RUI: Reducing Permeability in Sands Using Biofilm-Forming Bacteria and Quorum Sensing Inhibitors to Create Uniform Growth

RUI：利用生物膜形成细菌和群体感应抑制剂降低沙子的渗透性，以实现均匀生长

• 批准号: 1632963
• 负责人: Mary Roth
• 金额: $ 21.32万
• 依托单位: Lafayette College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-15 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1632963&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Reducing; Permeability; Sands; Using

The movement of water through soil (seepage) can cause dams and levees to fail, which may be expensive to repair, cause extensive damage to infrastructure, and possibly the loss of life. Traditional methods to reduce seepage can be cost-prohibitive and create environmental concerns. Preliminary work has shown the feasibility of using biofilm-forming bacteria to reduce seepage. Biofilm-forming bacteria secrete a sticky material that connects the bacteria together, attaches the bacteria to solid surfaces, and blocks the flow of water through the soil. However, the reduction in seepage only occurred close to the bacteria's nutrient source and seepage further from the source (more than five centimeters) was not significantly reduced. Uniform reduction of seepage across a distance of at least one meter will be needed if using bacteria to form biofilms is to be a feasible method to reduce seepage and the likelihood of the types of failures listed above. This project will determine whether a quorum sensing inhibitor (a chemical that prevents bacteria from forming a biofilm) can be used to control the location and timing of biofilm formation so that the biofilm develops uniformly across the length of a one-meter column of sand. If successful, further research would look at the application of this methodology to field applications. In addition, this grant will support a partnership between Lafayette College (LC) and one of the National Science Foundation's Engineering Research Centers (ERCs)--the new Center for Bio-mediated & Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG). The research partnership between faculty at LC (the project PIs) and the CBBG will create an exchange of information that will allow the PIs to develop their research programs in cooperation with the CBBG, and will introduce a minimum of six undergraduate students to this new interdisciplinary field of research. Because of high percentages of women students at LC, this grant is anticipated to broaden research participation with respect to this underrepresented group.This research will develop methods to create a uniform growth of bacterial biofilm in sand by using quorum sensing inhibitors and the manipulation of flow rates and nutrients. Initially, Pseudomonas fluorescens, a known biofilm former, will be introduced to columns containing sterile sand. The manipulation of the concentration and timing of water containing nutrients and a quorum sensing inhibitor, Furanone 56--a halogenated compound known to inhibit biofilm formation, will be used to create a uniform distribution of bacterial biofilm in these soils. Once a protocol is established for the development of a uniform biofilm distribution under these conditions, columns will be constructed using non-sterile sand. Similar manipulation of the nutrient and quorum sensing inhibitor will be used to investigate whether the approach developed can stimulate native biofilm-forming bacteria to create a uniform distribution of biofilm. A final testing setup will confirm that native bacterial biofilm can be uniformly distributed along a one-meter soil column. Through a partnership between LC and the CBBG, this grant will also support innovative research by an interdisciplinary team of faculty at a strictly undergraduate institution and provide robust mentoring and research experiences for undergraduate students. The research partnership between faculty at LC and the CBBG will create an exchange of information that will allow the faculty at LC to develop their research in cooperation with the CBBG and will introduce a minimum of six undergraduate students to this newly developing interdisciplinary field of research.

水通过土壤（渗水）的运动可能导致大坝和堤坝失败，这可能是昂贵的修复，对基础设施造成广泛损害，甚至可能导致生命损失。 传统的减少渗漏的方法可能会过于良好，并引起环境问题。 初步工作表明，使用生物膜形成细菌减少渗漏的可行性。 生物膜形成的细菌分泌一种将细菌连接在一起，将细菌连接到固体表面的粘性材料，并阻止水流过土壤。 然而，渗漏的减少仅发生在细菌的养分来源附近，并从源头进一步渗漏（超过五厘米）并未显着降低。 如果使用细菌形成生物膜是减少渗漏和上面列出的故障类型的可能性，则需要在至少一米的距离上均匀减少渗流。 该项目将确定是否可以使用法定感应抑制剂（一种防止细菌形成生物膜的化学物质）来控制生物膜形成的位置和时机，从而使生物膜在一米的沙子列的长度上均匀地发育。如果成功，进一步的研究将研究这种方法在现场应用中的应用。此外，该赠款将支持拉斐特学院（LC）与国家科学基金会的工程研究中心（ERCS）之间的合作伙伴关系 - 新的生物介导与生物启发的地理技术中心（CBBG）。 LC教师（PIS）和CBBG之间的研究合作伙伴关系将创建信息的交换，使PIS可以与CBBG合作制定其研究计划，并将至少将六个本科生介绍给这个新的跨学科研究领域。 由于LC的女学生有很高的比例，因此预计该赠款将扩大有关该代表性不足的群体的研究参与。这项研究将通过使用法定人数感应抑制剂和操纵流量和营养素来开发方法，以创建砂细菌生物膜均匀的方法。最初，荧光菌（Pseudomonas fluorescens）是一种已知的生物膜，将引入含无菌砂的柱。 操纵含有营养素的水的浓度和时机以及群体感应抑制剂，呋喃酮56-一种已知可抑制生物膜形成的卤代化合物，用于在这些土壤中创建细菌生物膜的均匀分布。 一旦建立了在这些条件下开发均匀生物膜分布的协议后，将使用非紧密砂构建列。 养分和法定人数抑制剂的类似操作将用于研究开发的方法是否可以刺激天然生物膜形成细菌，从而产生均匀的生物膜分布。 最终的测试设置将确认天然细菌生物膜可以沿一米的土壤柱均匀分布。 通过LC和CBBG之间的合作关系，该赠款还将在严格的本科机构中支持一个跨学科的教师团队的创新研究，并为本科生提供强大的指导和研究经验。 LC教师与CBBG之间的研究合作伙伴关系将创建信息交换，这将使LC的教师与CBBG合作开发他们的研究，并将至少介绍六名本科生，以向这个新开发的跨学科研究领域。

项目成果

Biocementation for All, Anywhere: A New Experiment for Introductory Soil Mechanics Courses

• DOI: 10.1061/9780784484067.047
• 发表时间: 2022-03
• 期刊: Geo-Congress 2022
• 作者: M. Roth;L. Caslake;M. P. McGuire

A New Approach to Collaboration: A Partnership between an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center and a Liberal Arts College

一种新的合作方式：美国国家科学基金会资助的工程研究中心与文理学院之间的合作

• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: ASEE Annual Conference proceedings
• 作者: Roth, M.J.S.;Caslake, L.F.
• 通讯作者: Caslake, L.F.

Reducing Soil Permeability Using In Situ Biofilm-Forming Bacteria: Overcoming Testing Apparatus Challenges

利用原位生物膜形成细菌降低土壤渗透性：克服测试设备的挑战

• DOI: 10.1061/9780784482117.018
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Geo-Congress 2019
• 作者: Roth, Mary J.;Caslake, Laurie F.
• 通讯作者: Caslake, Laurie F.

Stimulated Microbial Growth for Permeability Reductions in Granular Soils

刺激微生物生长以降低颗粒土壤的渗透性

• DOI: 10.1680/jgrim.21.00011
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
• 作者: Roth, MJS;DeJong, J;Greer, J;Caslake LF;Nelson, D;Parales, R
• 通讯作者: Parales, R