CAREER: Microbial Transport and Adhesion-A Multiscale Approach

本提案描述了环境工程领域的一项综合研究和教育推广计划，重点是描述和描述影响自然和工程系统中细菌的附着和运输过程。这项拟议的研究有可能对工程中的各种领域产生影响，从重复使用的废水抛光到地下生物修复的应用。这项研究专门设计来调查和描述影响和控制细菌在固液界面上的黏附以及细菌在多孔介质系统中传输的多尺度物理现象。这项工作既涉及实验室实验，也涉及新理论的发展。有人提出，这项工作最重要的好处是有可能提高我们对过滤微生物以改善饮用水的过程的了解。职业发展计划的综合教育和外联部分涉及支持两名研究生。配套的部门资金也将使用。建议了两个具体的教育部分：(1)在法国图卢兹的法国图卢兹流体力学研究所和保罗·萨巴蒂埃大学为研究生和本科生提供重点海外学习；(2)开发一个关于多尺度生物膜过程的新模块，该模块将作为高级环境工程设计课程的实验室部分教授。更多的教育和外展机会，如指导人数不足的高中生将科学和工程视为可能的职业道路，以及为5-7年级的学生开展科学和工程方面的外展活动。

0449452WoodThis proposal describes an integrated research and education outreach plan in the area of environmental engineering, with a focus is on the characterization and description of the adhesion and transport processes affecting bacteria in natural and engineered systems. The proposed research has the potential to impact a diverse range of areas in engineering from wastewater polishing for reuse to applications in subsurface bioremediation. The research is designed specifically to investigate and describe the multi-scale physical phenomena that affect and control bacterial adhesion at solid-fluid interfaces, and transport of bacteria in porous media systems. The work involves both laboratory experiment and the development of new theory. It is proposed that the most important benefit from the work is the potential to improve our understanding of the processes involved in the filtration of microorganisms for improvement of drinking waterThe integrated education and outreach component of career development plan involve supporting two graduate students. Matching departmental funds will also be used. Two specific educational components are proposed (1) focussed study abroad for graduate and undergraduate students at the CNRS Institut de Mecanique des Fluides de Toulouse and University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France, and (2) development of a new module on multi-scale biofilm processes that will be taught as part of the laboratory component of a senior-level Environmental Engineering Design course. Additional educational and outreach opportunities such as mentoring underrepresented high-school students to consider science and engineering as a possible career path, and outreach activities in science and engineering for students in grades 5-7.