This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), under the Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health program (CFDA 93.286), will fund the development and validation of a novel optical scanning probe microscope (SPM) system for high-resolution, high-sensitivity chemical imaging in biomedical applications. The $295,308 award will support Actoprobe LLC in Albuquerque, NM to create a SPM probe combining silicon nitride photonics, a diode laser, pulse compressor, and detector, with the goal of enabling >10x improvements in spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity compared to current scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) techniques. This enhanced SPM system aims to facilitate rapid identification of infectious agents like viruses, bacteria, and fungi at the single-molecule level, which could significantly improve early disease detection and diagnostics. The Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of the ultrasensitive optical SPM probes and validate their performance on several non-pathogenic viruses.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $295.3k | 8/30/24 |