PHDS COMPANY — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 27a

Description

The Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DOE BER) Mesoscale to Molecules Bioimaging Technology Program aims to develop new imaging and measurement technology to enable in situ and dynamic imaging across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Various imaging modalities are required to span the complete spatiotemporal landscape for bioenergy and environmental bioimaging needs. The high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy, imaging, and sensitivity of new high-purity germanium (HPGe) instruments provide a unique opportunity to complement and enhance these research goals. The HPGe-based Gamma-ray Imager for Plant Research (GIPR) to be developed here will provide non-invasive, in situ measurements to dynamically track the uptake and distribution of multiple gamma-emitting radioactive elements simultaneously as they move from the soil microbiome into living plants. The hand-portable GIPR will utilize commercially available radioisotopes to provide spatial and temporal imaging of plant microelement exchange for the broader BER scientific community. During Phase I, PHDS Co. will develop new gamma-ray imaging hardware and software for plant research applications. These improvements will be evaluated by bringing the modified imagers to the plant biology laboratories of our University (BER) collaborators for proof-of- concept dynamic measurements of radioactive elements moving into and within living plants. These data will be analyzed and used to develop the first GIPR prototype system for the Plant Biology community. The Gamma-ray Imager for Plant Research will provide a versatile bioimaging device in a small, portable form factor for the larger scientific community to enable new Plant Science research using commercially available radioisotopes. The technology developed in this project will naturally contribute to other DOE security-related fields including nuclear weapons non- proliferation, treaty verification, nuclear-explosion monitoring, nuclear materials holdup, nuclear safeguards, and diagnostics.