NASA SBIR 00-1 SOLICITATION

FORM 9B - PROJECT SUMMARY

PROPOSAL NUMBER 00-1 10.01-9731 (Chron: 000270 )
PROJECT TITLE
An Electroporation System for Cold Water Sterilization

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The development of an electroporation system is proposed for cold sterilization of wastewater in water reclamation. Higher strength electric fields (10 KV/cm) are generated in short DC pulses for microbial cell inactivation. Electroporation employs electric fields to cause transient or permanent changes in cell membrane permeability. At higher field strengths, permanent changes result in the death or inactivation of the cell. Laboratory experimentation by the principal investigator has already demonstrated wastewater disinfection using a bench electroporator. Pulsed electric DC fields of short millisecond duration and low duty cycle (1-10 Hertz) with virtually no current result in very low power usage. Initial system development will emphasize bacterial sterilization, but the technology may be extended later to protozoal cysts and other pathogens. In Phase I, a bench-scale (0.5 inch diameter pipe) flow-through system will be designed, constructed and tested for wastewater sterilization application. The design specification for a full-scale system along with estimated capital and operating costs will also be developed for implementation in a Phase II follow-on program.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The primary initial market prospects are the 20,000 wastewater treatment plants in North America and especially 3,500 of this number that pump over 1 million gallons per day. Important potential markets also exist in drinking water treatment, cooling systems, food processing, and the microelectronics and pharmaceutical industries.

NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Kenneth Schlager
Microbial Systems, Inc.
12825 Elmwood Road
Elm Grove , WI 53122 - 1920

NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Microbial Systems, Inc
12825 Elmwood Road
Elm Grove , WI 53122 - 1920