In January 2001, the NCI and NASA issued a joint Broad Agency
Announcement (BAA) for Fundamental
Technologies for Development of Biomolecular Sensors [pdf 154kb]. Awards
were announced in the first quarter of FY 2002. A new BAA is anticipated for
the third quarter of FY 2002. At present NASA and NCI are targeting fundamental
discoveries that can enable the development of biosensors that relatively non-intrusively
scan the body for the earliest signatures of emerging disease and provide a
seamless interface to immediate, specific intervention. The discoveries from
this program are intended to enable the development of complete systems for
the in vivo sensing of signatures of pathologic cell types or closely associated
microenvironmental factors that provide a seamless interface between sensing/detection
and delivery of signature-specific intervention.
Priority areas include
Novel molecular recognition chemistries, agents, and devices suitable for
in vivo use. Priorities include novel chemistries, agents and devices that
have multiple or all of the following characteristics:
enhanced specificity,
enhanced sensitivity,
cross the cell membrane in vivo,
will access deep tissues in vivo,
are bioavailable and biocompatible,
enable coincident detection of multiple parameters,
have methods for rapid generation of recognition agents for newly defined
targets,
can serve as a platform for recognition, signaling, and intervention delivery.
Novel strategies for in vivo signal generation and amplification. Priorities
include approaches that can generate detectable signal in deep tissues, signal
amplification schemes that are biocompatible in vivo, and new materials or
chemistries that enable such approaches.
Non-invasive dynamic signal acquisition systems. Priorities include systems
suitable for non-invasive, dynamic signal acquisition from deep tissues and
systems of reduced scale and therefore payload suitable for manned space missions.
New tools for feature definition and extraction. Priorities include generic
computational and mathematical approaches to distinguish and extract signal,
approaches to dynamic feature extraction to enable dynamic decision making,
and demonstrations of the power of such computational tools on existing data
sets.
New approaches to create an interface between in vivo detection and targeted
intervention. Priorities include technology platforms, especially nanostructures/devices
and novel materials and composites that support linked detection and intervention
as well as approaches to converting recognition/detection into intervention.
