CAREER: Cleaner Water Through Microbial Stress: An Integrated Research and Education Plan

职业：通过微生物压力清洁水：综合研究和教育计划

• 批准号: 1055396
• 负责人: Jonathan Sharp
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: Colorado School of Mines
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-02-01 至 2017-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1055396&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Cleaner; Water; Through; Microbial

Trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in surface and groundwater present human and ecological health concerns at parts-per-trillion concentrations. Recent water surveys have revealed that TOrC contamination is widespread, and this threat to potable water is expected to grow through increased demands on finite water supplies in arid regions. Since remediation of contaminated waters is challenging and expensive, the goal of this research is to gain a fundamental understanding of how microbial stress can impact the natural degradation of TOrCs. Results from this study should have application to treatment in managed natural systems. Objectives of this research plan are to A) determine the correlation between enzyme expression, microbial stress, and TOrC degradation using nitrosamines as a model compound, B) explore the relevance of these findings toward indigenous microbial assemblages in soil barriers and C) investigate the broader role of microbial stress in biodegradation of other TOrCs. Objectives will be addressed through a suite of interdisciplinary experiments that will be scaled from fundamental pure strain studies to more heterogeneous and biodiverse soil systems.In terms of the broader impacts, research efforts will be coupled with an educational plan designed to increase the engagement and diversity of students in environmental science and engineering. The objectives of the educational plan are to improve learning outcomes of undergraduate environmental engineering students through ?client? interactions with a local nonprofit watershed group and to deliver modules that engage at-risk middle school students with K-12 teachers and scientific researchers in projects relating to environmental water quality. A nontraditional, field-based undergraduate course that focuses on the assessment and remediation of abandoned mining operations will enable students to become involved in solutions to regional environmental problems and see the implementation of their findings. Similarly, interactive K-12 teacher-driven modules will engage at-risk youth with collegiate researchers while integrating regional water quality themes into curricular requirements. Student tracking and a multi-faceted assessment of educational activities that involve students, instructors, external educators, and nonprofit organizations will be conducted. Advancing our fundamental understanding of the biodegradation of TOrCs benefits society by furthering the development of a new generation of managed natural treatment technologies. This work may lead to novel processes for the enhancement of natural biodegradation of extremely low concentrations of organic pollutants.

地表水和地下水中的痕量有机化合物（TORC）在万亿分之几的浓度下对人类和生态健康产生了影响。 最近的水资源调查显示，总有机碳污染很普遍，而且由于干旱地区对有限供水的需求增加，这种对饮用水的威胁预计会增加。 由于污染沃茨的修复是具有挑战性和昂贵的，本研究的目标是获得微生物应激如何影响天然降解的TORC的基本了解。这项研究的结果应适用于管理自然系统的治疗。 本研究计划的目标是：A）使用亚硝胺作为模型化合物确定酶表达、微生物胁迫和TORC降解之间的相关性，B）探索这些发现与土壤屏障中土著微生物组合的相关性，以及C）研究微生物胁迫在其他TORC生物降解中的更广泛作用。 目标将通过一套跨学科的实验来解决，这些实验将从基本的纯菌株研究扩展到更异质和生物多样性的土壤系统。在更广泛的影响方面，研究工作将与旨在提高学生在环境科学和工程领域的参与度和多样性的教育计划相结合。 教育计划的目标是提高本科环境工程专业学生的学习成果，通过？客户？与当地非营利流域组的互动，并提供模块，从事风险中学生与K-12教师和科学研究人员在有关环境水质的项目。 一个非传统的，基于实地的本科课程，重点是评估和废弃采矿作业的补救将使学生参与解决区域环境问题，并看到他们的调查结果的实施。 同样，互动式K-12教师驱动模块将使风险青年与大学研究人员接触，同时将区域水质主题纳入课程要求。学生跟踪和教育活动的多方面评估，涉及学生，教师，外部教育工作者和非营利组织将进行。 推进我们对TOrCs生物降解的基本理解，通过进一步开发新一代管理自然处理技术，使社会受益。 这项工作可能会导致新的工艺，用于提高自然生物降解的极低浓度的有机污染物。