STTR Phase I: SMART Colorimetric Sensor for Airborne Methane Detection

这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将开发基于噬菌体的比色传感器，以提供成本效益高、低功率的天然气检测和定量。目前，还没有一种技术可以可靠地在现场实时检测早期天然气泄漏；现有的解决方案要么不够灵敏（手持式红外探测器），要么太笨重（气相色谱法）。仅在美国，每年因天然气泄漏相关灾害造成的损失就接近30亿美元（9亿美元来自天然气损失，20亿美元来自下游环境成本，8000万美元来自财产损失）；随着该国估计有300万英里的管道老化，这个数字只会增加。所提出的传感器将提供一种选择性的、便携式的传感能力，以改善天然气泄漏检测。假设基于噬菌体的传感器得到广泛实施，预计国内市场规模最初将超过6000万美元。此外，我们提出的传感器系统有可能被设计成通过现有的电信网络快速共享传感结果，从而减少由于天然气泄漏造成的损失。这对甲烷排放水平的测绘以及提高管道安全性也有下游的影响。本项目的智力优势是创建一个传感器平台，可以快速开发基于工程M13噬菌体（噬菌体）的气体传感器矩阵。该传感器基于高度特异性的肽受体和广泛反应性的表面化学物质，与现有的比色传感器相比，具有很大的优势，因为现有的比色传感器需要复杂的合成方法才能加入选择性元素。该项目旨在创造一种新型工程噬菌体，具有显示彩色矩阵阵列的能力，可以检测和测量天然气成分。通过主成分分析，可以快速破译与甲烷存在相关的噬菌体颜色变化的识别软件也将被开发出来。最后，将对噬菌体膜进行初步可行性测试，分析传感器在孤立操作条件下的响应。该项目的预期技术成果是创建用于区分甲烷气体分子的原型传感器矩阵以及相应的基于智能手机的读取器和算法。这些结果对于确定传感器限制和可扩展性要求至关重要。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop phage-based colorimetric sensors to provide cost-effective, low-powered detection and quantification of natural gas. Currently, there is no technology that can reliably detect early natural gas leaks on-site in real-time; existing solutions are either not sensitive enough (handheld infra-red detector) or too bulky (gas chromatography). In the United States alone, almost $3 billion in annual losses results from natural gas leak related disasters ($900 million from lost gas, $2 billion from downstream environmental cost, and $80 million from property damage); the number will only grow with the aging of an estimated three million miles of pipelines in the country. The proposed sensor will offer a selective, yet portable sensing capability for improving natural gas leak detection. Assuming widespread implementation of the phage-based sensor, the anticipated domestic market size is over $60 million initially. In addition, our proposed sensor system has the potential to be designed to rapidly share sensing results through existing telecommunication networks, and thereby reduce the losses due to natural gas leaks. This also has downstream implications in terms of geomapping of methane emission levels, as well as improving pipeline safety. The intellectual merit of this project is to create a sensor platform that can rapidly develop gas sensor matrices based on engineered M13 bacteriophage (phage). The properties of the sensor, based on highly specific peptide receptors and broadly reactive surface chemistries, are a big advantage over existing colorimetric sensors that require complex synthetic methods in order to incorporate selective elements. This project intends to create a new type of engineered bacteriophage with the capability to display color matrix arrays that can detect and measure components of natural gas. Recognition software that can quickly decipher the phage color change associated with the presence of methane will also be developed through principal component analysis. Finally, initial feasibility tests will be conducted on the phage film to analyze sensor response in isolated operating conditions. The anticipated technical results for this project are the creation of prototype sensor matrix to distinguish methane gas molecules and a corresponding smartphone-based reader and algorithm. These outcomes are vital to the determination of sensor limitations and scalability requirements.