The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. These aerosols are recognized to have a significant climatic impact through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. The accurate speciation and measurement of the composition of these aerosols is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This proposal focuses on the development of a detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. The proposed portable system will be approximately 1/10 the size and 1/5 the cost of traditional bench top analytical units and will be capable of sample collection and battery operation without the need for compressed bottled gas. The Seacoast system will integrate its proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array technology and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. The specific components will be: 1) vapor collection pump, 2) sample preconcentrator capable of being heated quickly and in stages, 3) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 4) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors or \"chemicapacitors\" and metal-oxide-based detectors, 5) integrated user interface. The system will be designed to be modular so as to allow further expansion with other sensor technologies. In addition the Seacoast system utilizes air, sampled from its environment, as a carrier gas thus requiring no bottled gas for increased portability and ease of use. The system will be capable of both gas phase (sampling from the environment) and liquid phase (from direct injection of possible source pollutants) operation.","benefits":"The product proposed here could be used to continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment. It could log the data or send the information through a secure wireless or wired internet connection if available. This development work has very broad relevance in a number of other government and civilian applications. For example, these sensors may be used in any application for monitoring a variety of chemical targets where a premium is placed on early detection. The low cost, low power consumption and small size of this technology is expected to enable penetration of market space previously inaccessible to sensor systems.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. These aerosols are recognized to have a significant climatic impact through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. The accurate speciation and measurement of the composition of these aerosols is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This proposal focuses on the development of a detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. The proposed portable system will be approximately 1/10 the size and 1/5 the cost of traditional bench top analytical units and will be capable of sample collection and battery operation without the need for compressed bottled gas. The Seacoast system will integrate its proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array technology and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. The specific components will be: 1) vapor collection pump, 2) sample preconcentrator capable of being heated quickly and in stages, 3) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 4) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors or \"chemicapacitors\" and metal-oxide-based detectors, 5) integrated user interface. The system will be designed to be modular so as to allow further expansion with other sensor technologies. In addition the Seacoast system utilizes air, sampled from its environment, as a carrier gas thus requiring no bottled gas for increased portability and ease of use. The system will be capable of both gas phase (sampling from the environment) and liquid phase (from direct injection of possible source pollutants) operation.","benefits":"The product proposed here could be used to continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment. It could log the data or send the information through a secure wireless or wired internet connection if available. This development work has very broad relevance in a number of other government and civilian applications. For example, these sensors may be used in any application for monitoring a variety of chemical targets where a premium is placed on early detection. The low cost, low power consumption and small size of this technology is expected to enable penetration of market space previously inaccessible to sensor systems.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. These aerosols are recognized to have a significant climatic impact through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. The accurate speciation and measurement of the composition of these aerosols is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This proposal focuses on the development of a detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. The proposed portable system will be approximately 1/10 the size and 1/5 the cost of traditional bench top analytical units and will be capable of sample collection and battery operation without the need for compressed bottled gas. The Seacoast system will integrate its proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array technology and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. The specific components will be: 1) vapor collection pump, 2) sample preconcentrator capable of being heated quickly and in stages, 3) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 4) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors or \"chemicapacitors\" and metal-oxide-based detectors, 5) integrated user interface. The system will be designed to be modular so as to allow further expansion with other sensor technologies. In addition the Seacoast system utilizes air, sampled from its environment, as a carrier gas thus requiring no bottled gas for increased portability and ease of use. The system will be capable of both gas phase (sampling from the environment) and liquid phase (from direct injection of possible source pollutants) operation.","benefits":"The product proposed here could be used to continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment. It could log the data or send the information through a secure wireless or wired internet connection if available. This development work has very broad relevance in a number of other government and civilian applications. For example, these sensors may be used in any application for monitoring a variety of chemical targets where a premium is placed on early detection. The low cost, low power consumption and small size of this technology is expected to enable penetration of market space previously inaccessible to sensor systems.