SBIR Phase I: Novel Nanosized Magnets for Highly Sensitive Multiplexing Bio-Molecular Detection

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This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is aimed at significantly increasing the signal level or the sensitivity (i.e. by 100~1,000 times) of existing magnetic resonance methods in biomolecule detection and medical imaging, by developing and applying novel contrasting agents or sensor materials based on unique ferromagnetic nanoparticles. Compared to the conventional paramagnetic sensors or contrasting agents used in current magnetic resonance detection methods, the proposed magnetic nanoparticle sensor has a coherent magnetic moment about 1,000 times larger. The nanoparticle sensor is comparable in size to most proteins to minimize the steric hindrance for the binding between cell surface membrane and ligand-attached particles in tagging processes. The unique nanoparticles can be readily prepared in multiplexing forms with distinctively different magnetic resonance signatures for complex bio-molecule tagging and diagnosis applications. Their surfaces can be chemically modified for in-vivo detection of various bio-molecular targets in a cell with high biological specificity. The main commercial application of the this project will be in human healthcare. Products developed from this project will find use as advanced contrasting agents in hospitals for medical diagnosis with MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and EPRI (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging). In addition, these products will also find applications in medical research institutes and academic labs for various advanced molecular detection and imaging experiments using NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance).