About This Project

Detecting radiation across hazardous sites without risking human lives is a critical challenge. Project Aegyx asks: Can bio-fabricated melanin shields act as long-range optical detector? We hypothesize that radiation-driven light degradation predictably extinguishes near-infrared signals in certain biomaterial films. Using drone multispectral cameras and current-sensing circuits, we map these shifts from 50m to enable safe, low-cost, long-range environmental sensing

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Biological remote sensing is limited because micro-scale signals blend into background noise. Landmark work (MIT, Voigt Lab, 2026) demonstrated remote bacterial detection from 90 meters, proving macro-scale biosensing. However, releasing live genetically modified organisms outdoors faces severe regulatory hurdles and biosafety risks as outlined in recent biosafety frameworks by EPA.

Project Aegyx avoids these containment barriers using a non-genetic biomaterial. By coating bacterial cellulose with biosynthetic melanin (or a purified fluorescent proteins like GFP or MagLOV variants capable of sensing magnetic fields), we create a safe, passive shield that bypasses release laws while acting as an optical reporter. Grounded in melanin physics, we hypothesize that radiation degradation predictably alters near-infrared signatures and electrical conductivity.

What is the significance of this project?

Project Aegyx transforms radiation shielding from a simple passive barrier into an active, self-reporting safety system. Today, inspecting protective materials in high-radiation or hazardous zones requires either risky human exposure or expensive, fragile wiring.

By enabling drones to read material degradation wirelessly from 50 meters away, this project provides a new tool for safe, long-range environmental monitoring. The prototype and dataset generated will demonstrate how low-cost, bio-fabricated coatings can continuously report structural health in real time.

Beyond nuclear safety and space exploration, this open-source biomaterial framework offers a scalable, eco-friendly model for remote sensing in disaster response, aerospace maintenance, and climate-resilient infrastructure—making hazardous monitoring safer, cheaper, and broadly accessible

What are the goals of the project?

First, we will scale our production pipeline to fabricate a batch of 20 standardized, 1 m×1 m bacterial cellulose panels, ensuring uniform integration of melanin (the radiation absorbing material).

Second, we will determine if radiation exposure produces predictable, quantifiable changes in the material’s properties. We will measure real-time variations in electrical conductivity and near-infrared signal quenching across a controlled matrix of 50 radiation exposure levels.

Third, we will validate aerial remote sensing by deploying these panels in 15 structured outdoor flight missions, using a drone-mounted multispectral camera at altitudes up to 50 meters to map spectral shifts. Missions will be divided between rural and urban environments.

Finally, we will release all deliverables—including molecular spectra libraries, hardware schematics, and processing scripts—as open-source tools for the global scientific community."