CAREER: Multi-Scale Structured Solid Carriers Enabling Algae Biofuel Manufacturing in the Ocean

本学院早期职业发展（Career）奖的研究目标是验证固体载体的微观和中观结构增强藻类附着的假设。这种结构（例如，酒窝或沟槽）将被制造在固体载体的表面上——这是在海洋中制造藻类生物燃料的主要设备。该方法包括细胞附着于结构载体的实验研究，基于物理的细胞-载体相互作用建模，以及使用表面元素集成技术预测载体结构对藻类附着的影响。本提案的教育目标是在高中、本科和研究生阶段传授基于制造教育增强主题的系统级集成。这将通过让本科生和研究生参与跨学科研究项目、通过现有的外展项目进行K-12外展、能源制造课程和课程开发、以及通过堪萨斯州立大学的指导项目让妇女和少数民族参与进来来实现。从这项研究中获得的知识将促进固体载体的设计和制造，以帮助实现经济实惠的生物能源制造的愿景。经济上可行的藻类生物燃料制造将极大地有利于美国的经济和能源安全，以及社会和环境。拟议活动的成功将有助于扩大制造业研究界的作用，在美国创造一个新的万亿美元的能源制造业。这项跨学科的研究将有利于堪萨斯州立大学的工程教育。学生将接触到两个非常不同的研究领域——藻类分子生物学和制造过程。研究成果将通过期刊文章、会议、研讨会和暑期项目传播。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to test the hypothesis that micro- and meso-scale structures of solid carriers enhance attachment of algae. Such structures (for example, dimples or channels) will be fabricated on the surface of solid carriers -- the major equipment proposed for manufacturing algae biofuels in the ocean. The approach includes an experimental study of cell attachment to structured carriers, physics-based modeling of cell-carrier interactions, and prediction of the effect of carrier structures on algae attachment using the surface element integration technique. The educational objective of this proposal is to impart a system-level integration of a manufacturing-education-enhancement based theme at high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels. This will be accomplished through exposure of undergraduate and graduate students to interdisciplinary research projects, K-12 outreach through existing outreach programs, course and curriculum development in energy manufacturing, and involvement of women and minorities through mentoring programs at Kansas State University.Knowledge obtained from this research will foster design and manufacturing of solid carriers to help realize the vision of affordable bio-based energy manufacturing. Economically viable manufacturing of algae biofuels will greatly benefit the economy and energy security, as well as society and the environment of the United States. Success of the proposed activities will help expand the role of the manufacturing research community to create a new, trillion dollar energy manufacturing industry in the United States. The interdisciplinary research will benefit engineering education at Kansas State University. Students will be exposed to two very distinct research fields -- algae molecular biology and manufacturing processes. Research results will be disseminated through journal articles, conferences, workshops, and summer programs.