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.

水通过土壤的运动（渗流）可能导致水坝和堤坝倒塌，这可能是昂贵的修复，对基础设施造成广泛的破坏，并可能造成生命损失。 减少渗漏的传统方法可能成本高昂，并造成环境问题。 初步工作表明，利用生物膜形成细菌减少渗漏是可行的。 生物膜形成细菌分泌一种粘性物质，将细菌连接在一起，将细菌附着在固体表面，并阻止水通过土壤流动。 然而，渗漏的减少只发生在靠近细菌营养源的地方，而远离细菌营养源的地方（超过5厘米）的渗漏并没有显著减少。 如果使用细菌形成生物膜是一种可行的方法，以减少渗漏和上述类型的故障的可能性，将需要在至少一米的距离上均匀减少渗漏。 该项目将确定是否可以使用群体感应抑制剂（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间，以便生物膜在一米长的沙柱上均匀发展。如果成功，将进一步研究如何将这种方法应用于实地应用。此外，这笔赠款将支持拉斐特学院（LC）和国家科学基金会工程研究中心（ERC）之一-新的生物介导生物启发土工技术中心（CBBG）之间的伙伴关系。 LC教师（项目PI）和CBBG之间的研究伙伴关系将建立信息交换，使PI能够与CBBG合作开发他们的研究项目，并将向这个新的跨学科研究领域引入至少六名本科生。 由于LC的女生比例很高，预计这笔赠款将扩大这一代表性不足的群体的研究参与，这项研究将开发方法，通过使用群体感应抑制剂和操纵流速和营养物质，在沙子中创造细菌生物膜的均匀生长。最初，荧光假单胞菌，一种已知的生物膜形成剂，将被引入到含有无菌砂的柱中。 操纵含有营养物质和群体感应抑制剂呋喃酮56的水的浓度和时间，呋喃酮56是一种已知抑制生物膜形成的卤代化合物，将用于在这些土壤中产生均匀分布的细菌生物膜。 一旦建立了在这些条件下形成均匀生物膜分布的方案，将使用非无菌砂构建色谱柱。 类似的操作的营养和群体感应抑制剂将被用来调查开发的方法是否可以刺激天然生物膜形成细菌，以创建一个均匀分布的生物膜。 最后的测试设置将确认天然细菌生物膜可以沿着沿着一米的土柱均匀分布。 通过LC和CBBG之间的合作伙伴关系，这笔赠款还将支持由教师在严格的本科院校的跨学科团队的创新研究，并为本科生提供强大的指导和研究经验。 在LC和CBBG教师之间的研究伙伴关系将创建一个信息交流，这将使在LC教师与CBBG合作开发他们的研究，并将介绍至少六名本科生到这个新发展的跨学科研究领域。

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.

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

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.