Abstract (on poster)– Melioidosis is a tropical infectious disease spread by the gram-negative bacterial vector Burkholderia pseudomallei, characterized by adversities ranging from systemic lesions to even multi-organ failure. Although it affects over 165,000 individuals globally, typical diagnosis still relies on the bacterial culturing of clinical biofluids, resulting in diagnostic delays that sometimes outpace disease progression. To mitigate this, we utilize BipD, a B. pseudomallei virulence protein, with two high-affinity single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) aptamers to generate a detectable molecular signal prior to fulminance. Although our current predictions through AlphaFold3, RNAfold, and EZassay software show low confidence, further in silico validation is still necessary.

Designing a LANCET-Based Assay to Diagnose Burkholderia pseudomallei-Derived Melioidosis
School
Lambert High School
Suwanee, GA
BioBuilderClub Season
2025-2026 Season
Category
Resources