STTR Phase I: Development of Aptamer-ssDNA Intelligent Hydrogel Materials for Magnetoelastic Detection of Avian Influenza Virus

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to synthesize an intelligent polymer hydrogel, and to develop a wireless, remote and sensitive magnetoelastic sensor for rapid detection of avian influenza (AI) virus. The highly pathogenic AI strain H5N1 virus has caused hundreds of human deaths and billion dollars of economic loss per year. High sensitive techniques for early identification and eradication of AI viruses are urgently needed. The proposed smart material is expected to shrink and swell in the absence and presence of AI virus due to the crosslinking between single stranded DNA and aptamers and dissolution of the linkage in the polymer network. The shrinking and swelling of the hydrogel upon AI virus could be sensitively monitored with a wireless magnetoelastic mass-based sensor platform. The broader impacts of this research are on the development of new biosensing materials for rapid diagnostics in the fields of biology, agriculture, medicine and environment. It will open a new way to synthesize virus-responsive materials by introducing ssDNA and aptamers into polymer structures. Moreover, the proposed project is to improve influenza diagnostic technologies and to prevent avian influenza from spread between flocks or into the human population. The successful outcome of this research should provide direct economic benefits to poultry and food industries, promote diagnostic technologies, and improve human health. This proposed method has the potential to provide a rapid, low-cost, high sensitive and reliable solution for identification and detection of avian influenza as well as human and swine influenza.