Field-Effect Flow Control for 2-D and 3-D Microfluidics

This proposal describes an integrated research and development plan leading to a novel portable biowarfare detection platform capable of meeting all key requirements for universal pathogen detection. Effective technologies for the detection andidentification of biological warfare agents (BWAs) are of critical and growing importance. Despite ongoing advances in this area, current technologies are limited by a combination of poor sensitivity, excessive reagent usage, lengthy detection cycles,excessive power consumption, and poor BWA discrimination. In contrast, the technology proposed here, called MS3, is capable of identifying a wide range of BWAs including bacteria, toxins, and viruses by using a novel microfluidic detection platform basedon protein biomarkers. Furthermore, the platform will provide high throughput and high sensitivity, with significant reductions in false positives. It is inherently low power and portable for field-deployable applications, but compatible with backendanalysis methods to validate field measurements as needed. The MS3 system requires no bioreagents for improved simplicity, repeatability, and overall robustness. To meet the demands from a range of potential markets, the overall system will be low-cost,with disposable detection elements to eliminate the danger of cross-contamination without the need for complex and time-consuming system regeneration.