A Microfluidic Biochip for Rapid Screening of Pesticide Residues

描述(申请人提供)：这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种创新的生物芯片，用于快速筛查水和食物样本中的农药残留。拟议中的生物芯片将建立在生物检测仪器公司获得独家许可的专利技术和之前在生物传感器方面的工作基础上，这些生物传感器基于微流控、交指微电极(IMES)和微生物生理活动指示器的电化学测量。一种廉价而坚固的生物材料可以感知一类广泛使用的杀虫剂的相关生物活性/毒性，它将被固定在IME的表面上。盖将通过暴露于IME的微流控通道附连到改进的IME。在模型农药阿特拉津的存在和不存在的情况下，固定化生物的生理活性将通过指示剂的电化学测量来监测，IME信号强度预计与农药浓度有关。第一阶段的主要目标之一是通过演示在不到10分钟内检测到阿特拉津，检测下限为=1 ppb(=5 NM)来证明这一概念。该生物芯片将结合生物材料、微流控、输入法等技术的优点，具有成本低、灵敏度高、速度快等优点。农药对水和食物的污染以及对人类健康的潜在危害仍然是我们社会的主要关切。目前的农药检测方法，如高效液相、气相色谱和快速检测试剂盒，需要精密的仪器、熟练的人员、大量的样品前处理、昂贵的生物试剂和/或密集的人工操作，因此不适合现场或常规筛选。监管机构和行业面临的部分挑战是找到更好的技术来快速检测低水平的农药残留。 与公众健康相关：拟议的生物芯片技术将是一种快速且廉价的方法，用于现场或在线筛查饮用水、饮料和食品中是否存在农药残留。使用筛选测试网络，然后进行验证性分析，将向生产商和消费者保证，这些产品不含危险水平的农药残留，并将加强对国家水和食品供应的保护和安全。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop an innovative biochip for rapid screening of pesticide residues in water and food samples. The proposed biochip will be built on BioDetection Instruments' exclusively-licensed patented technology and previous work on biosensors that are based on microfluidics, interdigitated microelectrodes (IMEs), and the electrochemical measurement of an indicator of microorganisms' physiological activity. An inexpensive and robust biomaterial that can sense the relevant bioactivity/toxicity of a class of widely-used pesticides will be immobilized onto the surface of an IME. A cover will be attached to the modified IME with a microfluidic channel exposed to the IME. Physiological activity of the immobilized organism will be monitored in the absence and presence of atrazine, a model pesticide, by electrochemical measurement of the indicator, and the IME signal intensity is expected to be related to the pesticide concentration. One of the primary Phase I goals is to prove the concept by demonstrating the detection of atrazine in less than 10 min with a detection limit of = 1 ppb (= 5 nM). The biochip will have the combined advantages of the biomaterial, microfluidics, and IME measurement such as low cost, high sensitivity, rapid speed, etc.. Contamination of water and food by pesticides and the potential hazard to human health remain major concerns of our society. Current pesticide detection methods such as HPLC, GC, and rapid test kits require sophisticated instruments, skilled personnel, extensive sample pretreatment, expensive bioreagents and/or intensive manual operations, and thus are unsuitable for on-site or routine screenings. Part of the challenge that faces the regulatory agencies and industries is to find better technologies for the rapid detection of low-level pesticide residues. Public Health Relevance: The proposed biochip technology will be a rapid and inexpensive method to screen drinking water, beverages, and food products on-site or on-line for the presence of pesticide residues. Using a network of screening tests followed by confirmatory analysis will assure both producers and consumers that these products are free of dangerous levels of pesticide residues and will enhance the protection and safety of the nation's water and food supply.