QBI was awarded a DOE small business grant to develop a customizable biosensor platform that uses fluorescent microbial sensor strains to continuously monitor water for nutrient contaminants, including nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and phosphorus. In Phase II, we are working with the SLAC Groundwater Quality SFA to deploy our sensor for real-time environmental monitoring as well as with Commercial Algae Management to demonstrate the value our sensor can bring to a “smart dosing” system for commercial algae operations.

The mission of the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program is to support transformative science and scientific user facilities to achieve a predictive understanding of complex biological, earth, and environmental systems for energy and infrastructure security and resilience. Gaining a predictive understanding of biological processes will enable design and reengineering of microbes and plants for improved energy resilience and sustainability, including improved biofuels and bio-products, improved carbon storage capabilities, and controlled biological transformation of materials such as nutrients and contaminants in the environment.