Descripción del proyecto
Un dispositivo microfluídico para la detección de virus en el agua potable
La detección de virus en el agua potable supone un reto tecnológico con ramificaciones sanitarias importantes, ya que una concentración vírica de solo 10-100 partículas en 2 litros de agua es infecciosa. Los métodos tradicionales emplean varios pasos de concentración vírica seguidos por análisis moleculares o basados en cultivos. Los científicos del proyecto financiado con fondos europeos MoViD proponen un enfoque alternativo basado en un novedoso dispositivo microfluídico, que es capaz de separar partículas del agua en depósitos de detección en función de sus tamaños. Las partículas víricas separadas permanecen intactas y pueden analizarse luego con facilidad mediante varios métodos. El dispositivo MoViD ofrece un enfoque simplificado para la identificación rápida de contaminantes en el agua.
Objetivo
The detection of dilute populations of nanoparticles in microfluidics is difficult due to diffusion as the time limiting step to reach the sensor. Using active transport, we propose to build a proof of concept microfluidic device that reaches sub-attomolar detection sensitivity within an hour and at a device footprint of 1 cm. The active transport enables size separation of the particles into multiple channels and up-concentration in detection reservoirs for label free detection. At the end of the process the size-separated particles can be easily extracted for further downstream processing.
The applied use case is the detection and quantification of virus in drinking water, a global health-critical challenge. A viral concentration of 10-100 particles is infectious in 2l of water consumed by a person, corresponding to a concentration of 10^(-22) molar. Traditional methods rely on multiple concentration steps followed by detection using molecular and/or culture based methods. Most common are adsorption/elution assays which co-concentrate and add contaminations that interfere with the downstream detection analysis. The detection methods are also often specific for the viral type and require a priori identification of the target virus. Metagenomic sequencing allows for general identification but lacks sensitivity.
The proposed method will simplify and improve the process significantly. The viruses will be concentrated without damage of the virus shell and with a high rejection of the contamination present in the sample. All virus particles will be separated and sorted according to predefined size ranges into detection compartments on the chip, allowing for a parallel and quantitative marker-less detection on a single particle level. Specific identification is possible for future devices using (integrated) molecular methods with reduced cross-contamination and without a priori virus identification.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidics
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantInstitución de acogida
8803 Rueschlikon
Suiza