SBIR Phase I: Nanoparticle Sensor for Detection of E. coli in Real-time and Real-world Conditions

这个SBIR第一阶段项目将开发一种无源传感器，用于实时检测大肠杆菌，而不需要浓缩步骤。它的基础是电导率的变化，当细菌被固定在两个紧密分开的金电极上的菌种特有的肽聚糖捕获时，电导率会发生变化。这项工作的一个独特方面是使用糖配体作为传感元件。优势包括比抗体和多肽更强大和更稳定的瞬时反应；不受抗原漂移的影响；更高的敏感性(因为基于多糖的配体比抗体更小，因此传感器表面的覆盖率更高)，以及与毒力的联系(因为毒力需要与宿主中的葡聚糖受体结合)。该传感器的原型已经为空军开发，使用多肽作为捕获配体，但它还需要微型化。拟议项目的更广泛/商业影响将是对食品和水供应的实时监控。将及时发现病原体的存在，以防止食物和水中毒。如果成功，这种装置将对海滩和类似康乐设施的管理者以及饮用水处理厂的经营者有很大的帮助。将会有立即的测试结果来确定是否存在有毒的大肠杆菌。这种传感器的商业潜力不仅限于水务行业，还包括肉类生产和国防/安全。水务行业的市场规模每年超过10亿美元。其目标是以每项测试100美元的价格销售这种传感器，这在关键的基于健康的应用中具有竞争力。这项创新的主要好处在于，该解决方案将提供实时检测，而目前市场上最快的检测系统需要4-7个小时才能提供警报。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a passive sensor for real-time detection of E. coli without concentration steps. It is based on the change in conductivity which would occur when the bacterium is captured by peptidoglycans specific to that strain which have been immobilized on two closely-separated gold electrodes. A unique aspect of this work is the use of glycoligands as the sensing element. Advantages include instantaneous responses that are more robust and stable than antibodies and peptides; and are not subject to antigenic drift, greater sensitivity (as glycan-based ligands are smaller than antibodies, hence coverage on the sensor surface can be more dense), and linkage with virulence (as binding to glycan receptors in the host is required for virulence). A prototype of the sensor has already been developed for the Air Force, using peptides as the capture ligands, but it needs to be miniaturized.The broader/commercial impact of the proposed project will be in the monitoring of food and water supplies in real time. Presence of pathogens will be known in time to prevent poisoning from food and water. If successful, this device would be of great assistance to managers of beaches and similar recreational facilities, as well as drinking water treatment plant operators. There would be immediate results of tests to determine the presence of virulent E. coli. The commercial potential for this sensor extends beyond the water industry to include meat production and defense/security. The market for the water industry exceeds $1b annually. The aim is to market the sensor at ~$100 per test, which is competitive for critical health-based applications. The key benefit of the innovation lies in the fact that this solution would provide real-time detection, while the quickest detection system on the market today takes 4-7 hours to provide alerts.