Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Aurora Flight Sciences, Draper Labs land NASA SBIR contract

By Mass High Tech staff

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NASA has awarded Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., working alongside the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase 1 contract to research and develop a miniaturized, lightweight and microgravity-compatible system to count white blood cells. The amount of the contract was not revealed.

NASA’s future missions to other planets necessitate an understanding of blood cell count and how it changes cardiovascularly, officials from the Cambridge-based research and development arm of Aurora said.

To research and develop an “On-Orbit Immuno-based, Label-free, White Blood Cell Counting System with MicroElectroMechanical (MEMS) Technology” (OILWBCS-MEMS), Aurora researchers will preserve white blood cell-specific antibodies on gold-coated membranes, using Draper Labs’ MEME technology; the antibodies will cling to cells’ surface protein antigens during blood flow and conduct cell counts.

This Phase 1 contract is intended to show the operations of the white blood cell counting system.

In addition to its Cambridge R&D site, Aurora maintains its headquarters ini Manassas, Va., and its production plants in Bridgeport, W.Va., and Columbus, Miss. The company also develops robotic aircraft for use in science and military applications.