Ultra-fast pathogenic bacteria detection in human blood

This project aims to develop a versatile and easy-to-use surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) instrument for the rapid and broad-spectrum detection of low concentrations of pathogenic bacteria in complex samples, particularly blood. SPRi is a label-free technique that allows real-time probing of a sample (regardless of its optical transparency). Due to the high sensitivity of the plasmon phenomenon, the dynamic range of measurable index variation is limited by SPRi detection when reading is performed at a fixed angle, as is the case in commercially available devices. This reduces the use of such optical instruments to the study of environments whose index remains relatively stable during the experiment and whose molecular probes have molecular weights comparable to the targets (monitoring of bimolecular interactions).
This considerably limits the detection of growing bacteria in complex environments. Our laboratory has developed original solutions for the detection of very low levels of contamination in food matrices (creation of a start-up in 2012), but SPRi is unsuitable for the detection of bacteria in blood, partly due to the very high intrinsic variability of this matrix.
These limitations will be overcome by integrating five complementary components:
1. The design of an instrument optimized for real-time recording of SPR images over a defined range of illumination angles;
2. The development of dedicated SPR data analysis and processing to extract the most relevant information for each probe from the images in real time;
3. The functionalization of biochips through a combination of appropriate probes (series of peptides such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), antibodies, and even bacteriophages) to optimize the number of possible identifications with a reduced set of probes;
4. The learning of specific “4D-SPRi signatures” of model strains in blood matrices;
5. Validation of the performance of the new “4D-SPRi” instrument as a tool for detecting and characterizing bacteria from hospital strains compared to reference techniques.

Multi-modal in situ nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of electrochemical phenomena in commercial battery prototypes

Advancing electrochemical energy storage technologies is impossible without a molecular-level understand-ing of processes as they occur in practical, commercial-type devices. Aspects of the battery design, such as the chemistry and thickness of electrodes, as well as configurations of current collectors and tabs, influence the electronic and ionic current density distributions and determine kinetic limitations of solid-state ion transport. These effects, in turn, modulate the overall battery performance and longevity. For these reasons, optimistic outcomes of conventional ‘coin’ cell tests often do not converge into high-performance commercial cells. Safety concerns associated with high energy density and flammable components of batteries are another subject paramount for conversion from fossil to green energy sources.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging (MRI) are exceptionally sensitive to the structural environment and dynamics of most elements in active battery materials.
Recently, plug-and-play NMR and surface-scan MRI methods have been introduced. In the context of fun-damental electrochemical research, merging two innovative complementary concepts within one multi-modal (NMR-MRI) device would enable diverse analytical solutions and reliable battery performance metrics for academia and the energy sector.
In this project, an advanced analytical framework for in situ analysis of fundamental phenomena such as sol-id-state ion transport, intercalation and associated phase transitions, metal plating dynamics, electrolyte deg-radation and mechanical defects in commercial Li- and Na-ion batteries under various operational conditions will be developed. A range of multi-modal (NMR-MRI) sensors will be developed and employed for deep analysis of fundamental electrochemical processes in commercial battery cells and small battery packs.