STTR Phase I: Handheld Open Source Photometer as enabling tool for Enzyme-based analytical chemistry

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过开发一种坚固、紧凑、基于LED的光度计，通过蓝牙与其他设备通信，从而使化学更容易获得。光度计和数据处理功能将与该公司的S绿色分析化学简化试剂盒一起设计。光度计将以略高于成本的价格出售，估计为200美元，因为它增强了S易用测试套件的实用性和价值。商业模式是喷墨打印机(光度计)，测试套件作为墨盒。该产品开发的重点是基于重组酶和无危险试剂的简化检测试剂盒。这些工具包使不熟练的操作员能够获得可操作的数据。最初的目标市场是技术服务提供商，他们就肥料使用决策向农业生产者提供建议，为他们提供新的增值服务。这个项目将产生一种使公民科学成为可能的工具。技术工具掌握在许多人手中，有助于对环境的科学理解和管理。这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目将重组蛋白质技术与基于LED的光子学的进步和便携式计算设备的能力相结合。该公司成立于1993年，致力于将创始人S对酶结构和功能的基础研究商业化，专注于植物酶硝酸还原酶。它现在开发和制造用于绿色分析化学的重组酶试剂和测试试剂盒，用环境友好的蛋白质取代重金属和浓缩酸。该公司？S现在是美国环保局硝酸盐分析的替代标准方法。这些简化的测试套件是为非熟练用户现场使用而设计的。新的基于酶的试剂盒用于测量土壤中的磷酸盐含量，产生的结果是紫外线(260纳米)，需要光度计，但市场上没有合适的设备(化验体积为1毫升)。农业部门的客户需要新的土壤测试技术，以优化化肥使用，减少浪费和破坏径流，同时保持高产。他们需要与商业农业软件包兼容的数据，包括GPS位置和样本识别。该光度计将读取两个波长，540 nm的硝酸盐和260 nm的磷酸盐，将结果发送给用户？首选测量单位。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to make chemistry more accessible by developing a rugged, compact, LED-based photometer that communicates data to other devices via Bluetooth. The photometer and data processing functions will be designed to work with the company?s simplified test kits for Green Analytical Chemistry. The photometer will be sold at just above cost, estimated at $200, because it enhances the utility and value of company?s easy to use test kits. The business model is inkjet printer (the photometer), with test kits as the cartridges. The product development focuses on simplified test kits based on recombinant enzymes and no hazardous reagents. These kits enable unskilled operators to obtain actionable data. The initial target market is the Technical Service Providers who advise agricultural producers on fertilizer application decisions, giving them a new value-added service to offer. This project will produce a tool for enabling ?citizen science?. Technical tools in the hands of many people can benefit scientific understanding and stewardship of the environment. This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project integrates recombinant protein technology with advances in LED-based photonics and the power of portable computational devices. The company was founded in 1993 to commercialize its founder?s basic research into enzyme structure and function, concentrating on the plant enzyme Nitrate Reductase (NaR). It now develops and manufactures recombinant enzyme reagents and test kits for green analytical chemistry, replacing heavy metals and concentrated acids with environmentally benign proteins. The company?s AtNaR is now a US EPA alternative standard method for nitrate analysis. These simplified test kits are designed for onsite use by unskilled users. The new enzyme-based kit for measuring phosphate content in soils yields results in the UV (260 nm) and requires a photometer, but there is no suitable device on the market (assay volume is one milliliter). The customers in the agriculture sector need new technology for soil testing to optimize fertilizer applications, decrease wasting and damaging runoff while maintaining high yields. They need data that that is compatible with commercial agriculture software packages, including GPS location and sample identification. The photometer will read two wavelengths, 540nm for nitrate and 260nm for phosphate, send results in the users? preferred measurement unit.