Antibody-based biosensors provide the most reliable detection capability across the broadest range of biowarfare agents. They are, therefore, the preferred platform for DoD biosensor applications.
Antibody-based biosensors provide the most reliable detection capability across the broadest range of biowarfare agents. They are, therefore, the preferred platform for DoD biosensor applications. Fragility of antibody molecules, however, and the short shelf life of antibody-based biosensors severely complicates their use outside the clinical laboratory environment. Additionally, the variability in affinity across various antibody systems has precluded development of multiplexing antibody arrays for biosensor applications. The vision of DARPA’s Antibody Technology Program (ATP) is to develop and demonstrate approaches for achieving revolutionary improvements in the stability of antibodies while demonstrating the ability to control antibody affinity. DARPA believes achievement of these goals will ultimately enable the deployment of portable, multiplexing biosensors that operate well in the harsh environments encountered during some DoD missions.
ATP seeks to develop and demonstrate technologies that enable antibody-based biosensors that operate in harsh environments and can be stored for up to 5 years with no loss in performance. The ability to control antibody affinity will enable development and deployment of biosensor arrays that detect multiple agents in a single platform.