Development of the EdvoReader: a Quantitative PCR and Colorimetry Instrument for Laboratory Skills Training

EdvoReader 的开发：用于实验室技能培训的定量 PCR 和比色仪

• 批准号: 10481325
• 负责人: Brian Ell
• 金额: $ 25.96万
• 依托单位: EDVOTEK, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-06-01 至 2022-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10481325
• 关键词: Address; Bacteria; Big Data; Biochemistry; Biological; Biological Assay; Biology; Biotechnology; Collection; Color; Colorimetry; Complement; Computer software; Consult; Data; Data Analyses; Data Collection; Data Set; Databases; Detection; Development; Devices; Education; Educational Curriculum; Electronics; Engineering; Ensure; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Science; Equipment; Face; Funding; Grant; Heavy Metals; High School Faculty; Individual; Iron; Knowledge; Laboratories; Lasers; Life; Mathematics; Measurement; Methods; Modeling; Modernization; Optics; Pathway interactions; Phase; Play; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Regulation; Reproducibility; Research; Resources; Role; STEM curriculum; Schools; Science; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; Spectrophotometry; Statistical Data Interpretation; Student recruitment; Students; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Time; Training; United States Environmental Protection Agency; Universities; Validation; Work; career; citizen science; college; commercialization; cost; design; educational atmosphere; experimental study; high school; instructor; instrument; instrumentation; large datasets; lead contamination; mathematical analysis; outreach; phase 1 testing; programs; prototype; recruit; skill acquisition; skills; skills training; statistics; success; teacher; teaching laboratory; undergraduate student; user-friendly; water quality; water testing

Project Summary The modern world needs a workforce capable of collecting data, understanding quantitative analysis, and using that knowledge to make informed decisions. These skills play a role in many careers, including those in science, but are also vital in navigating daily life. Students gain proficiency in these techniques through education in science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM). Despite this push, and over $200 million per year in funding from the U.S. Department of Education, high school and undergraduate instructors struggle to incorporate quantitative concepts into their curriculum. Teachers face multiple barriers to success, including a lack of resources, equipment, expertise, and time. This proposal addresses these deficiencies through the creation of equipment and experiments that bring quantitative research to the teaching laboratory. The instrumentation needed for quantitative experiments is often too expensive, bulky, fragile, or complicated for use in an educational environment. Therefore, we aim to develop a simple new device that allows students to explore a large array of quantitative biology techniques in the lab. This device, called the “EdvoReader”, will be designed using recent advances in LED and optical detection electronics. The EdvoReader will be designed specifically for educational use and will be capable of both colorimetry and real-time PCR analysis, exposing students to a range of diverse biological measurements. Importantly, by building this instrument from the ground up, the EdvoReader can incorporate the features most requested by educators while minimizing costs. The instrument will be validated using existing assays and compared to current equipment to ensure that it is capable of reproducible measurements. During Phase I a collection of robust, classroom safe experiments will be adapted from authentic EPA water quality testing for bacteria, iron, and lead contamination. These assays are used worldwide for environmental monitoring, allowing us to validate the equipment using known standards and lay the groundwork for the commercialization of the EdvoReader platform. Without the EdvoReader these real-world quantitative experiments would require multiple expensive pieces of equipment. Importantly, the experiments have broad appeal, making them ideal for biotechnology, biology, and environmental science classes. An advisory board of high school teachers, university instructors, and non-profit educators has been recruited to support the development of the EdvoReader and a citizen science curriculum. This will guide our work with students, which will begin in Phase II. By combining a classroom-focused instrument with dedicated experiments, the EdvoReader platform will provide educators with an inexpensive and accessible pathway to instruct cutting-edge biotechnology. In turn, students will gain valuable hands-on training in real-world, relevant quantitative techniques and an understanding of STEM analysis that is underutilized in classroom laboratories.

项目摘要 现代世界需要一个能够收集数据，了解定量分析和的劳动力 利用这些知识来做出明智的决定。这些技能在许多职业中都起着作用，包括 科学，但对于浏览日常生活也至关重要。学生通过 科学，技术，工程和数学教育（或STEM）。尽管有这一推动力，超过了2亿美元 美国教育，高中和本科讲师的每年资助 将定量概念纳入其课程中。老师面临成功的多个障碍，包括 缺乏资源，设备，专业知识和时间。该建议通过 创建设备和实验，为教学实验室带来定量研究。 定量实验所需的仪器通常太贵，笨重，脆弱或复杂 在教育环境中使用。因此，我们旨在开发一种简单的新设备，使学生允许学生 在实验室中探索大量的定量生物学技术。该设备称为“ Edvoreader”，将 使用LED和光学检测电子产品的最新进展设计。 Edvoreader将被设计 专门用于教育用途，将能够进行比色和实时PCR分析 学生进行一系列潜水员的生物测量。重要的是，通过从 地面，Edvoreader可以纳入教育工作者最要求的功能，同时最大程度地减少成本。 该仪器将使用现有测定法进行验证并与当前设备进行比较，以确保其是 能够可重现的测量。 在第一阶段中 细菌，铁和铅污染的质量测试。这些测定在世界范围内用于环境 监视，允许我们使用已知标准验证设备，并为 Edvoreader平台的商业化。没有这些现实世界的定量 实验将需要多种昂贵的设备。重要的是，实验具有广泛的 吸引人，使其成为生物技术，生物学和环境科学课程的理想选择。 已经招募了高中教师，大学教师和非营利教育者的顾问委员会 支持Edvoreader和公民科学课程的发展。这将指导我们的工作 学生，这将从第二阶段开始。通过将专注于教室的乐器与专用的乐器相结合 实验，Edvoreader平台将为教育工作者提供便宜且易于访问的途径 指导尖端生物技术。反过来，学生将在现实世界中获得宝贵的动手培训 在课堂实验室中未充分利用的定量技术和对STEM分析的理解。