A New Microfluidic System for Detection of Bacterial Agents on Contaminated Surfaces--Lynntech, Inc., 7610 Eastmark Drive, Suite 202, College Station, TX 77840-4023; 979-693-0017
Dr. Dalibor Hodko, Principal Investigator
Dr. Oliver J. Murphy, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-99ER82816
Amount: $749,909

Recent developments of biological agents as weapons have paralleled advances in basic microbiology and present a constant threat worldwide. The sensitivity and speed of methods for their detection need to be constantly improved to provide timely and safe response in the case of their deployment. New detectors are urgently needed that will combine sampling of contaminated objects with the identification of a broad spectrum of biological agents. This project will develop a non-optical detection method consisting of a practical microfluidic device which integrates sampling, concentration, and detection of biological agents found on objects or people. The system will utilize a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA amplicons specific of each pathogen, to allow further miniaturization, ruggedness, and decreased measurement time. Phase I fully demonstrated the feasibility of detecting surrogate biological agents using a new amplified electrochemical detection of DNA amplicons obtained through the PCR chemistry. Detection of single and double stranded DNA of varying size was achieved. Basic design parameters for a microfluidic system were determined, as were ways to further enhance system sensitivity. Phase II will optimize the detection and engineering design parameters of the prototype microfluidic device. Detection of biological agents surrogates will be optimized with respect to the interference of other biological particles on the measurement sensitivity. The proposed method will be tested for the potential to detect pathogens where only one or a few DNA molecules are present in the sample.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The new method for integrated sampling and detection of biological particles and detecting DNA molecules will find, apart from the application in the biological warfare, a wide range of applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical drug testing, genomic research, and in food, environmental and forensic bacteriological analysis.