Fluorescence is a fundamental component of scientific analysis, serving as a core measurement tool in applications ranging from environmental monitoring and field analytics to materials testing and biological and chemical detection. The Army uses fluorescence in countless ways, including detecting toxic chemicals, identifying pathogens and even tracking how materials like cement degrade in the field, just to name a few.
Combining subject-matter expertise from ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory in Vicksburg, Miss., and Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H., the team developed a novel approach – and potentially transformed innumerable scientific experiments – by building photoprotection directly into a new molecular design in a way that dramatically increases the durability of fluorescence.