SBIR Phase I: A metal-free surface for label-free array detection

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to manufacture and test a novel surface for making label-free protein arrays. Label-free detection is valued in protein research because alternative methods based on labels (e.g. fluorescent tags) can cause experimental artifacts. Array formats are preferred for their efficient throughput and because only miniscule amounts of sample are required. Commercial label-free array systems require the use of gold surfaces for array fabrication. Gold has several limitations, including fragility, a tendency to denature proteins, and limited reusability. This proposal aims to manufacture a novel ""Carbon on Metal"" (CoM) substrate for protein arrays in order to address these limitations. The broader impacts of this research are to reduce costs and improve the speed of analysis in proteomics research, clinical diagnostics and the development of therapeutic antibodies. Now that the human genome project has revealed the genetic blueprint of humans, biological and medical research is turning its focus from DNA to the deciphering of protein function. After all, proteins are the targets of drugs. Since there are ~30,000 human proteins, high throughput, low-cost methods for determining protein function are urgently needed. In the same way that DNA microarray technologies accelerated genomics research, CoM protein arrays would accelerate proteomics research. Established markets for this platform include basic research, lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, drug discovery; forensics; detection of bio-terror agents; and food and crop testing. Thus CoM proteins arrays could potentially have far-reaching impacts.