Case Studies

Integration and harmonization of NEON data products with NASA's SMAP's GV Program will help us to understand and predict how our planet functions and evolves, and allow us to pursue new ways of living, doing business, growing our economies, providing food security, and escaping poverty.

NEON Science Team staff have developed a tutorial to walk data users through the process of how to find quality flag data, how to interpret the results of the many quality tests that NEON data are subjected to, how to determine if the quality flagged data are suitable for their research objectives, and how to filter out unwanted data from their research.

Mounting six solenoid valves in a tight space requires a carefully designed manifold. Battelle manufacturing and design worked together to simplify the design to a flat block / hexahedron to eliminate machining setups and ease assembly. Reduced the cost of this component by over 60%.

As part of its mission to establish a sustainable energy mix for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) conducted the Renewable Resource Monitoring and Mapping (RRMM) Program. Battelle supported the RRMM Program and established a field monitoring network for solar resources, airborne dust and meteorological conditions, and building the capacity of host government staff to sustainably operate the network and share the data publicly.

Managing contaminated sediments requires accurate measurement of contaminant levels over time to evaluate risks to aquatic organisms and to monitor cleanup efforts. Passive sampling offers an alternative that allows easier and more accurate measurement of the dissolved contaminants, provides lower detection limits, and eliminates the cost of transporting large and heavy samples back to the lab.

Gynecological cancers—including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancers—are responsible for nearly 100,000 new diagnoses and more than 30,000 deaths in the United States annually. Battelle researchers designed and executed the study to evaluate the process, reach and ultimate outcomes of the CDC campaign.

Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) encompass a broad group of chemicals including flame retardants, plasticizers and stain-resistant fabric treatments, which are added to various consumer products. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to better understand whether exposure to SVOCs from fabrics and other articles of commerce could impact human health.

The Battelle team decided that the best and swiftest course of action was to develop a minimum work program to gain access to a complete European regulatory data package. A detailed gap analysis, along with a letter of access to vertebrate studies, supported the new product registrations in the European marketplace.

Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARCs) have long been used to protect infrastructure, vehicles and equipment from chemical agents such as mustard gas and nerve agents (saran or VX) in combat zones. Battelle develops smart, functional surfaces to solve specific problems for our clients.

NASA formed a collaboration with Battelle to add the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) field sites to its SMAP Soil Moisture validation network.

CMS needs quality measures that can be used to determine the value of a treatment or service. These quality measures define the patient population and characteristics, the treatment or service provided and the expected outcomes for the treatment or service. With hundreds of measures in need of development, CMS came to Battelle to find a better way.

Each year, more than 640 million passengers board domestic flights in the U.S. alone, according to Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). Battelle responded to air travel authority needs by developing one of the most advanced bottle liquid scanners in the world, which can detect and alert security personnel to flammables, acids, and explosive liquids, aerosols, and gels within seconds.

Battelle conducted a baseline (pre-dredge) sediment characterization in 2006 and follow-up monitoring surveys during dredging, immediately after dredging, and for five years after remediation. Researchers examined multiple lines of evidence to monitor recovery and track the fate and transport of contaminants through the environment.

As scientists seek to further understand Earth’s natural systems and its interaction with human systems, a plethora of monitoring data have been produced. The GEO User Interface Committee approached Battelle to conduct a meta-analysis of existing documentation of users’ needs for Earth observations.

Battelle played a critical role in helping our nation fulfill our commitment to the timely disposal of stored CWAs by developing the new lewisite detection method, thereby helping keep the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility closure on schedule. Any delays in the destruction of lewisite could have cost the U.S. Army considerable amounts of money, not to mention additional scrutiny from the international community.

The high-profile Zika virus outbreak in 2016 proved that the disease causes serious birth defects in humans and highlighted an immediate need for an approved vaccine. Based on our successful track record in vaccine testing, Battelle was chosen to evaluate the systemic toxicity, local tolerability and immunogenicity of a Biopharma company’s purified recombinant protein vaccine candidate. The vaccine was under a clinical hold order from the FDA, which prevented it from going to clinical study in humans.

As national security threats evolve, so must scientific and diagnostic approaches to human DNA identification and characterizations. Our highly skilled scientists devoted hundreds of hours to research, testing, and evaluating genome sequencing methods and platforms to accelerate human (and even microbial) identification. Our unique approach allows us to genotype STR loci on next-generation, high-throughput sequencing technology platforms, like Illumina.

An existing fleet of mobile labs needed updated equipment and supplies, from high value technological scientific instruments to inexpensive consumable supplies. Battelle coordinated dynamic incoming parts from a host of vendors, ensured quality of everything from sample vials to precision instruments, and coordinated deliveries to destinations unknown until a day or two in advance.

Processing samples form an integral part of the registration pathway for pesticides, but have you ever stopped to consider how laboratories go about this vital step? Imagine trying to skin a melon that has already been frozen for transport without contaminating the flesh inside the melon with any pesticide residues that may be on the skin. Learn how Battelle handled this challenge.

Read on how Battelle was tasked with performing preclinical safety studies to determine cause of toxicity in preclinical models of a nerve agent antidote for the DOD.