Ideaz

rFC-OnSite

Portable Lab-on-Chip for Smart, Sustainable Endotoxin Detection

Problem Statement

The biomedical industry relies heavily on horseshoe crab blood to produce Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL), the gold standard for detecting bacterial endotoxins in vaccines, drugs, & medical devices. This practice threatens wild horseshoe crab populations, causing high mortality, impaired spawning, & ecological disruption.

Recombinant Factor C (rFC) assay kits are used to detect bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, & medical devices. They use a genetically engineered version of Factor C, the key protein from horseshoe crab blood, which activates in the presence of endotoxins. This activation triggers a fluorescent or colorimetric signal, allowing rapid, sensitive, & quantitative measurement of endotoxin levels without relying on live horseshoe crabs.

 Although recombinant Factor C (rFC) assays offer a sustainable alternative, they are limited to centralized labs, require trained personnel, & rely on batch-based testing. Current solutions lack portability, automation, & digital integration, preventing real-time, on-site endotoxin detection. As pharmaceutical manufacturing moves toward continuous, real-time quality assurance, there is a critical need for a portable, automated, & eco-friendly testing platform.

My Solution

We propose a handheld, AI-integrated Lab-on-Chip device that transforms endotoxin detection into a rapid, point-of-use process:

• Microfluidic Chip: Preloaded with recombinant Factor C, requiring only a single-drop sample.
  
  
• Endotoxin Detection: LPS activates rFC, which cleaves a reporter substrate to generate a fluorescence or colorimetric signal.
  
  
• AI Analysis: Embedded AI analyzes the signal, corrects for noise, & provides accurate readings in real time.
  
  
• Digital Integration: Results are displayed on a smartphone or cloud dashboard for seamless tracking & regulatory compliance.
  
  

Value Proposition 

• Current recombinant Factor C (rFC) assay kits improve upon traditional LAL tests but have significant limitations: they are benchtop systems requiring centralized labs, manual workflows, trained personnel, external signal detection, slower turnaround (30–60 minutes), high reagent use, & batch-based testing. While more sustainable than LAL, they are not optimized for real-time, on-site monitoring.
• The AI-integrated Lab-on-Chip rFC platform addresses these gaps by offering a portable, pocket-sized device with a fully automated “sample-to-answer” workflow. Integrated optical sensors & AI-driven analysis ensure rapid, accurate results in under 15 minutes. Cloud integration supports compliance tracking & centralized monitoring, while microfluidics reduce reagent use, making the platform sustainable, scalable, & cost-effective. This next-generation solution enables real-time, on-site endotoxin testing, overcoming the limitations of current rFC kits.

Who Benefits

• Pharmaceutical manufacturers gain real-time quality control
• labs & field operators can perform rapid testing
• the wider community benefits from safer vaccines & drugs produced sustainably.

Why This Matters to Me

This project addresses the intersection of public health, sustainability, & technology. Horseshoe crabs are not only ecologically vital but also a unique source of biomedical reagents. Witnessing the ecological impact of their exploitation motivates me to find sustainable alternatives. Developing a portable, AI-integrated Lab-on-Chip platform allows me to combine my knowledge of molecular biology, microfluidics, & bioengineering to create a solution that protects these ancient marine species while delivers a scalable, cost-effective, & environmentally responsible solution for modern endotoxin detection. This project embodies my vision of using biotechnology responsibly to innovate, conserve, & make a hugedifference.