March 2, 2009: Advanced BioNutrition Corp. and the US Geological Survey are looking to partner on a project that would evaluate whether a nanotechnology product can control flying carp in Wisconsin waterways, according to a report in the Onalaska Holmen Courier-Life.

According to the report, a USGS biologist asked the Lake Onalaska Protection and Rehabilitation District if it could test MicroMatrix, a nanotech-based product that delivers a range of bioactive compounds in animals and human foods, at its French Island facility to see if it will work with flying carp and other aquatic invasive species.

The USGS, however, doesn’t have the roughly $3 million it would cost to fund the first year of the three- to five-year study.

“We could do it on a small scale basis in-house, but for large scale research, we need more staff and resources,” USGS biologist Randy Hines was quoted as saying. “The beauty of it is it has the ability to target the species and a particular part of the body and not affect other species.”

The paper said that, despite lack of funding, Advanced BioNutrition is still building a working prototype the USGS can test. Meanwhile, local officials are writing letters to their congressional representatives to see if they can get funding.