Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    NUCLEIC ACID BARCODE IDENTIFICATION TOOL (NABIT): FORMERLY THE DNA BARCODE SCANNER, CONSERVATION X LABS HAS BEEN DEVELOPING ON A PORTABLE, BATTERY-POWERED, RAPID, LOW-COST TOOL TO PERMIT DETECTION OF A DNA OR RNA TARGET IN THE FIELD WITHOUT THE USE OF A LAB, REAGENTS, EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT, OR SPECIALIZED TRAINING OR EXPERTISE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TOOL WILL ENABLE THOSE AT THE FRONT LINES OF CONSERVATION AND PLANETARY HEALTH - INSPECTORS, ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, AND PARK RANGERS, TO PERFORM ON-SITE DETECTION USING DNA OR RNA BARCODES - SHORT GENE SEQUENCES, SUCH AS THE CO1 GENE, THAT CORRESPOND TO A SPECIES OR STRAIN IDENTITY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TOOL HAS FOCUSED APPLICATIONS IN COMBATTING ILLEGAL TIMBER AND WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING, MAINTAINING TRACEABILITY IN SUPPLY CHAINS, AND DETECTING PATHOGENS AND INVASIVE SPECIES USING ENVIRONMENTAL DNA OR RNA. IN 2020, WE HAVE BEEN IMPROVING THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR FULLY FUNCTIONAL HAND-HELD PROTOTYPE AND TRANSLATING THE DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING. WE HAVE ALSO PREPARED MULTIPLE REPLICATES OF THIS PROTOTYPE IN PREPARATION FOR ANALYTICAL STUDIES AND USER STUDIES TO BENCHMARK ITS PERFORMANCE.WE PLAN TO CONDUCT THESE ANALYTIC STUDIES AND REFINE THE USABILITY OF THIS TOOL AND THE ACCOMPANYING TEST KITS THROUGH 2021, COMPLETING DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING AND GEARING UP FOR A PRODUCT LAUNCH IN 2022.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $2.3M

  • Program 2 [2020]

    GARAGE: DURING 2020, CXL'S ENGINEERING TEAM - THE GARAGE - CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF A CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY TOOL - THE SENTINEL. THE SENTINEL IS A PLUGIN PRODUCT TO TURN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENTAL DATA LOGGERS (CAMERA TRAPS, ACOUSTIC RECORDERS) INTO SMART IOT DEVICES WITH THE POWER TO RUN COMPUTER VISION MODELS LOCALLY WITH LOW BATTERY PROCESSING POWER. ESSENTIALLY, WE CAN LEARN ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN CAPTURED IN AN IMAGE OF AN ANIMAL BEFORE WE HAVE EVEN LOOKED AT THE IMAGE ITSELF WITH HUMAN EYES. THIS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED HARDWARE DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND MARKET RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS.OTHER PROGRAMS: CONSERVATION X LABS IN 2020 HAD A NUMBER OF OTHER PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE CONTINUATION OF THE GLOBAL COOLING PRIZE. WHICH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, IS A PRIZE FOR A FIVE-FOLD INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY OF IN ROOM AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, WHICH IF ADOPTED, WOULD RESULT IN A .5 DEGREE CELSIUS REDUCTION IN GLOBAL WARMING BY 2100. CONSERVATION X LABS ALSO CONTINUED WORK AROUND ADDRESSING THE EXTINCTION THREAT OF INVASIVE SPECIES THROUGH INNOVATION THROUGH SETTING UP ITS OWN ENGINEERING LABROTORY IN WASHINGTON DC (THE GARAGE), PARTNERING WITH MULTIPLE US UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING DUKE UNIVERSITY, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY AND GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY. FINALLY, CONSERVATION X LABS CONTINUED ITS WORK ON LAUNCHING A PROGRAM TO TRANSFORM THE FIELD OF CONSERVATION BY CHANGING HOW THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATIONISTS ARE TRAINED. SPECIFICALLY, TO SHIFT CONSERVATION FROM A PASSIVE DESCRIPTIVE SCIENCE TO A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED FIELD THAT WILL HELP CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $573.8K

  • Program 3 [2020]

    GRAND CHALLENGES: IN EARLY 2020, CONSERVATION X LABS RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THE GLOBAL MICROFIBER INNOVATION CHALLENGE WWW.MICROFIBERINNOVATION.ORG (ANNOUNCED IN 2020, LAUNCHED IN 2021). AHEAD OF LAUNCHING THE MICROFIBER INNOVATION CHALLENGE, OUR TEAM BUILT A COALITION OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND DESIGNED THE PROCESS TO ADMINISTER THE COMPETITION. CONSERVATION X LABS CONCLUDED THE ARSX2020 CHALLENGE IN MAY 2020 CONSERVATIONXLABS.COM/ARSX. ARSX2020 WAS A COMPETITION INTERNAL TO USDA ARS TO SUPPORT INNOVATIONS THAT ADDRESS DISRUPTIVE AGRICULTURAL PESTS AND PATHOGENS. IN OCTOBER 2020, CONSERVATION X LABS CONCLUDED THE FIRST ROUND OF THE GLOBAL ARTISANAL MINING GRAND CHALLENGE BY ANNOUNCING FIVE PRIZE-WINNING TEAMS (WWW.ARTISANALMININGCHALLENGE.COM/PREVIOUS-ROUND). IN 2020 WE FUNDRAISED FOR A SECOND ROUND OF THE ARTISANAL MINING GRAND CHALLENGE. AT THE CLOSING EVENT OF THE FIRST ROUND OF THIS CHALLENGE IN OCTOBER, WE ANNOUNCED THE ARTISANAL MINING GRAND CHALLENGE: THE AMAZON, WWW.ARTISANALMININGCHALLENGE.COM. AHEAD OF LAUNCHING THE AMAZON-FOCUSED CHALLENGE, OUR TEAM ADAPTED THE DESIGN TO REACH MORE INNOVATORS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AMAZON REGION. THESE GRAND CHALLENGE COMPETITIONS HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM ENTIRE FIELDS AND CREATE WHOLE NEW FIELDS AND COMMUNITIES OF INVENTORS TO SUPPORT SOLUTIONS. THEY ARE COMPETITIONS THAT PAY FOR PERFORMANCE MECHANISMS THAT ALLOW US TO FOCUS GLOBAL ATTENTION ON A PROBLEM, AND ATTRACT NEW SOLVERS, NEW IDEAS, NEW DISCIPLINES, AND NEW SOLUTIONS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.6M