STTR Phase I: Magnetic Nanoparticle Microfluidics for High Efficient Capture, Separation and Concetration of Foodborne Pathogens

这项小型企业技术转移第一阶段的研究证明了使用新一代氧化物磁性纳米颗粒快速高效分离食源性病原体的可行性。为了确保食品安全，迫切需要快速检测食源性病原体，而在开发新的检测方法时，从食品中分离超低浓度（1 - 100 cfu/mL）的目标病原体是非常关键的。最近开发的纳米颗粒(4 ？50 nm)具有高磁化值和良好的尺寸和表面化学控制，在生物分离中具有很大的应用潜力。因此，本项目的目标是将新型氧化物磁性纳米颗粒应用于便携式、廉价的磁选机中，用于快速、高效地分离食源性病原体。在该项目的一期中，大肠杆菌O157:H7将作为靶菌，测试不同大小和结构的磁性纳米颗粒，评估抗体-纳米颗粒偶联物，不同的缓冲溶液和方案。这项研究的更广泛的影响是提高国家的安全和保障？粮食供应和生物系统。提出的新技术将大大提高食品中病原体的快速检测，从而减少食源性疾病。此外，这项拟议研究的结果应该在减少产品召回和国际贸易壁垒方面为食品工业提供直接的经济效益，因为微生物污染。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I research demonstrates the feasibility to use the new generation of oxide magnetic nanoparticles for rapid and high efficient separation of foodborne pathogens. Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is urgently needed to ensure food safety and security, and in developing new detection methods, separation of target pathogens at ultra low concentrations (1 - 100 cfu/mL) from food is very critical. The recently developed nanoparticles (4 ? 50 nm) with high magnetization value and well controlled size and surface chemistry show great potential for their use in bioseparation. Therefore, the objective of this project is to apply new oxide magnetic nanoparticles to a portable, inexpensive magnetic separator for rapid and high efficient separation of foodborne pathogens. In Phase I of this project, E. coli O157:H7 will be used as the target bacterium to test magnetic nanoparticles with different sizes and structures, to evaluate antibody-nanoparticle conjugates, different buffer solutions and protocols. The broader impacts of this research are to improve the safety and security of the nation?s food supply and biological systems. The proposed new technology will greatly enhance the rapid detection of pathogens in food products, and thus to reduce foodborne illnesses. Also, the outcome of this proposed research should provide direct economic benefits to the food industry in terms of reduced product recalls and international trade barrier due to microbial contamination.