Nine individual research projects chosen from a field of 43 have been approved for $1.5 million in OCAST funding from the Oklahoma Applied Research Support (OARS) program for the next three years. Approval came from the governing board for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST).

Peer reviewers using likelihood for commercialization and quality science as criteria, chose the nine successful applicants. The approved projects join a long line of research projects whose principal investigators are helping Oklahoma build a technology-based economy, said Michael Carolina, executive director of OCAST.

“Developing wealth and job-producing technologies for our state’s future are the goals of these funding solicitations,” Carolina said.

Projects range from groundwater remediation, nanotechnology, livestock security and information management to heat pump improvements and wireless monitoring of highway bridges.Research will be conducted over a three year period under contract with OCAST.

OCAST applied research funds target accelerated technology that has significant potential for producing a commercially successful product, process or service with high potential to benefit the state’s economy.

The nine applied research award winners include the following:

Groundwater Remediation

Cushing – Hugh Russell will receive $57,892 for two years to investigate use of a non-toxic reductant to remove chrome compounds from ground water. Such hazardous waste compounds are often generated by photography, dyes, paints, inks and plastics.

Agribusiness

Stillwater – Steve Trost of Strategic Solutions International LLC will expand current livestock monitoring capabilities to include on-animal storage of data and off-animal access and reporting of data. Research will address the ability of the system to accurately transmit and store relevant individual animal identification, premise identification, production management and rumen temperature as the animals move through normal production environments. The award is $299,998 for three years.

Weather Technology

Norman – Davis Egle of Mercury AeroSystems will develop a fully functional prototype of a light weight glider capable of housing an existing meteorological instrumentation package. The glider will be carried aloft in a conventional weather balloon to an altitude of 60,000 feet and then return to the launch site. The technology is expected to save up to $200,000 per day in lost meteorological equipment that is either damaged or lost. Mercury AeroSystems will provide matching funds. The award is $54,664 for three years.

Energy

Stillwater – Lorenzo Cremaschi of Oklahoma State University will use microchannel technology to improve the efficiency of compact heat pumps. The project calls for staged improvements with a microchannel coyle prototype designed, manufactured and tested in the final phase. York International Corporation will provide matching funds. The award is $299,830 for three years.

Biotechnology

Oklahoma City – William Hildebrand with the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center and Pure Protein firm of Oklahoma City will improve a kit now under development to provide precision DNA typing. The kit will have PureType software and will enable health care providers to properly identify, in advance, health issues related to heredity. Pure Transplant Solutions LLC and Emergent Technologies will provide matching funds. The award is $299,318 for three years.

Transportation Sensors

Norman – Jin-Song Pei from the University of Oklahoma will research highway bridge monitoring with wireless data transmission from embedded wires in the roadway. The technology could assist state highway agencies to have a better understanding of the stresses and breaking points of bridges and highways. OU, a federal grant and Surface Mount Depot will provide matching funds. The award is $300,000 for three years.

Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

Stillwater – Guolong Zhang will develop a therapeutic approach to controlling sepsis, a devastating syndrome initiated by bacterial infection and bacterial endotoxins released into the blood stream. An estimated 1,400 people die each day from sepsis, long known to be a leading cause of death in intensive care units. Sepsis infection increases by nine percent per year with an annual cost of $17 billion. OSU and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station will provide matching funds. The award is $90,000 for two years.

Environmental

Tulsa – David Reisdorph will develop a commercialized professional service that expands his firm’s existing sustainable marketing and “green” products services. The outcome will be a green product service systems (GPSS) with (1) an assessment screening tool, (2) a Web-based GPSS decision support system and (3) a consulting service. The new technology is an outgrowth of current environmental concerns and energy costs in the building industry. The Green Team will provide matching funds. The award is $78,088 for two years.

Photonics

Stillwater – Dr. Albert Rosenberger of Oklahoma State University has developed a method of growing gold nanorods on the surface of a glass microresonator. The object of this project is to evaluate sensitivity enhancements and determine their application to produce improved chemical sensors. The National Science Foundation is providing matching funds. The award is $89,574 for two years.