Online Water Monitoring Utilizing an Automated Microarray Biosensor

Constellation Technology Corporation (Constellation) proposes the use of an integrated recovery and detection system for online water supply monitoring.  The integrated system is designed to efficiently capture and recover pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins from water supplies and to detect and identify those pathogens in an automated fashion.  Current methods of pathogen detection include laboratory culture and molecular techniques such as PCR.  These methods require specialized personnel, sample preparation, and longer time periods to obtain results.  Constellation’s Automated Concentration System (ACS) has been shown to effectively concentrate large volumes of water.  The Advance Array BioSensor (Advance ABS) has been shown to be a sensitive and specific detection system for the assay of a panel of 10 biological agents including Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), and the viral stimulant Vaccinia virus.  Under Phase I of this project, assays will be developed combining ACS ultrafiltration with Advance ABS immunoassay technology for the detection of E.coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Hepatitis A virus in large volumes of water within 2 hours.  In Phase II, this assay panel will be expanded to include other agents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Microbial Contaminant Candidates list to form a test panel of 10 waterborne pathogens of concern.  Constellation proposes this method to be a rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost-effective alternative to other methods currently used.  It will be a rugged online water monitoring system for drinking water, which will generate minor quantities of waste product (1-2 milliliters per test) than can be easily disposed of with no effect on the environment.  This system will be designed to allow for the frequent sampling and routine monitoring of water supply systems.