SBIR Phase I: On-Site, Real-Time, Continuous Measurement of Hazardous Pesticides in Water Matrices

这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力可以从美国和世界各地增加的饮用水中农药的测量要求中看出。包括美国环保局水务局、美国地质调查局(USGS)和州环境部门在内的几个政府机构以及当地的市县机构都在监测饮用水中的杀虫剂。新的研究报告称，摄入各种杀虫剂会对健康造成额外的、日益恶化的影响。快速识别和测量，除了低成本和简化的测试方法外，该技术还可以通过显著增加测试频率、识别污染源并进行补救来提供帮助，从而帮助减少农药的总体消耗量。虽然Andalyze已经在各种重金属传感器方面展示了技术潜力，但在农药和其他有机分子的测量能力方面也看到了额外的机会，这将首先通过使用DNA适配子技术开发除草剂阿特拉津的荧光传感器来得到初步验证。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将有助于解决我们水资源中的痕量农药污染，如阿特拉津，这对我们的水资源构成了严重的健康问题。它们简单、快速和廉价的测量对于推动有效的去除技术至关重要。目前，农药测量仅在实验室中使用复杂的仪器进行，这些仪器昂贵(约900美元一次测试)，并且需要熟练的操作员。Andalyze使用一项基于DNA的专利传感技术，根据最近发现的DNA的催化特性，创造了一种检测和量化化学水平的方法。通过应用体外选择来确定对阿特拉津具有高选择性和高灵敏度的DNA适配子，对DNA适配子进行生化表征和优化以评估它们对类似分子(三嗪类)和其他常见农药的选择性和敏感性，最后利用ANDalyze荧光仪开发用于检测的荧光传感器，ANDalyze可以提供简单、快速、廉价、可靠和现场实时检测这些污染物。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project can be seen through the increased measurement requirements of pesticides in drinking in the U.S. and around the world. Several government agencies including the U.S. EPA Office of Water, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and State Environmental Departments, and local city and county agencies monitor drinking water for pesticides. And new studies are reporting additional and worsening health effects of ingesting various pesticides. Quick identification and measurement, in addition to low-cost and simplified testing methods the technology can assist by significantly increase the frequency of testing, identifying the contaminating source and then remediating thus helping to reduce the quantities of pesticides being consumed overall. While ANDalyze has already shown the technology potential with various heavy metal sensors, additional opportunity can be seen in the measurement capability for pesticides and other organic molecules which will be initially proven by first developing a fluorescent sensor for the herbicide atrazine using DNA aptamer technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will help to address the contamination of trace pesticides, such as Atrazine, in our water resources which pose a serious health concern. Their simple, quick and inexpensive measurement is essential for driving effective removal technologies. Currently pesticide measurements are conducted solely in the laboratory using sophisticated instrumentation which are expensive (~$900ea test) and require skilled operators. Using a patented DNA-based sensing technology, ANDalyze has created a method of detecting and quantifying chemical levels based on the recent discovery of the catalytic properties of DNA. By applying in-vitro selection to identify DNA aptamers that have high selectivity and sensitivity for atrazine, performing biochemical characterization and optimization of the DNA aptamers to assess their selectivity and sensitivity for the atrazine against similar molecules (triazine class) and other common pesticides, and finally developing a fluorescent sensor for detection using the ANDalyze fluorimeter, ANDalyze can offer simple, fast, inexpensive, reliable and on-site, real time detection of such contaminants.