SBIR/STTR Phase I: Rapid Reagent-less Multi-channel Biological Agent Detector

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of a miniaturized MEMS-based, reagent-less biological agent detector, capable of performing rapid assays for tens (or even hundreds) of analytes simultaneously, for detection of whole bacteria (or spores) with single bacteria/spore resolution. National defense against biological warfare agents and naturally occurring pathogens, such as drug resistant tuberculosis or food and water contaminates, requires low cost, robust, and easy to use technologies for rapid detection and identification of biological agents. Rapid detection is needed to provide early warning to minimize the numbers of exposed personnel, and to provide timely and effective medical treatment of those exposed. Current identification technologies depend on time-consuming amplification, which also adds appreciably to the cost, complexity, power requirements and size of the detector as it must perform multiple sample treatment steps and provide the necessary reagents. In this Phase I Project, Boston MicroSystems, with the assistance of the US Naval Research Laboratory, will quantify the performance of the proposed biological agent detector by fabricating prototype single channel detectors, immobilizing antibodies for bacillus globigii onto the detectors, expose them to samples of bacillus globigii, and quantify the response and detection limits. The prinicipal commercial application of this project is in homeland defense. However, the proposed biological agent detector may have significant additional applications in the areas of medical diagnostics, agribusiness, and environmental monitoring.