
Explore modeling →TESTING
We tested the pieces of our design through binding, partitioning, adhesion, and sensor experiments.
See our testing →FINAL DESIGN
Our final system brings together the chassis, capture mechanism, actuator, and trigger into one engineered solution.
See the final design →LOOKING FORWARD
Not every approach became part of our final design. These experiments still taught us what our system needed to become.
Future work →“
It was about figuring out why our first ideas were not enough, and using those failures to build something better.
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