DETECTING BIOMOLECULES WITH NEAR-INFRARED FLUORESCENCE

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstact): LI-COR has combined solid-state optical technology with infrared fluorescent dye chemistry to detect and quantify DNA products with extremely high sensitivity. The applicant proposes to extend LI-COR's near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence technology to detection of proteins and other macromolecules The low native background of biomolecule fluorescence in the infrared potentially has 1000 times greater sensitivity than competing technologies. The Phase I goal is to detect NIR fluorescent dye labeled IgA, transferrin and dextran traffic across a model system membrane, and to compare their detection sensitivity with the same molecules labeled with 125I. The sensitivity, specificity and linearity of biomolecule detection using NIR dyes synthesized by the applicant for this purpose will be quantified. An existing NIR 2-D scanning system will be improved for reading titer plates and for scanning membranes. Phase II goals are to develop applications of NIR dyes for immunological assays including western blots, slot blots and ELISA and to develop an immunological detection assay for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The applicant plans to commercialize the scanning system and fluorophores for the assay and other biomedical research applications. $ = TOTAL AWARD AMTS & NOT LIMITED TO PORTION OF PROJECT RELATED TO SUBJECT OF SEARCH SUBPROJECT $ = TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT DIVIDED BY NUMBER OF SUBPROJECTS SOURCE: CRISP FORMAT F FY 97 LAST UPDATE 04-07-98 1QUERY 1536 ID SEARCH 06/01/98 PAGE 95 --PROJECT NUMBER......1 R43 AI42416-01 INVESTIGATOR NAME/ADDRESS FY 97 LODES, MICHAEL J IRG/INTRAMURAL UNIT..ZRG5 CORIXA CORPORATION AWARD AMOUNT......... $99,982 1124 COLUMBIA SUITE 464 SEATTTLE, WA 98104 PERFORMING ORGANIZATION: CORIXA CORPORATION TITLE SERODIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN GRANULOCYTIC EHRLICHIOSIS ABSTRACT: This proposal discusses the production and implementation of peptide/ recombinant antigens for the development of a serological assay for the diagnosis of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). HGE has recently become recognized as a major tick-borne pathogen of humans in both the United States and Europe. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can result in increased morbidity and mortality, which has been estimated to be as high as 7-10% with elderly patients being more prone to both severe infection and death. Diagnostics tests for HGE are labor intensive, expensive and time consuming and results can be complicated by Co-infection of patients by the tick-borne pathogens of human babesiosis and Lyme borreliosis, or by other infections or autoimmune diseases. Because treatment for the various tick-borne diseases differs, and delays in treatment can lead to increased morbidity, there is a need for a good, rapid diagnostics tool for HGE. Immunodominant HGE antigens that are both sensitive and specific have already been isolated at Corixa by expression screening. The combination of these recombinants, an extensive serum bank, and a collaboration with a key investigator in the area of tick-borne diseases, should enable the goals and objectives of this proposal to be achieved.