The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded a $650,000 Project Grant under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to Max-Ir Labs Incorporated, doing business as Max-Ir Labs, to develop an advanced infrared sensor for real-time monitoring of chemicals in algae growth media. The sensor is intended to transform algae production by providing precise, continuous data on nutrient consumption, enabling automated adjustments to growth parameters. This will help increase algae production yields, ensure consistent growth, and minimize operational costs across a wide range of research and industrial aquaculture activities. The project aims to leverage a novel waveguide functionalization technique to enhance the sensor's sensitivity and selectivity in detecting and quantifying key nutrients and metabolites within the algae growth medium. The project will include rigorous testing and calibration in laboratory settings, followed by external partner validation in both laboratory and field settings. This technology is expected to deliver significant benefits in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness for algae-based biofuels, nutritional supplements, and environmental sustainability applications.
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