TRACD

The tracking and detection of viruses during epidemics has been a problem for many decades. We hope to create an airborne detection system that can be easily adapted into buildings and modified to combat a variety of viruses in the future. The solution we are proposing is an airborne detection system for viruses. The device will first collect the surrounding air from the environment and liquefy it using negative pressure. The collected liquid will be used in an electrochemical assay with PtNP tagged antibodies in order to detect the presence of the virus. If this system was scaled globally, it could be used in the future to track viral outbreaks. This system has the ability to easily be adapted to other viruses by switching the antibodies for the specific virus being tracked.  This convenient model could be used throughout the world to effectively track upcoming detriments with one platform.

Treatments for viruses take a significant amount of time to be developed, tested, and approved, which can lead to negative results. The monitoring of a virus and its spread can be difficult to observe, especially when considering airborne viruses. According to a report generated by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the next pandemic is most likely to come from aerosol viruses. The solution we are looking into would allow for the detection of airborne viruses within buildings and other enclosed spaces, allowing for quick containment and notification to people in the area. The initial testing ground for this system would be the Ohio State University as college dorms are a breeding ground for airborne viruses like Influenza and Meningitis. If this system was successful at OSU, it would then be scaled up to surrounding areas in transportation hubs and other high traffic areas. Given time, this model could then be scaled up to a city, state, country or possibly the world.  

Our detection system will contain two parts: the first part is a biosensor that will use a nanoparticle-enhanced electrical detection system to indicate whether a person is infected with a virus. For this to function, a small area will be placed outside of the entrances to buildings for people to step in before entering the building. Once a person steps in this, an ESP sampler will be used to pull any potential viruses out of the air and liquify it. Once liquified, the virus will be isolated from the serum with antibodies and then  labeled with PtNPs or Platinum NanoParticles to enhance the electrical signal. The virus-PtNP complex will be lysed when placed on the microchip with the GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) detergent in order to release the electrically charged molecules located with the currently intact virus and the charge with the PtNPs in order to change the solution’s electrical conductivity. This charge can then be measured on a currently existing paper microchip that contains screen-printed microelectrodes. The second part of our system, a tracking app, will be connected to the biosensing system so that a signal will be sent out if enough electrical charge is detected.

The solution we are proposing will be able to serve the entire world if implemented. After completing the design of our project, we plan to test it by first implementing it in The Ohio State University community, with the overall goal being to implement it in the rest of the United States as well as other countries. The design of our biosensor will provide an opportunity for implementation in stores, on college and school campuses, and in airports, which will prevent viral transmission among countries and keep future outbreaks contained. The App design will allow all tracking information for future pandemics to be located in one place, thereby making it easier to determine viral transmission rates and the level of social distancing needed to prevent both public health crises and economic downfall. This App will also serve as a transparent way of communication within the population, which will encourage public conformity for environmental, public, and socioeconomic protection in the case of a future pandemic.

Our problem, lack of preparedness for pandemics, can amplify the panic that occurs when a pandemic is first traced and slows down reaction times, which in some instances can lead to dire results. The solution, involving the creation of a two part detection system, relates to the challenge because it will promote accurate tracking of current and future pandemics, which will allow for more preparation before a pandemic, or even potentially prevent future pandemics. Our target population spans the entire world, as the engineering design will allow for portability, which will lead to other countries gathering resources before an outbreak.

The solution we are proposing would be non-invasive and utilize passive detection to collect data in high-density areas making it easier to implement compared to other detection methods. Our solution is also unique in that it can be easily adapted to other viruses by merely switching out the antibody that is being tagged with the platinum nanoparticles. So, the existing units that are present could be easily modified to look for a new or upcoming viral pandemic. Other methods of airborne detection focus on one virus and cannot be adapted to another or require that the airborne sample be collected and then tested separately in the lab. However, our device would passively be looking for the virus automatically using the electrochemical assay described and the outputs of this assay could be measured without the need for human intervention.  

Our solution combines two existing technologies: ESP sampler (electrostatic precipitators) and an electrochemical assay that uses antibodies tagged with platinum nanoparticles to create a charge in solution that can detect the presence of virus. ESP liquefaction takes advantage of the charged nature of virus particles and pulls them out of the air and liquifies them into a solution. This technology is already used widely in various industries such as filtering dust and smoke from coal factories by inducing electrostatic charge. With the addition of a liquid collector, it could turn the air collected into liquid which could be mixed with the antibodies for tests.

  The electrochemical assay uses antibodies tagged with platinum nanoparticles to bind to the target virus. When this complex of virus and antibody and platinum nanoparticle is moved on a microchip with grape seed extract detergent the complex will be lysed creating a charge in solution which can be measured on a currently existing paper microchip that contains screen-printed microelectrodes. This technique has been used before in the detection of Zika virus, and the principles of this approach can be applied to many viruses. 

The liquidation process utilizes an electrostatic precipitator device (ESP) that is currently used in industrial settings. For example, it is used in the kitchen where it is a small and compact device or coal burning factory where it can treat gas volumes of 1,180m^3/s. In this case, the ESP is used mainly to filter out the air that passes through it. Another use for this technology is to liquify the air solution just by adding a liquid collector component to this technology. While the evidence of the air filter can be found through various industries, the specifics of the liquefaction of the air can be found in this academic journal specifically talking about this technology:[Sampling and detection of airborne influenza virus towards point-of-care applications]

The technology used to detect the virus has been demonstrated in previous studies, specifically with Zika virus, to work effectively. This technique makes use of an electrochemical assay that uses antibodies tagged with platinum nanoparticles to create a charge in solution that can detect the presence of a virus. This technology is able to be applied to a wide array of viruses due to the ability to switch out antibodies, as well as the fact that the system is based upon the fact that viruses typically exhibit a negative charge. This system has the advantages of being simple, rapid, and cost effective, which allows it to be implemented in a wide array of environments. Link: Nanoparticle Article

We first plan to place our product in locations that are generally densely populated, for example, lecture halls and dormitories.  From here our short term outcomes lead to local quarantining and higher safety measures.  Once implemented in a larger range of locations, more research can be done based on receiving more data for geographical virus hotspots.  A historical example of how this information is useful is that the source of the Cholera outbreak of 1854 in London was discovered by Jon Snow by observing geographical  hot spots for the Cholera virus outbreak. These detectors could be used to sanitize an area and inform the public about a virus outbreak in a particular building or area. Furthermore, on a broader scale, this data could be useful in studying how a particular virus is spreading and where it can be expected next. By placing these detectors in public transportation, the data collected could be used to predict where the virus could be expected next. This ability to predict where the virus is going to strike next can help prepare the area for the viruses. One of the biggest problems with current technology is how difficult it is for all people to be in the same loop of information. This makes it difficult to detect an upcoming pandemic since the news of the extent of some viruses cannot be detected until they have already made a significant impact.  Our solution would be something that can be easily placed in locations all over the world and would be powered on a single platform as well.  In this way, the geographical viral “hotspots” could be detected and information that comes from these sensors can be used to provide further research, thereby also helping the community have insight into what they should be prepared for.  When viruses have the potential to become deadly but are detected in advance, a large amount of problems can be mitigated by just having the information to be prepared. 

Currently our solution is still in the concept stage, and we plan to pilot our project on the campus of The Ohio State University.  Our aim is to grow from there in the future to buildings throughout the state of Ohio and hopefully expand to other states and countries in the future. 

Currently this project has not been tested yet, although we do plan to first start this up at the campus of Ohio State University.  Once initial tests are done, any problem that needs to be fixed can be altered and changed based on the feedback and criticism given. Optimally this could be completed in one year, and this idea could expand to the population of Ohio and eventually the United States. If successful, it would be best if the project could expand worldwide so that everyone has access to one effective system to allow for transparency and convenience for the public to communicate amongst one another. Since we plan to use an open source database in our course of action, it would be relatively simple to accommodate and change the device as needed in a variety of settings. 

