NSF Convergence Accelerator Real-World Chemical Sensing Applications: Engineered Microbial Sensors for Monitoring Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water

NSF Award Search · 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $5,000,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This project is developing an inexpensive and accurate point-of-use test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at drinking water facilities. The very nature of the strong carbon-fluorine bond in these molecules makes them persist in the environment and the human body. There is growing evidence that forever chemicals cause cancer and other diseases, and it is expected that stricter guidelines on the levels of PFASs allowed in drinking water will be implemented in the future. Current methods for testing for PFASs in drinking water must be carried out off-site, rely on expensive specialized equipment, and have a turn-around time of days to months. The TrueBlue sensing devices developed here will combine the ability of biological systems to recognize virtually any pollutant with high sensitivity combined with readout electronics in a small disposable “dipstick” format; sensing can occur within 1-2 hours. One of the research teams of this collaborative effort will design these hybrid bioelectronic devices to detect PFAS compounds using the latest advances in artificial intelligence. This team’s efforts are complemented by a world-leading applied research team that has been working with the New York City (NYC) Department of Environmental Protection for nearly three decades to advance water resource recovery in NYC, one of the largest metropolitan regions in the world. The intellectual merit of this project comes in delivering a transformative technology for detecting

Key facts

NSF award ID
2452596
Awardee
Columbia University (NY)
SAM.gov UEI
F4N1QNPB95M4
PI
Virginia W Cornish
Primary program
01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Estimated total
$5,000,000
Funds obligated
$2,000,000
Transaction type
Cooperative Agreement
Period
07/01/2025 → 06/30/2028