SensorSpace: A Cutting-edge Facility for Environmental Sensor Design, Production, and Deployment for Research and Education at Flathead Lake Biological Station

为了研究湖泊、溪流、森林、草原和其他栖息地的动态环境，环境科学家需要获得敏感和负担得起的环境传感器。在过去，科学家们需要依靠昂贵的商业仪器或满足于他们自己制造的低质量传感器。然而，近年来的“创客运动”改变了人们获得复杂设计和制造能力的途径，导致了各个领域的创新。这笔拨款将资助建立一个？制造商空间?蒙大拿州大学弗拉黑德湖生物站的传感器将作为地区乃至全国的资源，为环境科学家和工程师开发、制造和测试复杂的仪器，用于他们的研究和监测项目。FLBS“传感器空间”也将成为当地和地区社区成员（包括部落成员）使用的资源，增强“公民科学”的能力，并激励各级学生（K-12、大学）继续在科学和工程领域学习。这笔拨款将资助在蒙大拿大学的弗拉黑德湖生物站（FLBS）建立一个复杂的“创客空间”，用于环境传感器的设计、制造和测试。弗拉黑德湖生物站是一个世界知名的研究和教育中心，其任务重点是湖沼学，内陆水域的研究（http://flbs.umt.edu/）。我们称之为“FLBS传感器空间”的拟议设施将推进各种前沿研究领域，例如：用于高分辨率物理化学监测的新型网络传感器；自动原位基因组分析仪检测eDNA；用声学剖面仪监测河流湍流和河床负荷；微流控装置单细胞基因组学研究无源光学传感器的高分辨率地面测实从连续的物理-化学分析中进行原位流代谢评估，仅举几例。四个核心技术区将定义拟议的FLBS传感器空间：制造，光学，微流体和嵌入式系统。除了这四个核心功能外，该设施还包括一个会议空间，研究人员可以灵活地工作/教学/协作，一个计算机终端工作台，一个教学/阅读区和一个技术展示区。该设施将推进FLBS正在进行的和预期的研究，并帮助该站成为对开发和现场测试适合其需求的定制传感器系统感兴趣的科学家和学生的区域磁石，范围从最基本的到目前可用的最先进的功能。传感器空间还将促进教育、公众对科学的欣赏和商业应用。这将通过将SensorSpace整合到我们的暑期课程和开发新课程“环境传感器设计和生产”来实现；通过与萨利什库特奈学院合作；通过高中生项目；通过努力在FLBS建立一个独立的公民科学项目；并通过使用传感器空间来吸引对开发传感器和其他仪器感兴趣的环境科学家，学生，企业家和企业，作为其研发组合的一部分，从而产生经济效益和知识产权。

Environmental scientists need access to sensitive and affordable environmental sensors in order study dynamic environments in lakes, streams, forests, grasslands, and other habitats. In the past, scientists have needed to rely on expensive commercial instruments or to settle for lower-quality sensors that they fabricate themselves. However, in recent years a "maker movement" has transformed access to sophisticated design and fabrication capabilities, leading to innovation in a variety of sectors. This grant will fund the creation of a ?maker space? for sensors at the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station that will serve as a regional and indeed national resource for environmental scientists and engineers to use to develop, fabricate, and test sophisticated instruments for their research and monitoring projects. The FLBS "Sensor Space" will also be a resource for members of the local and regional community (including tribal members) to use, empowering "citizen science" and inspiring students at various levels (K-12, college) to continue studies in science and engineering fields.This grant will fund the creation of a sophisticated "maker space" for environmental sensor design, fabrication, and testing at the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) of the University of Montana, a world-renowned research and education center whose mission focus is limnology, the study of inland waters (http://flbs.umt.edu/). The proposed facility, which we call the "FLBS SensorSpace", will advance a variety of cutting-edge research areas, such as: novel networked sensors for high-resolution physiochemical monitoring; eDNA detection with automated in situ genomic analyzers; stream turbulence and bedload monitoring with acoustic profilers; single-cell genomics with microfluidic devices; high resolution ground-truthing of passive optical sensors; and in situ stream metabolism assessment from continuous physical-chemical profiling, to name a few. Four core technology zones will define the proposed FLBS SensorSpace: Manufacturing, Optics, Microfluidics, and Embedded Systems. In addition to these four core capacities, the facility will include a meeting space where researchers can work/teach/collaborate in a flexible manner, a computer terminal bench, a teaching/reading area, and a technology showcase display. This facility will advance ongoing and anticipated research at FLBS and help make the station a regional magnet for scientists and students interested in developing and field-testing customized sensor systems suited to their needs, ranging from the most basic to the most advanced capabilities currently available. The SensorSpace will also advance education, public appreciation of science, and commercial applications. This will occur via integration of the SensorSpace into the curricula of our summer course offerings and development of a new course, "Environmental Sensor Design and Production"; via collaboration with Salish Kootenai College; via programs for high school students; via efforts to establish a freestanding Citizen Science program at FLBS; and via use of the SensorSpace to attract environmental scientists, students, entrepreneurs, and businesses interested in developing sensors and other instrumentation as part of their research and development portfolio, leading to economic benefits and intellectual property.