SBIR Phase II: Autonomous System for DNA Sequencing Prep in Space and Austere Environments

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to build an automated, miniaturized, gravity-agnostic system for DNA extraction and preparation for sequencing in austere environments. DNA sequencing is used for a variety of purposes in research and medicine – for example, diagnosis and treatment of diseases; monitoring of pathogens in water supplies and food; and to study the effects of various stressors on humans, crops, and even pets. The global DNA sequencing market size of $11B in 2022 is expected to grow to over $50B by 2032 indicating potential for growth and expansion of DNA sequencing technologies into untapped markets. This project is disrupting the market by developing a portable, automated system for extracting DNA from a variety of biosamples. Small academic and start-up labs and those focused on space research will be early market targets. This project expects to generate nearly $20M in revenue by year three of production. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to take a unique approach to technology development – by building the technology for space and microgravity, the most extreme environment. Currently, there are no commercial automated, miniaturized technology exists for use in space for DNA extraction and sample preparation. Space is a unique environment that can offer novel scientific insights. Availability of advanced tools in microgravity, such as the technology proposed in this project, will enable scientists across a variety of disciplines to undertake research in space. Furthermore, by solving for space – an extreme, harsh environment with many constraints – the technology will also solve for Earth’s austere environments and could provide an automated miniaturized tool for use in remote and extreme environments such as military field operations for national defense and security. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.