Award Data

Nerve agents exert their toxic effect by binding to and inactivating enzyme acetylcholinesterase, a key enzymatic regulator of cholinergic neurotransmission. The binding becomes irreversible after a varying amount of time with nerve agents and this aging process limits the treatment window of oxime reactivators. To enhance the current antidote treatment of nerve agent autoinjectors, a pyridostigmi ...

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 ...

Manning Applied Technology proposes to develop a handheld infrared spectrometer, ideally suited to detection of airborne chemical agents at and below permissible exposure limits. This approach offers unmatched sensitivity and specificity for detection of all types of chemical vapors. The instrument is modular, rugged, compact and highly sensitive. Volume pricing will be less than $1000 each. ...

Defense against chemical weapons is a critical DoD requirement. An effective defense requires the development of a combination of unique clothing systems that provide a physical barrier to toxic vapors, liquids, and aerosols, as well as a system to detect chemical threats. Protective clothing and detection systems currently exist, but ideally the detection equipment should be miniaturized and inte ...

Surfaces and enclosed spaces (such as vehicle crew compartments) that are contaminated with chemical warfare (CW) or biological warfare (BW) agents must be rapidly decontaminated to allow continued operations. Unfortunately, all of the current decon technologies have significant disadvantages, such as excessive weight, bulk, cost and complexity, limited storage stability, and a need for hazardous ...

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 ...

The proliferation of biological weapons among rogue nations and terrorist organizations necessitates that the U.S. develop the means of detecting deployment of these weapons in battlefield, base and civilian settings. Portable and affordable remotesensors that give U.S. forces several minutes warning of approaching threats are necessary so that troops have adequate time to take appropriate protec ...

The proliferation of biological weapons among rogue nations and terrorist organizations necessitates that the U.S. develop the means of detecting deployment of these weapons in battlefield, base and civilian settings. Portable and affordable remotesensors that give U.S. forces several minutes warning of approaching threats are necessary so that troops have adequate time to take appropriate protec ...

Standoff detection, identification and tracking of chemical and biological warfare agents is critical to provide hazard warning and dewarning for forces and civilians, and to minimize disruption in deployment of forces. Differential Absorption Lidar(DIAL) can be used for remote sensing of chemical agents via their spectral signatures at MWIR and LWIR wavelengths. However, current gas-laser DIAL ...