SBIR Phase I: Nanoparticle Sensor for Detection of E. coli in Real-time and Real-world Conditions

该SBIR一期项目将开发一种无源传感器，用于实时检测大肠杆菌，无需浓缩步骤。它是基于电导率的变化，当细菌被特定于该菌株的肽聚糖捕获时，这种聚糖被固定在两个紧密分离的金电极上。这项工作的一个独特的方面是使用糖配体作为传感元件。其优点包括瞬时反应比抗体和肽更健壮和稳定；并且不受抗原漂移的影响，具有更高的灵敏度（因为基于聚糖的配体比抗体小，因此在传感器表面的覆盖范围可以更密集），并且具有毒力连锁（因为毒力需要与宿主中的聚糖受体结合）。该传感器的原型已经为空军开发，使用多肽作为捕获配体，但它需要小型化。拟议项目的更广泛/商业影响将是实时监测食物和水的供应。病原体的存在将被及时发现，以防止食物和水中毒。如果成功，这个装置将极大地帮助海滩和类似娱乐设施的管理人员，以及饮用水处理厂的操作员。检测结果将立即出来，以确定是否存在毒性大肠杆菌。这种传感器的商业潜力超出了水工业，包括肉类生产和国防/安全。水行业的市场规模每年超过10亿美元。该公司的目标是将传感器的售价定在每次测试100美元左右，这在关键的健康应用领域具有竞争力。这项创新的主要好处在于，该解决方案可以提供实时检测，而目前市场上最快的检测系统需要4-7小时才能提供警报。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a passive sensor for real-time detection of E. coli without concentration steps. It is based on the change in conductivity which would occur when the bacterium is captured by peptidoglycans specific to that strain which have been immobilized on two closely-separated gold electrodes. A unique aspect of this work is the use of glycoligands as the sensing element. Advantages include instantaneous responses that are more robust and stable than antibodies and peptides; and are not subject to antigenic drift, greater sensitivity (as glycan-based ligands are smaller than antibodies, hence coverage on the sensor surface can be more dense), and linkage with virulence (as binding to glycan receptors in the host is required for virulence). A prototype of the sensor has already been developed for the Air Force, using peptides as the capture ligands, but it needs to be miniaturized.The broader/commercial impact of the proposed project will be in the monitoring of food and water supplies in real time. Presence of pathogens will be known in time to prevent poisoning from food and water. If successful, this device would be of great assistance to managers of beaches and similar recreational facilities, as well as drinking water treatment plant operators. There would be immediate results of tests to determine the presence of virulent E. coli. The commercial potential for this sensor extends beyond the water industry to include meat production and defense/security. The market for the water industry exceeds $1b annually. The aim is to market the sensor at ~$100 per test, which is competitive for critical health-based applications. The key benefit of the innovation lies in the fact that this solution would provide real-time detection, while the quickest detection system on the market today takes 4-7 hours to provide alerts.