Document text
Principal Investigator: Patricia Bea Keady
Organization: AEROSOL DEVICES, INC.
Fiscal Year: 2021
Award: $262,802
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
As the current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, aerosolized pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 can
spread explosively if not quickly detected. Early detection of these airborne pathogens can help control out-
breaks, particularly within vulnerable populations in densely populated spaces including assisted living facili-
ties, places of worship, military installations, hospitals, and prisons. To date, most studies of aerosolized
SARS-CoV-2 use filter collection followed by laboratory analysis of viral RNA. While this gives a general indica-
tion of viral RNA levels in an environment, filters collect both infectious and non-infectious viruses and damage
them through mechanical stress and desiccation, making it difficult to determine the infective fraction of the col-
lected viruses. Further, current filter analysis methods require time-consuming nucleic acid extraction and am-
plification techniques not suitable to rapid, point-of-care monitoring. Therefore, there is an urgent need for in-
struments that can detect intact viruses at the point-of-care.
We propose to develop a sensitive, direct reading, bioaerosol detection platform that can quantify specific air-
borne pathogens at the point of collection. Furthermore, if a positive result is identified, the sample can be
taken to a central laboratory for additional molecular analysis and infectivity testing. This device will integrate
the bioaerosol collection technology developed at Aerosol Devices Inc. (ADev) with virus detection technology
from Colorado State University (CSU). Using gentle condensation-growth capture that mimics the human lung,
the ADev sampler will be the front-end of the platform, concentrating intact, viable virus particles into a small
liquid volume. With >90% collection efficiency for particle sizes <10 nm up to 10 µm, ADev samplers uniformly
collect all inhalable SARS-CoV-2 particles whether originating from cough droplets (>5 µm), smaller particles
exhaled during breathing or talking (<5 µm), or shed as individual virus particles (~120 nm). CSU Professors
Henry, Dandy, and Geiss are developing innovative, inexpensive electrochemical biosensors to rapidly detect
intact viruses in liquid samples. By synergizing these robust sensors with the ADev aerosol sampler, we will
produce a system that can detect and quantify ultra-low concentrations of viral pathogens in near real-time.
In this phase I STTR project, we will adapt our commercial aerosol-into-liquid collector to incorporate CSU’s
biosensors. Specific aims for the ADev sampler include extending sampling time to 24 h to enhance limits of
detection, increasing volumetric sampling rate to improve temporal resolution, selecting materials compatible
with VHP decontamination and optimizing the system to reduce size, weight, power consumption and cost.
Specific aims for the biosensor include modifying electrodes to detect SARS-CoV-2 particles with high sensitiv-
ity and selectivity, adapting our current electrode configuration to work with the ADev sampling vial, and testing
the system with infectious SARS-CoV-2 in our BSL-3 laboratory. Our immediate focus is SARS-CoV-2, but this
technology can be adapted in Phase II to detect any airborne pathogen (e.g., Influenza, B. anthracis, etc.).