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. Aerosols are recognized to significantly impact the climate through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. Accurate speciation and measurement of aerosol composition is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This Phase II proposal continues development of a small, portable, detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. This Mini Gas Chromatograph collects samples and operates without the need for compressed-bottled gas by using Seacoast's proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. Specific components are: 1) sample preconcentrator/collector capable of being heated quickly, 2) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 3) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors and metal-oxide-based detectors, 4) integrated user interface. In Phase I Seacoast demonstrated that the system is capable of analyzing gas-phase and aerosolized volatile organics. In Phase II we propose to further develop the system's capabilities with a focus on improving sensitivity and collection efficiency.","benefits":"Potential government customers include researchers at the NOAA, USDA, EPA, and DOE. The product will continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment and automatically log data. This system has broad relevance for regulatory compliance and environmental research. By developing diverse sensor arrays these systems could be used for monitoring of industrial processes for both quality and process control. The resulting benefits are significant when considering the possible use of these \"electronic noses\" in any number of industries, from food processing, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, and waste handling and disposal. Consumer and food industries require methods to improve their batch-to-batch processes, reduce contaminants, and reduce off odors that come from packaging. Chemical industries need detectors for leaks of toxic or explosive vapors as well as contamination detection in process streams. Civilian applications include monitoring drinking water for MTBE, pesticides, or fuels, while military applications include detecting toxic or explosive agents in fuels.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. These aerosols are recognized to have a significant climatic impact through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. The accurate speciation and measurement of the composition of these aerosols is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This proposal focuses on the development of a detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. The proposed portable system will be approximately 1/10 the size and 1/5 the cost of traditional bench top analytical units and will be capable of sample collection and battery operation without the need for compressed bottled gas. The Seacoast system will integrate its proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array technology and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. The specific components will be: 1) vapor collection pump, 2) sample preconcentrator capable of being heated quickly and in stages, 3) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 4) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors or \"chemicapacitors\" and metal-oxide-based detectors, 5) integrated user interface. The system will be designed to be modular so as to allow further expansion with other sensor technologies. In addition the Seacoast system utilizes air, sampled from its environment, as a carrier gas thus requiring no bottled gas for increased portability and ease of use. The system will be capable of both gas phase (sampling from the environment) and liquid phase (from direct injection of possible source pollutants) operation.","benefits":"The product proposed here could be used to continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment. It could log the data or send the information through a secure wireless or wired internet connection if available. This development work has very broad relevance in a number of other government and civilian applications. For example, these sensors may be used in any application for monitoring a variety of chemical targets where a premium is placed on early detection. The low cost, low power consumption and small size of this technology is expected to enable penetration of market space previously inaccessible to sensor systems.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"The major components of manmade aerosols are created by the burning of coal and oil. Aerosols are recognized to significantly impact the climate through their effects on solar and terrestrial radiation. Accurate speciation and measurement of aerosol composition is an important first step in understanding and managing these pollutants. This Phase II proposal continues development of a small, portable, detection system specifically for the collection, speciation and identification of gas phase and aerosolized organics. This Mini Gas Chromatograph collects samples and operates without the need for compressed-bottled gas by using Seacoast's proprietary chemicapacitive sensor array and commercial sensors with a preconcentration/chromatography system, combining selectivity from a diverse sensor array with a miniature sampling system for amplified sensitivity. Specific components are: 1) sample preconcentrator/collector capable of being heated quickly, 2) capillary column to separate the chemicals released from the preconcentrator and provide selectivity, 3) the chemical sensor array containing Seacoast's chemoselective microcapacitors and metal-oxide-based detectors, 4) integrated user interface. In Phase I Seacoast demonstrated that the system is capable of analyzing gas-phase and aerosolized volatile organics. In Phase II we propose to further develop the system's capabilities with a focus on improving sensitivity and collection efficiency.","benefits":"Potential government customers include researchers at the NOAA, USDA, EPA, and DOE. The product will continuously monitor organic aerosols in the environment and automatically log data. This system has broad relevance for regulatory compliance and environmental research. By developing diverse sensor arrays these systems could be used for monitoring of industrial processes for both quality and process control. The resulting benefits are significant when considering the possible use of these \"electronic noses\" in any number of industries, from food processing, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, and waste handling and disposal. Consumer and food industries require methods to improve their batch-to-batch processes, reduce contaminants, and reduce off odors that come from packaging. Chemical industries need detectors for leaks of toxic or explosive vapors as well as contamination detection in process streams. Civilian applications include monitoring drinking water for MTBE, pesticides, or fuels, while military applications include detecting toxic or explosive agents in fuels.