SBIR Phase I: Lignin-Based Formulations for Efficient and Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力包括开发连续制造工艺，以便能够生产更大数量的下一代农用化学品。虽然第一个重点是有效利用抗微生物和抗真菌作物保护化学品，但这个平台也可以应用于具有其他功能的活性物质和生物制品。这项研发工作的更广泛意义包括以下几个方面：首先，除了农业植保产品外，这里开发的递送系统预计将在许多针对消费者、建筑市场和医疗保健的产品中获得商业应用。其次，在各种工业环境中，良性小结构的形成有可能取代广泛的持久性和有害纳米颗粒，这将加强对纳米级可伸缩过程的科学和技术理解。第三，该项目开发的可持续解决方案可以加强现有的自然资源，增强美国食品供应的生物安全，并改善公众健康。这个SBIR第一阶段项目建议设计一个创新的系统，以有效地运送农业活性物质。为了提高生产率，目前的农业实践使用了大量的作物保护化学品。然而，农用化学品的密集使用造成了环境威胁，破坏了自然资源，并有可能导致气候变化。为了应对这些挑战，我们正在开发创新的、突破性的平台技术，有可能在保护环境的同时，以相同或更少的投入提高农业效率。本工作的目标是以广泛可得、可生物降解和生物可再生的木质素资源为基础，创造一类可扩展、功能活性、可持续和生态友好的新型材料。该项目的第一个目标是建立一个连续流动工艺，用于制备使用少量活性杀菌剂功能化的木质素颗粒。这项研究将为这些制剂的持续处方奠定可行性。这项研究的第二个目标包括使用一系列抗菌和抗真菌测试对新配方进行表征。作为第一阶段工作的结果，将通过为第二阶段进行的实地研究确定最有希望的配方来降低技术风险。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project encompasses the development of a continuous fabrication process to enable production of larger volumes of the next generation of agrochemical compounds. Although the first focus is on utilization for efficient delivery of antimicrobial and antifungal crop protection chemicals, this platform can be applied for actives and biologicals with other functionalities. The broader significance of this research and development effort entails the following aspects: First, in addition to agricultural crop protection products, the delivery system developed here is expected to find commercial applications in many products targeted to the consumer, construction markets, and healthcare. Second, the formulation of benign small structures that have the potential to replace a wide range of persistent and harmful nanoparticles in various industrial settings will enhance scientific and technological understanding of scalable processes on the nanoscale. Third, the sustainable solutions developed in this project could strengthen existing natural resources, enhance biosecurity of the U.S. food supply, and improve public health. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to engineer an innovative system for efficient delivery of agricultural actives. To increase productivity, current agricultural practices utilize large amounts of crop protection chemicals. However, the intensive use of agrochemicals creates environmental threats damaging natural resources and potentially causing climate change. To address these challenges we are developing innovative, breakthrough platform technology with potential to increase efficiency of farming with the same or fewer inputs, while protecting the environment. The goal of this work is to create a new class of scalable, functionally active, sustainable and eco-friendly materials based on the widely available, biodegradable and bio-renewable resource lignin. The first objective of the project is to build a continuous flow process for preparation of lignin particles functionalized with small amounts of active biocides. This research will establish feasibility for continuous formulation of these preparations. The second objective of the study includes characterization of the new formulations using a series of antimicrobial and antifungal assays. As a result of the Phase 1 effort, technical risk will be reduced by identifying the most promising formulations for field studies to be conducted in Phase 2.