PFI-BIC: Raman Spectroscopic Platform for Analysis of Volatile Organic Compound Biomarkers

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This Partnerships for Innovation project from the Keck Graduate Institute(KGI) seeks to develop the key technical innovations for a compact, cost-effective, and user-friendly platform technology that can enable infectious disease diagnosis or industrial process monitoring at the point-of-care or point-of-use. The platform will use Raman spectroscopy to analyze organic compounds in the gas phase or in aqueous solution. A key technical challenge for VOC detection, which this project will address, relates to identifying and distinguishing VOC signatures at low concentrations in complex mixtures. Commercially viable platforms for use in the field or at the point-of-care also must be highly robust, easy-to-use, and cost-effective. This project employs a fundamentally different approach than currently marketed systems. The platform involves a disposable, VOC sample collection/pre-concentration device, which out-performs more elaborate existing devices at lower cost. To enable sensitive VOC detection, the platform uses an innovative Raman probe, which is more sensitive than conventional Raman probes, but circumvents the reproducibility problems encountered with Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy VOCs enriched and detected at the Raman sensor surface in a unique manner which also increases selectivity. The team will refine a preliminary variant of this sensor and will perform initial experiments aimed at understanding key system parameters, while simultaneously developing a second generation sensor probe with increased sensitivity, that is small, robust, and capable of being interfaced with a portable Raman spectrometer.The probe will further be adapted for measuring compounds in the liquid phase, specifically in complex aqueous solutions such as cell culture media. Broader Impacts: The broader impacts of this research include rapid, near patient, and non-invasive diagnosis of ventilator associated pneumonia, wound infections, and active tuberculosis that can benefit patients in the U.S. and globally. Bioreactor process monitoring ensures a reliable supply of biopharmaceuticals. Enabling the development and commercialization of a novel platform technology that can address these applications has economic benefits for the small business partners directly involved in this effort, and for potential future business partners in the medical device and biotech industry, thereby enhancing U.S. competitiveness. Partners at the inception of the project are the lead academic institution: Keck Graduate Institute (Claremont, CA), and an academic partner, the chemistry department at Pomona College (Claremont, CA). The project involves three small businesses as core Knowledge-Enhancement Partners: Tanner Research, Inc. (Monrovia, CA), Claremont BioSolutions (Upland, CA), and Lambda Solutions Inc (Waltham, MA). Other partners active in the specific targeted applications areas will be involved in the effort, including large companies such as KCI (San Antonio, Texas), leveraging KGI's strong connections with the biotech and medical device industry.