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

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的重点是通过开发用于有效管理细菌和真菌病原体的新型可持续纳米配方来应对与广泛使用合成农用化学品相关的环境挑战。这一研究和开发工作的更广泛影响在几个层面上都很重要；该项目开发的可持续农业处理方法可以帮助保护自然资源，通过减少作物损失来加强国家粮食供应的安全，并改善公众健康。虽然最初的重点是有效地交付抗微生物和抗真菌作物保护化学品，但该平台也可以应用于具有其他功能的活性物质和生物制品。因此，除了农业作物保护产品外，该项目开发的环境友好的纳米颗粒递送系统可能会在许多针对消费市场、建筑、个人护理和医疗保健的产品中找到未来的应用。这一SBIR第二阶段项目将推动一种新型平台的开发，在该平台上，由可持续材料制成的工程纳米颗粒将取代目前使用的有害和持久的合成化学剂。本研究的目的是利用广泛存在的生物可再生资源木质素作为农用活性物质的天然非持久性生物降解递送系统。由工业木质素制成的胶体颗粒将以连续、绿色、低成本的方法通过非溶剂沉淀法大量制备，然后进行官能化以提高稳定性并改进靶向附着在植物叶片上。提出了一种多学科的方法来彻底表征这些新配方，并将它们的材料特性与农艺性能联系起来。这一新知识将使开发提高其田间药效的物理化学手段成为可能。此外，研究将集中于通过人类健康风险评估进行安全评估。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on addressing environmental challenges associated with extensive use of synthetic agrochemicals by developing novel sustainable nanoformulations for efficient management of bacterial and fungal pathogens. The broader impacts of this research and development effort are important on several levels; the sustainable agricultural treatments developed in this project could help protect natural resources, enhance security of the national food supply by reducing crop losses, and improve public health. While the initial focus is on efficient delivery of anti-microbial and anti-fungal crop protection chemicals, this platform can be applied for actives and biologicals with other functionalities. Thus, in addition to agricultural crop protection products, the environmentally benign nanoparticle delivery system developed in the project may find future applications in many products targeted to the consumer market, construction, personal care and healthcare. This SBIR Phase II project will advance the development of a novel platform where engineered nanoparticles made from sustainable materials will replace harmful and persistent synthetic chemical agents used presently. The research objective is to utilize the widely available bio-renewable resource lignin as a natural non-persistent bio-degradable delivery system for agricultural actives. Colloidal particles made of technical lignin will be fabricated in large amounts by non-solvent precipitation in a continuous, green, low-cost method and then functionalized for stability and improved targeted attachment to the plant foliage. A multi-disciplinary approach is proposed to characterize thoroughly the new formulations and correlate their material characteristics and agronomic performance. This new knowledge will make possible to develop physico-chemical means of enhancing their field efficacy. In addition, research will focus on safety evaluation via human health risk assessment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.