EAGER Collaborative Research: Optimizing RNA binding and detection for use in the Capillary Waveguide Biosensor ESP module for automated, in situ microbial process studies

尽管迫切需要更好的工具，但用于确定海洋微生物的存在、丰度和活动的自动化原位方法仍处于开发阶段。毛细管波导生物传感器（CWB）将有可能长期，原位，无人值守的微生物检测和微生物过程的监测。这是PI的EAGER提案的更新。他们能够完成最初提出的三项任务中的两项。有了这笔额外的资金，他们将完成第三项任务，即优化杂交方案，并实现令人满意的动态范围，用于实际研究。更广泛的影响：在这个项目中，培养研究生、本科生和高中生的潜力特别有趣和令人兴奋，因为它将为学生提供在微生物生态学和工程学方面交叉培训的机会。此外，少数民族的教育和培训以及公众对科学的了解是该项目可能带来的另外两个好处。C-MORE学生的参与非常好。如果分子技术在未来被更频繁地使用，学生们将不得不习惯这项技术。

In spite of the urgent need for better tools, automated, in situ methods for the determination of the presence, abundance and activity of marine microbes are still in the development stages. The Capillary Waveguide Biosensor (CWB) will potentially make possible long-term, in situ, unattended detection of microorganisms and monitoring of microbial processes. This is a renewal of the PI's EAGER proposal. They were able to complete two of the three tasks originally proposed. With this addition funding they will complete the third task, which was to optimize hybridization protocols and achieve a dynamic range satisfactory for use in real-world studies.Broader Impacts: The potential for training students at graduate, undergraduate and high school levels in this project is particularly interesting and exciting, because it will offer students the opportunities to cross-train in microbial ecology and engineering. Also, education and training of minorities and exposure of the general public to science are two other likely benefits of this project. Participation of C-MORE students is great. If molecular techniques are going to be used more frequently in the future, students are going to have to get used to the technology.