I-Corps: Multiplex GTPase Activity Assay Kit

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种测量酶功能的技术，称为GTP酶。GTP酶是一种分子开/关开关，控制正常的细胞功能以及健康和疾病的许多方面。目前的技术一次只能测量一种GTP酶的活性，而且是劳动密集型的。高昂的成本进一步阻碍了常规实验室或临床分析。一项用于快速和灵敏地测量细胞或组织中多种GTP酶的新技术可以彻底改变诊断和患者对治疗的反应。这项技术的潜在商业客户包括临床实验室、制药公司和诊断试剂盒制造商。客户将能够区分哪些危及生命的疾病需要不同的治疗，或者在几小时内确定药物治疗效果，而不是几天。样品分析成本降低4%至10%是一个额外的潜在好处。这个i-Corps项目将探索一项新技术的商业化潜力，并使其广泛应用于科学发现和临床应用。该项目进一步开发了一种测量细胞或组织GTPase酶功能变化的技术。个别GTP酶对包括微生物、疾病、药物和毒素在内的外部线索做出反应而开启和关闭。包被珠捕获存在于细胞或体液中的活性GTP酶。一种常见的临床实验室仪器，称为流式细胞仪，测量珠子上捕获的蛋白质。这项技术使药物发现、诊断和分子发现成为可能。数字读数使监测GTPase活性的变化变得容易，这些变化是由于实验处理时间和小样本造成的。快速筛选可以阻止疾病进程的药物，加快了药物发现。将这些创新能力推向商业市场将显著提高学术界和工业界的发现产出。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is in the development of a technology that measures the function of enzymes, called GTPases. GTPases are molecular on/off switches that control normal cell function and many aspects of health and disease. Current technology only measures the activity of a single GTPase at a time and is labor intensive. High costs further hinder routine laboratory or clinical analyses. A new technology for rapid and sensitive measurements of multiple GTPases in cells or tissues can revolutionize diagnostics and patient response to therapy. Potential commercial clients for the technology include clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and diagnostic kit manufacturers. Clients will be able to distinguish life-threatening conditions that require different treatments or determine drug treatment efficacy within hours instead of days. A 4- to 10-fold lower cost of sample analysis is an added potential benefit.This I-Corps project will explore the commercialize potential of a new technology and make it broadly available for scientific discovery and clinical applications. The project further develops a technology that measures changes in cell or tissue GTPase enzyme function. Individual GTPases turn on and off in response to external cues that include microbes, disease, drugs and toxins. Coated beads capture active GTPases present in cells or body fluids. A common clinical laboratory instrument, called a flow cytometer, measures captured proteins on the beads. The technology enables drug discovery, diagnostics, and molecular discovery. A numerical readout makes it easy to monitor changes in GTPase activities due to experimental treatments over time and in small samples. Rapid screening of medications that can block disease processes speeds drug discovery. Bringing these innovative capabilities to the commercial market will significantly improve discovery output in academia and industry.