STTR Phase I: The Development of a Benchtop Focused Ultrasound Transducer Array for Rapid DNA Extraction

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will be the development of a novel DNA extraction system designed to make genetic testing faster, easier, and more accessible. DNA sample preparation is a critical and universal step in genetic testing workflows, yet it remains time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult to scale. These challenges are particularly severe for complex tissues, such as plant material, dense tissues, or complex bacteria, where existing methods often fail or require lengthy chemical processing. Due to these sample preparation challenges, the speed, reliability, and impact of genetic testing is limited across sectors, ranging from diagnostics to agriculture, food safety, and forensics. This project will address these limitations by developing a solution that uses sound waves to rapidly break down robust tissues and release high-quality DNA. By reducing processing time and increasing DNA quality, this technology can improve diagnostic accuracy and promote new applications of genetic testing while also strengthening biosecurity and defense. This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop a DNA extraction platform powered by a focused ultrasound transducer array that enables simultaneous tissue homogenization and cell lysis within a compact, integrated system. This technology utilizes high-pressure focused ultrasound pulses that generate a dense cavitation “bubble cloud” that mechanically disintegrates samples into an acellular debris. The core innovation of this project will be the replacement of conventional multi-step sample preparation workflows that rely on harsh chemicals with precisely controlled acoustic cavitation to enable rapid, high-throughput processing of tough tissue matrices. Achieving this integration will require significant advances in transducer array design, acoustic pulsing schemes, and system miniaturization that are inherently difficult for conventional approaches to replicate. This project will focus on designing and fabricating a scalable transducer array optimized for power efficiency, developing driving electronics capable of delivering stable, repeatable acoustic output, and integrating these components into a modular prototype suitable for laboratory use. The research objectives will systematically characterize electrical output, acoustic pressure profiles, and cavitation behavior, and correlate these parameters with DNA yield, purity, and downstream amplification efficiency. This project will establish the technical feasibility of a high-throughput, focused ultrasound extraction system. 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. NSF Award ID: 2537879 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Alexia Stettinius | Institution: HELIX ACOUSTICS, LLC, ROANOKE, VA | Award Amount: $304,948 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2537879 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2537879.html