Quantifying HIV-1 Viral Load with Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

The DVD team is working to develop a cost-effective technique for measuring HIV load in resource-restricted regions. Our client is Dr Phil Thuma and the Macha Research Centre in Zambia. Our design utilizes a fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) approach, including a protein-engineered probe, custom optics, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a graphical display to assess viral load in a patient blood sample. In this talk we will present on the design and testing of our optical FCS system, the method of processing and analyzing the signal, and creation of the user interface display. Our team is currently finalizing the design of each device component and looking towards device integration and prototyping in the Fall of 2020.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2020/1015/thumbnail.jp