Award Data

Historically organophosphorus compounds such as insecticides and nerve agents have been susceptible to decomposition by proteinaceous enzymes. Organophosphate hydrolases (OPH) represent a practical method to deactivate such compounds peripherally and on surfaces. However, when such organophosphates are ingested, the use of proteinaceous enzymes such as OPH can be problematic because of their tende ...

Given the possibility to administer prophylactic doses of protein bioscavengers inactivating OP nerve agents before they reach their acetylcholinesterase target, much attention has been given to proteins such as human butyrylcholinesterase and paraoxonase I. As small nucleic acid catalysts can exhibit triphosphoesterase activities, the identification of new molecules active against nerve agents w ...

Shelter enclosures for military working dogs in the event of a CB attack is a technology gap identified by the Joint Requirements Office. Important parameters to consider in the design of protective enclosures include low weight and size to minimize transport requirements; rapid setup; and accommodation of canine physiological and psychological comfort needs. The overall operational weight of th ...

The project proposed here will develop a polymer based pre-concentrator integrated with a novel membrane inlet for a mass spectrometer. By using an integrated solution, the dead volume of the pre-concentrator can be minimized, thus increasing the pre-concentration gain (projected to be > 17000 with gas flows of 1 l/min containing analyte to 40 pg/l) well beyond that of solid sorbent tubes. Also, t ...

Our objective is to develop a novel micropower source, microsensor, and communication chip for integration with an insect, thereby delivering a state-of-the-art unmanned chemical detection device. The proposed biological fuel cell (Bio-FC) will leverage ongoing research at CFDRC and provide a compact/lightweight power supply, for mounting on numerous types of insects and producing necessary power ...

Intelligent Automation Inc., (IAI) presents a novel reliable, miniature, unobtrusive light weight Accurate Real-time Methyl Salicylate Sensing System (ARMSSS) for testing effectiveness of chemical suits. The ARMSSS collects real-time data and accurately identifies chemical break-through sites in Man-in-Stimulant Testing, where Methyl Salicylate (MeS) is used as the simulant for chemical agents. T ...

Drug transport in the central nervous system is highly regulated by the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Most medicines, including many for treating cancer, Alzheimer’s, and stroke, do not meet essential criteria, such as lipophilicity and low molecular weight, required for appreciable transport into the brain. However, endogenous peptides, such as insulin or transferrin, and certain monoclonal anti ...

The measurement of biochemical changes within the human body can provide a means to monitor a person’s physiological health. Many of the biochemicals that provide a snapshot of a person’s health are proteins. The challenge with measuring proteins is the existence of approximately ten orders of magnitude difference in concentration between the most abundant proteins in blood and those typically ...

First responders play very important roles in the protection of people and their properties, as well as in homeland security and national defense. Various kinds of protective suits, masks, gloves and boots are available for use as protection from the various hazardous conditions they may face. A GC/MS based method, ASTM F739-07, is commonly used to determine the duration during which a protectiv ...

We propose to build a compact laser photoacoustic spectrometric (LPAS) sensor for continuous, real-time broadband analysis of multiple chemical components, and perform field tests to qualify it for dynamic monitoring of chemical warfare agents (CWA). Our sensor will be based on our laboratory LPAS instrument (at technology readiness level TRL-4) that has already demonstrated successful multicompon ...