SBIR Phase I: Sensitive Nanoscintillators for Multiplexed Detection of Radioisotopes

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发核-壳纳米材料，用于灵敏地检测通常用作定量生物、化学和环境研究中的分子标记和示踪剂的低能放射性同位素。这些纳米材料可以取代测量低能放射性同位素的传统方法，提供更高的灵敏度和更好的样品兼容性，同时还产生更少的危险废物。预计该技术平台将在特别具有挑战性的、信息丰富的研究领域展示出比其他方法更多的优势，包括检测活细胞中的分子。随着纳米材料平台的进一步发展，还将允许同时检测多种化合物，这是研究复杂生物样品的一个重要因素。这些进展将为生物科学研究提供关键的新工具。这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将提高新型核-壳纳米材料平台的灵敏度，并开发用于多色、多路分析的基本模板以及能够将这些进展转化为商业应用的配套第一代仪器。放射性同位素标记物仍然是生物、化学和环境定量研究的黄金标准，并在近一个世纪以来在生物系统的研究中发挥了关键作用。然而，最常用的放射性同位素能量低，穿透深度短，因此有必要使用液体闪烁计数、固体闪烁计数或闪烁邻近分析进行检测。这些分析通常与活的系统不兼容，不容易被多路传输和/或提供有限的时间分辨测量能力。该项目的目标是：1)改进纳米材料的制备，以产生更高的重复性和灵敏度信号；2)为同时多路分析提供多色材料；以及3)产生一个双色闪烁计数器，以实现和展示该平台用于多路分析的实用性。这些目标将通过在仪器设计的同时探索各种闪烁的荧光团和聚合物连接来实现。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of core-shell nanomaterials for sensitive detection of low-energy radioisotopes commonly used as molecular labels and tracers in quantitative biological, chemical and environmental studies. These nanomaterials can be used in place of traditional methods for measuring low-energy radioisotopes and offer greater sensitivity and better sample compatibility, while also resulting in less hazardous waste. The technology platform is expected to demonstrate several advantages over other methods in particularly challenging, information-rich areas of research, including detection of molecules within living cells. The nanomaterials platform, with further development, will also allow for the simultaneous detection of multiple compounds, an important factor in the study of complex biological samples. These advances will provide critical new tools for bioscience research.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will improve the sensitivity of a novel core-shell nanomaterial platform and develop a basic template for multi-color, multiplexed assays as well as an accompanying first-generation instrument capable of translating these advances to commercial application. Radioisotope labels remain the gold standard in a wide range of quantitative biological, chemical and environmental studies and have played a critical role in the investigation of biological systems for almost a century. However, the low energy and short penetration depth of the most commonly used radioisotopes necessitate the use of liquid scintillation counting, solid scintillation counting or scintillation proximity assays for detection. These assays are often incompatible with living systems, are not readily multiplexed and/or provide limited time-resolved measurement capabilities. The goals of this project are: 1) advance nanomaterial preparation to yield higher reproducibility and sensitivity signals; 2) yield multicolor materials for simultaneous multiplexed assays; and, 3) generate a dual color scintillation counter than enables and demonstrates the utility of the platform for multiplexed assays. These goals will be accomplished by exploring a variety of scintillant fluorophores and polymer linkages in parallel with instrument design.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.