Collaborative Research: Investigation of decoupled algal-biofloc aquaponics technology for deployment in food deserts

合作研究：解耦藻类生物絮团鱼菜共生技术在粮食荒漠中的部署研究

• 批准号: 2147832
• 负责人: Brendan Higgins
• 金额: $ 57.57万
• 依托单位: Auburn University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-06-01 至 2025-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2147832&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Investigation; decoupled; algal

There is heightened interest in the idea of deploying aquaponics technology (the fusion of aquaculture with hydroponic vegetable production) in food deserts. At its best, aquaponics allows local people to produce their own fresh fish and produce in a sustainable manner: the wastewater from the fish is used to provide water and fertilizer to the plants. However, there are significant technological and social barriers that have hindered adoption of aquaponics by marginalized populations living in food deserts. Barriers include 1) systems that are prone to instability without advanced technical knowledge, 2) fish and produce quality that do not meet consumer quality demands (e.g. muddy fish flavor), and 3) food safety issues given that pathogens in the fish wastewater can contaminate the vegetables. Failure to address these three issues will continue to place aquaponics systems (and the corresponding nutritional and environmental benefits) out of reach of marginalized populations. The objective of this project is to improve understanding of how aquaponics design decisions affect stability, pathogen dynamics, and product quality. The central hypothesis of this project is that algal biofloc and decoupled systems will exceed the performance metrics of bacteria-centric biofloc and coupled systems (85% of current systems) in terms of 1) system stability and ease of operation, 2) nutritional and flavor profiles, and 3) pathogen management when placed in the hands of novice users. This project will allow rigorous testing of integrating algal- biofloc and decoupled plant production into small-scale aquaponics systems, both independently and in combination. The test systems will be operated by high school students in East Alabama (after hands-on training) in a synergistic school-university partnership. The university team has extensive experience conducting research on aquaponics systems and algal-bacterial treatment of waste, and engages frequently in educational and outreach programs with novice users. The three specific research aims are to: (Aim 1) Test the integration of algae and decoupling into biofloc aquaponics to improve stability and ease of operation for novice users (high school students). The hypothesis is that integration of green algae into the biofloc and deployment into a decoupled aquaponics system will improve system stability (nitrification capacity) and reliability (plant and fish survival). (Aim 2) Determine the contribution of algal biofloc to improved nutritional quality and flavor profile of aquaponics products. The hypothesis is that integrating Chlorella algae into the biofloc will increase the omega-3 fatty acid profile of fish, antioxidant content of vegetables, and improve the fish flavor profile by displacing opportunistic bacteria and cyanobacteria species that generate muddy flavors. (Aim 3) Quantify the impacts of algal biofloc and decoupling on indicator pathogens in aquaponics. The hypothesis is that the presence of algal taxa like Chlorella in the biofloc and use of decoupled systems will reduce the presence of indicator pathogens. While students and teachers will run the different aquaponics systems, Auburn University and the Bashan Institute of Science will conduct advanced chemical, microbiological, and genomic analyses of the systems. Students, after formal parental informed consent, will evaluate system ease-of-use and flavor of products through surveys. Improved understanding of microbial dynamics in aquaponics can translate broadly to other areas of aquaculture, nutrient recovery, and waste management. Improved understanding of how design choices impact user experience may translate to research on other scalable food production technologies. The project is designed to lead to enhancement of education of high school student participants who live in low-income communities with limited food access. Approximately 225 students will engage in hands-on learning by operating the aquaponics systems, allowing them to learn and apply knowledge of agriculture, biology, chemistry, nutrition, and engineering. Potentially, these students can impact the future of sustainable food production: the skills that they learn should extend to a wide range of career and education pathways. It is expected that reaching them in their formative years will result in measurable changes in self- perceptions regarding STEM topics, which will be assessed through survey instruments.This project is jointly funded by the CBET/ENG Environmental Sustainability program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

对在食品沙漠中部署水培技术（水产养殖与水培蔬菜生产的融合）的想法引起了人们的兴趣。最好的是，水培动物允许当地人生产自己的新鲜鱼并以可持续的方式生产：来自鱼类的废水用于向植物提供水和肥料。但是，存在重大的技术和社会障碍，阻碍了生活在食品沙漠中的边缘化人群对水培养的采用。障碍包括1）在没有高级技术知识的情况下容易出现不稳定的系统，2）鱼类和产生不符合消费者质量需求的质量（例如，泥泞的鱼风味），3）食品安全问题，因为鱼类废水中的病原体会污染蔬菜。未能解决这三个问题将继续将水培技术系统（以及相应的营养和环境利益）置于边缘化人群的范围内。该项目的目的是提高对水培设计决策如何影响稳定性，病原体动态和产品质量的理解。该项目的核心假设是，藻类生物氟氯氯氯次和解耦系统将超过以细菌为中心的生物氟氯洛克和耦合系统（当前系统的85％）的性能指标，即1）系统的稳定性和易于操作，2）固定和风味概况，以及3）将病原体管理放在早期使用者的手中时。该项目将允许将藻类生物氟氟烷和脱钩的植物生产整合到小规模的水培技术系统中进行严格测试，无论是独立和结合的。测试系统将由阿拉巴马州东部的高中学生（在动手培训之后）在协同的学校合作伙伴关系中运营。大学团队拥有有关废物蛋白酶系统和藻细菌治疗的研究丰富的经验，并经常与新手用户一起参与教育和外展计划。这三个具体研究的目的是：（目标1）测试藻类和将其脱钩到生物群蛋白酶的整合，以提高新手使用者（高中生）的稳定性和易于运营。假设是，将绿藻整合到生物群中并部署到脱钩的水培技术中将提高系统稳定性（硝化能力）和可靠性（植物和鱼类的存活）。 （AIM 2）确定藻类生物氟氟氟氯洛克菜对提高水培制品的营养质量和风味概况的贡献。假设是，将小球藻藻类整合到生物群中将增加鱼类的omega-3脂肪酸谱，蔬菜的抗氧化剂含量，并通过取代机会性细菌和氰基细菌来改善鱼类风味，从而产生泥泞的味道。 （AIM 3）量化藻类生物氟氟氟氟氟氯联苯和脱钩的影响对水培技术中的指示病原体。假设是，在生物群中存在藻类分类单元，例如小球藻，而使用解耦系统将减少指示病原体的存在。尽管学生和老师将运行不同的水培技术，但奥本大学和巴山科学研究所将进行该系统的先进化学，微生物学和基因组分析。在正式的父母知情同意书后，学生将通过调查评估系统的易用性和风味。对水培技术中微生物动态的了解可以广泛地转化为水产养殖，营养恢复和废物管理的其他领域。对设计选择如何影响用户体验的理解有了改进，可以转化为对其他可扩展食品生产技术的研究。该项目旨在提高居住在低收入社区的高中学生参与者的教育，而食物获取有限。大约有225名学生将通过操作水培技术来进行动手学习，从而使他们能够学习和应用农业，生物学，化学，营养和工程知识。这些学生可能会影响可持续粮食生产的未来：他们所学的技能应该扩展到广泛的职业和教育途径。可以预期，在他们形成的年份中与他们联系将导致有关STEM主题的自我看法的可衡量变化，这将通过调查工具进行评估。该项目由CBET/ENG环境可持续性计划和既定计划共同资助，并启发竞争性研究（EPSCOR）（EPSCOR）的既定奖项都通过NSF的法定任务进行了评估。 标准。