NANOHMICS INC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: H3

Description

Future missions will benefit from a device that can quickly and accurately assess the microbial status of habitat surfaces. Current state of the art technology relies on sampling surfaces and performing molecular processes on the samples to determine the microbial burden. Nanohmics proposes to create a handheld, consumable-free device that provides microbial mapping using a fluorescence spectroscopy imager. Additionally, the ultraviolet light source used for fluorescence excitation can also be used for disinfection, which can reduce the need for microbial monitoring. The core technology is based on a visible-spectrum imaging spectrometer developed under NASA SBIR funding, relying on a ~1 gram micro-optical chip to provide complete spatial-spectral registration with real-time data capture. This lightweight, low-power device can easily be integrated into new or existing platforms to enable autonomous microbial monitoring that eliminates the need for manual sample collection, preparation, and processing. In the Phase I program, with feedback from the technical monitor, we will select relevant microorganisms and collect fluorescence spectroscopy of the target microorganisms on relevant surfaces. This data will be used to develop classification methods and inform the design of a prototype microbial mapping device.