Low-cost, user-friendly sers technology for rapid detection of emerging drug threats

The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded SKM Instruments, Inc. $314,317 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to develop a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based lateral flow assay for rapid detection and quantification of existing and emerging illicit drugs in urine samples.

The platform integrates three innovations: a SERS-active lateral flow cartridge that processes urine samples, removes interferents, and separates drug mixtures and metabolites by thin layer chromatography with embedded nanoparticles for enhanced Raman signal detection; a low-cost, portable Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) instrument providing higher spectral accuracy through interferometer-based calibration; and a software package for data analysis and drug identification. The SERS approach is label-free, eliminating the need for antibodies or aptamers, and requires no strict shelf-life or storage constraints, enabling rapid adaptation to emerging drugs. The platform is designed to match the analytical performance of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry while reducing costs and portability constraints for use in resource-limited settings such as rural health clinics, emergency departments, and harm reduction centers.

Performance of work is in Laramie, Wyoming. The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027. This is a Project Grant under NIDA's SBIR/STTR program, evaluated on scientific and technical merit, feasibility, potential contribution to the national drug abuse problem, and relevance to NIDA priorities.

Abstract

The rising incidences of synthetic opioids misuse and emerging psychoactive substances pose significant challenges for public health and forensic toxicology. Conventional detection methods such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) offer high sensitivity and specificity but are costly, require skilled operators, and are not feasible for rapid, point-of-care applications. To address these limitations, this project aims to develop a surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (sers)-based lateral flow assay for the rapid detection and quantification of existing and emerging illicit drugs in urine samples. This platform is designed to provide comparable analytical performance of LC-MS while reducing costs, increasing portability, and enabling drug testing in resource-limited settings such as rural health clinics, emergency departments and harm reduction centers. The proposed approach integrates three key innovations: (1) a sers-active lateral flow cartridge that processes the urine sample - removing potential interferents while simultaneously separating drug mixtures and metabolites by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Raman signals are enhanced via embedded nanoparticles in the TLC material for high-sensitivity detection. The sers approach is a label-free technique that directly measures the unique vibrational modes of drug molecules, eliminating the need for biological elements like antibodies or aptamers. Unlike labeled methods, IT has no strict shelf-life or storage requirements and can rapidly adapt to emerging drugs, for which specific biological recognition elements are unavailable; (2) a low-cost, fourier transform raman (FT-raman) instrument engineered for portability. The FT-raman system offers several advantages over typical dispersive raman systems: IT provides higher spectral accuracy through interferometer-based calibration. Additionally, FT-raman system uses a NIR excitation source to reduce fluorescence from biological samples. With fewer moving parts, the FT-raman system offers more stability and requires less maintenance; (3) advanced chemometrics / machine learning algorithms for spectral analysis, enabling precise identification and quantification of drug compounds and their metabolites. Future phases will focus on prototype refinement and commercialization, targeting a per-test cost below $10 to enhance accessibility. Successful development of this technology has the potential to transform drug testing by enabling real-time, reliable, highly sensitive detection in decentralized settings, improving clinical decision- making and public health interventions.