PIRE: Climate Resilient Sustainable Food Production: Controlled Environment Hydroponic Agriculture with Novel Wastewater Treatment & Reuse

气候变化引发的区域性干旱日益频繁，引发了人们对粮食安全的担忧。考虑到传统露天作物种植的高土地、水、能源和碳足迹，使用温室或模块化容器的可控环境农业正变得更加有利。在淡水匮乏的地区，正在考虑利用再生废水等非传统水源进行灌溉。然而，人们担心废水处理的单位成本和能源需求，以及对消费者潜在的微生物风险。在这里，该团队推进了可持续农业平台的开发，其中灌溉水含有废水中存在的植物营养物质。采用厌氧膜生物反应器（AnMBR）处理废水，生产富甲烷沼气。回收的甲烷抵消了系统的能量需求。它可以转化为二氧化碳，丰富植物周围的大气，促进它们的生长。AnMBR利用其固有的膜和紫外线消毒步骤从水中去除病原体。像莴苣这样的植物是用水培（无土）营养膜技术种植的，这种技术被设计成有效地利用AnMBR的水和养分。这是一种同时减少水和肥料消耗的方法。从营养膜技术中回收水可以最大限度地提高“每滴庄稼”。该项目还支持一名博士后，以及来自科学领域代表性不足群体的研究生和本科生。其结果可能会提供一个气候智能型解决方案，在人口稠密地区生产新鲜蔬菜。该项目是美国克莱姆森大学（Clemson University）和韩国庆尚国立大学（Gyeongsang National University）和高丽大学（Korea University）研究人员的合作项目。韩国在控制环境农业（CEA）领域处于世界领先地位。国际合作可以对不同的作物、气候条件和文化观点进行比较评估。它使两个不同的全球区域之间的概念交流成为可能。美国和韩国CEA活动的对比促进了城郊农业和都市农业最佳实践的知识转移。该项目有五个重点：(1)AnMBR系统的开发和测试；(2)营养膜技术（NFT）系统的开发与试验；(3)整合监测营养物和水媒病原体进出系统的传感器；(4)研究良好生产规范、微生物风险和食品安全；(5)进行技术经济分析和生命周期评价。教育整合将通过三个独特的组成部分来实现：(1)所有参与机构的博士生之间的虚拟和物理交流计划；(2)包括本科生在内的分层、多机构研究和指导计划；(3)由各院校跨学科学生团队组成的“黑客马拉松”活动。调查人员将通过利益相关者咨询小组的活动与种植者、政府代表和消费者交流知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Increasingly frequent regional droughts induced by climate change have raised concerns about food security. Given the high land, water, energy, and carbon footprints of traditional open field crop cultivation, controlled environment agriculture using greenhouses or modular containers is becoming more advantageous. In regions with freshwater scarcity, non-traditional water sources such as reclaimed wastewater are being considered for irrigation. However, there are concerns about the unit costs and energy requirements of wastewater treatment as well as potential microbial risks to consumers. Here, the team advances the development of a sustainable agriculture platform where irrigation water contains plant nutrients present in wastewater. An anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is used to treat wastewater and produce methane-rich biogas. Recovered methane offset the energy requirements of the system. It can be converted to carbon dioxide to enrich the atmosphere around the plants to enhance their growth. The AnMBR uses its inherent membrane and an ultraviolet disinfection step to remove pathogens from the water. Plants such as lettuce are grown with a hydroponic (soil-less) nutrient film technique that is engineered to efficiently use the water and nutrients from the AnMBR. This is a way to simultaneously reduce water and fertilizer consumption. Recycling the water from the nutrient film technique allows maximizing the "crop per drop." This project also supports one postdoctoral fellow, and graduate and undergraduate students notably from underrepresented groups in science. Its outcomes may provide a climate-smart solution yielding fresh vegetables in densely populated areas.This project is a collaboration between investigators in the United States at Clemson University and in the Republic of Korea at Gyeongsang National University and Korea University. Korea is a global leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The international collaboration allows a comparative assessment of different crops, climate conditions, and cultural perspectives. It enables concept exchange between the two distinct global regions. A contrast of CEA activities in the USA and Korea facilitates knowledge transfer about best practices in peri-urban and urban agriculture. The project has five thrusts: (1) development and testing of the AnMBR system; (2) development and testing of the nutrient film technique (NFT) system; (3) integrating sensors for monitoring nutrients and waterborne pathogens into and out of the systems; (4) studying good manufacturing practices, microbial risk, and food safety; (5) performing a technoeconomic analysis and life cycle assessment. Educational integration will be realized through three unique components: (1) a virtual and physical exchange program between PhD students of all participating institutions; (2) a tiered, multi-institutional research and mentoring program incorporating undergraduate students; (3) a "hack-a-thon" event comprised of interdisciplinary student teams blended across institutions. The investigators will exchange knowledge with growers, government representatives, and consumers through the activities of a Stakeholder Advisory Group.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.