Date of Award

Spring 2018

Document Type

Thesis - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2018.

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Zhiwen Zhang

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is expected to be the leading cause of cancer death by 2030.1 CA 19-9 is currently the most widely-used biomarker, but detection for this biomarker relies on monoclonal antibodies, which are expensive, require months to manufacture, and are ethically concerning.4 12 Through site-specific incorporation of an unnatural amino acid (L-DOPA), we are engineering a peptide that binds to a pancreatic cancer biomarker with strength comparable to a monoclonal antibody.11 By targeting a sugar molecule, we will expand the potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications of this cost-effective, stable, and ethical modular design.

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