Developing Aptamers to Create a Platform for Rapid, Multiplexed, Sensing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Water
FY24 SI-GECS Type 2
Abstract
Pollution of the oceans and other waterways is widespread and often poorly controlled. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are released into the environment during manufacture, use, and disposal, and they collectively impose significant threats to public health and agriculture. In order to combat this contamination, it is necessary to pinpoint its source as well as track changes over time. However, monitoring such compounds remains costly and challenging as samples must be shipped from the source to a laboratory for analysis. What is needed is an easy to use, cost effective, field deployable, multiplexing, and robust device that allows sensing of API contaminants. This project will achieve this objective by leveraging GEMS (Graphene electronic multiplexed sensor) developed by the Burch Laboratory. GEMS are sensors that couple the unique electrical properties of graphene with biological probes to enable sensitive detection of specific compounds. Furthermore, GEMS require only inexpensive electronics and are the size of a penny. To extend the GEMS platform to detect APIs of public health relevance in the Global South, the Meyer lab will develop optimized biological probes for APIs identified in partnership with Dr. Landrigan and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health.
Publications
- Geiwitz M, Page OR, Marello T, Nichols ME, Kumar N, Hummel S, Belosevich V, Ma Q, van Opijnen T, Batten B, Meyer MM and Burch KS. Graphene Multiplexed Sensor for Point-of-Need Viral Wastewater-Based Epidemiology. ACS Applied Biological Material 2024 Jul 15;7(7):4622-4632.
Students Trained
- 3 Undergraduate Students
- Tio Marello, Biology Department
- Abigail Miller, Biochemistry Department
- Marina Nichols, Applied Physics Department
- 2 Graduate Students
- Owen Page
- Michael Geiwitz
Additional Accomplishments
- Burch, Meyer, and Professor Catherine Hoar from engineering, submitted a white-paper to the Water Research Foundation (WRF) which was chosen for a full proposal (title) that was submitted in July 2024.