With money from the U.S. Department of Defense, University of Arizona researchers built a sensor able to detect tiny amounts of a byproduct of an odorless, tasteless and toxic gas.
Now the U.S. Army has awarded the group another $2.1 million to rebuild their device as one that soldiers could carry.
The team of UA researchers first made a laboratory device able to sense miniscule amounts of chemical weapons in the air, such as of the deadly nerve-gas Sarin.
Associate professor of biomedical engineering and optical sciences, Judith Su, said the new mission to miniaturize is doable now because technology has advanced quickly in recent years.
“You’re going from some optical table that’s about three by five feet and you’re trying to miniaturize it into something about the size of your iPhone,” Su said. “So this next phase is going to focus on making things portable, handheld, something that can work outside of the laboratory and have real-world impact.”
The work is scheduled to take three years.
Su said a sensor made with microtoroid optical resonators had also been used to study biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and ovarian cancer.
She says a portable version in the future could offer ways to identify mold and air contaminated by illness.
-
Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the launch of ConnectAllAz to make access to statewide broadband programs easier for homes and businesses in underserved areas. -
Yuma is now a finalist in the running for up to $160 million from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program that could establish a spaceport there. If that happens, it could create thousands of jobs and drive billions in economic growth in Arizona. -
Microchip Technology will close its semiconductor factory in Tempe in 2025, affecting about 500 workers. By shutting the plant, known as Fab 2, Microchip expects to save about $90 million annually starting in 2026. -
Medicare’s open enrollment period — which allows individuals to change health or prescription drug plans — will come to a close on Saturday. -
A new pilot program is using Artificial Intelligence to try to improve recycling. Advocates say steps like this can help people make sure they’re only throwing recyclables in their blue bins; critics, though, worry about privacy, among other concerns.
