Recipient Organization
CELLACURE, LLC
3630 PEACHTREE RD NE UNIT 3206
ATLANTA,GA 303261562
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The global agriculture industry is hampered by persistent pest infestations and climate-induced adversities, leading to considerable yield reductions. While effective, current pest management solutions foster environmental degradation and adversely affect nontarget organisms. Leveraging nanotechnology from recycled industrial wastes (such as chicken feathers) and innovative manufacturing technologies offers an avenue to develop responsive, controlled-release nano-biopesticides-based peptides that can precisely target pests while being environmentally responsible.Our Objectives:Produce intelligent nano biopesticide formulations emphasizing controlled release mechanisms responsive to pH/Glutathione variations.Validate the formulations through rigorous field trials targeting multiple crops and pathogens to ensure efficiency and environmental safety.Evaluate Market Reception and Socio-Economic Impact of the Technology, including Environmental ImpactOur endeavor encompasses synthesizing preliminary nano bioformulations, leveraging keratinous extracts as nanoscale delivery platforms harmonized with active nano-elements of sulfur, copper, potassium, and their hybrids. Through systematic field evaluations, we aspire to establish the reliability of these formulations, ensuring a controlled release responsive to pH/Glutathione fluctuations and providing innovative pest management while minimizing environmental repercussions. We will focus on diseases such as funguses (powdery mildew, down mildew, gummy stem blight, Alternaria) and bacteria spots. We envisage the formulations will redefine pest control, significantly enhancing efficacy while curtailing adverse environmental and health impacts. The endeavor aims to foster a paradigm shift towards intelligent, responsive, and eco-friendly pest control solutions.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
40%
Developmental
60%
Goals / Objectives
Project Goal StatementThe primary goal of this SBIR/STTR proposal is to further develop, refine, and authenticate sustainable nano biopesticides. These biopesticides will utilize a core of nano-sulfur (nS), nano-potassium (nK), and nano-copper oxide (nCuO) enveloped by keratinous extracts, such as keratin protein shells and amino acids collectively referred to as the nanoprobe.The nanoprobe shells are specifically designed to be responsive to pH and glutathione levels, creating biopesticides that provide targeted, on-demand defense against plant pathogens. The nanoprobe's composition and concentrations will be tailored to create sustainable and organic nano biopesticide formulations targeting fungal and bacterial plant diseases. We will test the efficacy of these formulations in vitro and in the field, selecting frompathogens such as powdery mildew, gummy stem blight, Alternaria, and bacterial spot. By the end of this proposal, we aim to identify at least one effective formulation for at least one plant disease. These innovations could introduce an effective nano biopesticide and a new approach to disease control in the organic market, where products are limited and often inefficient. By incorporating intelligent precision agriculture, we can significantly enhance sustainable practices, offering more environmentally friendly solutions with reduced human toxicity.Project ObjectivesObjective 1- Produce intelligent nano biopesticide formulations emphasizing controlled release mechanisms responsive to pH/GSH variations:Formulate and characterize nano-sulfur-potassium hybrid nanoparticles encased in keratin extracts by focusing on feathers as a source of keratin (nKS-Keratin).Create a variation including copper, resulting in nano sulfur-potassium-copper hybrid nanoparticles encased in keratin (nKSCu-Keratin) and nano copper-zinc hybrid nanoparticles (nCu-Zn-Keratin).Test in vitro the controlled release mechanisms of these new biopesticide formulations, which are responsive to environmental pH and glutathione (GSH) levels. This will ensure precise delivery of the active components during pathogen attacks.Produce intelligent nano biopesticide formulations to foster augmented yield and disease resistance, focusing on diseases such as powdery mildew, down mildew, gummy stem blight, alternaria, and bacteria spots.Objective 2. Validate nano bioformulation through rigorous field studies targeting multiple crops and pathogens to ensure efficiency and environmental safety:We will conduct in-vitro and field tests to assess and validate the impact of the formulations developed in Objective 1 on crop growth, yield, and the incidence and severity of pathogen infections.Conduct in-vitro tests and screen the formulations developed in Objective 1 against various pathogens, including powdery mildew, gummy stem blight, and Alternaria and bacteria spot.Conduct comprehensive field trials targeting multiple crops, selecting from tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, potatoes, and cantaloupes.The most effective formulation for an active disease identified in vitro will be used to conduct comprehensive