Case Studies

A key client sought to conduct a radiovalidation study that required the extraction of radiolabelled pesticides from soil. The client requested to incorporate a specific piece of equipment into the pesticide extraction methodology that Battelle Crop Protection did not own. In addition, scientific research available on the use of this equipment was limited. What steps did Battelle Crop Protection take to address the challenge, overcome the limitations of existing techniques, and meet the clients’ requirements?

We're improving the quality of life for the 5.3 million Americans who suffer from an ABI with our innovative biofeedback device.

Learn how Battelle enabled the safe capture of 2+ million metric tons of CO2.

The University of Alaska and Battelle received an NSF award to bring together research and local people’s needs and determine what information/observations are needed to secure sustainable food supplies in near-coastal Arctic ecosystems.

Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation that uses fungi to break down and extract contaminants from the environment. However, using live fungal cultures is problematic. Battelle developed an encapsulation technology to protect the enzymes from physical and chemical degradation.

Battelle's combined metagenomic and metaproteomic analytical approaches demonstrated how microorganisms respond to changes in the environment such as exposure to crude oil. The microbial response to crude oil was investigated using genetic sequence profiling (metagenomics) and functional protein profiling (metaproteomic) to observe perturbations in microbial biodiversity and functional protein content.

While many who travel in airports are rushing to catch a flight, we take for granted the technology that keeps us safe -- the baggage scanner. An airport security screener’s ability to find weapons or explosives hidden in luggage can be affected by the visual complexity of the X-ray image. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) asked Battelle to create an objective, quantitative measure of visual complexity so that its effects on screening performance could be studied more rigorously.

A medical device manufacturer was experiencing an intermittent problem with an injection-molded plastic component. During startup, parts would come off the line with a small blister in the plastic. They came to Battelle for help in solving the mystery.

Prestige Brands, the parent company behind the Efferdent™ brand of dental appliance cleaners, wanted to extend their market opportunities by offering consumers a new on-the-go option for cleaning dentures, retainers, clear braces, and mouth guards. Prestige Brands asked Battelle to develop and test a cleaning formulation that could be impregnated into a disposable, textured wipe.

Although lead exposure among U.S. children is declining, significant exposure and subsequent effects remain and harm children disproportionately in certain communities. To address this challenge, Battelle developed a blood-lead prediction model that is applicable at the census tract level across the U.S. The model relies upon predictors available nationwide and can be applied to provide useful, population-level estimates of BLL in areas without available surveillance data.

Each year, MD+DI invites innovators, entrepreneurs, students and the broader healthcare community to submit ideas for the medical device of their dreams. The “Dare to Dream” contest asks entrants to envision a new medical device uninhibited by financial or regulatory concerns. The goal is to spur bold, innovative ideas that will push the industry to rethink what is possible in the medical device realm. Entries are judged on creativity and design, market viability and their potential impact on healthcare.

Battelle, in a joint effort with EPA, developed a methodological approach to determine the Arctic climate impacts of BC and other SLCF emissions from various regions and source sectors.

Battelle and the University of Dayton Research Institute produced small lots of SPK from commercially available Fischer-Tropsch wax to allow researchers in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to examine how variations in the SPK could affect aircraft performance.

A research-based agrochemical producer came to us with an apparently simple challenge: developing an extruded granule that dispersed as fast as spray-dried water-dispersible granules (WGs). After studying and testing a number of substitutes, the team discovered the most suitable new filler and surfactant combination—one that resulted in an extruded granule with a rapid rate of dispersion, both initially and after storage.

Petroleum-based fuels can be subject to price instability and supply chain disruptions. In order to increase national security, the U.S. Air Force wanted a 100% non-petroleum jet fuel alternative to reduce dependence on petroleum sources. Battelle worked with Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) to refine their Biofuels IsoConversion Process, a new process for converting renewable oils from plants and algae into drop-in ready to use jet fuels.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response generated hundreds of thousands of environmental data points over the course of several years. BP asked Battelle to collect all of the data generated from the response into a single database system: the Health, Safety and Environment Data Management System (HSE-DMS).

Battelle is working alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of International and Tribal Affairs to provide capacity building to Central American countries, including Ministries of Environment and Health, academic institutions, and the private and non-profit sectors to improve their management of air quality.

Battelle and AAFRF modified the SPU at AAFRF to produce 500-gallon plus lots of fuel surrogates with properties similar to next-generation bio-based aviation fuels. We used this surrogate fuel to run tests to assess the properties of the candidate alternative fuels, including physical properties, corrosion resistance, thermal stability and production quality.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security came to Battelle for help in identifying new analytical and statistical methods for characterization of Organophosphate pesticides (OPPs). OPPs are a highly toxic class of chemicals still used for agricultural purposes in many countries. Their high toxicity and wide availability could make them attractive to terrorists or criminals for use as chemical threat agents (CTAs)

Battelle's fish metabolism and bioaccumulation studies are helping agrochemical companies meet the new EU requirements for reregistration or new product registration. By combining both bioaccumulation and metabolism studies together, we can save time and money for agrochemical companies and provide all of the information they need for product registration in one well-designed study.