SBIR Phase I: Silver Nanopillar patterned substrate for surface enhanced fluorescent detection of carbohydrate microarrays

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project aims to develop a carbohydrate microarray platform that takes advantage of the generation of surface plasmon by silver nanopillars to excite fluorophores above the surface of the microarray to perform detection of binding by proteins. A platform for querying the binding to carbohydrate moieties would open the door to a better understanding of the important role that carbohydrates play in the regulation of cell signaling and inter cellular communication. Such events not only play a role in the normal functions of the body, but are also intimately involved in the disease process. Currently the information regarding the interaction of proteins with carbohydrates is generated using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). As mentioned above, the binding of proteins and carbohydrates constitutes a very important biological phenomenon, and thus the development of a carbohydrate microarray for querying such binding events would be of significant value to the scientific community.