Design/Advanced Electrostatic Sampler for Total Bioaerosols

描述（由申请人提供）：为了改进对空气中微生物暴露的评估和控制，并保护处于空气中微生物制剂风险中的人群和资源，需要先进的生物气溶胶检测和传感系统。常用的生物气溶胶采样器通常测量的活性生物气溶胶仅代表空气中微生物菌群的一小部分。在本研究中，响应PA-04-030“NIOSH探索性发展资助计划（R21）”，我们建议设计，构建和评估一种新型生物气溶胶采样器，这将提高我们确定空气中总（活的和非活的）微生物暴露的能力。该采样器结构紧凑，功耗低，最重要的是，将具有非常高的空气样品浓度率（100万或更高）。如此高的样品浓度率目前很少有其他采样器可以实现，这将大大提高我们检测低空气中微生物浓度的能力。在提出的采样器中，空气中的颗粒将被静电沉积在超疏水表面（“荷叶”型）上，它们将被微小的（10-50 μ L）滚动液滴去除并收集，例如称为自清洁的现象。然后，含有去除微生物的液滴将可用于现代微生物技术的分析，例如实时聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）。新的采样器在收集测试细菌和真菌时的整体性能（样品收集、提取及其随后的RT-PCR分析）将在实验室和现场环境中进行评估，并与其他采样器进行比较。具有超疏水收集表面的静电收集器的开发将提高我们确定居住、职业和环境环境中空气中微生物暴露的能力，从而提高我们保护人群风险的能力。使用少量的收集液体将使采样器与各种“芯片上的实验室”兼容，并可能导致空气中微生物污染物的近实时测定。此外，使用静电技术作为颗粒去除机制将能够收集和检测空气传播的病毒，如SARS或猴痘。本研究的研究成果和实际建议将通过互联网、国家和国际会议和讲习班向利益攸关方传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): To improve assessment and control to airborne microorganism exposure, and to protect the populations and resources at risk from airborne microbial agents advanced bioaerosol detection and sensing systems are needed. Commonly used bioaerosol samplers often measure viable bioaerosols which represent only a fraction of airborne microbial flora. In this research, responding to PA-04-030 "NIOSH Exploratory Developmental Grant Program (R21)", we propose to design, construct and evaluate a novel bioaerosol sampler which will improve our ability to determine exposures to total (viable and non-viable) airborne microorganisms. The proposed sampler will be compact, have low power consumption and, most importantly, will feature very high air sample concentration rate (1 million and higher). Such a high sample concentration rate is currently achieve by few other samplers and will significantly improve our ability to detect low airborne microorganism concentrations. In the proposed sampler, the airborne particles will be electrostatically deposited on a superhydrophobic surface ("Lotus leaf " type) from which they will be removed and collected by tiny (10-50 mu L) rolling liquid droplets, e.g. a phenomenon known as self-cleaning. The liquid droplets containing removed microorganisms will then be available for analysis by modern microbiological techniques, such as Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The new sampler's overall performance (sample collection, extraction, and its subsequent analysis by RT-PCR) when collecting test bacteria and fungi will be evaluated in laboratory and field settings and against other samplers. The development of the electrostatic collector with superhydrophobic collection surface will improve our ability to determine exposure to airborne microorganisms in residential, occupational and environmental settings, thus improving our ability to protect populations are risk. The use of small collection liquid quantities will make the sampler compatible with various "laboratories on a chip" and may lead to near real-time determination of airborne microbial contaminants. In addition, use of electrostatic technique as a particle removal mechanism will enable collection and detection of airborne viruses, such as SARS or monkey pox. The research findings and practical recommendations developed in this research will be disseminated to stakeholders through internet, national and international conferences and workshops.