Real-Time Detection of Biological Pathogens in Urban
Environments
Laura BarryHung PhanGloria See
Introduction to BiosensorsPresentation 3 - 5/10/2011
Project Details
Pathogen are agents known to cause disease in living organisms such as plants, animals, and humans
Pathogens may include:BacteriaVirusesBiotoxinsFungus
A review of biosensor technology for real-time pathogen detection in urban environments.
Traditional Methods of Detection & Identification
Methods require time and labor intensive stages:• Sample w/ unidentified agent: air, soil, food/water,
sputum etc.• Purification• Culture enhancement• Selective/differential plating• Isolation and subculturing• Inoculation for physiological and biochemical tests• Evaluation of physiological and biochemical tests
sciencedude.ocregister.com
gene-quantification.de
Advances in biosensor technology
Approaches• Point detection• Standoff technologies• Passive standoff technologies• Lab-on-a-chip
Technologies• Cell-based• Structure based identification• Nucleic acid sequence
identification• Light scattering• Optical• Infrared• Two-component reporter
system• Microfluidics
Current Biosensor Technologies
• Diagnostic Assayso Uses probes and assays to identify Pathogeno Identifies known select genome strands in pathogen
to detect families of pathogeno Identifies full strands of known genome to identify
specific pathogeno Sensitiveo Fasto Expensive
Current Biosensor Technologies• Microfluidics
o Tiny chips that have fluid channels and sensing chambers
o Lab-on-chipo Uses nucleic acid-base to
detect pathogens E-noses Can identify single molecule
in samples Can flag DNA strands
o Ergonomic, Fast, Expensive
http://www.indiatalkies.com
http://futuremed2011.com/headlines-from-the-future/
Current Biosensor Technologies
• Optical Sensorso Fluorescence
Optical multisensors, usually with each specialized with a single reactant
organic materials react with the sensing surface and change the intensity of the light
o Surface Plasmon Resonance target is collected object’s surface is excited by a light source and it oscillates
to a certain frequency
Current Biosensor Technologies• Bioreporters
o using cells or other organisms to detect relevant stimulio utilizes inherently rapid response times of cellular signalingo easy to useo reporting system needs to be established in advanceo organisms need to be maintained in their testing
environment Bomb-Sniffing Plants Colorado State University
Current Biosensor Technologies
• Other approacheso Electrochemical: Used for DNA and immunusensorso Electromechanical: Usually mass-change sensors that
attract pathogenso Chemical: Detecting specific compounds native to
specimen, usually utilizing surface chemistry
Current Biosensor Technologies
• Nanomaterialso Coupled with other sensing technologies, nanomaterials
expand the potential for biosensorso Cell and molecule scale features make detection easiero Sensitivity and threshold limits are improvedo Increased surface area gives more room for substrates to
be treated, detection and increases device sensitivity
Relevant Applications:
• Airport, subways, high human traffic environments (DHS, TSA)
• Transportation Security Administration• Borders, ports (DHS, DOS)• Battlefield• Infrastructure (WHO, EPA, industry, National Biodefense
Program)• Emergency Responders
Existing Systems – E-Noses:
• Inspired from nature• uses a combination of new
technologies to detect pathogens
• reduces time from days to fifteen minute intervals
• currently being developed to detect spoiled meat
NASA's E-Nose courtesy JPL
courtesy of 4to40.com
Existing Systems - BioWatch Program:
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)• Pathogen sensors are mounted at air quality monitoring stations.• Sensors collects particles in the air which pass through filters. • Based on BASIS, (Biological Aerosol Sentry and Information
System). • Design of filter mechanism uses automatic sequential filtering.• Deployed in 2002 for indoor/outdoor monitoring at the Olympics,
tested for urban environment. • Only a few of the results from these tests were released, it was
shown to have high specificity and sensitivity while having less than 0.005% false positives.
• The system is labor intensive.• October 2003, Texas - first positive result of tularemia was
reported, detection was modest, precautionary measures were taken
Existing Systems – TB Breathalyzer
• Rapid Biosensor Systems is a UK based development company• Technology for rapid screening of infectious agents. • TB Breathalyser device for screening within a few minutes.• Analyses the sample by via displacement assay utilizing
the evanescent wave and bio-optical sensing technologies • Design: small, robust, simple to use, non-invasive and low cost.• January 2011: entered into agreement with Ortho Clinical
Diagnostics, Inc. to bring the breathalyser into production.
Future Challenges in Biosensor Technology • Detection limits/sensitivity• Multisensor devices• Reliability/accuracy of detection• Speed of analysis• Field environments• Reusable, robust devices• Cost of fabrication and testing
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From Counter Terrorism to Pathogen Detections
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Nanosensors in the Age of Terror
New Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Anthrax Lethal Toxin
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Pathogen Biosensors
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Chapter 12: The Microbe as a Reporter: Microbial Bioreporter Sensing Technologies for Chemical and Biological Detection (pg 281) Ripp. Layton, Sayler (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=1gjZxeeqil4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA281&dq=urban+detection+biological+pathogens&ots=eClEls7TAz&sig=OwBzdesm2DNtiB_NcNp5kS84LyY#v=onepage&q=urban%20detection%20biological%20pathogens&f=false)
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ReferencesNucleic Acid Amplification Strategies for DNA Microarray-Based Pathogen Detection
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Feng, Peter. Rapid Methods for Detecting Foodborne Pathogens. Bacteriological Analytical Manual, 8th Edition, January 2001.
Zourob, M. et al. ed. Principles of Bacterial Detection: Biosensors, Recognition Receptors and Microsystems. Springer, New York, NY, 2008
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Camilleri, Dennis. “New Screening Solution Offers Hope in the Battle Against TB”. Rapid Biosensor Systems. 2008. http://www.rapidbiosensor.com/pdf/RBS%20New%20Screening%20Solution.pdf