NASA SBIR 00-1 SOLICITATION
FORM 9B - PROJECT SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER 00-1 18.04-9988 (Chron: 000012 )
PROJECT TITLE
Capillary Electrophoresis System with Deep UV Native Fluorescence Detector
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
An instrument is proposed which provides a triage of methods for locating, isolating and characterizing a single of small number of microorganisms, down to the femtomole level, within a complex inorganic or organic matrix. The instrument comprises three methodologies: deep ultraviolet, in situ, native fluorescence imaging for rapidly searching a wide area and identifying potential DNA/RNA or DNA/RNA-bearing targets; a UV resonance Raman spectrometer for further elucidating these targets and making a higher level of decision regarding the prospect for their further interrogation; and finally, utilization of laser induced native fluorescence detection on a capillary electrophoresis column to do DNA sequencing without the need for dye derivatization. The capillary electrophoresis portion of the integrated instrument uses the same laser source as does the fluorescence imaging and Raman spectrometer.
At the core of this instrument is a unique, compact, low power consumption, deep UV laser which is insensitive to ambient temperatures and pressures, requires no warm-up or pre-heating or temperature regulation, yet emits at several deep UV wavelengths with a very high degree of stability. This laser has the size, weight and power consumption of a helium neon laser yet emits a several deep UV wavelengths including 224nm, 248nm, 260nm, and 270nm.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
A large commercial opportunity has been demonstrated for lasers and instrument methodologies being proposed for development under this SBIR program. The applications include DNA sequencing, clinical instruments, quality and proof testing in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical, manufactured food and chemical industry products, testing of water and air quality, biological and chemical warfare agent and bomb residue detection and in a wide range of research applications. Many of these applications are suited to other NASA mission requirements.
Ultraviolet source radiance is a major technical driver for UV Raman and laser induced native fluorescence detectors used in a wide range of commercial instruments. A compact, low power, low cost laser emitting in the deep UV can enable 10 orders of magnitude improvement in signal to noise of biological materials in resonance Raman spectrometers and eliminates the need for dye conjugation and problems associated with tagging of complex analytes in capillary electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography and other analytical instruments.
The commercial goal of this development is to offer the analytical instrument market a new family of deep UV sources which provide a million-fold improvement in source radiance at essentially the same cost, size, and weight of present incoherent source systems.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
William Hug
Photon Syst;ems
1512 Industrial Park St.
Covina , CA 91722 - 3417
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Photon Systems
1518A Industrial Park St
Covina , CA 91722 - 3417