Award Data

DNA microarray technology, in combination with statistical and predictive modeling tools, could be used to evaluate thousands of genes against distinct gene expression patterns induced by chemical/biological agents to provide early identification and speed therapeutic intervention. The overall objective of this Phase II effort is to leverage existing public domain resources and commercial tools t ...

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

Poor drug candidates are often identified late in the drug development process (e.g., in the preclinical and clinical phases) and contribute significantly to the high cost and low yield of drug discovery. As a result, new tools are needed to accelerate the assessment of drug candidate toxicity earlier in the drug development process. To address this Chemical/Bio Defense (CBD) need, Physical Optics ...

Effective collective protection fabrics must have a reliable closure system. During our Phase I Work Plan, Sigma-K began developing a Hermetic Textile Closure Hardware (HATCH) system. The HATCH combines both a magnetic and geometric self locking mechanism that will provide a hermetic seal when closed. Our current Phase I successes include developing self closing samples that can provide a hermetic ...

Current high-throughput platforms rely on labeled substrates that produce detectable spectroscopic signals upon reaction for monitoring enzyme catalytic activity. Add to that the high price tag for these instruments, ranging from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars, and there is a clear need for alternate solutions for a label-free, low-cost, high-throughput enzyme screening platform. ...

To address the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) need for a residual life indicator (RLI) capable of determining the degradation in physical adsorption and reactive capacity arising from battlefield contaminants and exposure to the elements, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to continue the development of a new Miniature Residual Life Indicator (MRLIN). MRLIN is based on impedance spe ...

The current methodology for testing the penetration resistance of textile materials to various chemical agents has a number of drawbacks, including significant uncertainties in the resulting data, inefficiency and expense, risk to test personnel, and limited range of test conditions. The objective of the proposed work is to apply unique computer models for textiles with accompanying experimental ...

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 advance development of 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 mature components ...

Redondo Optics Inc. (ROI), proposes to develop and demonstrate a next generation integrated electrophoretic nanofluidic biochip (INTRay-Nanochip) sensor platform for the"label-less"THz spectroscopy finger printing of biological species and agents. In the proposed Phase II of this program, ROI will focus on the engineering development of a manufacturable optical nanolithography technology to enable ...