US-Ireland Partnership Program: BEACONS: Biosafety for EnvironmentAl COntaminants using Novel Sensors

0854020 ConnellBEACONS是美国、北方爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国之间的一项独特合作，旨在开发一种与便携式传感器耦合的新型样品制备设备，该设备能够快速分析水样中主要水生毒素和相关生物的存在。 它利用国际合作伙伴及其机构的大量互补专门知识来解决对人类健康和水产相关行业具有全球影响的问题。 研究结果将用于产生一个商业上适用的原型装置，该装置可能有潜力应用于各种不同的分析问题。 该方案将涉及人员和专门知识的大量交流，并将产生新的科学数据和方法，与解决所有合作伙伴管辖范围内的一个关键问题相联系，该项目将开发一套便于携带的仪器，可用于生物毒素和有毒有机体的检测，并随后进行调整，用于监测其他潜在有害有机体及其毒素。 任何可现场部署的传感仪器的一个关键要素是样本的获取和制备。 因此，所提出的研究包括开发样品制备平台和相关方案，用于将靶毒素和核酸序列浓缩和递送至手持式检测装置。 预期的成果是开发一种样品制备模块和光学检测装置的化验方法，该装置以平面波导技术为基础，能够真实的实时测量沿海和淡水样品中产生毒素的生物体和毒素本身的存在。 样品制备模块将涉及新型微流体与肽核酸（PNA）和工程化的宽亲和力、高度稳定的捕获抗体的集成。所得提取物将被引入检测系统，该系统将采用基于阵列的平面波导技术，该技术先前由商业合作伙伴纳入手持设备，并提供给项目合作者，用于开发毒素和生物体的测定。 他们将利用高度特异性的工程抗体来捕获毒素分子，并利用PNA作为捕获探针来检测相应的致突变生物。 这项技术有望提供新的和改进的手段，评估与藻类生物毒素污染沿海和淡水渔业资源相关的潜在风险。美国-爱尔兰伙伴关系计划已得到三个司法管辖区（美国，爱尔兰共和国和北方爱尔兰）。 BEACONS提案对美国的附加值包括爱尔兰的重大智力和财政贡献。 此外，该项目将涉及各参与组织之间协调良好的研究人员交流。 特别是，从科学和文化角度来看，为该项目雇用的青年科学家提供交流访问的机会将是重要的。 检测任何分析物的关键要素是样品处理。 因此，除了加强国际合作和培训青年科学家外，该项目还旨在提供一个新的便携式灵活平台，可用于基于传感器的其他生物毒素和/或微生物检测。

0854020ConnellBEACONS is a unique collaboration between the United States, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, that aims to develop a novel sample preparation device coupled to a portable sensor which will be capable of rapidly analyzing for the presence of major aquatic toxins and associated organisms in water samples. It harnesses the substantial complementary expertise of the international partners and their institutions to address a problem that has world-wide implications for human health and aquatic related industries. The results will be used for the generation of a commercially applicable prototype device that could have the potential to be applied to a wide range of different analytical problems. The program will involve significant exchange of personnel and expertise and will generate novel scientific data and approaches linked with the solution of a key problem for all the partners' jurisdictions.This project will develop a set of easily portable instruments that can be utilized for biotoxin and toxic organism detection, and be adapted subsequently for monitoring of other potentially harmful organisms and their toxins. A key element for any field deployable sensing instrument is the acquisition and preparation of samples. Thus, the proposed research includes development of a sample preparation platform and associated protocols for concentration and delivery of targeted toxin and nucleic acid sequences to a hand-held detection device. The expected outcome is the development of a sample preparation module and assay methods for an optical detection device, based on planar waveguide technology, capable of measuring in real time the presence of both toxin producing organisms and the toxins themselves in coastal and fresh water samples. The sample preparation module will involve the integration of novel microfluidics with peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and engineered broad affinity, highly stable capture antibodies. Resultant extracts will be introduced into the detection system, which will employ an array-based, planar waveguide technology previously incorporated into a hand-held device by a commercial partner and made available to project collaborators for development of assays for toxins and organisms. They will utilize highly specific, engineered antibodies for capturing toxin molecules and PNAs as capture probes to detect the corresponding toxigenic organisms. This technology is expected to provide new and improved means of assessing the potential risks associated with contamination of coastal and fresh water fishery resources by algal biotoxins.The US-Ireland Partnership Program has been endorsed at the highest political levels by the three jurisdictions (U.S., Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland). The added value for the U.S. from the BEACONS proposal includes a combination of significant intellectual and financial contributions from Ireland. Moreover, the project will involve a well coordinated exchange of researchers between the participating organizations. In particular, the opportunities of exchange visits for young scientists employed on the project will be important from both scientific and cultural perspectives. A critical element of detecting any analyte is sample processing. Therefore, in addition to stronger international collaborations and training of young scientists, this project aims to provide a new portable and flexible platform that can be adapted for the sensor-based detection of other biotoxins and/or microbes.