BRIGE: Formation, Characterization, and Modeling of Photosynthetic Biofilms for Biotechnological Applications

主要研究者：Berberoglu，Halil提案编号：PI的总体职业目标是（i）开发创新技术，为社会提供可持续和环保的能源供应，以及（ii）为可再生能源技术的学生提供世界一流的教育和研究经验。作为实现这一目标的一步，该BRIGE提案的目标是（i）表征光合生物膜的形成和结构，并对影响其生产力的这些系统中的光、质量和热能的传输进行建模，以及（ii）整合这些跨学科的研究工作，以教育和激励学生，特别是代表性不足的群体，追求科学和工程事业。藻类的培养被认为是一种很有前途的生产碳中性烃原料的方法，用于生物燃料的生产。然而，传统技术，如开放式池塘和封闭式光生物反应器，由于生物质浓度的稀释培养，证明在能源、经济和环境方面都是不可行的。这需要使用（i）在培养期间大量的水，（ii）用于泵送稀释的藻类悬浮液的大量能量需求，和（iii）用于藻类的下游加工的能量密集型脱水和浓缩过程。在我们最近的工作中，我们已经证明了通过将藻类培养为生物膜，该过程的水强度降低了60倍。基于光合生物膜的新型藻类培养方法的发展可以改变基于藻类的生物燃料生产技术。在这项研究中，我们的目标是采取初步措施，了解光合生物膜，以开发这些系统作为下一代经济和可持续生产生物燃料的方法。我们特别提出（a）表征细胞表面特性和相互作用，（B）光合生物膜的形成和结构，（c）测量光、质量和热能在这些生物膜上的分布，以及（d）模拟这些传输现象，以便更好地理解和克服这些系统在生物技术应用中的生产力和性能限制。拟议的活动将促进光合生物膜的理解和技术应用，同时为学生提供跨学科的教育和研究机会。此外，在这项研究中开发的方法和获得的结果将作为必要的输入，为未来的建议（i）测量和建模的营养消耗，生长和产品形成动力学的光合细胞在生物燃料生产和废水处理应用的生物膜，（ii）开发吸附模型的重金属离子去除废水中的光合生物膜，以及（iii）模拟用于能源和环境应用的生物电极系统中生物膜的传输现象和生产率。该桥梁的教育和外联部分将以妇女和少数民族参与工程为目标，并将侧重于可再生能源技术和生物燃料。这些活动将包括：㈠每年有100多名少数民族高中高年级学生参加“我的工程学入门”夏令营; ㈡每年有70名7至10岁的女孩参加“女孩探索科学”夏令营; ㈢克罗克特高中科学研究方案，为2名少数民族高中高年级学生提供研究机会，鼓励他们进入大学;及（iv）Texas Research Experience（TREX）计划招募4名少数族裔本科研究员，以鼓励他们继续就读研究生院，并最终寻求博士学位。工程学学位。最后，该奖项将使PI与NASA艾姆斯研究中心建立积极的合作关系。

PI: Berberoglu, HalilProposal Number: 1125755The overall career goals of the PI are (i) developing innovative technologies to provide the society with sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supplies and (ii) providing world class education and research experience to students in renewable energy technologies. As a step towards this goal, the objectives of this BRIGE proposal are (i) characterizing the formation and structure of photosynthetic biofilms and modeling the transport of light, mass, and thermal energy in these systems that affect their productivity and (ii) integrating these interdisciplinary research efforts to educate and inspire students, in particular of underrepresented groups, to pursue careers in science and engineering.Intellectual Merit: Cultivation of algae has been considered as a promising method for producing carbon neutral hydrocarbon feedstock for biofuel production. However, conventional technologies, such as open ponds and closed photobioreactors, prove to be energetically, economically and environmentally unfeasible owing to cultivation of dilute concentration of biomass. This necessitates use of (i) large volumes of water during cultivation, (ii) large energy requirements for pumping the dilute algae suspension, and (iii) energy intensive dewatering and concentration processes for downstream processing of the algae. In our recent work, we have demonstrated the reduction of the water intensity of the process by a factor of 60 by cultivating the algae as a biofilm. Development of a novel algae cultivation method based on photosynthetic biofilms can transform the algae based biofuel production technologies.In this research, we aim to take the initial steps towards understanding photosynthetic biofilms for developing these systems as the next generation method for economically and sustainably producing biofuels. We specifically propose to (a) characterize the cell-surface properties and interactions, (b) the formation and structure of photosynthetic biofilms, (c) measure the profiles of light, mass and thermal energy across these biofilms, and (d) modeling these transport phenomena for better understanding and overcoming the productivity and performance limitations of these systems in biotechnological applications.Broader Impacts: The proposed activity will advance the understanding and technological applications of photosynthetic biofilms while providing interdisciplinary education and research opportunities for students. Moreover, the methods developed and the results obtained in this study will serve as necessary input for future proposals on (i) measuring and modeling the nutrient consumption, growth and product formation kinetics of photosynthetic cells in biofilms for biofuel production and wastewater treatment applications, (ii) developing sorption models for heavy metal ion removal from waste streams by photosynthetic biofilms, and (iii) modeling the transport phenomena and productivity of biofilms in bioelectrode systems for energy and environmental applications. The educational and outreach components of this BRIGE will target the participation of females and minorities in engineering and will focus on renewable energy technologies and biofuels. These activities will include (i) My Introduction to Engineering (MITE) summer camp reaching over 100 minority high school seniors per year, (ii) Girls Exploring Science summer camp reaching 70 girls per year between the ages of 7 and 10, (iii) the Crockett High School Science Research Program providing research opportunities for 2 minority high schools seniors encouraging their enrollment in college, and (iv) Texas Research Experience (TREX) program recruiting 4 minority undergraduate researchers for encouraging their retention, enrolment in graduate school and ultimately for seeking Ph.D. degrees in engineering. Finally, this award will enable the PI establish active collaborations with NASA Ames research center.