Easy western blot solution

• Main Author: Heo, Yub
• Other Authors: Marcos
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Robots
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/158512
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Western Blot protocol is a widely used life science technique developed in the 1970s to detect the presence of a specific protein in a given sample. It is commonly used in areas such as disease detection in clinical settings, amongst other biochemistry applications. However, the technique is time consuming when performed manually, taking up to two days to complete. Furthermore, attempts to automate the process are relatively new and have low adoption rates due to the prohibitive cost of the device and consumables. This presents an opportunity for a low-cost device to automate the Western Blot. In this paper, the Western Blot protocol is examined and a device is designed and built to automate its washing, blocking and incubation steps. A design methodology is outlined, and the functional specifications regarding the dispensation of reagents and antibodies, agitation of the membrane, and temperature requirements are described. The proposed device design consists of a mix of 3D-printed and standard parts used in conjunction with a Peltier cooling device and an Arduino Mega. A prototype based on the specified design was then built and tested. Specifically, a user was able to input the required key variables via a graphical user interface and achieve procedural compliance for the Western Blot through the device. Overall, the proposed design was functional and could provide an automated solution that mimics the manual protocol for the washing, blocking, and incubation steps of the Western Blot.