This project will develop a real-time, on-site sensor to protect indoor air environments against accidental or ntentional release of biological toxins. The Facility Airborne Biological Toxin Alarm System (FABTAS) is a esearch program of the Biodefense Program at the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT) at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Botulism Research Laboratory at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD). In this project, a Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometer (FAIMS) detector will be coupled with pattern recognition software to allow for immediate recognition of biological toxin signatures hidden within the biological background present in indoor air handling (HVAC) systems. At the conclusion of this 12-month project, CIMIT will produce an easily integrated, low cost, high-sensitivity detector to alert against the presence of biological toxins in indoor air environments. In addition to protecting against intentional biological toxin attacks, the detection system will detect more routine threats to indoor lealth such as molds and fungi (Aspergillus) and bacteria (Legionella). These tasks will be accomplished by first generating ion signatures profiles of non-hazardous simulants that mimic the protypic biological toxins botulism, ricin, saxitoxin and ET-B. Following optimization of signatures for the non-hazarous toxin proxies the system will repeat signature characterization in UMASS-Dartmouth's secure BL3 facility using approved ow concentrations of inactivated biological toxins. Following completion of signature characterization of inactivated toxins the team will attach the FAIMS to a microfluidics transport and commercial """"""""off the shelf air sampling system that that has been successfully used in other FAIMS based chemical HVAC protection projects and the new prototype will be installed in CIMIT's test HVAC system. During this extended field test the false positive alarm rates, reliability, ease of service and cost of maintanance of the FABTAS will be assessed under realistic field conditions. Following the field test, the FABTAS performance parameters will be reviewed and necessary modifications in the FABTAS will be implmented. This project meets the goals of CDC-supported research by generating new technologies, methodologies and diagnostic signature libraries which can be used to improve the immediate detection, mitigation and prevention of bioterrorism or naturally-occuring infection (or allergies) in indoor air environments.
