SBIR Phase II: Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) Mounted Sensor for Benthic Studies

这一小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将导致开发一种用于研究底栖微藻的新型海洋叶绿素荧光传感器。该传感器将是第一个集成荧光寿命测量功能的传感器，也是第一个在水下机器人上实现这种距离测量的传感器。这具有重大意义，因为它将首次实现荧光量子产率的直接原位测量，从而实现光化学效率的直接原位测量，这是简单的基于幅度的荧光仪无法实现的壮举。大陆架底栖生态系统对海洋生物非常重要，可以从栖息的微藻的生理状态客观地评估这些生态系统的生存能力。这一状态最重要的组成部分是它们的光合作用水平，这由光驱动光化学初级阶段的速率和效率决定。然而，由于缺乏合适的研究工具，对控制底栖微藻健康、长期生存能力、生产力和动态的这些过程的了解很少。潜在的商业应用包括海洋传感器、精准农业、实验室研究市场的光合作用分析仪、非侵入性脑氧仪、产品认证、高通量筛选、临床体外诊断和在线过程分析。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Project will result in development of a novel oceanographic chlorophyll fluorescence sensor for the study of benthic microalgae. This sensor will be the first to incorporate fluorescence lifetime measurement capability, and the first to implement such capability for stand-off measurements from an ROV. This is of major significance, because it will permit, for the first time, direct in situ measurements of fluorescence quantum yield, and hence of photochemical efficiency, a feat that is not possible with simple amplitude-based fluorimeters. Continental shelf benthic ecosystems are of critical importance to marine biology and the viability of these ecosystems can be objectively assessed from thephysiological status of the resident microalgae. The most important component of this status is the level of their photosynthetic performance, determined by the rates and efficiency of primary stages of light-driven photochemistry. Yet, knowledge about these processes, which control the health, long-term viability, productivity and dynamics of benthic microalgae is minimal because of the lack of suitable research tools for their study. Potential commercial applications include oceanographic sensors, precision farming, photosynthesis analyzers for the laboratory research market, non-invasive brain oxymetry, product authentication, High Throughput Screening, clinical in vitro diagnostics and on-line process analysis.