Romeoville, IL — Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc. (ADT) announced in a January 29 press release that the company has been awarded the first phase of a three-year, $4.8 million contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop diamond-based sensors for the real-time detection of water-based chemical and biological agents.
According to ADT, the project’s goal is to develop miniature devices to protect first responders during a terrorist event by detecting waterborne pathogens, bacterial agents, and toxins such as E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella. Project collaborators include the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
ADT said its nanostructured diamond, known as UNCD®, will be used to make diamond devices that are extremely sensitive detectors of chemical and biological agents. The company says diamond forms a stable and exceptionally strong bond with biomolecules in water. The end result will be a portable, reusable sensor.
The DTRA, a combat support agency of the US Department of Defense, is assigned to safeguard the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction by providing ways to reduce, eliminate, and counter threats, and mitigate their effects.
To read the full press release, click here.
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