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Fall 2004, Volume 46, Number 2

National Honor

By Randolph Fillmore. Photography by Jason Marsh.

USF microbiologist Daniel Lim has won the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation’s 2004 Homeland Security Award for his work with biosensors that detect biohazards in minutes.

Dramatically reducing the time it takes to detect bioterriorism hazards in food, water and blood, University of South Florida microbiologist Daniel Lim has earned one of the nation’s highest honors for homeland security.

Lim has won the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation’s 2004 Homeland Security Award. The award honors cutting edge contributions in the area of homeland security which will result in a significant and positive benefit to society. Lim, accompanied by members of his research team, received the award during a Columbus Day ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"This is a proud moment for our research team,” says Lim. “What we’ve accomplished is a research team effort, not an individual effort.”

Lim was selected to receive the award for his work in developing a test that can rapidly detect biological agents like anthrax, ricin and smallpox, as well as common biological threats like E. coli bacteria in food, water, blood and feces. While traditional testing methods take hours to produce results, Lim’s fiber optic biosensor assay systems can detect biological hazards in just minutes.

Being able to detect the presence or absence of potentially deadly hazards almost immediately has enormous benefits. Used in the field in the event of a suspected bioterror attack, positive rapid testing could prevent the spread of disease. Negative results, on the other hand, could prevent mass panic over fears that an anthrax or smallpox attack has occurred.

"After the anthrax mailings of 2001 and the realization that terrorists could weaponize smallpox, it became increasingly important to develop rapid testing to confirm attacks and initiate public health efforts, or allay public fears if no attacks had occurred,” says Lim. “Using throat swab samples seeded with Vaccinia virus, a surrogate of smallpox, and a fiber optic biosensor, we found we could detect the virus in 20 minutes. And, we found that we could detect moderate concentrations of anthrax in less than an hour directly from powder samples with no false positives with the same biosensor.”

The ability to rapidly detect potential acts of bioterror is a vital component of national security. Lim and his team’s finely-tuned testing methodologies can detect even very small amounts of dangerous material quickly using a portable biosensor.

"With this major stride in the war against bioterror, Dr. Lim and his team are making an important contribution to the security of our nation,” points out USF President Judy Genshaft. “This award is well deserved recognition for exceptional work, and makes a strong statement about the quality of research taking place at USF.”

The foundation’s Homeland Security Award was established in 2003 recognizing that the United States and the world have moved into a new era which necessitates tighter and more vigilant security in all areas. The award is presented in four areas: Biological, radiological and nuclear research; border/transportation security; emergency response; and information sharing. Lim won in the field of biological, radiological and nuclear research which includes utilities, aviation, business vulnerabilities, sensors and lack of situational awareness.

Along with his award, Lim received a check from the foundation for $5,000 that will fund on-going research in his lab.

The Columbus Fellowship Foundation was started in 1992 by an act of Congress. It is an independent federal government agency established to “encourage and support research, study and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind.” Governed by a presidential appointed board of trustees, the foundation seeks to nurture and recognize pioneering individuals and programs which reflect the visionary spirit and pioneering heritage of Christopher Columbus.

Lim joined USF in 1976. His research has been funded by the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Heath and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He holds a doctorate in microbiology from Texas A&M University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor University College of Medicine before coming to USF.

"There is so much significant work being done in the field of homeland security,” says Lim. “And so much more to be done. It is an honor to be a part of a team whose work is recognized for its contributions to the safety of our nation.”