State Water Resources Research Institute Program
Project ID: 2008AZ265B
Title: Real-time Detection of Estrogen in Waste Water by Piezoresistive Microcantilever Sensor
Project Type: Research
Start Date: 3/ 1/2008
End Date: 2/28/2009
Congressional District: First
Focus Categories: Wastewater, Water Quality
Keywords: wastewater, microcantilever, endocrine disruption, antibody, estrogen, innovative technology, contamination prevention, physiology
Principal Investigators: Islam, Nazmul (Northern Arizona University); Porter, Tim L (Northern Arizona University); Propper, Catherine R.
Federal Funds: $ 10,000
Non-Federal Matching Funds: $ 20,200
Abstract: Proposal Summary:
Objectives: Anthropogenic contamination of our water resources with microorganic pollution is becoming an increasing concern as many of these compounds have been shown to have estrogen- like action on organismal function. Recent studies have demonstrated that wastewater effluent released in the environment contains estrogens at biologically relevant levels. Therefore, the demand for real-time/on-site detection of estrogens is immediate. However, current technology is expensive, technically complicated and not available for estrogen level determination at the contamination sites. The primary objective of this proposal is to develop and validate a robust, rapid lab-on-chip for detecting estrogen in environmental water samples.
Approach: The proposed research calls for concerted multidisciplinary efforts in micro/nano- bio- electronics, environmental physiology, microbiology, physics, and biochemistry to achieve the above objective. Rapid estrogen detection will be realized electrically by piezoresistive microcantilever (PMC) sensor. Anti-estrogen antibodies can be layered to the microcantilever surface through passive adsorption using a dilute solution of antibody. The estrogen in the waste water will bind/react with antibody, which will result in a strain in the cantilever. The strain of the cantilever can ultimately be measured as a resistance change in the microsystem.
Expected results: Cantilever strains of only a few angstroms are potentially measurable, the proposed research activities will lead to the development of a patentable microcantilever device that can be further developed for rapid onsite monitoring of extremely low levels estrogen in aquatic environmental samples. The proposed strategy is expected to solve the bottleneck issues in real-time/on-site detection of estrogen, and the realized lab-on-a-chip will advance the portability and automation for real-time estrogen monitoring kits. Once proof-of-concept is realized with estrogens, similar microcantilever devices can be developed for in-line detection of multiple types of microorganic pollutants in water systems.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/08grants/2008AZ265B.html
Page Contact Information: John Schefter
Page Last Modified: Friday, 11-Apr-2008 12:22:06 EDT
