Origami Antibodies for Threat Sensing

Beginning from an advanced stage of development, this Phase II STTR project will produce designs and prototypes for a ricin-specific artificial antibody constructed using DNA origami. These novel constructs will provide both a capture function (mimicking the properties of an antibody) and intrinsic optical reporting functionality, which marks a significant improvement over current antibody capability. Accordingly, they will prove a compelling substitute for antibodies in a wide variety of applications, beginning with ELISA-like laboratory tests, evolving to rapid, fieldable Lateral Flow Immunoassay tests for threat sensing, and will be generalizable to all current antibody applications. Phase II includes two experimental thrusts. The first involves the optimization of the synthetic constructs designed in Phase I to capture and report optically the threat agent ricin. The second involves manufacturability, a focus on issues which must be surmounted for DNA-based systems to become large-scale commodities and system components. These efforts will lead to enhancements to Parabon"s existing origami design automation software, specifically for the creation of artificial antibodies. Such enhancements are essential for computing optimal placement of capture and response elements, and displaying surface charge and relative hydrophobicity profiles.