| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | S4.03-9183 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 012816 ) |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | A Novel MEMS for Rapid Biocontamination Assessment on Flight Hardware |
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The need to protect Earth from extra-terrestrial contamination, and vice versa, is a growing concern as space flight missions extend into unfamiliar planetary atmospheres. Whereas the transport of biological contamination during space flight missions could pose extreme global threats, reliable sterilization and subsequent validation procedures need to be developed. The proposed technology aims to provide a reliable, real-time sampling and analysis device for the assessment of biocontamination levels on space flight hardware. Hydrodynamic removal of biological contaminants from a surface will be achieved using a microfluidic device that will electrokinetically deliver the sampled material to a reaction reservoir. On-chip electroporation will be utilized to release the genetic material, followed by the selective amplification of mRNA from viable organisms. Hybridization of the amplified genetic material to nucleic acid modified electrodes will generate an electrochemical current that will indicate the presence of specific biological contaminants. In essence, this novel microelectromechanical system (MEMS) will perform automated sampling, selective target amplification, and electrochemical analysis in order to provide rapid, quantitative information regarding the presence of biocontamination on flight hardware. In the Phase I, the feasibility of this innovation to efficiently "sample" surfaces for biological contamination will be demonstrated.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The proposed device for surface biocontamination assessment has far-reaching benefits for space flight as an effective method to ensure the protection of Earth from extraterrestrial microorganisms, as well as safeguard other planetary environments from terrestrial harm. In addition, the complete automation of the device makes it ideal for standalone monitoring of sterile work areas such as hospitals, biological laboratories, and semiconductor fabrication facilities.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Jodie L. Conyers
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station , TX 77840 - 4024
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station , TX 77840 - 4024