EFRI ELiS: Living Microbial Sensors for Real-Time Monitoring of Pathogens in Wastewater

SARS-CoV-2是导致COVID的病毒。它可以在废水中检测到。它的检测可以向社区发出信号，表明感染正在本地传播。该项目的目标是开发能够持续监测废水中SARS-CoV-2存在的活体传感器。活微生物传感器坚固耐用且成本低廉。它们可以自我再生，并且可以被设计成检测感兴趣的特定生物分子目标。模块化设计可以很容易地重新用于检测和监测环境中的各种化学和生物目标。培养本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员将促进有竞争力的生物经济劳动力的发展。该项目还将与休斯顿地区的公立学校合作，建立新的K-12外展项目。加强为社区大学学生和K-12教师提供研究机会的现有项目是另一个目标。让公众和相关利益相关者参与解决活微生物装置的伦理、法律和社会影响是这个项目的另一个重要方面。开发和部署活微生物传感器是这个项目的总体目标。这些传感器将基于工程电活性微生物。解决与工程微生物装置的潜在采用相关的更广泛的社会挑战，包括安全、法律和监管问题，是该项目的另一个重要方面。制造这样的设备必须面对几个基本的科学和工程挑战。建立能够直接检测诸如SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白等大分子的工程微生物方法就是其中之一。开发可扩展的方法将工程微生物加工成功能性生物杂化材料是另一个问题。第三个是设计能够放大电活性微生物传递的电子信号的紧凑型低功耗设备。最终，评估这些设备在不同环境环境（包括废水）中的稳定性和性能对于确定这些设备的有效性至关重要。项目团队还将确定并与既得利益相关者（如监管机构、公共卫生专家、传染病专家和环境倡导者）进行面对面的半结构化访谈。访谈将确定可能阻碍实施拟议的生物电子技术的主要公众关注和监管。总之，这项工作将为理解、开发和翻译活微生物传感器作为实时和低成本的环境传感器提供坚实的基础和分析。该项目由美国国家科学基金会、新兴前沿和多学科活动办公室（EFMA）和国防部-国防威胁减少机构（DTRA）联合赞助。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。

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID. It can be detected in wastewater. Its detection can act as a signal to a community that the infection is spreading locally. The goal of this project is to develop living sensors that can continuously monitor wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Living microbial sensors are robust and low-cost. They can regenerate themselves and can be engineered to detect a specific biomolecular target of interest. The modular design can be easily repurposed to detect and monitor a variety of chemical and biological targets in the environment. Training undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers will advance the development of a competitive bioeconomy workforce. The project will also establish new K-12 outreach programs in collaboration with Houston-area public schools. Enhancing current programs that offer research opportunities to community college students and K-12 teachers is another objective. Engaging the public and relevant stakeholders to address ethical, legal, and social implications of living microbial devices is another important aspect of this project.Development and deployment of living microbial sensors is the overall objective of this project. These sensors will be based on engineered electroactive microorganisms. Addressing broader societal challenges related to the potential adoption of engineered microbial devices, including safety, legal, and regulatory concerns is another important aspect of the project. Several fundamental science and engineering challenges must be met to make such devices. Establishing methods for engineering microbes that can directly detect large macromolecules, such as the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is one. Developing scalable methods for processing engineered microorganisms into functional biohybrid materials is another. Designing compact and low power devices that can amplify electronic signals delivered by the electroactive microbes is a third. Ultimately, evaluating the stability and performance of these devices in different environmental settings, including wastewater, will be critical to establishing the efficacy of these devices The project team will also identify and conduct in-person semi-structured interviews with vested stakeholders such as regulators, public health experts, infectious disease specialists, and environmental advocates. The interviews will identify major public concerns and regulation that could impede implementing the proposed bioelectronic technology. Altogether, this work will provide a solid foundation and analysis for understanding, developing, and translating living microbial sensors as real-time and low-cost environmental sensors.This project is jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Office of Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (EFMA) and the Department of Defense – Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).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.