Engineering Research Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering

该奖项建立了一个工程研究中心， 蒙大拿州界面微生物过程工程 大学教授William G. Characklis担任董事。 长 中心的长期目标是建立一个国家资源，以满足 美国工业的创业需求， 界面微生物的技术问题和机遇 流程. 该中心的研究计划将首先 满足工业生物技术的具体需要， 高产量/低价值产品的加工， 能源、材料和化学品的高效生产， 农业和更清洁的环境。 中心的基本 研究将集中在以下领域：（1） 分析表面和界面的微生物现象， 以及表面生命的生物学范式的发展， (2)界面结构与生物活性的关系 功能和（3）过程工程模型的进步， 表面的基本生物学相互作用。 跨学科系统导向的研究策略是 主要技术目标：（1）发展 原位微传感器和微生物传感器来定义空间和 界面环境中的时间化学梯度，（2） 图像分析和相关显微术方法的改进 提供空间和时间信息的技术 界面处基本骨料的组成，以及，（3） 仿真建模为实验设计提供依据， 弥补了微尺度实验与中尺度实验之间的差距 发现和宏观应用。 将建立数据库 从实验和工业数据，以提供参数， 模拟。 该中心将开发一个跨学科的学术计划 为毕业生和本科生，以刺激学生 在新兴的微生物工艺工程领域的技术。 在博士学位的界面微生物过程工程辅修。 水平将实施。 中心将建立一个强大的 通过扩大现有的工业合作计划 在蒙大拿州立大学。 作为合作伙伴，爱达荷州国家队 工程实验室（INEL）将参与研究， 教育活动。 其他大学和机构 该国将在选定的领域提供研究合作 在中心没有特殊技能的地方。

This award establishes an Engineering Research Center on Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering at the Montana State University with Prof. William G. Characklis as Director. The long term goal of the Center is to institute a national resource to meet the entrepreneurial needs of the U.S.industry dealing with the technological problems and opportunities in interfacial microbial processes. The research programs of the Center will initially address the specific needs of industrial biotechnology which focus on processing of high-volume/low-value products related to more efficient production of energy, materials and chemicals, agriculture and, a cleaner environment. The Center's fundamental research will be directed to the following collective areas: (1) analysis of microbiological phenomena at surfaces and interfaces, and the development of biological paradigms of life on surfaces, (2) the relationship between interfacial structure and biological function and, (3) advancement of process engineering models for fundamental biological interactions at surfaces. The cross-disciplinary system oriented research strategy is directed to the following technological objectives: (1) development of in situ microsensors and microbiosensors to define spatial and temporal chemical gradients in the interface environment, (2) refinement of methods for image analysis and related microscopy techniques to provide information of spatial and temporal composition of the basic aggregates at the interfaces and, (3) simulation modeling to provide the basis of experimental design to bridge the gap between microscale and mesoscale experimental findings and macroscale applications. Databases will be created from experimental and industrial data to provide parameters for the simulations. The Center will develop a cross-disciplinary academic program for graduates and undergraduates to stimulate the students to be skilled in the emerging field of microbial process engineering. A minor in Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering at the Ph.D. level will be implemented. The Center will build a strong industrial collaboration program by expanding the existing program at the Montana State University. As a partner, the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) will participate in the research and educational activities. Other universities and institutions in the country will provide research collaboration in selective areas where special skills are not available at the Center.