NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Sample preparation is a common bottleneck in genetic analysis. Tools that reduce time and effort are of great value in a laboratory setting. There is a need for a genetic analysis/detection system that is not only mobile, ruggedized, and easy-to-use but that also provides an enclosed fluid handling, which diminishes the risks of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) contamination and degradation during processing. NASA Ames has developed a novel assay methodology and suite of devices to isolate nucleic acids and prepare samples for Reverse Transcriptase quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis that solves the problem of contamination and degradation. Gene expression analysis reveals valuable information about molecular and cellular mechanisms that can be applied not only for protecting human health during space missions but also for fundamental biology investigations and commercial drug discovery efforts on earth. This invention enables an end-to-end ability to process a biological sample for gene expression analysis - from raw tissue to data. To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/TOP2-276 If you have any questions, please contact Ames Research Center
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.