NSF Award
1256619
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will build a real-time detection instrument for conformational change. Conformational change is a change in the structure of a biomolecule such as a protein. For a given protein, different structural changes produce different functionals effect in a biological cell, for example turning biochemical networks on or off. Virtually all biological processes, and all diseases, are mediated by a particular conformational change or the lack of one. Conformational change is thus a topic of enormous scientific and medical importance. In this Phase II project, multiple improvements will be made to the existing in-house prototype instrument, in software, mechanical and optical design, and fluidics handling, to produce an instrument with high precision and robustness. The research objective of this Phase II project is to create an instrument that can be used by scientists, an important milestone in the development of the technology. <br/><br/>The broader impact and commercial potential of this project is to create an instrument that will significantly increase scientists? basic understanding of how conformational changes work, and also enable scientists to discover better or new medicines for diseases. In particular, three-quarters of all proteins known to cause or contribute to disease, due to some mutation, cannot be addressed using conventional techniques. Thus, no effective medicines exist for many diseases. Cancer is one such example. The instrument will enable scientists to find better and new medicines for these diseases. Thus this innovation has great societal and scientific potential. Commercially, this Phase II project will play a critical role in the development of the innovation. It will enable to transition the technology funded by NSF from the current lab prototype to an instrument that will be robust, reproducible and comprehensive enough in its capabilities to enable scientists to use it independently. This important and necessary step is the first on the path to commercialize the innovation.
