Team:Northern BC
D-Tector
Vitamin D is synthesized in the body when UV rays from the sun hit our
skin. The climate and geographical location of northern communities
cause those living there to have limited sun exposure, which can cause
vitamin D deficiencies. This applies to our team’s home base in Prince
George and many other communities in northern British Columbia (BC),
Canada. In northern BC, vitamin testing is expensive and
time-consuming. Tests need to be sent to larger cities in the lower
mainland, which can take weeks to be processed, and government health
insurance does not cover the associated costs of the tests. Our team
has dedicated this year’s iGEM project to fill the need for a rapid,
inexpensive and simple vitamin D detection method within our
community.