Engineering Research Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering

该奖项在蒙大拿州立大学建立了一个界面微生物过程工程工程研究中心，由William G. Characklis教授担任主任。该中心的长期目标是建立一个国家资源，以满足美国工业界处理界面微生物过程中的技术问题和机会的创业需求。该中心的研究项目将首先解决工业生物技术的具体需求，重点是与更有效地生产能源、材料和化学品、农业和更清洁的环境有关的大批量/低价值产品的加工。中心的基础研究将集中在以下几个领域：(1)表面和界面微生物现象的分析，以及表面生命的生物范式的发展；(2)界面结构与生物功能之间的关系；(3)表面基本生物相互作用的过程工程模型的发展。以跨学科系统为导向的研究策略是针对以下技术目标：(1)发展原位微传感器和微生物传感器，以确定界面环境中的时空化学梯度；(2)改进图像分析方法和相关显微镜技术，以提供界面上基本聚集体的时空组成信息；(3)模拟建模，为实验设计提供依据，弥合微尺度和中尺度实验结果与宏观尺度应用之间的差距。将从实验和工业数据中创建数据库，为模拟提供参数。该中心将为研究生和本科生开发一个跨学科的学术项目，以激发学生熟练掌握新兴的微生物过程工程领域。辅修界面微生物过程工程博士学位。该中心将通过扩大蒙大拿州立大学现有的项目，建立一个强大的产业合作项目。作为合作伙伴，爱达荷国家工程实验室（INEL）将参与研究和教育活动。国内其他大学和机构将在中心没有特殊技能的特定领域提供研究合作。

This award establishes an Engineering Research Center on Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering at the Montana State University with Prof. William G. Characklis as Director. The long term goal of the Center is to institute a national resource to meet the entrepreneurial needs of the U.S.industry dealing with the technological problems and opportunities in interfacial microbial processes. The research programs of the Center will initially address the specific needs of industrial biotechnology which focus on processing of high-volume/low-value products related to more efficient production of energy, materials and chemicals, agriculture and, a cleaner environment. The Center's fundamental research will be directed to the following collective areas: (1) analysis of microbiological phenomena at surfaces and interfaces, and the development of biological paradigms of life on surfaces, (2) the relationship between interfacial structure and biological function and, (3) advancement of process engineering models for fundamental biological interactions at surfaces. The cross-disciplinary system oriented research strategy is directed to the following technological objectives: (1) development of in situ microsensors and microbiosensors to define spatial and temporal chemical gradients in the interface environment, (2) refinement of methods for image analysis and related microscopy techniques to provide information of spatial and temporal composition of the basic aggregates at the interfaces and, (3) simulation modeling to provide the basis of experimental design to bridge the gap between microscale and mesoscale experimental findings and macroscale applications. Databases will be created from experimental and industrial data to provide parameters for the simulations. The Center will develop a cross-disciplinary academic program for graduates and undergraduates to stimulate the students to be skilled in the emerging field of microbial process engineering. A minor in Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering at the Ph.D. level will be implemented. The Center will build a strong industrial collaboration program by expanding the existing program at the Montana State University. As a partner, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) will participate in the research and educational activities. Other universities and institutions in the country will provide research collaboration in selective areas where special skills are not available at the Center.