One of the main barriers that exists for us to accomplish our goal in the next year and five years are legalities. There is a chance that people will be apprehensive towards the idea of being tested for a virus when walking through a building entrance or exit, and this could potentially hold us back from accomplishing our goal of having the system implemented in a variety of places. As well as this, we will have to obtain the permission of everyone walking through the area before testing them by having them sign a waiver, in which communicating the ideology of this system to the public will be necessary for gaining public support. Technically speaking, one barrier we have for testing is that we need to find ways to optimize the antigen concentration in the air that we are liquifying to allow for more sensitive testing. This also goes along with our financial/market barriers, as antibodies can be expensive, which could prevent this system from being implemented because of cost.

In order to overcome the legality barrier for this solution, we plan to connect with experts in communication and with people who have experience with writing and distributing waivers. As well as this, we plan to create short videos describing our system so that we can further explain how complying with this will allow the public to make a significant impact in preventing viral transmission.  We understand that tracking people personally could become a breach to privacy which is why we implemented the process of testing locations instead.  Additionally, in order to create a smooth transition between the waiver and testing, we would plan to have this form available for the public to sign online for the store they are entering. This will create a more efficient way for stores, universities, and transportation systems to utilize the detection system. To overcome our technical and financial/market barriers, we will determine the antigen to antibody ratio, which will give us the information we need to determine the amount of antibodies needed for each detection. If these antibodies are expensive, we can overcome this by cloning antibodies in E. coli or other systems. 

3 advisers and 4 undergraduates

Our team is well-positioned to deliver this solution because we all come from different backgrounds and majors, which influences our individual thought processes. With backgrounds in chemistry, biology, biological engineering, and aerospace/aviation engineering, we have found ways to combine these skills in a way that allows us to come up with an innovative, yet resourceful, idea to serve the world. We have been able to use our location-being on a campus with one of the largest student populations in the nation-to guide our thinking. If our detection system is able to work efficiently at Ohio State, it is likely that it will work in places with smaller amounts of people, and this would also show us that the detection system could be scaled up to work in areas with larger amounts of people, such as airports or other transportation areas. With knowledge of both the risks and benefits that come with returning to campus, we are extremely motivated to make an impact to save lives in the future with early detection. 

Our business model will provide enormous value to the populations we serve. As the detection system will first be implemented at The Ohio State University, we will be able to provide rapid, on-site, cheap testing for both students and faculty to prevent the spread of infection. Following this, we plan to implement this detection system at other college campuses, which will lead to implementation in corporate businesses and stores. This will eventually-after testing-serve as a way for people around the world to test for viral infections without having to exert energy or to wait days for results. In order to provide this service in an efficient way, we will place detection systems at the entrances of buildings that students commonly use around campus in order to gain an accurate idea of viral transmission on campus, and in future implementations, at the entrances of stores and in public transportation systems. Our product is needed because lack of preparedness or lack of knowledge of a pandemic can prove to be detrimental to public health and the economy in many situations. This will give people an opportunity to gather the necessary resources beforehand. 

In the beginning we require capital to kickstart the project and prototyping. However, given that we are combining existing technology together and not creating it, the starting capital would not necessarily be too high. We hope we would be able to build the test prototype with funds from interested parties or competitions such as the MIT Solve and our school’s OSU President’s Prize challenge which would give up $50,000. 

In the long term, the team would raise money through selling the product to various interested parties. The main target would be airports and airlines but we are also open to any organization or buildings that might want to be more cautious.

The COVID-19 pandemic had made a huge hit to everyone around the world, and one of the biggest reasons that it was able to create such a detrimental effect is because the virus's potential was not detected early enough.  We found that this was a modern problem that needed to be solved as soon as possible since deadly viruses are one of the biggest threats to mankind.  By finding a solution to the problem, we would all be able to contribute to a great resolution in the STEM field.  Solve was a great opportunity for a group like us to receive more recognition in the community so the idea could gain more affinity and grow in the community.  Also, one of our biggest barriers was to be able to share this idea to a large group of people and implement it in many locations, Solve gave the opportunity to have a platform and share our idea to the world.

We would need the most support when it comes to funding and the revenue model.  Currently we do not have a source of funding but will be seeking people and businesses who are willing to invest in our idea.  With Solve, we are hoping to be assisted in finding ways to fund our business model. 

We hope to partner with both IDI (Infectious Disease Institute) and the Battelle Center for Science, Engineering, and Public policy to talk with people familiar with these types of technologies.