SBIR Phase I: Rapid Detection of Infectious Agents

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a biosensor for the rapid detection of infectious agents such as pathogenic bacteria. The key technology in the proposed work is the use of magnetostrictive materials, which when exposed to a time varying magnetic field, can be made to resonant at a characteristic frequency. The resultant oscillation amplitudes can be monitored by a pick up coil. The commercial application of this project will be in a number of areas, including the detection of biological warfare agents, bacterial infections in hospitals, and contaminations in food and water supplies.