17
A
High-Throughput Assay for Microbe-Based Hydrogen Production—GVD
Corporation, 19 Blackstone Street, Suite 1, Cambridge, MA
02139; 617-661-0060
Dr.
Hilton Gavin Pryce Lewis, Principal Investigator, hilton@gvdcorp.com
Dr.
Hilton Gavin Pryce Lewis, Business Official, hilton@gvdcorp.com
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-05ER84281
Amount:
$749,850
Microbe-based
hydrogen production is a potentially cost-effective, non-polluting approach to
the production of hydrogen, and research efforts are underway to identify,
isolate, and enhance microbial strains which facilitate the process.
However, these efforts are hampered by a lack of adequate instruments to
detect and pinpoint hydrogen producers, and no assays currently provide the
characteristics needed – in terms of sensitivity, short response times,
scalability, and compatibility with high-throughput methodologies – for the
rapid screening of colonies. This
project will develop a commercial assay that provides high-throughput screening
capabilities, safety in the presence of hydrogen, spatial determination, high
sensitivity, reusability, and long lifetimes.
The assay will consist of a flat, transparent array that, when placed in
close proximity to the microbes under investigation, will identify the location
and intensity of hydrogen producers. Phase
I created successful prototypes of a high-throughput assay by combining a
chemochromic sensor technology with a protective coating. The
characteristics of the protective coating were optimized to achieve maximum
sensitivity, short response times, and long lifetimes. The
assay was field-tested by a photobiological hydrogen researcher, survived the
warm wet conditions of testing, and pinpointed the hydrogen-producing organisms
exactly as intended. In Phase II,
the assay will be scaled-up to produce a greater volume of prototypes for
testing by researchers, with whom collaborations will establish common formats
and configurations. The
manufacturability of the assay will be demonstrated by designing and building a
prototype production tool.
Commercial Applications and other Benefits as
described by the awardee: The new assay should accelerate the pace of
discovery in microbe-based hydrogen production by allowing researchers to screen
organisms and genetic libraries faster and more accurately. The
assay could be made commercially available, at modest cost, in volumes
sufficient to satisfy the demands of the research community. The
improvements to the manufacturing process should encourage adaptation to other
sensor markets, most notably safety sensors for fuel cell applications.