** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CARNAUBA WAX IS THE PREMIER MATERIAL FOR WATERPROOFING AND PRESERVATION OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THIS CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL IS AN EXPENSIVE IMPORT COMMODITY WITH UNIQUE COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES. FEW REPORTS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED AND MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT ITS COMPOSITION AND THE ROLES OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS THAT LEAD TO THE DESIRABLE HARD, LUSTROUS, AND HIGH-MELTING PROPERTIES. UNDERSTANDING THE MATERIAL'S CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS ON THE NANO- AND MICRO-SCALE, AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES CAN ENABLE US TO DEVELOP DOMESTIC FAT- AND OIL-BASED ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE FEASIBLE TO PRODUCE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL FOCUS ON STUDYING AND MODELING CARNAUBA WAX'S COMPOSITION AND COMPONENT INTERACTIONS, FORMULATING TUNABLE BIOBASED SUBSTITUTES, AND TESTING THE COATING PERFORMANCE OF THE RESULTING TECHNOLOGIES ON CITRUS FRUIT. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS RESEARCH WILL LEAD TO FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF LIPID PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, CRYSTAL ENGINEERING, AND FORMULATION OF HIGH-PERFORMING GREEN WAXES FOR APPLICATIONS BEYOND FRUIT COATING. THIS POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGH WILL REDUCE RELIANCE ON EXPENSIVE CARNAUBA WAX IMPORTS SINCE ITS DEMAND EXTENDS BEYOND THE FOOD, PHARMACEUTICAL, AND COSMETIC INDUSTRIES. THE TUNABLE PROPERTIES OF BIOBASED WAXES WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR REPLACEMENT OF PETROLEUM-BASED PRODUCTS, CONTRIBUTING TO A SUSTAINABLE AND GREEN ECONOMY. GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS WILL BE TRAINED TO BECOME INDUSTRY LEADERS WHO WILL FURTHER ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF BIOBASED PRODUCTS.