BOZEMAN, Mont. - Montana Biotech Corporation (MBC) of Belgrade, Montana, recently signed an agreement with NASA¹s Ames Research Center (NASA-Ames) in Mountain View, California, to study new biological compounds for use in future optical information processing systems. The agreement, which was brokered by the MSU TechLink Center in Bozeman, enables MBC and NASA-Ames to jointly evaluate the photo-optical properties of compounds extracted from MBC¹s extensive collection of microorganisms.

MBC specializes in developing commercial products from microorganisms living in extreme environments, such as boiling, acidic, or sulfur hot springs. Company researchers find and analyze organisms (³extremophiles²) from these extreme environments, isolate their unique compounds, and develop commercial products from these compounds. Examples of products include antioxidants and antifungals for the biomedical market and environmental remediation agents for treating acid rock drainage. MBC has one of the world¹s largest collections of extremophiles.

NASA Ames researchers have been investigating the optical properties of a photoactive material called bacteriorhodopsin (BR), which is found in the purple membrane of a bacterium living in salt marshes. Some of the desirable properties of BR films include microsecond-speed writing and erasing using visible light; the ability to withstand millions of write/erase cycles without degradation; and very high spatial resolution. Approximately 1,000 line pairs can be resolved on a surface no wider than a human hair.

One shortcoming of BR is its limited range of spectral sensitivity. The focus of the research involving MBC and NASA-Ames is to investigate compounds from other extremophiles that may have improved spectral sensitivity and other superior photo-optical properties. Potential NASA and commercial applications include real-time holography, very high speed computer systems, and improved optical sensors.

This agreement is the third project that MSU TechLink has established between Montana Biotech and various NASA research centers. TechLink is funded by NASA to partner companies in Montana and the surrounding region with NASA centers for joint research and technology transfer. Its overriding purpose is to contribute to the success of both high-tech companies and traditional resource-based industries in the state and region.

Contact:
Dr. Will Swearingen
TechLink
(406) 994-7704
wds@montana.edu

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