EAGER: MONITORING NATION'S WATERS - TOWARDS A SWIMMING BIOSENSOR TO DYNAMICALLY MAP MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION

渴望：监测国家水域 - 开发游泳生物传感器来动态绘制微生物污染图

• 批准号: 1248385
• 负责人: Lilit Yeghiazarian
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: University of Cincinnati Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1248385&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; MONITORING; NATION; WATERS; TOWARDS

1248385YeghiazarianIntellectual Merit: About $20 billion per year of economic productivity is lost in the U.S. alone due to illnesses caused by waterborne pathogens. Pathogen detection in recreational and potable water sources remains a major challenge to date. To prevent human exposure to pathogens, it is crucial to achieve realor near-real time awareness of the microbial contamination status of surface waters, i.e. when and where water is contaminated. To make a qualitative leap in continuous and effective surface-water monitoring, there is urgent need for new rapid laboratory-independent methods for monitoring and detection of waterborne pathogens.The PI's long-term goal is the development of autonomous hydrogel-based swimming biosensors to provide real- and near-real time information on the microbial contamination status of surface waters. The objective of this particular application, which is the next phase in attaining the PI's long-term goal, is to develop a proof-of-concept device for microbial water quality exploration, capable of swimming in open water and detecting E.Coli, an important microorganism indicative of fecal contamination of surface waters. The rationale for this work is that, once the technological base for aquatic biosensors is developed, the continuous exploration of surface waters and dynamic mapping of various water quality parameters will become possible, which will lead, in turn, to a decrease in human exposure to waterborne pathogens and increase in the security of homeland's water supply.Aim #1: Demonstrate Hydrogel Locomotion in Unconstrained Aquatic Environment. Cylindrical hydrogels of various diameters and lengths will be synthesized and immersed in water. A laser spotirradiation will be used to induce photo-thermal volume phase transition in the hydrogel, resulting in body shape changes necessary for swimming.Aim #2: Demonstrate Capture of E.Coli in Unconstrained Aqueous Environment. The hydrogels will be functionalized and exposed to E. Coli in an unconstrained aqueous medium. Attachment of microorganisms to the hydrogels will be confirmed with a microscope.Aim #3: Incorporate the Signal Transduction Mechanism. The hydrogels will be functionalized to express chromophore that fluoresces in the presence of E.Coli.The approach taken in this proposal is creative as it espouses state-of-the-art methods from two different fields: Materials Science and Engineering provides methodology for hydrogel synthesis and coupling of biorecognition and signal transduction elements, while device mobility and control are implemented with Robotic Technology. This approach is also original because no aquatic gel-based pathogen biosensors currently exist. Finally, the project's deliverable is poised to transform the way microbial surface water quality is monitored, and paves the way to generating continuous real- or near real time information on microbial surface water contamination. The proposed research is expected to contribute a swimming biosensor for water exploration and microbial detection. This contribution is significant because it will create the technological platform to revolutionize the monitoring and management of surface water sources for recreational and potable use.Broader Impacts: Exposure to development of new technologies is vital in shaping future careers of high-school and college students. We propose to engage and educate graduate and undergraduate students, high school students and teachers in the entire duration of the project. A partnership will be formed with two UC programs (REU-Research Experience for Undergraduates, and STEP-Science and Technology Enhancement Program). Through this partnership, 1 UC graduate student (STEP Fellow), 2 undergraduate students and 2 high school students will train and participate in research and product development in the PI lab; and 2 high school teaching units will be developed in collaboration between the PIs, STEP Fellows and high school teachers. These teaching units will be incorporated into the STEM curriculum in at least one high school in Cincinnati with a large underrepresented student body. In addition, STEP Fellows will train as future faculty of STEM disciplines by integrating their education, research, and career development. The schools are emphasizing STEM education, and it is the goal of STEP to encourage and motivate students to pursue higher education. A major long-term benefit to society from this project is the reduction of human exposure to waterborne microbial contaminants, which will increase the quality of life, reduce the economic burden of waterborne disease and increase the security of homeland's water supply.

1248385YeghiazarianIntlectual的优点：仅在美国，每年约200亿美元的经济生产力就因由水生病原体引起的疾病而损失。迄今为止，休闲和饮用水源中的病原体检测仍然是一个主要挑战。为了防止人类暴露于病原体中，至关重要的是要实现对地表水的微生物污染状态的近乎真实的时间意识，即何时何地污染水。为了在持续有效的地表水监测中取得定性的飞跃，迫切需要使用新的迅速实验室的方法来监测和检测水生病原体。PI的长期目标是开发基于自主水的游泳生物传感器，以提供有关地表沃尔斯的微生物污染状态的实用和近乎现实的时间信息。该特定应用的目的是实现PI的长期目标的下一阶段，是为微生物水质探索的概念验证装置开发，能够在开放水中游泳并检测E.COLI，这是一种重要的微生物，这是一种重要的微生物，表明地表水的粪便污染。 The rationale for this work is that, once the technological base for aquatic biosensors is developed, the continuous exploration of surface waters and dynamic mapping of various water quality parameters will become possible, which will lead, in turn, to a decrease in human exposure to waterborne pathogens and increase in the security of homeland's water supply.Aim #1: Demonstrate Hydrogel Locomotion in Unconstrained Aquatic Environment.各种直径和长度的圆柱水凝胶将被合成并浸入水中。激光斑点将用于诱导水凝胶中的光热体积相变，从而导致游泳所需的身体形状变化。2：展示在无约束的水性环境中捕获E.Coli。水凝胶将在无约束的水性培养基中进行功能化并暴露于大肠杆菌。微生物在水凝胶上的附着将通过显微镜确认。iam＃3：结合信号转导机制。这些水凝胶将被功能化以表达在大肠杆菌存在下荧光的发色团。该提案中采用的方法具有创造性，因为它拥护两个不同领域的最先进方法：材料科学和工程提供了水凝胶综合的方法论，用于对材料识别和信号传输元素的辅助以及设备移动元素的辅助，而设备移动元素和对照进行了机器人的技术。这种方法也是原始的，因为目前不存在基于水生凝胶的病原体生物传感器。最后，该项目的可交付能力有望改变微生物地表水质的监测方式，并为在微生物地表水污染上产生连续的实时信息铺平了道路。拟议的研究有望为水勘探和微生物检测提供游泳生物传感器。这项贡献是重要的，因为它将创建技术平台，以彻底改变地表水源的监测和管理娱乐和饮用水的用途。Broader的影响：对新技术的开发的暴露对于塑造未来的高中生和大学生的职业至关重要。我们建议在整个项目期间参与和教育研究生和本科生，高中生和老师。将与两个UC计划（本科生的REU研究经验以及步骤科学和技术增强计划）建立合作伙伴关系。通过这一合作伙伴关系，1名UC研究生（Step Beirly），2名本科生和2名高中生将在PI实验室培训并参加研究和产品开发； PIS，Step Fellows和高中老师之间将开发2个高中教学单元。这些教学单元将被纳入辛辛那提至少一所高中的STEM课程中，其中一个代表性不足的学生团体。此外，Step Fellows将通过整合他们的教育，研究和职业发展作为STEM学科的未来培训。学校正在强调STEM教育，这是鼓励和激励学生接受高等教育的步骤的目标。该项目对社会的重大长期利益是减少人类对水源微生物污染物的接触，这将提高生活质量，减轻水传播疾病的经济负担，并增加国土供水的安全性。