Engineering Highly Functional Components for Low-Cost Sensors for Personal Use

我们的研究计划的主要目标是建立新的科学和工程原理，可用于创建超低成本（便士）传感器，可用于任何未经培训的个人，以监测他们的饮用水和食品的安全。这些传感器可用于各种社会环境，包括发展中国家，偏远地区（如加拿大北方）以及高度发达的城市。获得信息是催化转型的第一步-这些低成本传感器有可能推动变革，主要是在贫困地区。 在过去的六年里，我们的团队与其他人合作，开发了一系列纸基传感器，用于检测各种样品（如水和食物）中的病原体、重金属和特定核酸序列。作为这项工作的一部分，我们学到了很多关于纸流控技术、使用酶反应的信号放大、生物墨水打印和设备原型设计的知识。更重要的是，我们还确定了将这些传感器投入用户手中的关键科学和工程挑战。这些挑战被具体化为这项发现补助金的目标;它们将成为一组16名学生的重点，他们将受益于这项补助金下的培训。创建新的混合材料，作为传感器工作所需功能的通用平台。 这些功能将以即插即用的方式提供，包括：样品制备、目标捕获和信号生成。 该杂交材料由长分子DNA物理包埋在蛋白质排斥水凝胶组成的聚（聚乙二醇甲基丙烯酸酯）（POEGMA）。DNA是材料的“业务”部分，可用于根据特定传感器的需要将所需的功能“加载”到杂化材料中。目标2：在许多情况下，拥有传感器并不足以实现实际应用，因为分子识别元件，如功能性核酸和酶，需要温度控制才能实现可靠的性能。 我们将创建几个低成本的设备来控制现场传感器的温度。这些设备将满足以下设计约束：（1）所有电子/电池部件都可以通过亚马逊®或阿里巴巴®订购，因此它们在世界任何地方都可以买到;（2）设备的结构部件可以3D打印-文件将通过互联网提供;（3）装置的组装说明可以放在一页纸上。新型杂化材料和低成本材料的结合，温度控制设备将使我们更接近最终目标，即让世界各地的人们能够监测威胁他们生命的污染物的存在。这种能力将对一大批人，特别是生活在世界发展中地区的人产生变革性影响。

The key objective of our research program is to establish new scientific and engineering principles that can be applied to create ultra-low cost (pennies) sensors that can be used by any untrained individual to monitor the safety of their drinking water and food. These sensors can be used in a variety of social contexts including developing countries, remote areas (such as the Northern Canada) as well as in highly developed cities. Having access to information is the first step to catalyze transformation - these low-cost sensors have the potential to drive change, mainly in poor regions. For the past six years our group, in collaboration with others, has developed a series of paper-based sensors for the detection of pathogens, heavy metals and specific sequences of nucleic acids in various samples, such as water and food. As part of that work, we learned much about paper fluidics, signal amplification using enzymatic reactions, printing of bioinks and device prototyping. More importantly, we also identified key scientific and engineering challenges that stand in the way of putting these sensors into the hands of users. These challenges are crystallized as the goals for this Discovery Grant; they will be the focus for a group of 16 students who will benefit from training under this grant.Goal 1. Create new hybrid materials that will serve as a general platform for the functionalities needed in working sensors. The functionalities will be provided in a plug-and-play manner and will include: sample preparation, target capture, and signal generation. The hybrid material consists of long molecules of DNA physically entrapped in protein repelling hydrogels composed of poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) (POEGMA). The DNA is the “business” part of the material and can be used to “load” the required functionalities into the hybrid material as needed for specific sensors.Goal 2: In many cases, having the sensors is not sufficient for Practical, Real-world Application because molecular recognition elements, such as functional nucleic acids and enzymes, require temperature control for reliable performance. We will create several low-cost devices to control the temperature of sensors in the field. These devices will satisfy the following design constraints: (1) all electronic/battery parts can be ordered through Amazon® or Alibaba®, so they are available anywhere in the world; (2) the structural parts of the device can be 3D printed - files will be made available via internet; (3) the instructions for assembling the device can fit on one page.The combination of New Hybrid Materials and Low-cost Devices for Temperature Control will bring us closer to the final goal of giving people around the world the ability to monitor the presence of contaminants that threaten their lives. This ability will be transformational for a large group of people, especially those living in developing regions of the world.