SBIR Phase I: On-Site, Real-Time, Continuous Measurement of Hazardous Pesticides in Water Matrices

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力可以通过美国和世界各地对饮用水中农药的测量要求的增加来看出。 包括美国环保署水资源办公室、美国地质调查局（USGS）和州环境部门在内的几个政府机构以及当地城市和县机构监测饮用水中的农药。 新的研究报告了各种杀虫剂对健康的额外和恶化的影响。 除了低成本和简化的测试方法外，快速识别和测量技术还可以通过显着增加测试频率，识别污染源，然后进行补救，从而帮助减少农药的总体消费量。 虽然ANDalyze已经展示了各种重金属传感器的技术潜力，但在农药和其他有机分子的测量能力方面可以看到额外的机会，这将首先通过使用DNA适体技术开发除草剂阿特拉津的荧光传感器来初步证明。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将有助于解决痕量农药的污染，例如阿特拉津，这对健康构成严重威胁。 其简单、快速和廉价的测量对于推动有效的去除技术至关重要。 目前，农药的测量仅在实验室中进行，使用昂贵的精密仪器（每个测试约900美元），需要熟练的操作员。 使用专利的基于DNA的传感技术，ANDalyze基于最近发现的DNA催化特性，创造了一种检测和量化化学水平的方法。通过体外筛选对阿特拉津具有高选择性和敏感性的DNA适体，对DNA适体进行生化表征和优化，以评估其对阿特拉津的选择性和敏感性（三嗪类）和其他常见农药，并最终开发出一种荧光传感器，用于使用ANDalyze荧光计进行检测，ANDalyze可以提供简单，快速，廉价，可靠的和现场的、真实的时间检测这些污染物。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project can be seen through the increased measurement requirements of pesticides in drinking in the U.S. and around the world. Several government agencies including the U.S. EPA Office of Water, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and State Environmental Departments, and local city and county agencies monitor drinking water for pesticides. And new studies are reporting additional and worsening health effects of ingesting various pesticides. Quick identification and measurement, in addition to low-cost and simplified testing methods the technology can assist by significantly increase the frequency of testing, identifying the contaminating source and then remediating thus helping to reduce the quantities of pesticides being consumed overall. While ANDalyze has already shown the technology potential with various heavy metal sensors, additional opportunity can be seen in the measurement capability for pesticides and other organic molecules which will be initially proven by first developing a fluorescent sensor for the herbicide atrazine using DNA aptamer technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will help to address the contamination of trace pesticides, such as Atrazine, in our water resources which pose a serious health concern. Their simple, quick and inexpensive measurement is essential for driving effective removal technologies. Currently pesticide measurements are conducted solely in the laboratory using sophisticated instrumentation which are expensive (~$900ea test) and require skilled operators. Using a patented DNA-based sensing technology, ANDalyze has created a method of detecting and quantifying chemical levels based on the recent discovery of the catalytic properties of DNA. By applying in-vitro selection to identify DNA aptamers that have high selectivity and sensitivity for atrazine, performing biochemical characterization and optimization of the DNA aptamers to assess their selectivity and sensitivity for the atrazine against similar molecules (triazine class) and other common pesticides, and finally developing a fluorescent sensor for detection using the ANDalyze fluorimeter, ANDalyze can offer simple, fast, inexpensive, reliable and on-site, real time detection of such contaminants.