Award Data

A key application of the technological breakthrough associated with decreased cost of DNA sequencing is metagenomics. Metagenomics is the process of sequencing DNA from whole ecosystems, rather than individuals or cultures. This approach has the potential to allow the dissection of microbial ecosystems in biofuel producing agricultural land, toxic contaminated sites and hydrocarbon recovery enviro ...

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant The mission of Bioniks is to develop and commercialize accurate low cost movement analysis systems for clinicians ergonomists athletic trainers and other professionals interested in quantifying human movement Our initial focus is on developing computer enhancements for inexpensive D cameras like the Microsoft Kinect These enhancements surpass the accura ...

Density functional theory is used by many researchers funded by the Department of Energy as a method for predicting the behavior of chemicals and materials used in energy applications. However, results of these calculations are often not standardized and, even when they are, expert-level understand of the methods is needed in order to properly perform a simulation. The energy research community a ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of chronic disability in the United States. A clinical goal in the treatment and prevention of OA is to develop replacement cartilage using tissue engineering (TE) technologies. Although TE cartilage presently lacks the mechanical stability of native cartilage, studies have demonstrated that mechanical stability can be e ...

ABSTRACT Pancreatic cancer is a disease with no effective treatmentIt s low five year survival rateestimated at betweenandranks it the fourth highest of cancer related of death in the U Sdespite being the twelfth most common type of cancerEach year in the U Sthere are nearlynew cases and more thandeaths caused by the diseaseBypancreatic cancer is expected to be the second most common cancer relate ...

Coal is an abundant source of energy in the USA, but is not currently utilized effectively. Recently, the DOE has begun a carbon sequestration program is to develop advanced CO2 capture and compression technology for existing coal-fired plants with increased efficiency with no more than a 35% increase in the cost of electricity. This will require new approaches and technologies to be successful. N ...

Project Summary This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project proposes the development and optimization of a commercially viable novel polymer based radiation dosimeter for wide spread deployment The radiation dosimeter proposed herein is a disruptive technology with a significant market Although many commercial radiation dosimeters measure individual radiation load dose quantificatio ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Over 150 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is an important cause of chronic liver disease. Current therapies are inadequate. Our long-term objective is to bring a new class of anti-HCV drugs to the clinic. We recently discovered and genetically validated a new target within the HCV non-structural protein NS4B, consist ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Genomic instabilityinduced by DNA damageand partly mitigated by DNA repair and antioxidantsplays a critical role in the pathogenesis of many major human diseasessuch as neurodegenerationcancer and cardiovascular diseasetogether with agingThere is a critical need for automated assays that can perform these assessmentsand bring them into greater routine usewhich will help advance our ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to develop and commercialize a novel approach for allergen specific immunotherapy as treatment for severe food allergy. Food allergy affects about 3.5% of the US population and 6% to 8% of young children. It is clearly on the rise. Peanut allergy, which affects around 1% of the population, is among the most severe food allergies, r ...