STTR Phase I: Optic Fiber Sensors for the Detection of Pathogenic Microorganisms

9810555Greene这个第一阶段小型企业技术转让(STTR)项目旨在开发一种光纤检测系统，该系统使用多路复合亲和干涉(Al)传感器，用于对饮用水或制药加工级水、牛奶衍生品或果汁等水样中存在的微生物进行现场监测。食品或药品加工的简化、在线实时检测是一种理想但目前有限的监测技术。该系统将具有成本效益、坚固耐用、操作简单和易于自动化，包括微流控或其他采样系统接口。提出者将设计和制造一种由多路光纤传感器组成的传感器，以检测具有微生物存在特征的目标分子。这些分子可以是溶解的原核细胞或原生动物的蛋白质组分、DNA组分或亲脂组分。这项提议的第一阶段将集中于一个蛋白质、一个DNA和一个亲脂目标的简单检测，这些共同展示了通过先进的、多路复用的传感器系统检测多种微生物的潜力。一个完整的系统集成将在第二阶段进行演示，该系统将在加工牛奶药品的数据流中对多达8个不同的微生物目标进行实际现场监测应用。建议的光纤生化传感器将在食品加工、环境修复和制药领域的大型年度市场中得到广泛应用。

9810555Greene This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project aims to develop a optical fiber detection system using multiplexed affinity-interferometric (Al) sensors for in-situ monitoring of microorganisms present in aqueous samples such as potable or pharmaceutical process grade water, milk derivatives or fruit juice. Simplified, on-line detection in real time for food or pharmaceutical processing is a desirable but currently limited monitoring technology. The system will be cost effective, robust, operationally simple, and amenable to automation including a microfluidic or other sampling system interface. The proposers will design and fabricate a sensor composed of multiplexed optical fiber sensors to detect target molecules characteristic of the presence of microorganism. These molecules can be proteinacious, DNA, or lipophilic components of lysed (or secreted components of living) procaryotic cells or protozoa. Phase I of this proposal will focus upon the simple detection of one proteinacious, one DNA, and one lipophilic target which together demonstrate the potential of multiple microorganism detection by an advanced, multiplexed, sensor system. A complete system integration for demonstration of a practical field monitoring application for up to eight different microbial targets in processing streams from milk-derived pharmaceuticals is slated for Phase II. The proposed optical fiber biochemical sensors will find widespread application in large annual markets in the food processing, environmental remediation, pharmaceutical fields.