SBIR Phase I: Personal Microarray Reader

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a magnetic microarray reader that, as part of a magnetics-based bioassay technology, addresses mass consumer applications for microarrays. Magnetic labels as reporters in DNA and immunoassays have already shown excellent sensitivity. Previous versions of magnetic DNA arrays perform DNA and immunoassays directly on the magnetic detector chip surface. A major hurdle for this approach is the intertwining of bioassay surface chemistry and details of magnetic sensor array fabrication. This personal assay reader would permit more rapid breakthroughs in bioassay development by removing this hurdle. This will be accomplished by physically separating the assay chip and the magnetic microarray reader chip. The microarray biochemistry will be performed on a glass slide or whatever surface is best for a given assay. The magnetic microarray reader will be a separate chip with an array of magnetic sensors that physically interlocks with the microarray slide during the assay readout. The commercial application of this project is in the area of microarrays for use in a wide variety of biological and biomedical assays.