Team:Alma/Proof Of Concept
Proof of Concept
How can we test its effectiveness?
The estrogen receptor’s ability to recognize the presence of DDT in solution
needed to be tested. This was the biggest source of concern in terms of proof of
concept that the Alma iGEM team faced. DDT is enormously hydrophobic, with an oil-water
coefficient of 6.8. DDT is not however something that the Alma iGEM team had a strong
desire to work closely with, as it is toxic to invertebrates. As such an analog was
found in Sudan Black dye, which the Alma iGEM team found was more hydrophobic than
DDT with an oil-water coefficient of 7. This served as a good stand in for DDT to
be worked with in testing the processes that could be used to quantify the amount
of DDT present in solution
