Award Data

The release of volatile organic compounds from industrial processes can have negative impacts on the environment while also posing significant health and safety concerns. In the environment, many of these chemical are considered precursors to ground-level ozone, which is the primary component of smog. In addition, many volatile organic compounds are cancer-causing in humans while others pose dan ...

The EPA has stated a need for technologies and instruments to monitor and warn of the presence of toxic contaminants in drinking water. An innovative device that could detect, identify and localize hazardous chemical contaminants in drinking water would be immensely valuable to water utility operators, emergency response personnel, and other decision-making officials charged with protecting the n ...

"The United States floriculture industry reached a total of $5.6 billion in domestic consumption in 2002 with an additional $111 million in exports. As the industry continues to move towards mechanized harvesting in order to increase production, the potential for bulb injury and resulting fungal infection has increased, as well. Current chemical methods to reduce fungal infection are often costly, ...

Iron (Fe) deficiency is the worlds most prevalent nutrient deficiency and causes both significant adverse health effects and enormous economic losses globally. Several groups, including infants, children, young women, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases remain vulnerable to Fe deficiency, despite Fe fortification of foods. All currently available iron supplements have limitations related ...

"Honey bee pollination is estimated to contribute over $14 billion annually to agricultural production. Honey bee pollination services in the larger ecosystem are also of vital importance. However, apiculture in the United States is threatened, especially by infestations of exotic parasitic mites. Varroa destructor, in particular, is lethal to many colonies, decimating both feral and managed honey ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified the need for an accurate and field-rugged instrument to monitor Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) for use in monitoring building decontamination operations. The proposed Phase I study will evaluate the feasibility of designing and fabricating an advanced electrochemical ClO2 sensor, utilizing integrated solid polymer electrolyte proton-conduct ...

"Pathogenic avian mycoplasmas continue to be potential problems for the commercial poultry industry worldwide. The economic impact of avian mycoplasma diseases stems from increased condemnation and downgrading of carcasses at processing, reduced efficiency of feed and egg production, and increased costs due to prevention and control programs that require surveillance, medication, and vaccination. ...

"Milk supply by the small dairy farms to the local markets not only reduces transportation costs but also provides cultural and economic benefits to the communities. However, the majority of the milk processing operations are carried out in large plants at the wholesale level. Such capacities and the large capital requirement act as a barrier to entry for small farmers and prohibit them to get a b ...

Because of the relatively high cost of biomass feedstocks compared to fossil fuels, biomass conversion processes must be highly efficient in order to provide a new-term contribution to the U.S. energy balance. Biodiesel is recognized as an important potential fuel, which is obtained by relatively simple esterification of fats or seed oils (soybean, rapeseed, etc.). In the manufacture of biodiese ...

This Phase I SBIR project intends to demonstrate the feasibility of a freshwater microbial community microarray called the WaterChipTM, for detecting the presence of an important model for mercury chemical pollutant in freshwater. By demonstrating its utility for detecting evidence of this pollutant, the basis for expanding the WaterChips capability to other environmental toxins and pollutants wi ...