Vesper - Bioluminescent Aromatic Sleep Aid Device
This project utilizes synthetic biology techniques to develop a safe, natural, and non-invasive Bioluminescent Aromatic Sleep Aid Device.
The device facilitates sleep through dual sensory pathways: visually, by creating a micro-luminescent environment that enhances melatonin secretion, and olfactorily, by generating an aromatic environment that calms emotions.
The micro-luminescent environment is engineered using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) with modified ferulic acid bypass pathway (FBP) as the chassis organism. Through the introduction of TAL, HpaB, and HpaC gene sequences, a tyrosine-to-caffeic acid biosynthetic pathway is established, enabling autonomous caffeic acid production. This drives the caffeic acid cycle to produce luciferin, which, under luciferase catalysis, generates visible low-intensity light perceptible to the human eye.