SBIR Phase I: Rapid detection of phages in microbial fermentation using a novel photonic platform

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to reduce cost and loss of productivity due to bacteriophage (phage) contamination in fermentation of dairy and other products. Bacteriophage contamination is the leading cause of failure in fermentation processes used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The risk of phage contamination in food fermentation processes, particularly in the dairy industry, is significantly enhanced due to a large diversity of suppliers of both the raw ingredient (milk) and the necessary microbial cultures. The current and emerging analytical technologies cannot rapidly detect phages in food materials such as milk. Thus, the combination of the risk of contamination, and the lack of rapid detection methods, results in a significant economic loss for the dairy industry. Early detection of phage contamination will permit early intervention in the fermentation process, which will lead to significant cost savings. In addition, the test could be extended to other food areas, pharmaceutical production, and biochemical production. The SBIR project addresses the need for rapid detection of phage contamination in a fermentation process through a novel photonic platform technology. Specifically, a platform will be developed for detecting phage in cheese making processes. The platform combines nanophotonics, microfluidics, and electrophoresis, and is based on discoveries made at University of California - Davis. The system is focused on the manipulation of charged phages with electrophoresis, and their accelerated amplification in bacteria. In addition, the system uses electrophoretic capture of phages into a nanophotonic crystal to achieve highly sensitive detection of the target phages. The salient features of the platform are: a) High-throughput, fast trapping of phages; b) High sensitivity and large dynamic range for quantification of phage concentration; and c) Scalable design that can be produced at low cost.