EAGER: Condensation-based Capture and Quantification of Microdroplet-transmitted Viruses

最近爆发的COVID-19疫情迅速蔓延成为全球大流行病，这暴露了迫切需要推进识别建筑环境中空气传播病原体威胁（例如气溶胶或液滴携带的病毒）的科学和方法。这个EAGER项目有助于技术发展的能力，以获得所需的实时定量信息，以减少室内疾病传播。该研究结合了多相流体传输、微流体、生化检测和分子生物学的基本原理，并将它们结合起来，作为设计便携式病毒传感设备的第一步，不仅有助于目前的COVID-19大流行，而且有助于未来爆发这种和其他空气传播的病原体，无论是病毒、细菌还是真菌。这样的设备将非常适合在医疗保健设施、运动场、学校、剧院和其他公共聚集场所中广泛使用，以监测新病毒的突然出现、存在和传播，所有这些对于避免感染传播和疾病爆发都是至关重要的。此外，这种设备在实时环境监测方面将具有巨大的价值，这在经济重新开放后将是至关重要的。这项工作涉及一名研究生和一名少数民族博士后谁渴望成为未来的学术。该研究的技术目标是联合收割机在多相流体流动和颗粒输送的专业知识与既定的DNA扩增和表征程序相结合，最终目标是一个便携式，可重新配置的传感平台，收集自然（潮湿）状态下的空气传播病原体，并快速量化它们在建筑环境中的存在。该研究的特点是在控制良好的实验室环境中收集大气冷凝物，随后采用DNA扩增和表征技术，以产生室内空间中空气传播病原体（例如SARS-CoV-2或其他病毒）的存在和传播特征的定量数据。这种方法具有灵活和可重新配置的优点，因为它可以适应任何可以通过空气传播的病毒威胁。  该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得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的支持。

The recent COVID-19 outbreak that rapidly spread to become a global pandemic has exposed a critical need for advancing the science and methodology of recognizing airborne pathogen threats (e.g. aerosolized or droplet-carried viruses) in the built environment. This EAGER project contributes to the technological development of the capability to derive real-time quantitative information that is needed to curtail disease spreading indoors. The research incorporates fundamental principles of multiphase fluid transport, microfluidics, biochemical detection and molecular biology, and combines them as a first step towards designing portable, virus-sensing devices for assisting not only in the present COVID-19 pandemic, but also in future outbreaks of this and other airborne pathogens, whether viral, bacterial, or fungal. Such devices would be well-suited for pervasive use in health care facilities, sports arenas, schools, theaters and other places of public gathering, to monitor the sudden appearance, presence and transport of novel viruses, all critical for avoiding spreading of infection and decease outbreaks. Moreover, such devices would be of immense value in real-time environment surveillance, which would be of the essence after the economy re-opens. The work involves a graduate student and a minority postdoc who aspires to be a future academic.The technical objective of the research is to combine expertise in multiphase fluid flow and particle transport with established DNA amplification and characterization procedures, with the ultimate goal a portable, reconfigurable sensing platform that collects airborne pathogens in their natural (wet) state and quickly quantifies their presence in the built environment. The research features atmospheric condensate collection in well-controlled laboratory environments and subsequent DNA amplification and characterization techniques to produce quantitative data on the presence and transport characteristics of airborne pathogens (e.g. SARS-CoV-2 or other viruses) in indoor spaces. The approach has the advantage of being flexible and reconfigurable, in as it can be adapted to any viral threat that can be carried through the air.  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.