**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROBLEM: MANY OF THE AGROCHEMICALS CURRENTLY IN USE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ARE INEFFICIENT; THEY DO NOT REACH THEIR TARGET PLANT, OR THEY DO NOT REACH THE CORRECT PART OF THEIR TARGET PLANT, OR THEY DO NOT REMAIN WITH THEIR TARGET PLANT FOR THE DESIRED LENGTH OF TIME. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT LESS THAN 3% OF PESTICIDES CURRENTLY IN USE ACTUALLY REACH THEIR TARGET SITE - THE REST IS LOST INTO SOILS AND WATER SYSTEMS, WHERE THEY CAN CAUSE UNINTENDED ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.SCIENCE: WE PROPOSE TO PROCESS AGROCHEMICALS INTO MICROSCOPIC CARRIERS (NANOCARRIERS) THAT WILL IMPROVE THE MOVEMENT OF THE ACTIVE AGENTS IN PLANTS. SPECIFICALLY, WE AIM TO DEVELOP NANOCARRIERS THAT WILL BE UPTAKEN INTO PLANT LEAVES AFTER FOLIAR (LEAF) DOSING AND WILL THEN MOVE TO SPECIFIED LOCATIONS IN THE PLANT (E.G. STEM OR ROOTS OR REMAINING IN THE LEAVES). WE WILL ENCAPSULATE THREE REPRESENTATIVE AGROCHEMICALS - AN ANTIBIOTIC, A HORMONE, AND A PESTICIDE - INTO NANOCARRIERS AND TRACK THEIR MOVEMENT IN TOMATO PLANTS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE CAN CONTROL UPTAKE AND TRAFFICKING. WE WILL USE A LARGE-SCALE COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD OF FORMULATING NANOCARRIERS USING BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS.IMPACT: A SCALABLE BIODEGRADABLE NANOCARRIER FORMULATION APPLIED AS A STANDARD AGRICULTURAL FOLIAR SPRAY THAT EFFECTIVELY PROMOTES AGROCHEMICAL UPTAKE THROUGH LEAVES WOULD BE A CRITICAL BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PRACTICAL AND ECONOMICAL ADMINISTRATION OF AGROCHEMICALS. WE HERE WILL TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING A SYSTEM TO PRODUCE SUCH NANOCARRIERS.