Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded $451,000 to The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on April 1, 2026, with a project completion date of March 31, 2028. This Project Grant supports the development of the Digital Droplet Aerosol Capture & Quantification (DDACQ) system, a novel microfluidic-free technology platform for rapid and quantitative detection of airborne pathogens. The DDACQ system addresses critical gaps in biosurveillance and public health monitoring by combining a filter particle array for pathogen capture with a droplet buoyancy counter for isothermal digital droplet analysis, enabling point-of-care testing in medical facilities, workplace environments, and public spaces without requiring traditional bulk polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) methods.

The deliverable products include the development and optimization of the DDACQ technology components, which offer superior quantitative accuracy through single-molecule detection and direct quantification without standard curves. The system incorporates a phone-powered heat block to drive one-step isothermal digital droplet reactions, providing a portable and accessible platform for rapid response to disease outbreaks caused by viruses such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and measles, as well as bacterial pathogens including Bordetella pertussis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Coccidioides species. This research directly supports NIAID's mission to advance scientific knowledge and improve public health outcomes through innovative diagnostic and surveillance technologies.