Award Data

Opportunity: Guayule, a US native plant, is the only alternate rubber crop with an established, mechanized, agronomic system. Problem: Low rubber yields and lack of effective resin and bagasse coproduct valorization, have prevented widespread adoption by American farmers and processors. Rubber is only made when the cytoplasmic monomer pool (isopentenyl-pyrophosphate; IPP) is larger than that requi ...

Rubber is pervasive in our economy, with over 50,000 products requiring natural rubber (NR), including military grade tires. Yet significant global shortfalls are projected. Rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) produces natural rubber (cis-1,4, -polyisoprene) in root latex vessels (laticifers) almost identical to rubber from the tropical rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Problem: Cost-effective ...

It is here proposed to demonstrate AlGaN based solar-blind avalanche photodiodes and arrays operating in both linear and Geiger mode that would be suitable for replacing photomultiplier tube technology bio-agent detection, missile warning systems, and hostile fire identification. These objectives will be reached through a comprehensive R&D thrust in the areas of semiconductor material epitaxial gr ...

Nanoscale, material sensitive, imaging techniques are critical for progress in many disciplines as we learn to master science and technology at the smallest dimensions — on the nanometer to atomic-scale. However, progress in both science and technology is becoming increasingly limited by the constraints of current imaging techniques and metrologies. Fortunately, by combining coherent extreme UV ...

Most standard-of-care tools and techniques for evaluating neck disorders are subjective, unreliable, and do not provide actionable information for providers, payers, and organizations to deliver efficient and effective care. This lack of objective neck he

Traumatic injuries account for 30% of all life years lost in the US and is the leading cause of death for people under 46 years of age. Uncontrolled bleeding or hemorrhage constitute 30-40% of trauma related deaths and are considered to be a major cause o

The objective of this proposal is to examine the feasibility of defining and measuring key dimensions of an urban system to include its essential functions and networks, and whether they can be modelled in a computational framework for assessing robustness and resilience of DUTs (and their tipping points) under conditions of volatility and stress. This proposal will conduct a comprehensive review ...

This proposal is in response to the Defense Health Agency 2017 Phase I SBIR topic 17B-005.The approach is the use of a membrane oxygen pump using newly developed nano-thickness membranes with all the layers less than 1 micron total.Nanometer thickness membranes enable more oxygen output per surface area at temperatures of 300-600 C than current state-of-the -art 600-800 C membranes that are 50-300 ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of using piezoelectric fibers to detect shock waves from underwater explosions (UNDEX) and sensing physiological measures such as heart and respiratory rates on warfighters. Piezoelectric fibers will be characterized for their ability so sense different amplitudes and frequencies of shock and vibration. ...

There is a growing need for the wider deployment of infrared cameras in various defense applications, from handheld to vehicle-mounted. Meeting this requires a low-cost imaging device that has low noise and high frame rates. Microbolometers largely fill this need in the longwave infrared regime, although they suffer from relatively slow response times and are near their technological performance l ...