Award Data

The proposed research is to determine feasibility of developing a stable, simple, rapid method of detecting the nucleic acid (NA) from bioterrorism agents. This method would be based on Investigen?s novel and elegant ?smartDNA? technology. This system utilizes a peptide nucleic acid probe cocktail to produce a rapid color change when probes hybridize to complementary NA sequences. Phase 1 will: 1) ...

The objective of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA04.1-005) effort is to develop and prototype a ¿Tag System¿ for maritime shipping containers. The tracking information and status of a shipping container¿s tag system is performed on a global level in a variety of locations: 1) Pre-staged stacked on the dock; 2) Stored on-board of a transport ship; 3) Off-loaded fro ...

Today's existing battery technology has major limitations that first responders are forced to accept due to the absence of alternatives. These limitations include; limited run times, excessive weight, poor shelf life, performance deterioration over-extended temperature ranges, significant quantities of hazardous materials and cycling degradation. Simply stated, battery technologies have not kept u ...

Each year, over 14 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of containers are transported into the U.S. from approximately 700 ports around the world. To facilitate the screening of containers, modified straddle carriers with plastic scintillators, neutron detectors, and NaI detectors (spectroscopic detectors) travels through rows of containers to perform radiation scanning. Portal monitors surv ...

Emergency responders require a hand-held instrument in the field for screening specific sites for biological threat materials. In Phase I we will complete a design for an instrument, called MENTOR, which meets the needs and specifications of the emergency response teams. Innovative methods will be used to test electronic and software modules to transition the MENTOR system from a desktop to hand-h ...

This proposal describes a completely automated, NanoBioSentinel sample preparation instrument for biodefense. The NanoBioSentinel will contain two modules: a bead-based Sample Capture and Purification Module (SCPM) front-end and a microchip-based NanoBioProcessor Module. Built partly upon existing devices, the SCPM will use immunocapture and multi-dimensional purifications to process milliliter vo ...

Several important emerging applications require efficient, high-speed high-duty-cycle, amplitude modulation of high levels of microwave power, with low cost and small size-and-weight. The modulation frequency and average power required for these applications are far beyond the capabilities of existing technology. MRC proposes to research and develop two alternative methods of achieving square-wa ...

Reliable identification of chemical hazards in multidimensional datasets is a key challenge for the deployment of effective chemical vapor detection systems. Much of the work to date has focused on, and is applicable only to, individual technologies. As new techniques are developed, many of the same data processing challenges recur. In Phase I of this project, we will conduct a feasibility study a ...

The release of hazardous chemical vapors has the potential for severe casualties, and the detection of such chemicals is therefore critically important for homeland security. Despite this threat, there exists no commercially available, portable gas detection product that can quickly and cost-effectively sense most hazardous gases. In this Phase I project, we will develop a new generation of stable ...

The development of highly sensitive, fast Fourier transform (FFT) detected, frequency encoded quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) arrays is proposed for the detection of low vapor pressure (LVP) chemical components, including toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). The development of highly sensitive resonant mass detectors will be an important step in enabling the design of inexpensive