Microcontainment System for Photolytically Induced Delivery of Biocide Against Biological Agents

Currently there is no real-time technology to reliably neutralize biological and chemical agents. Conventional technologies require several hours for decontamination of surfaces either through manual spraying or scrubbing. We propose to design, fabricate and test a user-friendly, low-logistical-load photolytically triggered microcontainment system capable of rapid neutralization of biological and chemical agents with high sensitivity and specificity for all classes of bioagents – bacterial spores, viruses, vegetative bacteria, and bacterial toxins – and many chemical agents. The sensors developed will be easily used within HVAC systems, military facilities and building infrastructures. They will be low-power, have low-logistical-loads (i.e., reagents and consumables), and will allow the quantification of the neutralizing efficiency (“kill ratio”). They will also enable automated remote response and the automated refreshing of biocide carriers. They will be implemented using planar microfabrication and microfluidic techniques without any moving parts and will be augmented with polymeric nanocapsule technology and optoelectronic techniques. They will incorporate three different techniques for neutralizing biological agents: (1) the encapsulation of biocide within lipid nanoparticles, (2) the use of multifunctional oxide particles for high efficiency decontamination, and (3) the triggered release of encapsulated biocides through embedded photolytic compounds.