AAPlasma is proud to announce that we have been chosen by the NOAA to receive Phase II funding to continue our project “Non-Equilibrium Short-Pulsed Discharge for Removal of Antibiotics and Pathogens from Water used in Aquacultural Facilities” as part of their 2021 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding.

With proof-of-concept validated in Phase I of this project, AAPlasma will continue working with NOAA in Phase II to construct, optimize, and field-test a pilot-scale plasma system capable of using nonthermal plasma to treat water at industrial aquacultural volumes.

The increasing amount of aquacultural activities around the world has also led to amplified antimicrobial action and, in some instances, heavy use of antibiotics, increasing the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquacultural environments. Additionally, higher stresses on aquacultural facilities have amplified the number of pathogens and organic toxins that threaten fish, bivalves, and other aquatic organisms of interest. Many water treatment processes can lyse bacteria, yet intact remnants of pathogenic genes are often released into the environment, eventually being taken up by other cells through natural transformation.

With proof-of-concept validated in Phase I of this project, nonthermal plasma has emerged as a potential solution to this problem with its ability to reduce these residual genetic remnants. AAPlasma is proud to be searching for these innovative ways to address such concerns, and we thank NOAA for the opportunity to continue to do so.