NASA invests in UbiGro® quantum dot tech to boost crop yield in space and terrestrial applications
New funding from NASA will accelerate the scale-up of UbiGro® quantum dot technology for greenhouse roofing
New Mexico-based advanced materials company announced that it was recently awarded a new small business contract by NASA, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for optimisation and scale up of extruded UbiGro greenhouse films for boosting crop yield in both space and terrestrial applications. The new NASA contract leverages matching funds that were provided by private investors. Additionally, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the company a key patent on its greenhouse technology.
“Our UbiGro Inner product, which installs under the roof, has been popular with growers having shown great productivity enhancements, and now our team is excited to roll out a full-cover product, called UbiGro Cover,” said Matt Bergren, Chief Product Officer at UbiQD. “The progress that we’re making on extruded films is enabling a whole new class of products for the controlled environment agriculture industry.”
UbiGro Cover utilises a novel quantum dot (QD) polymer system developed by UbiQD that led to multiple orders of magnitude improved fluorescence sunlight durability. Historically, nanomaterials have struggled to survive the high temperatures needed for twin-screw compounding and blown film extrusion. These QD films maintain high light-conversion efficiency exceeding 90 per cent over thousands of hours of accelerated aging. Plant trials are underway, and the benefits are expected to be as good or better than those seen with UbiGro Inner. The work builds on previous NASA funding and may also benefit other applications, including solar.
“We’re grateful to have the continued support of NASA and investors, particularly at a time when our patent portfolio is expanding and the industry is urgently needing energy efficiency,” said Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD Founder and CEO. “Growers have been asking for UbiGro Cover, and we’re excited to deliver.”
New funding from NASA will accelerate the