AAPlasma is proud to announce that we have been chosen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to receive funding for our project “Non-Equilibrium Short-Pulsed Discharge for Removal of Antibiotics and Pathogens from Water used in Aquacultural Facilities” as part of their 2020 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding.

In this project, AAPlasma will be working with NOAA to design, develop, and evaluate a pulsed spark discharge system for implementation in aquacultural facilities to prevent the proliferation of waterborne pathogenic microbes and to dissociate antibiotics.

The increasing amount of aquacultural activities around the world has also led to amplified antimicrobial action and, in some instances, heavy use of antibiotics. Although most countries with a significant aquaculture industry exercise responsible controlling action, there is still some concern over prophylactic use of antibiotics, rather than anaphylactic use, increasing the potential for proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in aquacultural environments.

AAPlasma is proud to be searching for innovative ways to address these concerns, and we thank NOAA for the opportunity to do so.