SBIR Phase I: Portable System for Detection of Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Freshwater and Marine Environments

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will be to initiate development of an effective technology that will enable users in the field to perform laboratory-quality cyanotoxin testing to help protect drinking water, monitor commercial food resources, and provide critical data for ecosystems management. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in United States and global freshwater and marine environments are increasing in frequency and duration and constitute a growing public health threat while also carrying substantial economic, ecologic, and food supply implications. The goal is to initially launch a system that delivers a panel of water toxin results in less than 15 minutes. Validation will be with customers in public health and regulatory agencies followed by placements with water resource managers of commercial drinking water systems. The technical objectives in this Phase I research project are designed to provide a user-friendly platform with a unique combination of attributes. A cost competitive system that delivers multiple immunoassay results from a single sample using a single, simple protocol, provides lab quality accuracy and reliability, and connected data management incorporating smart phone infrastructure and cloud-based systems. This Phase I project is designed to deliver three key technical objectives. (1) One-Step Assay - deliver a single-step, < 15-minute duplex microcystin / cylindrospermopsin assay tuned to drinking water recommendations. (2) Sample Prep - establish preliminary component designs for the water sample-to-cartridge interface, including designs that enable intra-cellular and dissolved toxin methods. (3) Connectivity - develop the electronics and software infrastructure plan for distributed systems networking.