MICROPROBES FOR LIFE SCIENCE INC — Department of Health and Human Services STTR Phase I: 101

Description

Project Summary Abstract The brain is by far the most complex and heterogeneous organ in the human bodyFor yearsthere has been a growing and unmet need to develop multielectrode arrays for neurotransmitter sensing in multiple brain regions simultaneouslyDisparate brain regions such as the nucleus accumbensstriatumprefrontal cortexhippocampusand others have been widely known to have greatly varying electrical and neurochemical properties from one anotherUntil recentlywe have been limited by technological capabilities in achieving this goalWith the development of novel electronics such as the multichannel potentiostats by Pine Researchmultielectrode arrays now have the capability of being interfaced with these potentiostats to perform neurochemical sensingMicroprobes for Life ScienceMLShas been a leader in the development of multielectrode arrays for several years with a national and international customer baseMLS has developed this research collaboration with Alexander Zestosa bioanalytical electrochemist and neuroscientistDrZestos has expertise in the development of novel electrode materials for neurotransmitter detection with fast scan cyclic voltammetryFSCVFSCV is an important technique that allows for the detection of neurotransmitters at sub nanomolar limits of detection and sub second temporal resolutionsAt this momentthis multielectrode arrays for neurotransmitter detection are currently not available commerciallyyet are very high in demandDrZestos and MLS will develop the multielectrode arrays through two independent approachesAimCarbon fibers will be coated in parylene in a deposition chamber and used to make multielectrode arraysAimTungsten and Platinum Iridium microelectrodes will also be deposited and insulated in paryleneand then coated in carbon to make multielectrode arraysApproaches of depositing carbon onto the metal microelectrodes include dipcoating in suspensions of CNTs dispersed in solvent or the deposition of vertically aligned graphene through plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositionPECVDProject Narrative This proposal will lead to the development and commercialization of multielectrode arrays for neurotransmitter detection with fast scan cyclic voltammetryMultielectrode arrays will be either constructed with carbon fibers or carbon modified metal microelectrodes and coupled with multichannel potentiostats to measure neurotransmitter changes in multiple brain regions simultaneously