This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project aims to develop a optical fiber detection system using multiplexed affinity-interferometric (Al) sensors for in-situ monitoring of microorganisms present in aqueous samples such as potable or pharmaceutical process grade water, milk derivatives or fruit juice. Simplified, on-line detection in real time for food or pharmaceutical processing is a desirable but currently limited monitoring technology. The system will be cost effective, robust, operationally simple, and amenable to automation including a microfluidic or other sampling system interface. The proposers will design and fabricate a sensor composed of multiplexed optical fiber sensors to detect target molecules characteristic of the presence of microorganism. These molecules can be proteinacious, DNA, or lipophilic components of lysed (or secreted components of living) procaryotic cells or protozoa. Phase I of this proposal will focus upon the simple detection of one proteinacious, one DNA, and one lipophilic target which together demonstrate the potential of multiple microorganism detection by an advanced, multiplexed, sensor system. A complete system integration for demonstration of a practical field monitoring application for up to eight different microbial targets in processing streams from milk-derived pharmaceuticals is slated for Phase II. The proposed optical fiber biochemical sensors will find widespread application in large annual markets in the food processing, environmental remediation, pharmaceutical fields.
