Silk-based biospecimen stabilization for exposure assessment diagnostics

Silk Based Biospecimen Stabilization for Exposure Assessment Project Summary Abstract There is a critical need for a stabilization platform that can preserve biospecimen integritycompletely free of cold storage requirementsSuch a technology would allow researcherscliniciansgovernment personnel and consumers to conduct biomonitoring in field conditionsi ewithout requiring visits to the outpatient labOur long term goal is to develop a platform technology that maximizes the stability of a wide range of biospecimens in a novel silk protein matrix and that seamlessly integrates with downstream analyticsThe objective of the current proposal is to build a novel collection device capable of capturing known volumes of specimenintegrating with the silk matrix stabilizer investigated in our Phase I programand allowing for immediate storage and shipment via the use of desiccant dryingOur central hypothesis is that a new collection device can be designed in order to overcome both practical design oriented and fundamental technological limitations of current sample collection optionsOur hypothesis has been formulated based on our recent published and unpublished data using silk to stabilize a range of serum plasma proteins and new insights into processing techniques that allow silk to be stored and shipped for extended durations at elevated temperaturesThereforein the first aim we will develop a novel collection device to accommodate the new silk featureAs a second aimaperson cohort will be recruited for venous bloodcapillary bloodand saliva samplesto be aliquoted and stored in the silk systemdried paperor as liquid aliquots subject to various processing delays to simulate remote transportation use casesIn the third aimtwo hundred subjects taken from an existing Indian cohort will be evaluated for hazard exposureVaxessand plasma levels of liverthyroidand cardiovascular disease biomarkersAgada medicalThe expected outcomes would be a broader fundamental basis behind silk stabilization and new methods to translate these findings towards biospecimen recovery and storage as they pertain to biomonitoringThe rationale for the proposed research is thatonce collection devices are validatedthey can be used in a variety of external partnership settingsSuccess with the planned approach can positively impact many areas of need in the field of diagnostics and epidemiologyThese needs include alternative approaches at solid biospecimen stabilizationand translation validation of analytical techniques important for hazard exposuresFurthermoreby offering methods to interface with finger prick volumesi eless invasive quantitiesof whole blooda silk based stabilization system could significantly reduce financial burdens associated with the outpatient clinicand in turn increase accessibility