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><2019-nCoV S protein><2019-nCoV spike glycoprotein><2019-nCoV spike protein><Abate><Aerosols><Air><Antibodies><Armed Forces Personnel><Assisted Living Facilities><B anthracis><B pertussis><B. anthracis><B. pertussis><Bacillus anthracis><Bacteria><Binding><Biosensor><Bluetooth><Bordetella pertussis><Breathing><Buffers><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID-19><COVID-19 S protein><COVID-19 antibody><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 detection><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 infection><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 spike glycoprotein><COVID-19 spike protein><COVID-19 transmission><COVID-19 virus><COVID-19 virus transmission><COVID19><COVID19 detection><COVID19 S protein><COVID19 crisis><COVID19 epidemic><COVID19 global health crisis><COVID19 global pandemic><COVID19 health crisis><COVID19 infection><COVID19 pandemic><COVID19 public health crisis><COVID19 spike glycoprotein><COVID19 spike protein><COVID19 virus><CV-19><CV19><CoV-2><CoV2><Collaborations><Collection><Colorado><Consumption><Coughing><Decontamination><Desiccation><Dessication><Detection><Devices><Disease><Disease Outbreaks><Disorder><Early Diagnosis><Electrical Impedance><Electrodes><Ensure><Environment><Exhalation><Exhaling><Exposure to><Future><General Population><General Public><Generalized Growth><Goals><Grippe><Growth><H Pertussis><H. Pertussis><Haemophilus pertussis><Health Care Providers><Health Facilities><Health Personnel><Health care facility><Healthcare Facility><Healthcare Providers><Healthcare worker><Hospitals><Hour><Human><Impedance><Individual><Influenza><Influenza B><Influenza B Virus><Influenza Viruses Type B><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Label><Laboratories><Liquid substance><Long-Term Care><Lung><Lung Respiratory System><Measles><Mechanical Stress><Methods><Military><Military Personnel><Modern Man><Molecular Analysis><Molecular Interaction><Monitor><Non-Polyadenylated RNA><Nucleic Acids><Nursing Homes><Orthomyxoviruses Type B><Outbreaks><Outcome><Particle Size><Patients><Phase><Physical condensation><Play><Prisons><RNA><RNA Gene Products><RT-PCR><RTPCR><Reading><Recovery><Reporting><Resolution><Respiratory Aspiration><Respiratory Expiration><Respiratory Inspiration><Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction><Ribonucleic Acid><Rubeola><SARS corona virus 2><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV-2 S protein><SARS-CoV-2 antibody><SARS-CoV-2 detection><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 infection><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein><SARS-CoV-2 spike protein><SARS-CoV-2 transmission><SARS-CoV2><SARS-CoV2 S protein><SARS-CoV2 antibody><SARS-CoV2 epidemic><SARS-CoV2 infection><SARS-CoV2 pandemic><SARS-CoV2 spike glycoprotein><SARS-CoV2 spike protein><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><STTR><Sampling><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 S protein><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike glycoprotein><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Small Business Technology Transfer Research><Social Impacts><Spectroscopy><Spectrum Analyses><Spectrum Analysis><Sterility><Structure><Surface><System><Techniques><Technology><Testing><Time><Tissue Growth><Transmission><Transportation><Tube><Universities><Vial><Vial device><Virion><Virus><Virus Particle><Vulnerable Populations><Weight><Work><Wuhan coronavirus><aerosolized><anthracis><antibody against COVID-19><antibody against SARS-CoV-2><antibody against SARS-CoV2><antibody against coronavirus disease 2019><antibody against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><antibody to COVID-19><antibody to SARS-CoV-2><antibody to SARS-CoV2><antibody to coronavirus disease 2019><antibody to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><assisted living><assistive living><assistive living facilities><base><biological sensor><care facilities><condensation><corona virus disease 2019><corona virus disease 2019 epidemic><corona virus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 S protein><coronavirus disease 2019 antibody><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 detection><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 infection><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 spike glycoprotein><coronavirus disease 2019 spike protein><coronavirus disease 2019 transmission><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease 2019 virus transmission><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease pandemic><cost><detect COVID-19><detect COVID19><detect SARS-CoV-2><detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><detection limit><detection method><detection platform><detection procedure><detection system><detection technique><early detection><economic impact><electric impedance><extended care><fluid><hCoV19><health care personnel><health care worker><health provider><health workforce><healthcare personnel><improved><infected with COVID-19><infected with COVID19><infected with SARS-CoV-2><infected with SARS-CoV2><infected with coronavirus disease 2019><infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><innovate><innovation><innovative><inspiration><instrument><interventional strategy><liquid><longterm care><lung pathogen><medical personnel><military population><morbilli><nCoV2><nursing home><ontogeny><operation><pandemic><pandemic disease><particle><pathogen><pathogenic virus><point of care><prevent><preventing><professor><prototype><pulmonary><pulmonary pathogen><respiratory><respiratory pathogen><reverse transcriptase PCR><sensor><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission><sterile><temporal measurement><temporal resolution><time measurement><tool><transmission process><transmitted COVID-19><transmitted SARS-CoV-2><transmitted coronavirus disease 2019><transmitted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><treatment provider><viral RNA><viral detection><viral pathogen><virology><virus RNA><virus detection><virus pathogen><vulnerable group>