Presidential Young Investigator Award

将重点开展可再生资源和废物处理方面的研究。生命系统的能力将在这一背景下进行探索，采用综合的方法，利用工程、生物和化学原理。一个特别的重点是基本的理解，这可能有助于实现应用的目标。感兴趣的具体领域包括从木质纤维素生产乙醇，以及厌氧废物处理和补救。目前和预期的与乙醇生产相关的研究涉及产品形成的代谢控制、纤维素酶动力学和生物反应器设计。嗜热菌和酵素尤其令人感兴趣。代谢控制的研究将涉及将对微生物生理学和能量学的了解与工程方法相结合，以操纵发酵罐环境，以增加乙醇产量。木质纤维素高浓度连续发酵的生物反应器设计将从实验和理论两个方面进行。这将包括考虑推流纤维素的分布，由于底物-肉汤密度差异和细胞-底物黏附现象而导致的细胞和底物的不同停留时间，以及体内纤维素水解和发酵的建模和理解。厌氧废物处理和修复的方法将包括通过基于生物化学的策略选择性地抑制硫酸盐还原细菌(SRB)。此外，还将讨论厌氧系统经常获得的相对不完整的处理的生理学基础，以及解决这一问题的可能方法。最后，将调查利用厌氧系统对危险废物进行解毒的情况，包括工程和生物学方面的考虑。

Research will be carried out focusing on renewable resources and waste treatment. The capabilities of living systems will be explored in this context, using an integrated approach employing engineering, biological, and chemical principles. A particular focus is fundamental understanding which could make a contribution toward the realization of applied goals. Specific areas of interest include ethanol production from lignocellulose, and anaerobic waste treatment and remediation. Current and anticipated research related to ethanol production addresses metabolic control of product formation, cellulase kinetics, and bioreactor design. Thermophilic bacteria and enzymes are of particular interest. Investigation of metabolic control will involve coupling understanding of microbial physiology and energetics with engineering approaches to manipulating the fermentor environment in order to increase ethanol yields. Bioreactor design for continuous fermentation of lignocellulosics at high concentrations will be pursued both experimentally and theoretically. This will encompass consideration of plug-flow cellulose distribution, differential residence time of both cells and substrate due to substrate-broth density differences and cell-substrate adhesion phenomena, and modeling and understanding in vivo cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation. Approaches to anaerobic waste treatment and remediation will include selective inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) via biochemically-based strategies. In addition, the physiological basis for the relatively incomplete treatment often obtained by anaerobic systems, and possible solutions to this problem, will be addressed. Finally, the use of anaerobic systems for the detoxification of hazardous wastes will be investigated, including both engineering and biological considerations.