I-Corps: Low-cost Real-time E. coli Bacteria Sensor

大肠杆菌是最普遍的病原体之一，广泛存在于环境中，可以在适当的温度下通过水或食物迅速而容易地传播。美国环境保护署（EPA）建议在淡水中使用大肠杆菌作为指示生物。因此，对感染性生物进行水质监测是管理这一关键自然资源的核心要求，需要准确和可获得的检测技术，以确保持续的质量控制和早期预警能力，为用户最大限度地减少负面影响。有几种方法用于细菌检测，例如，培养和菌落计数法，聚合酶链反应（PCR）和电化学方法。然而，现有的方法都不适合大规模、实时、原位检测大肠杆菌。因此，迫切需要一种快速、灵敏、选择性强、性价比高的大肠杆菌检测方法或传感平台，实现水质的连续监测。该团队提议开发一种基于石墨烯-金纳米颗粒的大肠杆菌（E. coli）检测试剂盒，用于快速检测水中的大肠杆菌。与传统的大肠杆菌检测方法（如光谱和电化学方法）相比，这种新型纳米材料传感器具有优越的性能，这些方法不适合大规模、实时、原位检测。在拟议的项目中，该团队将改进手持式水表和测试条，与权威的水技术验证机构（例如密尔沃基水厂或MWW和Battelle）合作，用真实的水样验证测试套件，并开发一个手持式水表原型，用于概念验证演示。此外，该团队将与传感器产品开发和商业化的关键战略合作伙伴合作。

E. coli bacteria are among the most prevalent pathogens that exist widely in the environment and can spread quickly and easily through water or food at an appropriate temperature. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended the use of E. coli in fresh water as an indicator organism. Therefore, water quality monitoring for infectious organisms is a core requirement for managing such a key natural resource and requires accurate and accessible detection technologies to ensure continuous quality control and early warning capabilities for users to minimize negative impacts. There are several methods used for bacteria detection, e.g., culture and colony counting method, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and electrochemical methods. However, none of the existing methods is suitable for large-scale, real-time, in-situ detection of E. coli. Therefore, a fast, sensitive, selective, and cost-effective method or sensing platform is urgently needed for E. coli bacteria detection for continuous water quality monitoring. This team proposes to develop a graphene-gold nanoparticle-based Escherichia coli (E. coli) test kit for rapid detection of E. coli bacteria in water. This novel nanomaterial-based sensor has superior performance over the conventional E. coli detection methods, e.g., spectroscopic and electrochemical methods, which are unsuitable for large-scale, real-time, in-situ detection. In the proposed project, the team will refine the handheld meter and the test strip, validate the test kit with real water samples in collaboration with authoritative water technology validation agents (e.g. Milwaukee Water Works or MWW and Battelle), and develop a prototype handheld meter for proof-of concept demonstration. In addition, the team will work with key strategic partners for the sensor product development and commercialization.