DNAPrint: a pathogen-tracking paper sensor platform that integrates functional DNA with nanomaterials

许多人类疾病都与涉及各种病原体的感染有关。此外，日益增长的生物恐怖主义风险对公共安全构成持续威胁。此外，耐抗生素“超级细菌”的快速进化正成为一个紧迫的全球问题。人们已经认识到，早期和准确的病原体检测是预防大规模疫情的一项重要战略。由于这个原因，设计简单的生物传感器来快速和敏感地检测病原体是基础研究和技术创新的一个重要战略领域。我们建议开发一种新型的类似石蕊试纸的传感装置“dna印迹”，该装置由生物/纳米材料墨水（bioink）打印，可以快速准确地检测细菌病原体。我们将重点开发嗜肺军团菌的dna打印技术，这是一种致命的环境病原体。嗜肺军团菌可在许多天然和人造水源中发现，如温泉、冷却塔、游泳池和家庭用水系统。它在加拿大和世界各地频繁暴发，目前的检测方法不适合现场应用——这是因为这些方法复杂，需要特殊设备，并且需要数天时间才能做出决定性决定。该技术的特点是可打印、便携、像石蕊试纸一样的纸传感器，可以在短短几分钟内产生结果。该项目有潜力开发出一种有吸引力的平台技术，使加拿大在这一具有重要战略意义的领域处于领先地位。为了实现这一目标，我们组建了一个由三个学术小组和三个工业合作伙伴组成的多学科团队，他们拥有开展拟议工作所需的所有专业知识。

Many human diseases are linked to infections involving various pathogens. In addition, growing risks of bioterrorism pose on-going threats to public safety and security. Moreover, rapid evolution of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" is becoming a pressing global concern. It has been recognized that early and accurate pathogen detection represents a vital strategy to prevent large-scale outbreaks. For this reason, engineering simple biosensors for rapid and sensitive pathogen detection represents a strategically important area for fundamental research and technological innovations. We propose to develop "DNAPrint", a novel litmus paper-like sensor device printed with a bio/nanomaterial ink (bioink) to enable rapid and accurate detection of bacterial pathogens. We will focus on the development of DNAPrint technology for Legionella pneumophila, a deadly environmental pathogen. Legionella pneumophila can be found in many natural and man-made water sources such as hot springs, cooling towers, swimming pools, and domestic water systems. It has caused frequent outbreaks in Canada and around the world, and current detection methods are inadequate for field applications - this is because these methods are complicated, need special equipment, and take days to reach conclusive decisions. The proposed DNAPrint technology features printable, portable, litmus paper-like paper sensors that are designed to generate results in as short as a few minutes. This project has the potential to develop an attractive platform technology that places Canada at the forefront of this strategically important area. Towards this goal, we have assembled a multidisciplinary team of three academic groups and three industrial partners that have all the necessary expertise to carry out the proposed work.