Realtime Detection And Identification Of Airborne Microorganisms Using Infrared Spectroscopy

The goal of this Phase II project is to develop an automated detector system for real-time detection of aerosolized biowarfare agents. Our proposed detection system utilizes Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as the agent identifier, where the main advantages of this approach are that it is reagentless, operates in complex air environments, and provides fast detection, high sensitivity, and high selectivity for spores with minimal false alarms. Recent research by others, as well as our own work, has successfully shown that FTIR spectroscopy is capable of classifying bioagents from genus to strain level. Current methods of collecting and analyzing bioaerosols do not provide real-time detection capabilities. The novelty of the proposed work is the incorporation of an FTIR detection system that will enable in-situ spectral analysis of the spores directly on the collection device, thereby eliminating logistical burdens associated with sample collection and analysis.