Fluorophore Conjugation
In order to capture any gluten molecules present in solution, an antibody unique to gluten subunit proteins was used. A powerful orange fluorophore was conjugated to the antibody in a newly discovered chemical reaction and was visibly a vibrant orange. Unique proteins were used as the test and control lines within the test strip.
Test Strip Testing
Assembly of the test strip required various components typical of lateral flow assays including cotton filters and nitrocellulose membranes. Conjugate was first placed onto the assay. The test and control lines were then laid down on the membrane. Initial tests revealed solution picked up conjugate and successfully bound to both lines. Later optimized tests showed most of the conjugate had left its original locale. A series of assays each varying in line intensity will be analyzed by the app to build a comparable standard.
Black Box Assembly
3D printing produced the test strip housing, black box, and phone casing. A simple LED lightbulb was placed inside the black box, completely powered by the smartphone. A webcam lens was placed in the black box meant to amplify the imaging capabilities of the standard phone lens. Pictures captured on the phone with the attached webcam lens showed the ability of the device to capture higher resolution images in millimeter distances.