field trials on multiple crops, including tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, potatoes, and cantaloupes.Objective 3. Evaluation of Market Reception and Socio-Economic Impact of the Technology, including Environmental Impact:Assess the market reception of the nano biopesticide technology through surveys and feedback from farmers and agricultural stakeholders.This objective encompasses organizing on-farm demonstrations to share our research findings with our grower partners.We will focus on a study that will include 5-10 farms in Florida and Georgia.Analyze the technology's socio-economic impact on sustainable farming practices, focusing on cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and benefits to crop yield and quality.Evaluate the environmental impact using a preliminary study to ensure that biopesticides contribute positively to ecological sustainability and reduce reliance on traditional chemical pesticides.Ensure the biopesticides meet the EPA standards for organic products and provide a comparable efficiency in inhibiting the pathogens as the marketed products.Conduct preliminary predictions of expected toxicity levels using data obtained from initial field tests of Objective 2. Comprehensive field experiments are necessary and envisioned for possiblePhase 2 SBIR.Conduct human toxicity tests on human cells using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide, also known as the MTT viability assay. Comprehensive animal toxicity studies using mouse models (cutaneous and systematic toxicity) are also planned in a possible Phase 2. EPA will seek approval based on the data collected to ensure the product meets all regulatory standards.Project Budget and TimeLineThe budget for achieving these studies is $174,924. The proposed project start date is 7/1/24, with an end date of 3/1/25. The project aims to offer at least one thoroughly validated, smart nanoformulation for at least one plant disease.Additionally, since the formulation's activenanoprobes contain elements essential for plant nutrition (such as K, S, and protein Keratin), we expect that the formulation of the result proposal willintroduce a new level of dual-modal plant protection and nutrition products; thus,minimizing chemical use and enhancing crop resilience,these innovations could promote ecological balance and significantly advance sustainable agriculture.These innovations are currently patent pending worldwide. Therefore,it ensures our novel technologies are protected and can be commercialized globally, providing a competitive edge and fostering wider adoption. By securing intellectual property rights, we aimed to ensure the sustainability and scalability of our solutions in the agricultural sector.
Project Methods
MethodsProject Conduct and Scientific Methods:The project will be conducted through a series of well-defined phases:1. Formulation Development:• Synthesize nKS-Keratin, nKSCu-Keratin, nCu-Zn-Keratin, pH/GSH responsive pH/Glutathione nanoprobes using state-of-the-art patent-pending technologies to create intelligent nano-biopesticides formulations. For instance, 3 nm nKSKeratin nanoprobes - First, different Keratin peptides and amino acids compositions will be extracted from raw feathers. Then, they will be complexed with nano potassium, and/or nano sulfur, and/or nano copper or/and zinc using a patented integrated approach developed in our lab, currently pending patent application worldwide. Briefly, extraction liquids will be formulated with potassium hydroxide and sulfur following a weight ratio 1:0.5 and subjected to a heat treatment at 80°C for 20 minutes to create K2S liquids. In a standard reaction, these liquids will be combined with raw feathers, facilitating the extraction of keratin at 60°C over 30 minutes. This extraction method yields functionalized keratins and amino acids. Notably, the K2S liquids react with the extracted keratin throughout the extraction process, forming an oligoPotassiumSH-Keratin matrix. For nKS-Keratin synthesis, nitric acid of various concentrations will be added to the reaction to produce ultra-small 1-5 nm nanoparticles. For the organic market, Citric acid can be used to reduce the nanoscale. A similar procedure will be used for nKSCu-Keratin and nCu-Zn-Keratin, except that copper salt and zn salt will be added to the liquid resulting from the extraction, followed by nitric acid of a certain concentration,by our patent.• Optimization: We will fine-tune the composition and concentration of the reaction components to achieve a maximum concentration of stable nutrients in the formulation. Obtaining a high concentration of nanoparticles is crucial to reducing transportation costs. Additionally, we will optimize the composition and concentration specifically for the targeted plant diseases to improve efficiencyagainst diseases, such aspowdery mildew and bacterial spots,while avoiding unnecessary components.• Characterization: Employing techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), etc, to thoroughly characterize the nano-biopesticides.