AIR: Rapid Label-Free Single Virus Detection Platform for Multi-Pathogen Diagnostics

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Rapid detection and surveillance of infectious agents is an unsolved challenge in the medical and biodefense communities. The lack of rapid and accurate diagnostics at the point of care (POC) has led to mismanagement of the newly developed drugs rendering them ineffective through the emergence of drug resistant pathogens. The PI proposes the development of a prototype instrument that does not require highly skilled technicians for POC settings. Issues which will be addressed in the development of the functioning field-deployable prototype include: (1) optimization of the illumination uniformity, (2) auto-focusing onto the sample, and (3) mechanical stability of the setup. The proposed instrument will be integrated with proven sample preparation techniques and evaluated against the bench top platform.Successful development and launch of the proposed prototype will drastically improve the speed of disease diagnosis, expedite treatment options and ultimately produce better patient outcomes at a lower cost to the healthcare system. The simplicity and ease-of-use of the proposed system augurs well for the use of the technology in point-of-care settings and in providing improved healthcare in developing countries. In the proposed work, the industry participation and mentorship utilizing experienced entrepreneurs and executives will enhance the undergraduate and graduate educational experience by providing an environment for fostering entrepreneurialism and a parallel pipeline for talented engineers and scientist to industry. The strong ties of the executive mentorship program to the Boston business community also contributes to the economic development of the region by launching new businesses and job creation.