Monitor for Multiple Biomarkers for Detection of Alcohol Consumption

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop a new type of monitor to directly and simultaneously identify multiple biomarker metabolites in persons suspected of having been exposed to alcohol. The technology we plan to utilize is surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), based on a well-known inelastic laser light scattering analytical technique for precise lab identification of organic compounds. Biomarker detectors and biomarker-based tests must be sensitive, reproducible, affordable, transportable, reliable, and the samples employed in the detectors must be easy to obtain from sources on-site. The ideal detection device in both cases is one that is small, portable, easy to use and capable of rapid analysis of multiple biomarkers in a clinical setting, with a minimum of false positives and false negatives to avoid wasting resources and missing actual exposure problems. By detecting the presence of the alcohol biomarkers promptly and at emerging concentrations, the alcohol threat to tissue and internal organs may be identified early in the exposure cycle, expanding treatment options in the population at risk. The proposed research program seeks to utilize SERS spectroscopy for rapid at-site blood and urine analysis for multiple biomarkers in a single, field-deployable device, bringing the power of the Raman technique in a practical, cost-effective configuration to at-site clinical analysis.