Design/Advanced Electrostatic Sampler for Total Bioaerosols

描述（由申请人提供）：为了改善对空气微生物暴露的评估和控制，并保护处于空气微生物因子风险中的人口和资源，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仅代表一部分空气微生物植物群的活生物气溶胶。在这项研究中，响应PA-04-030“NIOSH探索性发展资助计划（R21）”，我们建议设计，建造和评估一种新型的生物气溶胶采样器，这将提高我们的能力，以确定暴露于总（活的和非活的）空气微生物。拟议的采样器将是紧凑的，具有低功耗，最重要的是，将具有非常高的空气样本浓缩率（100万或更高）。如此高的样品浓缩率目前只有少数其他采样器能够实现，这将显著提高我们检测低空气微生物浓度的能力。在所提出的采样器中，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（10-50 μ L）滚动液滴从超疏水表面移除并收集，例如，被称为自清洁的现象。然后，含有去除的微生物的液滴将可用于通过现代微生物技术（例如实时聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR））进行分析。将在实验室和现场环境中以及与其他采样器相比，对新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）进行评估。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住宅，职业和环境环境中空气微生物暴露的能力，从而提高我们保护人群的能力。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，并可能导致近实时确定空气中的微生物污染物。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。将通过互联网、国家和国际会议及讲习班向利益攸关方传播这项研究的研究结果和实际建议。

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 /vl_) 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.