SBIR Phase I: Autonomous System for DNA Sequencing Prep in Space and Austere Environments

SBIR 第一阶段：在太空和严峻环境中进行 DNA 测序准备的自主系统

• 批准号: 2344191
• 负责人: Anjali Gupta
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: ANYGLABS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-03-15 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2344191&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Autonomous; System; DNA

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to democratize access to advanced diagnostics tools by building an automated, miniaturized system for DNA extraction and preparation for sequencing for both in space and austere environments. This automated and miniaturized approach has the potential to contribute to a higher throughput acceleration of in-space R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization for biotechnology. DNA sequencing is used for various purposes in research and medicine – for example, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, monitoring of pathogens in water supplies and food, and study of the effects of the environment on human, crop, and pet health. Yet nearly 50% of the world’s population has little or no access to such advanced diagnostics tools, and at least 2.2 billion people lacked safe drinking water in 2022. Even though there is high interest in genetic testing among individuals of low socioeconomic status, such tests are inaccessible due to cost or availability. The global DNA sequencing market size of $11B in 2022 is expected to grow to over $50B by 2032. This project is disrupting the status quo and addressing an unserved market by developing a small, portable, automated, high throughput, and cost-effective system for extracting DNA from a variety of biosamples to prepare them for next-generation sequencing. The in-space environment has the potential to leverage microgravity advantages for a wide range of biotechnology-based advances but is currently capacity and throughput-constrained. This project will further accelerate a high-throughput, faster iterative approach to in-space R&D to achieve more of the disruptive solutions possible from microgravity. This SBIR Phase I project proposes a unique approach to technology development – building the technology for space and microgravity, the most extreme environment. Currently, no such automated, miniaturized technology exists in space for DNA extraction and sample preparation. Space is a unique environment that can offer novel scientific insights. The availability of advanced tools in microgravity, such as the technology proposed in this project, will enable scientists to push the boundaries of knowledge across a variety of disciplines, from aging and longevity research to cancer medicines to stem cell expansion and organoid production in space. Furthermore, by solving for space – an extreme, harsh environment with many constraints – the technology will also solve for Earth’s austere environments and provide a high-caliber diagnostic system for populations in remote, underserved, under-resourced, and extreme environments, which includes military field operations for national defense and security. This technology is pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery in space and democratizing health and welfare on Earth. The first product is only the beginning of a series of products for portable advanced end-point-analysis tools. The platform technology will spin off subsequent devices that will eventually enable in-home or point-of-care diagnostics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过构建一种自动化的，微型化的系统来民主化对高级诊断工具的访问，以进行DNA提取，并为在太空和险恶环境中进行测序。这种自动化和微型化方法有可能促进生物技术空间内的研发，制造和商业化的更高吞吐量加速。 DNA测序用于研究和医学的各种目的，例如，诊断和治疗疾病，监测水供应和食物中的病原体以及研究环境对人，农作物和宠物健康的影响。然而，几乎50％的世界人口几乎没有使用这种先进的诊断工具，至少有22亿人在2022年缺乏安全的饮用水。尽管在低社会经济地位的个人中，基因测试对基因测试持高浓厚的兴趣，但由于成本或可用性，此类测试无法访问。到2032年，全球DNA测序的市场规模预计将增长到2032年的$ 50B。该项目正在破坏现状，并通过开发一个小型，便携式，可移植，高吞吐量和成本效益的系统来解决未得到的市场，以从各种生物塑造中提取DNA，以准备下一代序列。空间环境有可能利用微重力的优势来获得广泛的基于生物技术的进步，但目前是容量和吞吐量受限的。该项目将进一步加速一种高通量，更快的迭代方法，用于空间研发，以实现微重力从微重力中获得更多破坏性解决方案。这个SBIR I期项目提出了一种独特的技术开发方法 - 建立空间和微重力，最极端环境的技术。目前，在DNA提取和样品制备的空间中尚无这种自动化的微型技术。空间是一个独特的环境，可以提供新颖的科学见解。从衰老和寿命研究到癌症药物到空间中的干细胞扩张和类和器官的生产，诸如该项目中提出的技术的先进工具的可用性将使科学家推动各种学科的知识界限。此外，通过解决空间（具有许多限制的极端，HARMH环境），该技术还将解决地球上严重的环境，并为遥远，服务不足，提供资源不足和极端环境的人群提供高素质的诊断系统，其中包括用于国防和安全的军事领域运营。这项技术正在突破太空中科学发现的界限，并在地球上民主化健康和福利。第一个产品只是用于便携式高级终点分析工具的一系列产品的开始。该平台技术将拆除随后的设备，最终将实现内部或护理点诊断。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，被视为通过评估来获得珍贵的支持。