Award Data

Aerius Photonics will address the need for a small, ruggedized, long-range wearable micro combat identification device by developing a compact, portable, battery-powered beacon that employs state-of-the-art mid-wave IR (MWIR), long-wave IR (LWIR) and near IR (NIR) laser technology to emit an eyesafe signal that is easily detected by presently deployed targeting pods. Phase I will demonstrate, eval ...

Current drug discovery and development programs are severely limited by the expensive animal trials and oversimplified in vitro models. Results obtained from the in vitro models are not predictive of in vivo toxicity owing to significant difference in testing from the in vivo physiological conditions. In this context, we propose to develop and demonstrate a novel microfluidic device for quantitati ...

Molecular biology techniques allow generating combinatorial libraries of large number of enzyme variants. However, there is currently no technology available for screening the enzyme libraries for identifying variants with improved activity for the substrate. We propose to develop a novel, microfluidic, high-throughput platform for determining kinetic constants of enzyme variants and identifying v ...

We propose to demonstrate an integrated ride control system for high speed small craft. Our approach uses a smart EM actuator and transom trim tabs as a direct replacement for the ubiquitous electrohydraulic and electric systems currently used for static trim adjustments. Our recent IRAD efforts have produced a self contained control system which can be installed on virtually any craft within a f ...

SOCOM is seeking an innovative solution for a simpler, high capacity scrubber to reduce the levels of CO2 in underwater breathing apparatus and re-breathers. Existing CO2 scrubbers are absorbent based and suffer from slow reaction rates under pressure, at colder temperatures, and under heavy breathing, as well as limited CO2 capacity and the dangers of a caustic cocktail if the scrubber floods. ...

Organophosphorus (OP) compounds have been extensively used as pesticides and chemical warfare agents . Potential OPs exposure exists both on the battlefield and in the civilian sector. OPs exposure inhibits enzyme activity, allowing excess acetylcholine to accumulate. Screening of multiple enzymes is highly desirable because it may provide a comprehensive description of the warrior’s capacity fo ...

Rapid identification of asymmetric warfare modes, including unconventional chemical agents based attacks, is vital to the protection of U.S. armed forces personnel. Existing detection methods use bulky and expensive laboratory equipment to analytically determine the identity and concentration of chemical threats, negating their battlefield use. Colorimetric indicators such as the currently deploye ...

The drug R&D cycle is long and very expensive. In many ways, this status quo can no longer be sustained. One of the reasons for such great cost is that the vast majority of drug candidates are screened out at the stages of animal and human trials. More efficient methods of testing of drugs at the stage of ex-vivo studies, which are substantially less expensive than animal and human testing cyc ...

To address the CBD need for improved formulations to enhance the ease of use and bioavailability of antisense therapeutics, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a Multifunctional Antisense Therapeutics Nanocarrier and Inhalation Device (MATEN). This proposed system is based on a new dry powder formulation and a novel design of an inhaler that uses in-house developed mature compone ...

Impregnated ASZM-TEDA carbon employed as highly adsorptive materials in Collective Protection (ColPro) systems loses the ability to adsorb toxic chemicals because of exposure to temperature, humidity, battlefield contaminants, and other pollutants. To address the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) need for a residual life indicator (RLI) capable of probing the degradation in physical adsorption ...