Synthetic Influenza Detection with Real-Time Results and Extended Shelf-Life

Influenza infection and pandemics occur rapidly in the millions of domestic animals that live in high density on farms. Monitoring each animal for disease is impractical and prohibitively expensive. However, culling and slaughtering entire flocks or herds once influenza is discovered stands as a tragic and costly consequence of current practices. Recent disturbing reports of bird-to-human influenza transmission in Asia, Europe, and possibly Africa only highlights the urgency to manage these rapidly mutating viruses. This project will determine the feasibility of an inexpensive and mass-produceable system that sensitively and specifically detects influenza virus presence with an optically active material. The sensing material is completely synthetic and more durable than existing protein-based immunoassay platforms. The catalytic process that generates this material can be upscaled to manufacture large quantities, thus lowering costs and increasing the economic incentive for widespread influenza monitoring.