SBIR Phase I: Autonomous System for DNA Sequencing Prep in Space and Austere Environments

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响和商业潜力是，通过建立一个自动化的、小型化的系统，为太空和恶劣环境中的DNA提取和测序准备，使先进诊断工具的使用民主化。这种自动化和小型化的方法有可能有助于提高空间研发、制造和生物技术商业化的吞吐速度。DNA测序在研究和医学中用于各种目的，例如疾病的诊断和治疗，监测供水和食品中的病原体，以及研究环境对人类、作物和宠物健康的影响。然而，世界上近50%的人口很少或根本无法获得这种先进的诊断工具，到2022年，至少有22亿人缺乏安全饮用水。尽管社会经济地位低的个人对基因检测有很高的兴趣，但由于费用或可用性，无法进行这种检测。2022年全球DNA测序市场规模为110亿美元，预计到2032年将增长到500亿美元以上。该项目通过开发一种小型、便携、自动化、高通量和低成本的系统，从各种生物样品中提取DNA，为下一代测序做准备，从而打破了现状，解决了一个未被服务的市场。空间环境有潜力利用微重力优势促进各种基于生物技术的进步，但目前的能力和吞吐量受到限制。该项目将进一步加速高通量、更快迭代的太空研发方法，以实现更多可能来自微重力的颠覆性解决方案。SBIR一期项目提出了一种独特的技术开发方法——为最极端的空间和微重力环境建立技术。目前，在太空中还没有这种自动化、小型化的DNA提取和样品制备技术。太空是一个独特的环境，可以提供新的科学见解。先进的微重力工具的可用性，如该项目中提出的技术，将使科学家能够跨越各种学科的知识边界，从衰老和长寿研究到癌症药物，再到干细胞扩增和太空类器官生产。此外，通过解决空间——一个具有许多限制的极端、恶劣环境——该技术也将解决地球上的恶劣环境，并为偏远、服务不足、资源不足和极端环境中的人口提供高质量的诊断系统，其中包括国防和安全的军事野外行动。这项技术正在推动太空科学发现的边界，并使地球上的健康和福利民主化。第一个产品只是便携式高级端点分析工具系列产品的开始。该平台技术将衍生出后续设备，最终实现家庭或医疗点诊断。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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) project is to democratize access to advanced diagnostics tools by building an automated, miniaturized system for DNA extraction and preparation for sequencing for both in space and austere environments. This automated and miniaturized approach has the potential to contribute to a higher throughput acceleration of in-space R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization for biotechnology. DNA sequencing is used for various purposes in research and medicine – for example, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, monitoring of pathogens in water supplies and food, and study of the effects of the environment on human, crop, and pet health. Yet nearly 50% of the world’s population has little or no access to such advanced diagnostics tools, and at least 2.2 billion people lacked safe drinking water in 2022. Even though there is high interest in genetic testing among individuals of low socioeconomic status, such tests are inaccessible due to cost or availability. The global DNA sequencing market size of $11B in 2022 is expected to grow to over $50B by 2032. This project is disrupting the status quo and addressing an unserved market by developing a small, portable, automated, high throughput, and cost-effective system for extracting DNA from a variety of biosamples to prepare them for next-generation sequencing. The in-space environment has the potential to leverage microgravity advantages for a wide range of biotechnology-based advances but is currently capacity and throughput-constrained. This project will further accelerate a high-throughput, faster iterative approach to in-space R&D to achieve more of the disruptive solutions possible from microgravity. This SBIR Phase I project proposes a unique approach to technology development – building the technology for space and microgravity, the most extreme environment. Currently, no such automated, miniaturized technology exists in space for DNA extraction and sample preparation. Space is a unique environment that can offer novel scientific insights. The availability of advanced tools in microgravity, such as the technology proposed in this project, will enable scientists to push the boundaries of knowledge across a variety of disciplines, from aging and longevity research to cancer medicines to stem cell expansion and organoid production in space. Furthermore, by solving for space – an extreme, harsh environment with many constraints – the technology will also solve for Earth’s austere environments and provide a high-caliber diagnostic system for populations in remote, underserved, under-resourced, and extreme environments, which includes military field operations for national defense and security. This technology is pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery in space and democratizing health and welfare on Earth. The first product is only the beginning of a series of products for portable advanced end-point-analysis tools. The platform technology will spin off subsequent devices that will eventually enable in-home or point-of-care diagnostics.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.