Team:UTokyo
Synbio Bandage to Improve the Care in an Aging Population
YEAST-AID is a multifunctional wound dressing made with synthetic yeasts. In a rapidly aging population like Japan, the demand for technology which can facilitate medical and nursing care is becoming larger and larger. Our project especially focuses on the care of bedsores, one of the biggest healthcare concerns for elderly people. By developing a synbio-based bandage, we make it possible for non-professionals to easily diagnose and treat the wounds. YEAST-AID is a solid solution to help millions of people who are suffering from bedsores and in taking a step for tackling the problem of an aging society.
Cure with the Power of Yeasts
Our bio-tech bandages is made with synthetic yeasts S.cerevisiae, which achieve the following three core functions:
- Monitoring of the wound healing through the change of the oxygen concentration level.
- Prevention of bacterial infections by secreting antimicrobial peptides.
- Detecting the bacterial infection by intercellular communication signals.
These implementations will make it possible for non-medical personnel to manage bedsores easily and effectively.
Cellfiber Keeps Yeasts Safely
The centerpiece of our product application is the cell fiber. Cell fiber is a fiber-shaped hardware in which cells are confined inside of a tube of calcium alginate. While the semi-permeability makes cell fiber an ideal material for sensing and sanitizing functions, hollow-structured fiber provides an innovative way of containing living cells in the bandage. This technology can also be applied in many iGEM projects when integrating cells into a real device. With the use of this technique originated in our university, we pave a way for its application in the field of healthcare.