SBIR Phase I: Platform for rapid assessment of hydrolytic enzyme activity to optimize their design and use

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The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to accelerate and improve the development and optimization of enzyme products. This project will develop a platform that reduces costs and delays associated with research. These enzyme products will improve the cost, safety, and sustainability in a range of applications, such as biomass processing, animal nutrition, solid and liquid waste management, household and industrial cleaners, and enzyme replacement therapies. This solution will support the growth of the $10 billion enzyme market.The proposed project will advance a fluorescence-based enzyme activity-sensing platform, by reducing barriers to development of new industrial biocatalysts, enabling the rapid design of hydrolytic enzymes for industrial and specialty markets through the development of modular enzyme activity probes. The technical hurdles addressed by the proposed research and development are (1) determining performance metrics (limits of detection, speed, accuracy) relative to existing characterization techniques, (2) determining effects of sensor preparation methods on sensor performance, and (3) developing a robust reader for field use. The goals of the proposed research and development are to (1) provide parity data to current assays for end-users to engender confidence in our approach, (2) standardize production protocol, and (3) provide hand-held reader that is inexpensive ($3000) and can withstand rough handling in field. At a high level, these goals will be achieved by (1) testing our sensors on a panel of candidate enzymes that have rigorous characterization already (to establish performance metrics), (2) using designed experiments to screen process space of sensor preparation and model effect on sensor performance attributes, and (3) using a design-build-test engineering framework to test reader components and layout.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.