IDBR: TYPE A: Highly Efficient and Rapid Viral Aerosol Detection System (HERVADS)

授予佛罗里达大学开发生物气溶胶仪器的奖项，该仪器的目的是能够高效和快速地检测空气传播的病毒。现有的生物气溶胶采样系统被设计用于细菌气溶胶收集/检测，这对于捕获病毒气溶胶是非常无效的，因为病毒比细菌小得多。此外，传统的病毒检测方法耗时，因此无法在现场调查中进行测定。新型高效快速病毒气溶胶检测系统（HERVADS）利用冷却和混合方法实现颗粒尺寸放大，从而可以有效地从空气中收集纳米病毒（新设备的90%，而现有设备的5-10%）。该仪器与具有选择性和灵敏度免疫测定的纸基微流体装置相结合，可以在几分钟内检测到采样病毒，比目前的方法（几天）快几个数量级，从而使其能够在现场使用。将静电机制结合到系统中进一步使得即使在低浓度下也能够检测病毒气溶胶。通过与工业合作伙伴密切合作，研究团队将获得频繁和及时的反馈，以便在未来成功进行商业开发的关键功能。佛罗里达大学？技术许可办公室还将协助研究小组进行可行性评估、传播和推广。新型HERVADS的成功开发和实施将产生重大的社会影响。HERVADS将影响环境实地研究，使环境和农业重要性的病毒采样，并进一步加深我们对与各种环境生态位相关的病毒自然多样性的基本了解。 HERVADS还可用于帮助监测急诊室等关键环境中的空气质量，检测生物病原体威胁，并可用于监测大型集会中的呼吸道病原体。此外，机械工程，环境科学和病毒学之间的紧密合作将培养具有多学科和跨学科知识的研究生。本科研究人员的参与将激励和更好地为他们追求高等教育做好准备。为该项目制作的YouTube视频将成为向公众宣传课程材料以及促进利用HERVADS的兴趣的工具。该奖项由两个项目联合颁发：（1）生物基础设施司的生物研究仪器开发（生物科学理事会），和（2）化学，生物工程，环境和运输系统司（工程理事会）。

An award is made to the University of Florida to develop a bioaerosol instrument whose purpose is to enable highly efficient and rapid detection of airborne viruses. Existing bioaerosol sampling systems are designed for bacterial aerosol collection/detection, which are very ineffective for capturing viral aerosols because viruses are much smaller than bacteria. In addition, conventional detection methods for viruses are time consuming and therefore do not allow determination in field investigation. The novel Highly Efficient and Rapid Viral Aerosol Detection System (HERVADS) utilizes cooling and mixing methods to enable particle size amplification so that the nanosized viruses can be efficiently collected from air (90% of the new device compared to 5-10% of the existing device). Integrated with a paper-based microfluidic device with selective and sensitive immunoassay, the instrument allows detection of sampled viruses in minutes, orders of magnitude faster than the current method (in days), thus enabling its uses in the field. Incorporation of electrostatic mechanism into the system further enables detection of viral aerosols even in low concentration. By working closely with an industrial partner, the research team will have frequent and in-time feedbacks that allow incorporation of critical features for successful commercial development in the future. The University of Florida?s Office of Technology Licensing will also assist the research team in feasibility assessment, dissemination and outreach. Successful development and implementation of the novel HERVADS will have significant societal impacts. The HERVADS will impact environmental field studies, enabling the sampling of viruses of environmental and agricultural importance and furthering our basic understanding of the natural diversity of viruses associated with a variety of environmental niches. The HERVADS can also be used to help monitor air quality in critical environments such as emergency rooms, detecting biological pathogen threats, and would be useful for monitoring respiratory pathogens in mass gatherings. In addition, the cohesive collaboration among mechanical engineering, environmental science and virology will train graduate students with multi- and inter-disciplinary knowledge. Involvement of undergraduate researchers will motivate and better prepare them for pursuit of advanced education. YouTube videos created for this project will be a vehicle to reach the public, for course materials, as well as to promote the interest in utilizing the HERVADS.This award is being made jointly by two Programs- (1) Instrument Development for Biological Research, in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (Biological Sciences Directorate), and (2) the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (Engineering Directorate).