SBIR Phase II: Internal Control Design for a Portable Cholera Pathogen Detector

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is an inexpensive handheld smartphone device for rapid detection of pathogens, such as cholera, in environmental water sources. Current water-based pathogen detection methods involve a 3-5 day laboratory procedure. Our alternative is a portable smartphone-enabled platform working offline to detect the pathogen in under 30 minutes . When the smartphone has connectivity, geo-mapped and time-stamped detection results are sent to relevant stakeholders. This novel and proactive approach for detection can enable organizations to remediate water sources prior to community infection. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the need to develop a rapid and portable field-ready DNA amplification device for pathogen detection. The Phase II project integrates a polyethylene glycol linker as an internal amplification control for device verification and validation. This project proposes a new assay design integrating a polyethylene glycol linker to eliminate extra user steps, while maintaining assay sensitivity and specificity. The project's technical objectives include systems engineering of an internal amplification control into the hardware functionality of the device. This project will advance the development of a fully integrated sample-to-answer device for detection of waterborne pathogens. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.