Ocean Optics (Dunedin, FL) has named two winners of its World Cup of Applications contest concerning spectroscopy after collecting more than 40 entries from around the world. One winner used spectroscopy to gauge the faint red chlorophyll fluorescence during plant photosynthesis. The other studied the ecological impact of the interaction (polarization) of light with human-made objects.
Andreas Burkart won for “The Faint Red Glow of Photosynthesis,” and a group effort submitted by Bruce Robertson won for “Polarized Light Pollution: A New Kind of Ecological Photopollution”. Contest winners have won a trip for four to Ocean Optics’ Florida headquarters this fall for the opening of its new application lab.
In the spirit of global teamwork exemplified by the summer FIFA World Cup, Ocean Optics invited customers to send in applications notes featuring research using its spectrometers. All entries were awarded a 5% voucher on a future purchase. From a field of tough competitors, Burkart and Robertson emerged as the grand prize winners.
Burkart’s winning entry investigated a new avenue for plant study that used spectroscopy to measure the faint red chlorophyll fluorescence present during photosynthesis (see photo). To apply this method in remote field locations, Burkart paired inexpensive open source microcontrollers with Ocean Optics’ spectrometers, creating a fully solar driven research instrument.
Robertson submitted the work of a team that also included Gábor Horváth, György Kriska, and Péter Malik. The team studied the ecological impact of the interaction (polarization) of light with human-made objects such as buildings, cars, roads and other outdoor materials. The team used Ocean Optics spectrometers to characterize different manmade light sources and their effects when shined on various objects.
The winning application notes, along with a number of additional submissions, are available.
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Photo courtesy of Andreas Burkart