STTR Phase I: Optic Fiber Sensors for the Detection of Pathogenic Microorganisms

这个第一阶段的小企业技术转移（STTR）项目旨在开发一种光纤检测系统，该系统使用多路亲和干涉（Al）传感器，用于原位监测水样品中存在的微生物，如饮用水或制药工艺级水、牛奶衍生物或果汁。简化，在线实时检测食品或药品加工是一种理想的，但目前有限的监测技术。该系统将具有成本效益，坚固耐用，操作简单，并且可自动化，包括微流体或其他采样系统接口。本课题将设计并制造一种由多路光纤传感器组成的传感器，用于检测微生物存在的目标分子特征。这些分子可以是蛋白质、DNA或裂解的（或活的）原核细胞或原生动物的亲脂成分。该方案的第一阶段将集中于一种蛋白质、一种DNA和一种亲脂性靶点的简单检测，这些靶点共同展示了一种先进的、多路复用的传感器系统检测多种微生物的潜力。一个完整的系统集成，用于演示一个实际的现场监测应用，用于多达8种不同的微生物目标，从牛奶衍生药物的加工流，计划进入第二阶段。所提出的光纤生化传感器将在食品加工、环境修复、制药等领域得到广泛的应用。

9810555Greene This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project aims to develop a optical fiber detection system using multiplexed affinity-interferometric (Al) sensors for in-situ monitoring of microorganisms present in aqueous samples such as potable or pharmaceutical process grade water, milk derivatives or fruit juice. Simplified, on-line detection in real time for food or pharmaceutical processing is a desirable but currently limited monitoring technology. The system will be cost effective, robust, operationally simple, and amenable to automation including a microfluidic or other sampling system interface. The proposers will design and fabricate a sensor composed of multiplexed optical fiber sensors to detect target molecules characteristic of the presence of microorganism. These molecules can be proteinacious, DNA, or lipophilic components of lysed (or secreted components of living) procaryotic cells or protozoa. Phase I of this proposal will focus upon the simple detection of one proteinacious, one DNA, and one lipophilic target which together demonstrate the potential of multiple microorganism detection by an advanced, multiplexed, sensor system. A complete system integration for demonstration of a practical field monitoring application for up to eight different microbial targets in processing streams from milk-derived pharmaceuticals is slated for Phase II. The proposed optical fiber biochemical sensors will find widespread application in large annual markets in the food processing, environmental remediation, pharmaceutical fields.