Handheld Aptamer-Magnetic Bead-Quantum Dot Assays for Crimean-Congo Fever

Operational Technologies (OpTech) has already developed rapid (< 15 minute) ultrasensitive one-step DNA aptamer-magnetic bead (MB) plus aptamer-quantum dot (QD) sandwich assays for a foodborne pathogen that is quantified with a commercially available handheld and battery-operated fluorometer. OpTech now proposes to extend this rapid and highly portable sensor technology with lyophilized plastic cuvette assays to detection of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic (CCHF) virus in body fluids in the field. To avoid the hazards of working with CCHF in Phase I, OpTech will develop, clone and sequence a family of high affinity DNA aptamers to accessible peptide epitopes from the RFV surface that are described in the literature. These aptamer sequences will be screened and used in patent-pending one-step plastic cuvette-adherent aptamer-MB-aptamer-QD sandwich assays along with a commercially available handheld fluorometer. At the end of Phase I, OpTech will deliver 100 lyophilized prototype CCHF assays to the Army for testing and evaluation. In Phase II, OpTech will optimize the assays with respect to specificity and sensitivity. OpTech will then package the lyophilized assays according DoD requirements while beginning to seek FDA approval and deliver the final product for further testing by the Army.