The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) awarded a $649,972 Project Grant to Insectapel LLC, a for-profit limited liability company, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212). The funding will support Insectapel's research and development of textile coating systems that incorporate biobased insect repellents derived from medium-chain fatty acids found in plant oils like coconut and soybean. The project aims to develop commercially viable and environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic chemical repellents such as DEET and permethrin. Leveraging previous SBIR/STTR awards, Insectapel's research builds on its expertise in advanced textile coating technologies and bio-derived insect protection solutions. The proposed work has the potential to replace a significant fraction of synthetic repellents currently used in textiles, while also increasing demand for plant-based medium-chain triglycerides that benefit U.S. agriculture.
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