Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** addressing current issues: algae…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** addressing current issues: algae are cultivated across diverse environments, including laboratories, industrial facilities, and outdoor ponds, for crucial applications such as biofuel production, nutritional supplements, and environmental sustainability. However, effectively monitoring essential chemicals such as nutrients and extracelular metabolites in the growth medium poses significant challenges. Insufficient monitoring impedes the maintenance of optimal growth conditions, resulting in inconsistent yields and increased operational costs.project solution: this project aims to overcome these challenges by developing an advanced sensor capable of real-time monitoring of chemicals in algae growth media. The sensor will transform growth management by providing precise, continuous data on nutrient consumption. This information will enable automated adjustments to growth parameters, ensuring ideal conditions for algae proliferation, thereby boosting productivity and significantly reducing operational costs.methods and approaches. The sensor design will leverage a novel waveguide functionalization technique developed in our laboratory. This involves applying advanced coatings to the waveguides to specifically detect and quantify key nutrients and metabolites within the algae growth medium, thereby enhancing sensitivity and selectivity. These functionalized waveguides will integrate into an infrared (IR) setup, where IR radiation interacts with trapped analytes, generating specific absorption bands indicative of chemical presence in the algal environment. Additionally, user-friendly software will be developed to seamlessly integrate with existing process control systems, facilitating intuitive management and monitoring of algae growth. The sensor will undergo rigorous testing and calibration in laboratory settings across diverse environmental conditions. Subsequently, external partners will conduct real-world testing to validate its effectiveness in both laboratory and field settings.project goals: the key goals of the project are to create a reliable and efficient sensor that can be used in various algae production settings. By providing real-time data and enabling automated process control, the sensor will help increase algae production yields, ensure consistent growth, and minimize operational costs. This technology will be beneficial across a wide range of research and industrial aquaculture activities, enhancing overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness.