Award Data

Bioengineering offers an efficient and robust route for the production of enzymatic catalysts such as chloroperoxidase (CPO). The CPO from Caldariomyces fumago can catalyze non-specific halogenation of electrophilic organic molecules, epoxidation and hydroxylation of olefins and organic sulfides, and generation of free chlorine from chloride ion. The objectives are to: A. Develop a Caldari ...

In this STTR program, Structured Materials Industries, Inc. (SMI) and partners will develop high efficiency, switchable RF filters. The technical approach is based on thin films of paraelectric BaxSr1-xTiO3 and SrTiO3, which can show piezoelectric behavior under an applied DC bias. When integrated into resonator structures, these materials can act as both an RF filter and an RF switch. Combinin ...

In this proposal, Boston Applied Technologies, Incorporated (BATi) together with University of Minnesota proposes to develop a high quality epitaxially grown multiferroic thin film heterostructure through a simple wet chemical route, which has been demonstrated the capability of growing high quality multilayer films through nano-engineering and introducing proper buffer layers. The feasibility of ...

It is accepted that certain animals have the olfactory and learning ability to be trained in the detection of explosives and other compounds. The possibility of using rats and other small mammals to detect landmines, and potentially IED's is very real. In order to perform the detection task efficiently and effectively, these animals need to be trained, and certified as reliable and accurate. ...

Hostile conflicts leave behind millions of armed landmines in developing countries throughout the globe. Humanitarian demining is hazardous and labor intensive. A promising development in landmine detection is using small, olfactory sensitive animals trained to act as biosensor detectors. But current methods require skilled trainers following strict protocols, and this extensive time and effor ...

The amount of new malware encountered daily is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, an explosion that is also reflected in target and attack vector diversity. There has also been a dramatic increase in the use of malware kits, a problem in its own right because kits allow adversaries to easily create one-time-use malware variants for which generic signatures and general solutions are neither pra ...

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Quantum Signal LLC propose to research and develop the TerrAdapt system for terrain classification and vehicle driving control. This work will result in fundamental research advances, but will be practical enough for application on today"s COTS vehicle platforms. The system will maximize vehicle mobility due to the following key features: 1) TerrAdap ...

Robotic Research in partnership with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) proposes to develop the Mobility Optimization via Enhanced Robotic Sensing (MOVERS) system for any two-wheeled, four-wheeled or tracked robotic platform to autonomously perform hazardous terrain detection and classification and adjust its driving control strategy to safely negotiate hazardous terrain. Our goal is to develop auto ...

Obesity and its associated metabolic complications including diabetes are becoming increasingly prevalent in the general population as well as in military personnel. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a major site of energy expenditure through thermogenesis, which is mediated by the mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1). Studies in animals over the last 30 years as well as recent data in humans str ...

A continuing and growing threat to U.S. military personnel and civilians is exposure to toxic chemicals and pathogens. Useful detection systems exist, but it remains imperative to investigate next-generation technologies that have the potential to improve by an order of magnitude the cost, sensitivity and size of sensor devices. A promising technology that may achieve these goals is DNA-based nano ...