Lab on a Stick: Smartphone-ready low cost rapid live microbe detection and identification using nanocoated Micro Capillary Film

项目总体目标：细菌是微生物（或细菌）的一种主要亚型，可引起一系列感染，也可在生产过程中污染食品和药品。因此，检测细菌的工具至关重要，但目前的方法往往是费力和缓慢的，并需要使用设备齐全的微生物实验室。该项目将开发一种新的细菌测试技术-称为“棒上实验室”-使检测和识别活细菌更简单，更快，更便携，价格实惠。最终，可以在没有实验室设备的情况下进行棒状实验室测试，并使用移动的手机摄像头进行读取。技术背景：微流体和芯片实验室近几十年来，研究人员开发了一种称为“微流体”的技术，使用尺寸小于1 mm的管来处理试剂和样品，通常宽约0.1-0.2 mm。微流控研究的一个主要目标是开发微型测试，具有小尺寸的优点，包括更快，自动测试和更小的样品。这些被称为“芯片实验室”，因为复杂的实验室程序可以在一个微小的微芯片设备上进行。然而，芯片实验室产品昂贵且难以制造，并且迄今为止仅限于专门的高价值应用，并且大多数快速一次性测试仍然使用更熟悉的格式-试纸-例如妊娠或血糖测试。试纸的最大优点是极其简单-只需浸入样品，然后等待颜色变化。试纸也有缺点，所以理想情况下，芯片实验室微流体技术的优点现在应该适应试纸的形式。新技术：“棒上实验室”阅读和Loughborgh大学之间的合作发明了一种全新的方法--“棒上实验室”--该方法有望以试纸的简单性和低成本提供微流体特性。该技术利用了申请人先前研究的新型微流体材料的特殊性质，但也增加了应用纳米技术科学的新修改-换句话说，尺寸约为1/10，000毫米的修改。所得纳米改性的微流体材料具有许多有益的特性，包括在浸入一个样品后进行10种不同测试的能力，并且由于它非常透明，因此可以使用移动的手机相机测量测试结果。值得注意的是，它仍然可以以非常低的成本生产，使用简单的传统制造工艺，允许廉价的一次性测试，提供微流体的力量。目前的项目目标：未发表的研究已经证明，新的试纸微流体技术可以在一滴血中进行三种标准的血液测试，并表明细菌测试也是可行的。这笔赠款将建立在这些初步研究的基础上，以生产功能齐全的设备，用于以智能手机友好的试纸格式检测有害和传染性细菌。该研究将侧重于开发如何使用纳米技术修改的基本理解，以使用新的Lab-on-a-Stick技术平台进行准确和敏感的细菌测试。

Overall project aim: simple, low cost detection of bacteria using an affordable new microfluidic technology Bacteria are a major subtype of microbes (or germs) that cause a range of infections and can also contaminate food and medicines during manufacturing. Tools for detecting bacteria are thus vital, but current methods are often laborious and slow, and require the use of a fully-equipped microbiology laboratory. This project will develop a new bacteria testing technology- called Lab-on-a-Stick - that makes detecting and identifying live bacteria simpler, faster and more portable at an affordable price. Ultimately Lab-on-a-Stick tests can be performed without lab equipment and read using a mobile phone camera.Technology background: Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-ChipResearch over recent decades has developed technology called "microfluidics" using tubes with dimensions smaller than 1mm, typically around 0.1-0.2 mm wide to process reagents and samples. One major aim of microfluidic research is to develop miniature tests, with advantages of the small size including faster, automatic tests and smaller samples. These are referred to as "Lab-on-a-Chip" because complex lab procedures can be performed on a tiny microchip device. However, Lab on a Chip products are expensive and difficult to manufacture and have so far been limited to specialised high value applications, and most rapid disposable tests still use a more familiar format- the dipstick- e.g. pregnancy or blood glucose tests. The great advantage of dipsticks is their extreme simplicity- just dip in sample, and wait for a colour change. Dipsticks have disadvantages, so ideally the benefits of Lab-on-a-Chip microfluidic technology should now be adapted into a dipstick form. New technology: Lab-on-a-StickA collaboration between Reading and Loughborogh Universities led to the invention an entirely new approach -called Lab-on-a-Stick - that promises to deliver microfluidic properties with the simplicity and low cost of a dipstick. This technology exploits special properties of a novel microfluidic material previously studied by the applicant, but also adds a new modification that applies the science of nanotechnology - in other words a modification with dimensions around 1/10,000th of a millimeter. The resulting nano-modified microfluidic material has many beneficial properties, including the ability to perform 10 different tests after dipping into one sample, and as it is exceptionally transparent the tests results can be measured using a mobile phone camera. Remarkably it can still be produced at very low cost, using a simple, conventional manufacturing process, allowing cheap disposable tests that deliver the power of microfluidics.Current project objectives:Unpublished studies have already proven that the new dipstick microfluidic technology can perform three standard blood tests in a single drop of blood, and shown that bacteria testing is also feasible. This grant will build on these preliminary studies to produce fully functioning devices for detecting harmful and infectious bacteria in a smartphone-friendly dipstick format. The study will focus on developing a fundamental understanding of how to use the nanotechnology modification to perform accurate and sensitive bacteria tests using the new Lab-on-a-Stick technology platform.