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Brookings Company Wins Federal Research Projects

Microconversion Technologies, a research and development company located in Brookings, recently was awarded a $200,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award from the United States Department of Agriculture and a $100,000 Phase I award from the National Science Foundation. Both research projects involve the development of new environmental sensor technologies. "The two federal research projects will allow Microconversion Technologies to develop two new sensors that will be marketed through collaborating partners and expand our research activities," said Dr. David Galipeau President of Microconversion Technologies.

The US Department of Agriculture Phase II project will involve the development and testing of an electronic environmental monitoring system to measure five gases, humidity and temperature in swine confinement facilities. The system will be more effective and less costly than existing environmental monitoring systems. The project is being done in collaboration with another Brookings base company Rural Technologies Incorporated.

The National Science Foundation project is being done in conjunction with researchers at South Dakota State University and will involve the development of a biological sensor to detect airborne endotoxin levels. Airborne endotoxin is a major health hazard in many agricultural and industrial settings. The proposed system will provide a rapid on-site reading of the endotoxin level.

Microconversion Technologies is a research and development company developing new sensor technologies for a variety of applications. The company employs several SDSU engineering graduates and students on a full and part time basis.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a federal research and development program, which provides funding for small businesses to conduct research and development activities on innovative new technologies. Ten different federal agencies award more than $1.2 billion to small businesses annually through the program. For more information on the SBIR program contact the South Dakota SBIR Center at Dakota State University at 605-256-5555 and for more information on Microconversion Technologies contact Russ Mileham, R&D manager for the company at 605-692-3748.

"Microconversion Technologies is a example of how South Dakota technology based small businesses can compete for federal research dollars and create jobs for engineers and other graduates in South Dakota," said Dr. Mel Ustad, Director of the South Dakota SBIR Center.