I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Novel Soil Microbial Activity Sensor

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is based on the development of a novel soil microbial activity sensor technology to assist in determining soil health in real-time. Soil health is a key factor underlying the productivity of global agricultural systems and the stability of natural ecosystems. Gaining insights into microbial decomposition is useful for understanding soil function, evaluating nutrient cycling, and ensuring stable agricultural outputs. By providing continuous measurements of soil microbial decomposition, the technology is may enable precision land management practices that promote soil health, improve farm economics, and help to ensure long-term productivity. This project will evaluate potential business opportunities for the developed sensors within various market sectors including in agriculture and forestry. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of a novel soil sensor technology that enables continuous, electronic, in-field monitoring of microbially-driven organic carbon decomposition processes. This innovation utilizes a composite conductive material prepared from the combination of a biodegradable biopolymer binder and carbon micro-particles to create resistors which are dynamically responsive to microbial activity. This material can be formulated into ink and deposited onto substrates using a readily scalable screen-printing technique for the manufacture of sensors. When this material is exposed to biologically active environments, the biopolymer binder is degraded by microbial activity, leading to an increase in the electrical resistance of the material. The observed rate of resistance change provides a directly measure of microbial decomposition activity. This approach provides a straightforward signal with a large resistance change (up to 10x) and as such, the sensors require only simple, low-cost, readily deployable electronic systems for readout. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.