Fossil fuels have been the leading energy source over the past century. In addition to the environmental and climatic tolls that use of fossil fuels entails, they are limited resources and will run out eventually. Therefore, it is imperative to develop sustainable renewable-energy sources and supporting infrastructures within the next few decades. Plant-cell walls are the most abundant biomaterials on Earth, where abundant solar energy is captured and stored in the form of polysaccharides. If this abundant energy can be efficiently extracted from the polymer materials, these plant materials will serve as a viable renewable-energy source. Furthermore, use of plant cell walls as bioenergy feedstock is particularly attractive for carbon emission control because plants sequester carbon and offer net negative greenhouse emissions. However, despite extensive research, many details of the cell wall synthesis and dynamics remain unknown. Because plant-cell walls mainly consist of carbohydrates not suitable for genetic tagging, alternative imaging-based research tools are highly desirable. To address the Department of Energy (DOE) need, Hedgefog Research Inc. (HFR) proposes to develop a Quantum Enabled Non-destructive Optical Microscopy (QENOM). Adopting a light source with intrinsic quantum properties absent in âclassicalâ light sources such as lasers or LEDs, QENOM will allow in-vivo studies of biological processes occurring within tissue without causing photo-damages, thereby providing 2D/3D microscope images of the biological features in the target volume. The goal of the proposed development is to demonstrate the feasibility of the QENOM technology for use in in-vivo depth imaging of plant-cell walls. In Phase I, we plan to achieve two main objectives: (1) demonstrate that the quantum-correlated light source adopted in QENOM enables non-destructive depth imaging of biological samples relevant in plant-based bioenergy applications, and (2) develop a QENOM prototype allowing compact system integration and turn-key operation. The Phase I study will provide system performance metrics in microscopy applications with plant samples and allow development of a preliminary QENOM prototype design for the full-scale feasibility demonstration in Phase II. A viable, renewable, and sustainable domestic energy source ensures future energy security, mitigates climatic/environmental impacts, and boosts the national and global economy. To use plant walls as a viable energy source, technical challenges present in efficient conversion of lignocelluloses in plant walls into sugars/lignins need to be addressed. QENOM is a unique bioimaging tool that allows in-vivo depth imaging of plant cell walls, thereby advancing our understanding of key dynamic processes in synthesis/assembly, modification, and degradation of plant cell walls. The biofuel market is a multi-billion industry with a significant growth potential in the future as the renewable energy sources replace fossil fuels. With its vast land and favorable climate, the U.S. will be the major biofuel-producing country, which will greatly improve energy independence and trade balance. In addition to the target applications in bioenergy research, in-vivo depth imaging of biological samples/tissues is extremely important in clinical, medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research. QENOM will have a unique technical advantage in enabling prolonged in-vivo studies in these fiel
