STTR Phase I: A system for collection, transportation and accurate analysis of RNA virus specimens

这项小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是支持一种检测设备，用于收集、运输和诊断某些病毒感染，如丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）、人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和麻疹。最近爆发的麻疹、埃博拉、寨卡病毒、sars冠状病毒和COVID-19大流行表明，需要快速准确的诊断来控制疫情，以及在隔离或全球流行病学监测期间进行分散检测。该技术可以在家中或远程采集标本，而不需要传统的、昂贵的提取站和隔夜冷包装运输。最初的目标是丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染。美国疾病控制和预防中心（CDC）建议，成年人一生中应至少进行一次丙型肝炎病毒感染筛查，女性应在每次怀孕期间进行筛查。这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目将侧重于解决RNA病毒固有的不稳定性。RNA病毒在液体血液中，尤其是在干燥的液体血液中，降解迅速。这就是为什么SARS-COV-2主要是接触/气溶胶传播，而不是包装问题。RNA样品对核糖核酸酶（催化RNA降解的酶）有很高的敏感性，干燥后能在短时间内降解。该项目将创造一个特殊的保护环境，使试样干燥时不会降解；它将包括一个保存固定和已知数量的标本的装置，用于干燥的干燥剂，以及防止标本在环境温度下降解长达14天的改良大气包装（MAP）。MAP可以防止运输过程中的气体交换，可以在任何天气条件下收集和运输，包括寒冷、炎热和高湿度。到达实验室后，提取过程将恢复RNA病毒，以便通过RT-qPCR进行检测。本项目将评估干燥时间、抑制核糖核酸酶、MAP内气体含量、运输介质、提取缓冲液和RT-qPCR技术对稳定和量化HCV的影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to support a testing device for collection, transportation and diagnosis of certain viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and measles. Recent viral outbreaks of measles, Ebola, Zika, SARS-CoV, and the COVID-19 pandemic have illustrated the need for fast and accurate diagnosis to contain the outbreak, as well as for decentralized testing during periods of quarantine or general global epidemiological surveillance. The technology will enable at-home or remote location specimen collection without the need for traditional, costly, draw stations and overnight cold-pack shipments. The initial target is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that adults should be screened for HCV infection at least once in their lifetimes, and women should be screened during each pregnancy. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will focus on solving the inherent instability of RNA viruses. RNA viruses, in liquid blood and especially dry, degrade rapidly. It is why SARS-COV-2 is primarily a contact/aerosol transmission and not a problem with packages. RNA samples have a high sensitivity to ribonucleases (enzymes that catalyze the degradation of RNA) and degrade in a short period of time when dried. Thiis project will create a special protective environment so that when the specimen dries it does not degrade; it will consist of a device that retains a fixed and known amount of specimen, desiccant for drying, and modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) preventing specimen degradation at ambient temperature for up to 14 days. The MAP prevents gas exchange during transit, enabling collection and transport in any weather conditions including cold, heat, and high humidity. Upon arrival at the laboratory, an extraction process will recover the RNA virus for testing via RT-qPCR. This project will evaluate the impact of drying time, inhibition of ribonucleases, gas content within the MAP, transport media, extraction buffer, and RT-qPCR techniques to stabilize and quantify HCV.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.