PFI:AIR - TT: Development of a Portable Sensor for Rapid Detection of Crop Infections

这一加速创新研究技术转化项目的重点是将一种新的生物传感器技术转化为用于直接筛选营养作物疾病的早期原型的概念验证。这项创新解决了农业行业中一个重要且未得到满足的需求，因为目前市场上还没有可用的早期作物病害检测工具。这项技术的重点是开发一种基于酶的电化学生物传感器，用于高选择性、超低水平地检测植物在病原体侵染期间释放的挥发性标志物。目前用于农作物病害检测的方法耗时、破坏性强，需要熟练的分析人员，而且不能提供实时监测或现场部署的可能性。一种快速、实时、非破坏性的异地感染早期检测方法将有助于作物生产者定位和控制感染，防止疾病传播，有选择地及时喷洒化学品，从而避免对作物造成巨大损害。这项拟议的技术可以从根本上改变疾病管理和精准农业的方法。该项目解决了以下技术空白(S)，因为它将从基本发现转化为概念验证的早期原型：(1)使用多层生物传感器平台的喷墨打印开发纸基传感器条。(2)使用病株释放的实际挥发性有机化合物对纸基传感器条进行测试和评估。此外，该项目还将为一名博士后研究助理提供创业和技术过渡培训。

This Accelerating Innovation Research Technology Translation project focuses on translating a novel biosensor technology into a proof-of-concept for an early stage prototype for direct screening of vegetative crop diseases. The innovation addresses an important and unmet need in the agricultural industry, as there is no early crop disease detection tool presently available in the market. The technology focuses on the development of an enzyme based electro-chemical biosensor for highly selective, ultra-low level detection of volatile markers released by plants during pathogen infections. Currently used methods for disease detection in agricultural crops are time consuming, destructive, demand skilled analysts, and do not offer real time monitoring or on-field deployment possibilities. A rapid, real-time, non-destructive, ex-situ method for early detection of infections will help crop producers to locate and contain the infection, prevent the spread of disease, spray chemicals selectively and timely and hence avoid colossal crop damage. The proposed technology could fundamentally transform the approach towards disease management and precision agriculture. This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from fundamental discovery to a proof-of-concept an early stage prototype: (1) Development of paper based sensor strips using ink-jet printing with multilayered biosensor platform. (2) Testing and evaluating paper based sensor strips using real volatile organic compounds released by diseased plants. In addition, the project will provide entrepreneurship and technology transition training to a post-doctoral research assistant.