SELEX DNA Aptamer Filter for Removal of Pesticides and Chloroaromatics

OmniSite BioDiagnostics, Inc. (OmniSite) proposes to develop artificial receptors composed of DNA oligomers (called "aptamers") for binding and removal of organophosphorous and chlorinated pesticides. Aptamers will be generated by the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) combinatorial chemistry technique. SELEX aptamers offer several major advantages over antibody technology; most notably eliminating the use of animal hosts, resulting in reduced cost and higher affinity and specificity to target pollutants of interest. In addition, SELEX DNA aptamers can be mass produced with relative ease compared to antibody production and purification. The antipesticide aptamers will be immobilized onto a column matrix and used for affinity filtration of drinking water. In Phase I, OmniSite proposes to demonstrate the utility of column-immobilized DNA aptamers to bind and remove diazinon, malathion, and pentachlorophenol from contaminated water. In Phase II, OmniSite will expand its repertoire of antipesticide aptamers with an emphasis on selecting aptamers that bind common moieties of organophosphorous and chlorinated pesticides or chloroaromatic wood preservatives, so as to bind and remove the largest array of pesticides from drinking water. OmniSite also will clone and sequence the antipesticide aptamers and optimize water purification protocols using the aptamer column. This project has high commercialization potential, because water purification filters are common store items and the aptamer-columns could be produced at very low cost.