Browse Technologies

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A multinational research team, led by Dr. L. J. Zwiebel of Vanderbilt University, has identified new compounds with potential as insect repellents. These compounds work by capitalizing on knowledge of how insect odorant receptors detect and respond to scents. Medicinal chemistry efforts have yielded a number of novel compounds that could short-circuit the insect olfactory system, essentially by over-stimulation, to effectively mask attractive odors. These compounds could be used to repel nuisance and disease-carrying insects away from humans and animals, as well as repel agricultural pests from crops or food storage facilities. Vanderbilt University is seeking commercial partners to develop the technology for agricultural uses.

In this technology diffraction-based sensors made from porous materials are used for the detection of small molecules. The porous nature of the diffraction gratings that gives rise to an extremely large active sensing area enables a very high level of sensitivity. Specificity is achieved by functionalizing the porous gratings with selective binding species.

Surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) exhibit extraordinary properties both as solvents and superior surfactants. However, existing SAILs have limitations that prevent their full potential from being realized. To address this, researchers at Vanderbilt have synthesized a promising chiral SAIL that can be used as a detergent or stabilizing agent at all kinds of interfaces and is made from an inexpensive and biodegradable starting material.