LANCASTER, Penn., Feb. 23 -- NanoSciences Corp. has been awarded a $70,000 Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from NASA to develop a solar-blind, ultra-violet sensitive photocathode. This work will be an extension of NanoSciences' comprehensive research and development program to produce advanced, miniature optical detectors. This SBIR research effort proposes to use the III-V aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) as a photocathode for use in highly sensitive, solar-blind photomultipliers. Potential applications of this device include astronomical studies in the UV, the detection of hostile missile launches, atmospheric ozone monitoring, remote sensing of earth resources, the development of covert space-based communications systems, the monitoring of flames in the presence of a hot background, combustion monitoring of gases that exhibit UV emission, biologically active UV radiation (UVR) used in medicine and agriculture and bactericidal UVR used for disinfections and decontamination.