NSF Convergence Accelerator Real-World Chemical Sensing Applications: A Novel Disease Detection System Based on Advanced Quantum-Dot Sensor Technology

There is a persistent need for reliable and affordable technology for early detection of disease that can spread rapidly to others to manage effectively disease spread. The present project addresses this need by developing and commercializing a highly sensitive, cost-effective, portable, user-friendly sensor system for the detection of bacterial disease, with the goal of enabling rapid, easy testing for the presence of the disease in all environments, including low-resource settings. The new system, which combines advanced quantum-dot sensor technology with a proven rapid detection assay and a specialized user-friendly reader technology, will be developed using tuberculosis, a bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can be lethal if not detected early, as a test case. In recent years, the prevalence of the disease has increased within the U.S. and worldwide, and significant resources are being invested to help physicians combat tuberculosis; thus, there is an urgent need to develop and make available a highly sensitive sensor system that frontline healthcare professionals can use to diagnose tuberculosis readily and reliably. The long-term goal of this project is to enhance public health by reducing the spread of tuberculosis. In addition to developing and commercializing a superior sensor system to fill a market gap in tuberculosis diagnosis, the project includes activities aimed at developing a skilled workforce to tackle regional and national disease challenges that pose a threat to societal health and U.S. economic strength. The QueueD Insights team, which consists of two industry partners (InBios and C2Sense) and several academic institutions (University of Nevada Reno, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and Duke University), will develop and commercialize a sensor system that meets internationally accepted standards for sensitivity, cost, speed, and ease of use in healthcare contexts for the early detection of tuberculosis. The sensor of the system involves a lateral flow assay that detects Lipoarabinomanna fragments of M. tuberculosis found in the urine of tuberculosis patients, which makes it suitable for diagnosing both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. By combining the Advanced Quantum-Dots technology patented by QueueD Insights with the lateral flow assay and a custom-built time-resolved luminescence reader, the sensor system adopts three technologies critical to markedly increasing assay sensitivity: preconcentration of scarce antigens, a high-affinity antibody for antigen capture, and a background-free, time-resolved fluorescence detection system. The resulting sensor system will enable significantly enhanced tuberculosis detection. The system’s validity will be established through preclinical studies. Strategies for scaling up the system’s manufacturing and distribution in the tuberculosis diagnosis market will be established with assistance of current and future national and international partners. The goal of this effort is to achieve widespread adoption of the novel sensor system to increase tuberculosis testing rates and detection world-wide, and, ultimately, improve U.S. public health. Additionally, the system offers extensibility to other diseases. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.