EAGER: Nanostructured Colorimetric Polymer For Pathogen Detection

EAGER：用于病原体检测的纳米结构比色聚合物

• 批准号: 0947771
• 负责人: Peter Kofinas
• 金额: $ 12万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-15 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0947771&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Nanostructured; Colorimetric; Polymer; Pathogen

0947771KofinasThe goal of this exploratory research is to synthesize and process polymer thin films capable of recognizing a variety of bacterial pathogens. Such flexible polymers could be applied as an insert on food packaging products, or as a swab in a hospital setting which, upon recognition of pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Legionella, undergo a color change providing manufacturers, consumers, and healthcare workers with a facile method for identifying contamination. The proposed polymer thin films consist of a layered structure which changes thickness upon recognition of small molecules, "autoinducers", that bacteria secrete to communicate with each other. The thickness change results in a color change which can be visually observed. Sensors based on such block copolymer films will be unique in their ability to selectively recognize bacterial signaling molecules without the need for additional dyes or ligands. This will result in a radically different approach for sensor fabrication, resulting in low-cost sensors for quality monitoring and preservation of a large number of food products. The education activities to be undertaken in this work are designed to educate and train a next-generation engineers that embrace diversity as a strength. We have several initiatives planned including specific programs that assist in undergraduate and graduate education, graduate student mentoring, and training of high school students from schools in minority-rich communities.

0947771 Kofinas这项探索性研究的目标是合成和加工能够识别各种细菌病原体的聚合物薄膜。 这种柔性聚合物可以作为插入物应用于食品包装产品上，或者作为医院环境中的拭子，其在识别病原体如大肠杆菌、李斯特菌、沙门氏菌、弯曲杆菌、军团菌时经历颜色变化，为制造商、消费者和医护人员提供用于识别污染的简便方法。 所提出的聚合物薄膜由层状结构组成，该层状结构在识别细菌分泌以彼此通信的小分子“自诱导物”时改变厚度。 厚度变化导致可以视觉观察到的颜色变化。基于这种嵌段共聚物膜的传感器将在其选择性识别细菌信号分子而不需要额外的染料或配体的能力方面是独特的。这将导致一种完全不同的传感器制造方法，从而产生用于大量食品质量监测和保存的低成本传感器。在这项工作中开展的教育活动旨在教育和培训下一代工程师，将多样性作为一种优势。我们有几项计划，包括具体的方案，协助本科和研究生教育，研究生辅导，并培训高中学生从学校在少数民族丰富的社区。