FLow detection of virUses by graphene Field Effect Transistor microarrays

Introduction

Infectious zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans are on the rise, and the risk of a new pandemic is higher now than ever before. Future health models need to consider the close connection between human and animal health.

Need for New Technologies

New technologies capable of continuously monitoring places where the risk of pathogen transmission is higher (shared by animals and humans) are urgently needed to prevent the human, socio-political, and economic costs from pandemics. Continuous monitoring and harmonized data collection of animal farms are required by the European Parliament.

Current Limitations

However, current methods are not suitable for in-situ, continuous, and automatic detection, so today only a limited number of specific pathogens are monitored.

FLUFET Overview

FLUFET will be the first automatized sensor capable of continuously detecting a broad spectrum of viral targets, with the unprecedented capability of detecting unknown viruses. This sensor will be based on graphene Field Effect Transistors (gFETs).

Objectives

FLUFET aims to:

1. Detect infectious zoonotic threats before they spread to humans and create potential outbreaks.
2. Open the door for a pandemic prevention continuum.
3. Incorporate long-distance external factors that heavily affect human health at a worldwide level.

Opportunities for Stakeholders

FLUFET brings interesting opportunities for:

• Health and pandemics experts and managers
• Policymakers and regulatory/standardization bodies
• Animal farmers and their associations
• Precision livestock farming solution providers
• Investors and researchers in the multiple disciplines involved in the consortium

Consortium Requirements

FLUFET requires an interdisciplinary consortium including partners from:

• Computational biophysics
• Graphene technology
• Nanotechnology
• Sensing
• Microfluidics
• Virology
• Surface engineering
• Sensor design and electronics