SBIR Phase I: Next generation optochemical sensors for detection of growing mold

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段的研究项目将开发并采用一种创新的信号放大方法来创建高灵敏度的聚合物传感器，可以在住宅和工作场所环境中检测霉菌。一种方法是检测霉菌生长过程中空气中微生物释放的挥发性有机化合物（MVOC）。然而，任何有价值的技术都需要对MVOC化合物高度敏感，提供实时结果，便携式和廉价。拟议研究的结果将导致高灵敏度的传感器，可以集成到一个手持仪器中，该仪器将定期筛选可疑区域，提供早期检测，并在霉菌可能存在但未被看到的区域进行霉菌源检测，创建建筑历史，提供对霉菌与健康之间关系的理解。并推广与工作场所和其他建筑物中挥发性有机化合物含量有关的标准。目前，霉菌主要是通过人类观察——视觉和嗅觉来检测的。然而，当通过人类观察发现霉菌时，它已经在隐蔽或难以接近的地方生长了一段时间，并可能造成不利的健康问题和重大的财产损失。提出的研究将通过开发和证明一种新的信号放大策略来提高聚合物传感器的科学水平。同样的策略可以用于许多不同的聚合物类型和检测问题，以便在其他应用（如安全炸药）和工业安全（有毒工业化学品）中实现化合物的痕量检测。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will develop and employ an innovative signal amplification methodology to create highly sensitive polymer sensors that can detect mold in residential and workplace settings. One method is to detect the airborne microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) released by growing mold. However, to be valuable any technology needs to be highly sensitive to the MVOC compounds, provide real time results, portable and inexpensive. The results of the proposed research will lead to highly sensitive sensors that can be incorporated into a handheld instrument which will regularly screen suspect areas to provide early detection and point of source mold detection in areas where mold may be present but not seen, create building histories, provide understanding of the relationship between mold and health, and promote standards relating to the levels of MVOC in workplaces and other buildingsCurrently mold is primarily detected through human observation - sight and smell ? however, by the time mold is detected through human observation, it has already been growing for some time in hidden or inaccessible areas, and may have caused adverse health problems and significant property damage. The proposed research will enhance the science of polymer based sensors through developing and proving a new signal amplification strategy. This same strategy can be used across many different polymer types and detection problems to enable trace detection of compounds in other applications such as security explosives) and industrial safety (toxic industrial chemicals).This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).