A Microfluidic Biochip for Rapid Screening of Pesticide Residues

描述（由申请人提供）：这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种创新的生物芯片，用于快速筛选水和食品样品中的农药残留。拟议的生物芯片将建立在生物检测仪器公司独家许可的专利技术和先前基于微流体、交叉指状微电极（IMEs）和微生物生理活性指标的电化学测量的生物传感器的工作基础上。将一种廉价且坚固的生物材料固定在IME表面，该材料可以感知一类广泛使用的农药的相关生物活性/毒性。将一个盖子附着在改性的IME上，并将微流体通道暴露在IME上。在模型农药阿特拉津不存在和不存在的情况下，通过电化学测量指示剂来监测固定化生物体的生理活性，预计IME信号强度与农药浓度有关。第一阶段的主要目标之一是通过展示在不到10分钟的时间内检测到阿特拉津，检测限为1 ppb （= 5 nM）来证明这一概念。该生物芯片将具有生物材料、微流体和IME测量的综合优势，如成本低、灵敏度高、速度快等。农药对水和食物的污染以及对人类健康的潜在危害仍然是我们社会关注的主要问题。目前的农药检测方法，如HPLC、GC和快速检测试剂盒需要复杂的仪器、熟练的人员、大量的样品预处理、昂贵的生物试剂和/或密集的人工操作，因此不适合现场或常规筛选。监管机构和行业面临的部分挑战是找到更好的技术来快速检测低水平农药残留。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop an innovative biochip for rapid screening of pesticide residues in water and food samples. The proposed biochip will be built on BioDetection Instruments' exclusively-licensed patented technology and previous work on biosensors that are based on microfluidics, interdigitated microelectrodes (IMEs), and the electrochemical measurement of an indicator of microorganisms' physiological activity. An inexpensive and robust biomaterial that can sense the relevant bioactivity/toxicity of a class of widely-used pesticides will be immobilized onto the surface of an IME. A cover will be attached to the modified IME with a microfluidic channel exposed to the IME. Physiological activity of the immobilized organism will be monitored in the absence and presence of atrazine, a model pesticide, by electrochemical measurement of the indicator, and the IME signal intensity is expected to be related to the pesticide concentration. One of the primary Phase I goals is to prove the concept by demonstrating the detection of atrazine in less than 10 min with a detection limit of = 1 ppb (= 5 nM). The biochip will have the combined advantages of the biomaterial, microfluidics, and IME measurement such as low cost, high sensitivity, rapid speed, etc.. Contamination of water and food by pesticides and the potential hazard to human health remain major concerns of our society. Current pesticide detection methods such as HPLC, GC, and rapid test kits require sophisticated instruments, skilled personnel, extensive sample pretreatment, expensive bioreagents and/or intensive manual operations, and thus are unsuitable for on-site or routine screenings. Part of the challenge that faces the regulatory agencies and industries is to find better technologies for the rapid detection of low-level pesticide residues. Public Health Relevance: The proposed biochip technology will be a rapid and inexpensive method to screen drinking water, beverages, and food products on-site or on-line for the presence of pesticide residues. Using a network of screening tests followed by confirmatory analysis will assure both producers and consumers that these products are free of dangerous levels of pesticide residues and will enhance the protection and safety of the nation's water and food supply.