US-Ireland Partnership Program: BEACONS: Biosafety for EnvironmentAl COntaminants using Novel Sensors

0854020ConnellBEACONS是美国、北爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国之间的一项独特合作，旨在开发一种新型样品制备设备，与便携式传感器相结合，能够快速分析水样中主要水生毒素和相关生物的存在。它利用国际伙伴及其机构的大量互补专门知识来解决一个对人类健康和与水产有关的产业具有世界影响的问题。这些结果将被用于产生一种商业上适用的原型设备，该设备可能具有应用于各种不同分析问题的潜力。该计划将涉及人员和专业知识的大量交流，并将产生与解决所有合作伙伴司法管辖区的关键问题有关的新的科学数据和方法。该项目将开发一套易于携带的仪器，可用于生物毒素和有毒生物检测，并随后用于监测其他潜在有害生物及其毒素。任何现场可部署的传感仪器的一个关键要素是样品的采集和制备。因此，拟议的研究包括开发样品制备平台和相关协议，用于浓缩目标毒素和核酸序列并将其传递到手持检测设备。预期的成果是开发一种基于平面波导技术的光学探测装置的样品制备模块和分析方法，能够实时测量沿海和淡水样品中毒素产生生物和毒素本身的存在。样品制备模块将涉及新型微流控与肽核酸(PNA)的集成，以及设计的广泛亲和力、高度稳定的捕获抗体。生成的提取物将被引入检测系统，该系统将使用一种基于阵列的平面波导技术，该技术以前由商业合作伙伴整合到手持设备中，并提供给项目合作者用于开发毒素和生物体的分析。他们将使用高度特异的工程抗体来捕获毒素分子，并使用PNA作为捕获探针来检测相应的产毒生物体。这项技术预计将提供新的和改进的方法来评估沿海和淡水渔业资源被藻类生物毒素污染的潜在风险。美国-爱尔兰伙伴关系计划已得到三个司法管辖区(美国、爱尔兰共和国和北爱尔兰)的最高政治级别的认可。Beacons提案为美国带来的附加值包括爱尔兰在智力和财政上的重大贡献。此外，该项目将涉及参与组织之间良好协调的研究人员交流。特别是，从科学和文化的角度来看，受雇于该项目的青年科学家的交流访问机会都将是重要的。检测任何分析物的一个关键因素是样品处理。因此，除了加强国际合作和对青年科学家的培训外，该项目还旨在提供一个新的便携和灵活的平台，可用于基于传感器的其他生物毒素和/或微生物的检测。

0854020ConnellBEACONS is a unique collaboration between the United States, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, that aims to develop a novel sample preparation device coupled to a portable sensor which will be capable of rapidly analyzing for the presence of major aquatic toxins and associated organisms in water samples. It harnesses the substantial complementary expertise of the international partners and their institutions to address a problem that has world-wide implications for human health and aquatic related industries. The results will be used for the generation of a commercially applicable prototype device that could have the potential to be applied to a wide range of different analytical problems. The program will involve significant exchange of personnel and expertise and will generate novel scientific data and approaches linked with the solution of a key problem for all the partners' jurisdictions.This project will develop a set of easily portable instruments that can be utilized for biotoxin and toxic organism detection, and be adapted subsequently for monitoring of other potentially harmful organisms and their toxins. A key element for any field deployable sensing instrument is the acquisition and preparation of samples. Thus, the proposed research includes development of a sample preparation platform and associated protocols for concentration and delivery of targeted toxin and nucleic acid sequences to a hand-held detection device. The expected outcome is the development of a sample preparation module and assay methods for an optical detection device, based on planar waveguide technology, capable of measuring in real time the presence of both toxin producing organisms and the toxins themselves in coastal and fresh water samples. The sample preparation module will involve the integration of novel microfluidics with peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and engineered broad affinity, highly stable capture antibodies. Resultant extracts will be introduced into the detection system, which will employ an array-based, planar waveguide technology previously incorporated into a hand-held device by a commercial partner and made available to project collaborators for development of assays for toxins and organisms. They will utilize highly specific, engineered antibodies for capturing toxin molecules and PNAs as capture probes to detect the corresponding toxigenic organisms. This technology is expected to provide new and improved means of assessing the potential risks associated with contamination of coastal and fresh water fishery resources by algal biotoxins.The US-Ireland Partnership Program has been endorsed at the highest political levels by the three jurisdictions (U.S., Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland). The added value for the U.S. from the BEACONS proposal includes a combination of significant intellectual and financial contributions from Ireland. Moreover, the project will involve a well coordinated exchange of researchers between the participating organizations. In particular, the opportunities of exchange visits for young scientists employed on the project will be important from both scientific and cultural perspectives. A critical element of detecting any analyte is sample processing. Therefore, in addition to stronger international collaborations and training of young scientists, this project aims to provide a new portable and flexible platform that can be adapted for the sensor-based detection of other biotoxins and/or microbes.