INSPIRE Track 2: Discovery and Development of Optimized Photonic Systems for High Volume, Low Surface Area Solar Energy Harvesting: Learning from Giant Clams

该INSPIRE奖汇集了传统上由生物学理事会的综合有机体系统部门、数学和物理科学理事会的材料研究部门以及工程理事会的电气、通信和网络系统部门支持的研究领域。巨蛤进化出了一种优雅的系统，可以利用适应低光强的藻类，在极高光强的地区有效地收集太阳能。它们通过将组织内的藻类排列成与入射阳光平行的垂直柱来做到这一点。组织表面覆盖着一种叫做虹膜细胞的细胞；它们的作用是将照射在蛤蜊组织水平表面的光均匀地重新分配到藻类微柱的更大的垂直表面上。该项目将探索系统中丰富的生物物理复杂性，以准确地了解蛤蜊如何优化太阳能捕获。PI Sweeney将在蛤的一生中描述蛤对变化的光环境的进化结构反应，并在进化时间内观察到密切相关的蛤物种之间的差异。Yang Co-PI将通过综合自顶向下和自底向上的设计和制造技术来制造受蛤蜊启发的新材料，以在分层结构控制方面与生物学相媲美。蛤蜊的设计将特别有助于在新型设备中有效地利用廉价的聚合物光伏电池和低光损伤，并改进光生物反应器技术。该项目包括为来自帕劳和费城的大学生提供实习机会，为大学预科学生提供科学职业道路的文化知识和具体的实验室经验。pi寻求将这种生物光子共生的新见解转化为变革性的、高容量的、低表面积的、耐缺陷的光伏设备和藻类燃料培养系统。砗磲蛤属的巨型蛤蜊支持微藻共生体，它们具有非凡的光子排列，解决了诸如如何将阳光集中到更小的设备上，同时容忍设备的缺陷，避免过热和光损伤等设计挑战。该项目整合了生物实地考察、物理/光学建模以及至少两种新材料/设备的开发。探讨蛤对光环境变化的进化反应；这项工作将产生光环境与虹膜细胞/藻柱设计之间的匹配函数，直接为器件设计提供信息。新材料将通过综合自上而下和自下而上的设计和制造技术，在层次结构控制方面与生物学相媲美。该项目将生产合成的虹膜细胞，可以通过工程设计来增强辐射到任何任意太阳能吸收器，并复制蛤蜊的微柱+虹膜细胞的排列方式，用于生物燃料生产的范式转换，微米级光生物反应器。在帕劳的实地工作将使调查人员能够在可变的光环境中探测蛤蜊系统的演变。

This INSPIRE award brings together research areas traditionally supported in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems in the Directorate for Biology, in the Materials Research Division in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems in the Directorate for Engineering. Giant clams evolved an elegant system for efficiently harvesting solar energy in areas of extremely high light intensity using algae adapted for much lower light intensities. They do this by arranging algae within their tissues into vertical pillars parallel to incoming sunlight. The surface of the tissue is covered by cells called iridocytes; these function to redistribute light incident on the horizontal surface of the clam tissue evenly over the much larger vertical surfaces of the algal micropillars. The project will explore the wealth of biophysical complexity in the system to understand exactly how the clam optimizes solar energy capture. PI Sweeney will characterize the clams' evolved structural responses to changing light environment over the lifetime of a clam and over evolutionary time as observed in differences between closely related clam species. Co-PI Yang will make new materials inspired by the clam by synthesizing top-down and bottom-up design and fabrication techniques to rival biology in hierarchical structural control. The clam's design will be especially useful for utilizing inexpensive polymer photovoltaics efficiently and with low photodamage in novel devices, and for improved photobioreactor technology. The project includes internships for college students from Palau and Philadelphia to provide pre-college students with cultural knowledge of scientific career paths and concrete lab experiences.The PIs seek to turn new insights from this biophotonic symbiosis into transformative, high volume, low surface area, defect tolerant photovoltaic devices, and algal fuel culture systems. Giant clams in the genus Tridacna support microalgal symbionts with a remarkable photonic arrangement that addresses such design challenges as how to concentrate sunlight into smaller footprint devices while tolerating device imperfections and avoiding overheating and photodamage. The project integrates biological fieldwork, physical/optical modeling, and the development of at least two novel materials/devices. Evolved responses of the clam to shifts in light environment will be explored; this work will generate a matching function between light environment and iridocyte/algal pillar design that will directly inform device design. New materials will be made by synthesizing top-down and bottom-up design and fabrication techniques to rival biology in hierarchical structural control. The project will produce synthetic iridocytes which can be engineered to enhance radiance reaching any arbitrary solar energy absorber, and copy the clam's micropillar + iridocyte arrangement for a paradigm-shifting, micron-scaled photobioreactor for biofuel production. Fieldwork in Palau will allow the investigators to probe the evolution of the clam system in variable light environments.