A Portable Vibrio Cholerae Concentrator for Sensitive Pathogen Detection in Water

This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop an easy to use, inexpensive, and portable bacterial concentrator to enable more sensitive cholera pathogen (Vibrio cholerae) detection. Cholera affects communities across 41 countries, including Mozambique in 2019 after Cyclone Idai and Yemen in 2017. Current methods used to detect the cholera pathogen in water involves a 3 to 5-day procedure due to the low concentrations of the bacterium found in the water. The proposed device intakes 1L of water from an environmental water source and concentrates the solution down to 1mL, enriching the bacteria contained within the sample. Therefore, the enriched sample can be used in conjunction with our handheld Vibrio cholerae detection device to identify low, but dangerous, bacterial levels. This project first proposes the development of an easy-to-use portable water detection device. We will evaluate the concentrator’s usability after construction. Secondly, we will test the capture and concentration efficiency of the device by filtering and measuring varying concentrations of polystyrene fluorescent particles that pass through the filter. Lastly, we will determine the capture efficiency of Vibrio cholerae spiked environmental water samples. The final step will provide critical knowledge toward both the ability to enrich for Vibrio cholerae and the degree of which fouling of the filter will take place.