PFI (RAPID): Assessment for COVID-19 RNA in Large Populations with Low-Cost, Mail-Safe, Fast-Scan Sensor Systems

该创新伙伴关系(PFI) - RAPID项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一个诊断平台，该平台非常适合在大流行期间广泛监测感染，例如当前的COVID-19威胁。它包括一个低成本的邮寄器，可以在家里使用，在邮件中放入一个安全密封的保密信封，在收到后无需打开即可快速扫描以诊断感染。这些结果可以立即传递给用户，并可以生成实时爆发地图以及受影响的人口统计数据。这种方法减轻了卫生工作者的诊断负担，消除了对有限个人防护装备的过度使用，并更好地应对疫情。地方和联邦政府可以更有效地分配资源，工人们可以做出更明智的决定，是呆在家里还是去上班。此外，这个项目将训练一个由四名学生组成的团队，根据他们的论文工作中的技术，快速协作，以满足实际产品的设计约束。COVID-19之外的商业影响将是一个高度模块化的平台，可以迅速适应其他当前的诊断需求（艾滋病毒、热带病）以及未来的大流行。拟议的项目克服了目前COVID-19检测方法的限制，这些方法受到以下方面的限制：1)卫生工作者必须收集样本，2)生物标本的运输，以及3)使用当前的RT-PCR技术进行评估的瓶颈。现在需要的是一种更快速的基因检测方法，以克服这些限制来控制流行病。在这里，我们提出了一种新的传感器系统，它依靠嵌入式无接触传感器和敏感的RNA检测和扩增，以低成本，无源（无板载电源）的解决方案，允许用户收集样品并安全地携带或邮寄到本地扫描仪。在这项工作中，我们将设计对COVID-19 RNA敏感的遗传开关（目标1），在纸底物上实现这些开关，产生无细胞蛋白（目标2），并将它们与谐振传感器RF换能器集成（目标3）。项目交付将是一个在我们的合作实验室中测试的工作原型，以及第一代数据可视化界面。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)– RAPID Project is to develop a diagnostic platform that is well-suited for widespread monitoring of infection during pandemics, such as the current COVID-19 threat. It consists of a low-cost mailer that can be used at home, returned in the mail in a safely-sealed, confidential envelope and quickly scanned upon receipt without opening to diagnose infection. These results can be relayed to the user immediately and a real-time outbreak map along with affected demographics can be produced. This approach off-loads the burden of diagnostics from health workers, eliminates the increased use of limited personal protective equipment, and provides a better response to outbreaks. Resources could be more efficiently allocated by local and federal governments, and workers could make more informed decisions on staying at home or going to work. Moreover, this project will train a team of four students to collaborate quickly together to meet the design constraints of an actual product based on technologies from their thesis work. Commercial impact beyond COVID-19 would be a highly modular platform that can be rapidly adapted to other current diagnostic needs (HIV, tropical diseases) as well as future pandemics. The proposed project overcomes the current methods of COVID-19 detection which are limited by 1) healthcare workers having to collect samples, 2) shipment of biological specimens, and 3) bottleneck of assessment with current RT-PCR techniques. What is needed is a more rapid method of widespread genetic testing for epidemic control that overcomes these limitations. Here we propose a new sensor system that relies on embedded contact-free sensors and sensitive RNA detection and amplification in a low-cost, passive (no onboard power) solution that allows for the user to collect sample and safely carry or mail to a local scanner. In this work we will design genetic switches sensitive to COVID-19 RNA (aim 1), implement these switches on paper substrates with cell free protein production (aim 2), and integrate them with a resonant sensor RF transducer (aim 3). The project deliverable will be a working prototype that is tested in our collaborative labs, along with a first generation data visualization interface.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.