TITLE: ENABLING MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION, SUPPLY CHAIN DIVERSIFICATION AND ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PPEPURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO DEVELOP BIO-DEGRADABLE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) PRODUCTS, BY DEVELOPMENT AND SCALE UP OF ELECTROSPUN FILTRATION MATERIALS, ALONG WITH EASILY DEPLOYED ROBOTIC PPE PRODUCTION LINES. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND PRODUCE NEW BIOPOLYMER-BASED NONWOVENS MATERIAL; DEVELOP ELECTROSPUN FILTRATION MATERIALS; AND DEVELOP TWO SELF-CONTAINED, FULLY AUTOMATED AND RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE MANUFACTURING CELLS FOR PPE (E.G., SURGICAL MASKS, REUSABLE COMMUNITY MASKS, CAPS, BOOTIES).EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF BIODEGRADABLE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVE FILTRATION MATERIALS AND GREATER CAPABILITIES TO SURGE-PRODUCE PPE AT LOCAL POINTS OF NEED.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SMALL AND MEDIUM MANUFACTURERS, AS WELL AS STATE GOVERNMENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM BIODEGRADABLE PPE AND ALTERNATIVE FILTRATION MATERIALS THAT REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRODUCE QUALITY, COMPETITIVE, PRODUCTS AND ENSURE A RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN FOR PPE; AND TOOLS THAT ENABLE MANUFACTURERS TO RAPIDLY CHANGE THEIR AUTOMATION LINES TO SUPPLY PPE PRODUCTS DURING A PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, MANUFACTURERS, AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS INDIRECTLY, WILL BENEFIT FROM THE GREATER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND READY ACCESS TO PPE. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT PLANS TO SUBAWARD FUNDS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO THRUSTS: 1) BIODEGRADABLE PPE MATERIALS; 2) ELECTONSPUN PPE MATERIALS; AND 3) PPE LINE AUTOMATION ASPECTS OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT.