Modular, low-power, and compact sensor for detecting chemical and biological contaminants in water and food

Access to clean water and safe food is vital to human society, and it also presents substantial market opportunities that are often overlooked.  We are developing a low power, modular biosensor platform for both-in line assaying of biological and chemical contamination in water as well as dip/swipe measurements of both water and food. The platform will be able to sample a diverse suite of contaminants simultaneously, including heavy metals, organophosphates, and biological pathogens, making it broadly marketable to a wide range of end-users in industries such as wastewater treatment facilities, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and the military.  Beyond the ability to detect many different targets with a single in-line sensor, which is highly unique, the customizability and expandability of our platform is transformative.  That is, using our synthetic biology expertise, we have the ability to develop new strains for new targets of interest via genetic engineering, as demonstrated in our Phase I period.  Our technology promises to fill a critical unmet need for inexpensive, multiplexed contaminant monitoring, and we are confident that our Phase II technical objectives will result in a market-ready sensor platform.  We are also requesting funding through the DARPA Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative (EEI), in order to maximize the benefits of this generous funding opportunity and to gain access to resources and support to help drive our technology to a commercial market.