The Accelerator Technology Corporation (ATC) proposes SBIR funding to support the development of porous silicon based detector chips for the identification of biomolecule fragments. Patches of porous silicon on a silicon wafer act as active sieves, loaded with tagging molecules, where during passage through it biomolecule fragments are identified by their response after attachment of a tag to a modulated electric field applied across the porous patch. This technique, if successful, will make the determination of the structure of large molecules by testing simultaneously many fragments with many tags feasible. The production of devices using porous silicon is part of the research done by a group at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Schemes for simultaneously testing many biomolecule samples at close spacing on small sample carriers are being developed at DNA Technology Laboratory. In phase I, ATC would test prototype wafers with few porous silicon areas built by the TAMU group with samples provided by DNA Technology Lab to evaluate the principles of the technique. In a follow-on Phase II effort, ATC would build several high-density test chips with matching sample feeders and seek opportunities and partners for commercialization of production of laboratory analysis devices.
