IRES Track I: Portable Point-of-Care Testing Device for Pathogen Detection

这个IRES项目将为每年6名美国学生提供在日本丰桥工业大学（TUT）进行为期8周的暑期研究的机会。该项目的首要主题是开发便携式即时检测（POCT）设备，以有效检测包括冠状病毒在内的传染性病原体。参与的学生将从内布拉斯加大学林肯分校（UNL）和内布拉斯加州当地大学（包括土著印第安部落学院）招募代表性不足的群体。作为出发前的准备培训，学生们将参加一个以技术写作为重点的科学传播研讨会，与TUT导师就研究活动进行虚拟会议，以及文化和语言课程。参与的学生不仅将接受高质量的专业培训，接触世界一流的研究人员和最先进的研究设施，还将体验多元文化和跨学科的环境。除了研究活动外，参与的学生还将参观日本世界领先的公司，如丰田和雅马哈。本项目符合国家利益：(1)促进病原体检测和POCT技术的科学进步；(2)通过开发创新和高效的POCT病原体检测设备来促进国民健康和保障国防；(3)吸引美国学生参与跨学科和多元文化的研究，从而增加他们选择STEM职业的可能性。在2019冠状病毒病大流行之后，快速准确检测冠状病毒的重要性再怎么强调也不为过。尽管传统检测方法可以提供可靠和准确的结果，但迫切需要一种紧凑、负担得起和易于使用的工具，能够在护理点快速检测冠状病毒和其他传染性病原体，并具有高灵敏度和可靠性。POCT器件可以解决这一迫切的社会需求，本项目旨在通过集成CMOS光传感器和微通道器件来开发POCT器件。将用于液体样品泵送和引导的微通道与便携式CMOS传感器与其他电子元件集成在一起，提出了各种研究挑战。为了克服集成设计方法中的挑战，本项目寻求解决以下研究问题：如何将微流体和CMOS组件分别优化并集成到便携式设备中？参与学生将根据导师各自的研究专长，分别研究便携式POCT设备的关键部件，然后将他们的解决方案整合到设备的系统层面。这种整体和多方面的研究方法将(1)推进病原体检测和便携式POCT技术的现有知识，(2)为便携式POCT设备的商业化铺平道路。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。

This IRES project will provide an annual cohort of six US students with the opportunity to conduct research for eight summer weeks at Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) in Japan. The overarching theme of the project is to develop portable point-of-care testing (POCT) devices for efficient detection of infectious pathogens including the coronavirus. Participating students will be recruited with an emphasis on underrepresented groups from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and local universities in Nebraska including native Indian tribal colleges. As pre-departure preparation trainings, students will participate in a science communication workshop focused on technical writing, virtual meetings with TUT mentors on research activities, and cultural and language lessons. Participating students will not only receive high-quality professional training and exposure to world-class researchers and state-of-the-art research facilities, but also experience a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment. In addition to research activities, participating students will visit Japanese world-leading companies such as Toyota and Yamaha. This project serves the national interest by (1) promoting the progress of science in pathogen detection and POCT technology, (2) advancing the national health and securing the national defense by developing innovative and efficient POCT devices for pathogen detection, and (3) engaging U.S. students in interdisciplinary and multicultural research and thus increasing the likelihood of their choice of STEM career.In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of quick and accurate detection of coronavirus cannot be overemphasized. Although conventional detection methods can provide reliable and accurate results, there has been a pressing need for a compact, affordable, and easy-to-use tool that can rapidly detect coronavirus as well as other infectious pathogens with high levels of sensitivity and reliability at the point of care. POCT devices can be a solution for this urgent societal need, and this project aims to develop POCT devices by integrating a CMOS optical sensor and microchannel devices. Integrating microchannels for liquid sample pumping and guidance with a CMOS sensor in a portable case with other electronic components poses various research challenges. In overcoming the challenges in an integrated design approach, this project seeks to address the following research question: how can the microfluidic and CMOS components be optimized separately and integrated into a portable device? Participating students will research key parts of a portable POCT device separately based on respective research expertise of mentors, and then they will integrate their solutions at the system level of the device. This holistic and multifaceted research approach will (1) advance current knowledge of pathogen detection and portable POCT technology and (2) pave a way toward commercializable portable POCT devices.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.