Photo by Steven Thomas, GTRI
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A Pandemic
Upon Us: Researchers battle avian flu threats to poultry industry and humans
PoultryTech: Avian Influenza
Issue
Sensing
Danger: Researchers develop new sensing technologies to improve response
to chemical and biological attacks
Innovative Biosensors Are Opening New
Frontiers
Development of Innovative Biosensor Makes
Progress
Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia
to Collaborate on Unique Bioterror Screening Tool
Researchers Further Develop Rapid
Response Biosensor for Detection of Foodborne Pathogens
Biosensor
that detects pathogens in poultry and other foods being tested in in metro
Atlanta processing plant |
Interferometric Sensor Technologies
The interferometric sensor program has continually evolved to both
adapt to advances and improvements in the sensor technology and respond
to industry input on sensor needs and directions. In doing so, the
research team has progressed toward the goal of developing and commercializing
rapid detection technology with sensitivity, ease of use, and low cost
for use within the poultry processing environment. A new focus in FY
2006 targeted chemical maintenance in poultry processing chillers.
Initial work focused on polymer-based sensor coatings for development
of an assay for rapid, online quantification of chlorine (free and
total) in poultry process water. Preliminary data suggest it will be
possible to selectively detect low part-per-million levels of free
available chlorine (hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion). Fabrication
and testing of a multichannel (8) sensor chip previously designed was
also begun with new software written to accommodate the multiplex data
analysis.
At the same time, a preliminary design for a field-usable
integrated sensor system to utilize this chip for bacteria and virus
detection
was produced. The cleanroom processes used to fabricate the optical
waveguide sensor chips were reviewed with the goal of optimizing
the chips for easier and cheaper manufacturing on the bulk scale (100s-1000s
of copies) in anticipation of a large-scale testing program (avian
influenza). In particular, the choices of substrate and waveguide
materials,
as well as the steps involved in grating fabrication, were thoroughly
examined. Modeling of a new chip design (reverse symmetry waveguide)
that will provide a significant enhancement in sensitivity for whole
bacteria detection was carried out, with fabrication of the first
test waveguides to follow soon. Finally, modeling, construction, and
testing
of a new flow cell, which uses a multijet concept that is designed
to decrease the boundary layer that hampers mass transport from solution
to the waveguide surface, were also part of this year’s program. |
