Conservation X Labs Inc

TO IMPROVE THE EFFICACY, SPEED, COST, SUSTAINABILITY, AND SCALING OF CONSERVATION SOLUTIONS THROUGH HARNESSING EXPONENTIAL TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO PREVENT HUMAN-INDUCED EXTINCTION.

DNA: 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 2021 WE WERE SELECTED TO THE NIH RADX NEXT PROGRAM TO FURTHER THE ABILITY OF THE NABIT TO DETECT DISEASE. THROUGH 2021 WE PERFORMED ANALYTICAL TESTING ON OUR INSTRUMENT AND EXTENSIVE USER TESTING ON OUR KIT AND WORKFLOW. FOLLOWING THE RESULTS OF USER TESTING WE HAVE BEGUN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEST KIT AND NABIT SOFTWARE TO IMPROVE USABILITY AND PERFORMANCE. THROUGH 2022 WE EXPECT TO VERIFY CHANGES TO OUR TEST KIT AND INSTRUMENT THROUGH ADDITIONAL USER AND ANALYTICAL STUDIES TO LOCK ON DESIGNS FOR PRODUCTION. WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE OUR WORK AND DEVELOPMENT IN ADDITIONAL USECASES FOR WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING AND GLOBAL HEALTH.

SENTINEL: DURING 2021, 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.

GRAND CHALLENGES: IN EARLY 2021, CONSERVATION X LABS LAUNCED THE GLOBAL MICROFIBER INNOVATION CHALLENGE (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. THE CHALLENGE IS A GLOBAL COMPETITION AWARDING $650,000 IN PRIZES FOR TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS MICROFIBER POLLUTION. THE GOAL OF THE CHALLENGE IS TO PROVIDE PROMISING INNOVATORS WITH FUNDING AND SUPPORT TO HELP THE INNOVATIONS GET TO MARKET, BECOME FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE AND SCALE. IN JULY 2021, CONSERVATION X LABS LAUNCHED THE AMAZON ROUND OF THE ARTISANAL MINING GRAND CHALLENGE WWW.ARTISANALMININGCHALLENGE.COM FOCUSED ON SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN THE AMAZON MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SOCIALLY EQUITABLE. THE OPEN CALL CLOSED IN NOVEMBER 2021 WITH FINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED IN EARLY 2022. THE FINALIST TEAMS WILL RECEIVE UP TO $50,000 USD TO FIELD TEST THEIR SOLUTIONS OVER THE COURSE OF 6 MONTHS, DEMONSTRATE RESULTS, AND COMPETE FOR ADDITIONAL CASH PRIZES BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE. ADDITIONALLY IN NOVEMBER 2021, CONSERVATION X LABS LAUNCHED THE AMAZON COLAB WWW.ARTISANALMININGCHALLENGE.COM/COLAB, A SIX-MONTH ACCELERATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT INNOVATOR TEAMS DEVELOPING, TESTING, AND ADVANCING SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND ECOSYSTEMS IN THE AMAZON. THE FIRST COHORT TO GO THROUGH THE AMAZON COLAB WERE THE WINNERS FROM THE ORIGINAL GLOBAL COMPETITION OF THE ARTISANAL MINING GRAND CHALLENGE WHO ADAPTED AND TESTED THEIR SOLUTIONS IN THE AMAZON REGION WITH THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL PARTNERS.