INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, BRANDING
OVERVIEW
Waston is a palm-size PCR machine that tests for microbes around you. Most PCR machines are large instruments that cost thousands of dollars and require in-depth knowledge and lab training for proper setup and use. While Watson was designed in the form of a portable, open-source, affordable, and easy-to-use device.
OPPORTUNITY
Microbes are living things so small the human eye can’t see them, but just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. In fact, we’re surrounded by microbes! Some people call them germs, but biologists know them as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. For detecting these microbes, biologists use a machine called a thermocycler, or PCR machine. Most PCR machines are large instruments that cost thousands of dollars and require in-depth knowledge and lab training for proper set up and use. Can we develop a low cost, easy to use, portable device for testing by general public?
SOLUTION
Watson-PCR thermocycler is a 5 oz ruggedized thermal cycler that can carry out polymerase chain reactions (PCR) to amplify pathogen specific nucleic acids. The unit can accommodate four reaction tubes. Using a shelf-stable buffer system, one to six targets can be amplified in a single reaction tube. Watson provides people with the proper equipment to perform lab level testing. It tests for a wide range of potential problems areas in a house from beer and wine spoilage to pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella, MRSA, Norovirus and more.
