I-Corps: Nanomembranes for Cancer Detection and Surveillance

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project concerns a novel technology for the detection and the surveillance of cancer. Assays known as ?liquid biopsies? seek to diagnose or monitor cancer by surveying small amounts of body fluids for cancer biomarkers can be confounded by contaminants. This project will examine the potential of a novel ?silicon nanomembrane? device to serve the liquid biopsy market by purifying cancer biomarkers quickly and with high purity. By enabling cancer to be discovered early, the technology could dramatically impact the cost of cancer care. In bladder cancer surveillance for example, a liquid biopsy assay could replace invasive and expensive cystoscopy exams with simple urinalysis. In addition to its potential to lower US health care costs, the project is expected to have regional impact through the addition of a new commercial enterprise or the growth of an existing nanomembrane manufacturer. This I-Corps project will investigate the commercial potential of a novel device for the capture of naturally occurring vesicles, called exosomes, from raw body fluids. These vesicles are released by tumor cells into body fluids and thus have tremendous potential in cancer diagnostics. Current exosome purification techniques are labor intensive and co-purify exosomes with protein. We have discovered that our ultrathin nanoporous silicon nitride (NPN) membranes can capture and purify large quantities of exosomes from biofluids when used in simple microfluidic devices. We have also developed sophisticated nanomembranes featuring photonic structures that could be used to determine the molecular composition of exosomes. Through interviews with potential customers, we will attempt to identify a minimum viable product that could gain early traction in the market. We will also seek to define the features of a more sophisticated product concept that could be transformative to cancer diagnosis. We hope to emerge from the experience with a clear value proposition and an understanding of the infrastructure and partnerships we will need to make a new commercial enterprise.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.