SBIR Phase I: Development of Resonant Waveguide-Grating Elements for High Throughput Screening of Proteins

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This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project will develop a highly sensitive optical sensor system for use in high-throughput screening applications. The heart of the proposed sensor system is a periodic dielectric waveguide in which resonant leaky modes are excited by an incident optical wave. Attachment of biomolecular layers on the sensor surface yields spectral shifts that are measured to identify the binding event with high sensitivity and specificity without fluorescent tags. Both major polarization states have independent resonant peaks to accurately sense a biomaterial binding event. This feature enables the capability to distinguish between average thickness changes and average density changes occurring at the sensor surface. High resolution (from narrow, well defined resonance peaks) and high sensitivities permit a high probability of accurately detecting an event. The new class of bio- and chemical sensors proposed will provide benefits to society due to their utility in drug development, genomics, environmental monitoring, and homeland security. The fact that they operate without chemical tags permits observation and study of unperturbed biochemical processes in real-time, and no foreign substance are introduced. This will result in a deeper understanding of chemical and bio-chemical molecular processes and may lead to significant advances in drug and chemical development.