SBIR Phase II: Immunological Tools for Trimetasphere Fullerenes

Luna Innovations, Incorporated, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research develops antibodies and immunoassays for studying therapeutics based on carbon-based nanomaterials. This research will expand the immunological tools developed in Phase I to focus on detailed characterization of anti-fullerene antibodies and validate and down-select immunoassays and reagents for validated commercial formats. Commercial formats will include enzyme-linked, immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) for medical and environmental applications, neutralization schemes for mitigating potential toxicity of fullerene/nanotubes and biosensors platform for long-term monitoring systems. Biosensor platforms based on fullerene antibodies as affinity ligands will include the quartz crystal microbalance and surface acoustic waveguide. The broader impacts will be to provide a full spectrum of immunological tools for studying the medically-related nanomaterials and monitoring nanowaste by-products during manufacturing processes. These will be new to the marketplace and enable monitoring of the use of products based on these nanomaterials to asssure their safe application.