Water quality was at the forefront of the discussion hosted by Dr. Pierre Lucas, Materials Science and Engineering; Dr. Kelly Reynolds, Community Environment and Policy; and Dr. Mark R. Riley, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering on June 10, 2008. It was there that I became aware of a growing need for fast, efficient methods of virus detection in the area of water distribution. In the United States, an alarming number of outbreaks of illness due to drinking-water contamination are left without a determined cause; however, the characteristics of these outbreaks most often indicate a virus is to blame. In response to this concern, this cross-disciplinary team has developed the method for integrated capture and spectroscopic detection of viruses in aqueous environments.

To test their method, the team chose the protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the bacteriophage, MS2, as test subjects. The capture aspect of the method involves electrophoretic deposition of the virus or protein by applying a voltage across a Germanium ATR crystal (anode) and an indium tin oxide plate (cathode). When present in media where the pH is above the isoelectric point of the test subject, the test subject will have a net negative charge and will therefore attach to the Germanium ATR crystal. This allows the team to use Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy to detect and identify the agents in the water. The team was successful in both depositing and identifying BSA and MS2 in lab trials.

This method is much faster than the current conventional testing methods and offers hope for real-time detection of viruses. With more rapid forms of detection, we can expect better monitoring of water quality and faster response times for medical care in the event of an outbreak. This project illustrates the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving.

Ben Wilson, UBRPer in Dr. Joanna Masel's laboratory, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology