SBIR-STTR Award

Agentase seeks Phase I STTR support to develop a kit of sensors for the detection of chemical weapons. The proposed effort builds upon an active program to develop chemical sensors based upon Agentase's patented enzyme-polymer biosensor technology. Work will be conducted in two major areas. First, a prototype vesicant sensor will be crafted using similar approaches and techniques as those used in developing Agentase's existing nerve and blood agent sensors. Specifically, enzymes known to be susceptible to inactivation via blister agents will first be tested for inhibition sensitivity toward alkylating agents and arsenic compounds using standard high throughput screening techniques. Effective substrate formulations and delivery systems will then be established for those target enzymes showing promise in sensor development. Substrates must be sufficiently stable for adequate shelf life and enable enzyme activity to be visually assessed. Viable enzyme / substrate combinations will be incorporated within Agentase polymers and used in proof-of-concept demonstrations for chemical identification, including live agent validation. After identifying a viable vesicant sensor(s), a small kit will be designed to accommodate Agentase's nerve, blood, and the prototype blister agent sensors. The resulting kit will be simple to employ and shall have no logistical or power requirements. While there are products in the market that can presently be used to detect a variety of chemical weapons, those products tend to fall in one of two broad categories. The first type of product uses simple chemical approaches to detect agents via colorimetric techniques. Representative products include M256 kits, gas detection tubes, and paper detection products. These products range in complexity and price but are all highly susceptible to interference and are not compatible with on-line monitoring. The second product category includes more complex spectrophotometric and chromatographic equipment such as the CAM and portable IR devices. Devices such as the portable IR can be less sensitive to chemical interference but are very expensive to purchase and maintain. Proper deployment of the unit also requires at least one highly trained operator. Effective utilization of the Agentase approaches will result in the development of CW/TIC sensors having the cost and simplicity the simple sensors combined with the sensitivity and interference resistance of the more expensive devices. These attributes combined with being portable and having continuous monitoring adaptability make the proposed Agentase sensors very attractive in many applications.

Keywords:
Chemical Agents, Blood Agent, Blister Agent, Nerve Agent, Detection, Field Kit

Agentase has previously demonstrated that its technologies for enzyme polymerization can be used to detect nerve agent chemical weapons. That successful endeavor has resulted in a fielded product that is used by DoD, the US intelligence community, and emergency first responders. User feedback, while positive, suggests that an expansion of the sensor's detection capabilities beyond nerve agents would greatly improve upon the product's utility. The completed Phase I STTR effort clearly shows that Agentase's enzyme-based chemical detection technology can be used to detect not only nerve agents, but also blood agents, blister agents, and a variety of toxic industrial chemicals. Each of these chemistries has been adapted into a simple pen-like construct for inclusion within a kit of sensors for hazardous chemicals. The proposed Phase II effort is directed at developing individual pen-like sensors that detect target chemicals at concentration below levels that represent an immediate danger to life and health. Sensors will be extremely easy to use by an untrained user, respond to contamination within seconds, and be highly resistant to potential forms of chemical and environmental interference that can be problematic for conventional detection equipment.

Keywords:
Enzyme, Detection Kit, Cwa, First Responder, Point Detector, Nerve Agent, Mustard, Cyanide