| Posted: February 3, 2007 |
EPA announces grants for nanotechnology research to improve drinking water |
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(Nanowerk News) Ten university projects received grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for research to develop better methods for detecting harmful organisms in drinking water, including viruses, bacteria and protozoa. The grants, awarded through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research grants program at EPA's National Center for Environmental Research, are aimed at ensuring that the United States has the safest drinking water in the world.
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Out of the total of $5 million in grant money awarded to 9 universities, $1.07 million went to Michigan State University for nanotechnology research.
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The first project, "Rapid and Quantitative Detection of Helicobacter Pylori and E. Coli O157 in Well Water Using a Nano-Wired Biosensor and QPCR", proposes roposal that a disposable nanowired biosensor and QPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) can be combined seamlessly to develop a unique biosensor-QPCR as a tool for near real-time determination of contaminant occurrence in drinking water. The project runs until September 2009.
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The second project, " On-chip PCR, Nanoparticles, and Virulence/Marker Genes for Simultaneous Detection of 20 Waterborne Pathogens", proposed to develop and validate a highly parallel, sensitive, specific, and quantitative biochip combining the principles of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microarrays for the simultaneous detection of 20 waterborne pathogens. Establishing highly parallel and specific methods are essential to reduce the health risk from microbial pathogens present in source and drinking waters. The project runs until August 2009.
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