• Anticipated results, potential challenges, and alternative solutions: Our preliminary data and prior experiences in making the nanoprobes suggest that we should be able to obtain the proposed probes for the experiments proposed in Objective 1. We also anticipate that one of two approaches, with specific formulations and compositions at high yield and highly concentrated stable nanoprobes, could be determined and selected for future studies.2. Laboratory Testing on disease pathogens and human cells:• Efficacy Tests: We will conduct bioassays using standard protocols against target pathogens, such as bacterial spots, using different concentrations of our nano-biopesticide products. This will allow us to compare and determine the most optimal concentration, composition, and conditions for efficacy. Traditional pesticides will be used as a control for comparison. The most optimal conditions identified from these bioassays will be further tested in field studies to validate their real-world effectiveness.• Toxicity Assessment: We will assess the formulations' safety profile using a standard MTT assay to ensure they are safe for potential human exposure. This will support preliminary data gathering on human toxicity to inform comprehensive studies planned for Phase II.3. Field Trials:•Pilot Testing: We will evaluate the formulations of Objective 1 for their efficacy in controlling disease in crops selected from tomato,cantaloupe, squash, cucumber, and potato. We will focus on diseases targeting both fungal and bacterial plant diseases. First, the formulations resulting in Objective 1 will be tested in vitro and screen the efficiency onselected funguses (powdery mildew, down mildew, gummy stemblight, Alternaria) and bacteria spots. The most optimal concentration formulation and disease responsivenessresulting from the in-vitro studies will be thoroughly tested in the field. The studies will be conducted using standard protocolsat U.G.A., Tifton, and the Universityof Florida, Gainesville. The effect of these compounds on disease incidence, severity, yield, and quality will be assessed. We expect to develop at least one formulation against at least one plant disease.•Anticipated results, potential challenges, and alternative solutions include several high-risk experiments. Filed trials and quantitative efficiency approaches are challenging areas. We expect to refine the composition and detailed evaluations at Objective 2. We hope to develop at least one formulation with an equal efficiency capability to the control using significantly lower concentrations. Previous data suggested that concentrations up to 100 times lower than traditional pesticides can be used effectively.4. Data Analysis and Evaluation:• Statistical Analysis: The proposed project will use standard methods for statistical analysis. Most studies involve one-two and three-way ANOVA for comparison. We estimate the total number of tests performed and use Bonferroni adjustments to control type I errors. We target a = 5% and 80% power throughout. A difference will be statistically significant when a P value is < 0.05. Statistical power will be estimated using ANOVA with repeated measurements such as the Student's t-test, Fisher's, and the Mann-Whitney test.• Environmental Impact Assessment: Evaluating the preliminary effects that the resulting products could have on the environment. Note that due to limited funds, we can not fully assess the environmental impact. Note, focus on potential Phase 2.• Economic Analysis: Assessing cost-effectiveness and scalability for commercial viability. Preliminary analysis.5. Educational Outreach:• Experiential Learning for Farmers and Partnership with Farmers: We will provide at least five farmers from UGA and UF with selected products and provide hands-on training opportunities through field days and demonstration projects. The application included stakeholder letters approving participationin the project.6. Extension and Outreach:• Publications: We will secure patents with any innovations that arise from this project.• Partnerships: Collaborating with UGA and UF's agricultural extension services to extend the reach of project outcomes beyond our participating farmers.7. Evaluation Plan:Milestones and Indicators of Success:• Formulation Success: Development of at least two nano-biopesticide formulations, one targeting fungi and bacteria spot• Fiels Trial Efficacy Milestones: Achieving comparable or better pest control at significantly lower concentrations than traditional pesticides and, if not lower, costs - comparative costs. Having at least one formulation for the organic market.• Toxicity Milestones: Demonstrating lower toxicity in human cells using MTT assays.Types of Evaluation Studies:• Quantitative Studies: Measuring the percentage reduction in pesticide usage, yield improvements, and cost savings.• Qualitative Studies: Gather feedback from participating farmers and other stakeholders to assess knowledge transfer and practical application.Data Collection:• Performance Data: Collecting and analyzing pest control efficacy, environmental impact, and economic viability data.• Impact Assessment: Evaluating changes in farming practices, nano-biopesticide adoption rates, and overall impact onagricultural productivity and sustainability.