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MONet Community Science Meeting
November 7 - 8, 2023

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MONet Community Science Meeting

November 7–8, 2023 
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and online

Join EMSL for two days of immersive lectures, tutorials, and hands-on training (for those who attend in-person) about methods and data types collected through the Molecular Observation Network (MONet) and how to analyze the data.

You will also learn about plans for MONet proposal calls in FY24 and help us plan focused community research campaigns for FY24.

The meeting is free to attend. Travel/lodging is not included, however, travel assistance of up to $1,700 will be provided for 10 advanced undergraduates and graduate/PhD students, as well as postdoctoral scholars. The selection for assistance is based on merit (see instructions, below).

Register to attend in person | Register to attend online

Travel assistance for students/postdocs

MONet will cover travel expenses up to $1,700 for each of up to 10 early career researchers.

This offer is extended to advanced undergraduates and graduate/PhD students, as well as postdoctoral scholars, who seek to increase their engagement in MONet. Priority will be given to applicants who intend to use MONet data as part of their research and to publish manuscripts using MONet data. 

To be considered, submit the in-person registration form AND email the following as a single PDF document to monet@pnnl.gov with the subject line “LastName MONet23 Application:”

  1. Updated CV.
  2. A brief (<300 words) summary describing how your participation in the MONet Community Science Meeting will advance your research. Provide details on the alignment between your current research and the themes covered in the meeting. Highlight how the knowledge and networking opportunities provided by MONet data will contribute to the progress of your research, including using MONet open science data for manuscripts, dissertation chapters, or other research products.
  3. Letter of recommendation from your PhD/respective advisor.

Assistance application deadline: Sept. 18, 2023

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST
EMSL 1075 and 1077, and Zoom

Session 1: MONet Open Science Network: Enabling Soil Biogeochemistry Research at Continental Scale 

Participants will receive information on instrumentation and the principles for collecting X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and organic matter molecular scale data from soils (strength and limitations)

8:30 a.m. Instructions & Introduction to MONet

8:35 a.m. What is MONet and how can you use it in your research 

  • John Bargar | Environmental Transformations and Interactions Science Area Leader | EMSL 

8:50 a.m. - Session 1 | Speaker #1 

  • "Introduction to X-ray CT imaging and soil physical properties imaging"
    Tamas Varga |Materials Scientist |EMSL 

9:20 a.m. - Session 1 | Speaker #2

  • "Assessing how hydraulic properties and plant-soil-water-atmosphere interactions respond to a changing climate"
    Alexandra Kravchenko | Professor| Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University

9:50 a.m. Networking break

10 a.m. - Session 1| Speaker #3

  • "Introduction to natural organic matter characterization with ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry"
    Will Kew |Chemist| EMSL

10:30 a.m. - Session 1 | Speaker #4 

  • "Integrating metabolomic approaches to study ecosystem response to climate change"
    Malak Tfaily | Ecosystem System Scientist and Joint Appointee | EMSL and the University of Arizona

11 a.m. - Session 1 | Speaker #5

  • "Digging deeper with MONet: correlating soil respiration with OM molecular structure across continental US"
    Emily Graham | Biogeochemical Transformations Integration Platform Leader | EMSL

Session 2: Upcoming MONet Proposal Calls 

Participants will be introduced to upcoming user proposal calls and will gain insights into proposal call plans.

11:30 a.m. | Plans for MONet User Proposal Call in 2024

11:45 a.m. Insights on Permits Required for MONet Soil Sampling Sites

Noon | Working Lunch on  Topics for Future Focused Science Calls

Session 3: MONet Data Tutorial

Participants will gain familiarity with project data collection and processing, covering soil physical properties, organic matter molecular structure, and biogeochemical data. Additionally, they will be introduced to the user-friendly interactive Shiny App for visualizing the data. A question and answer period will be available at the end of the session. 

1 p.m. - Tutorial 1: Introduction to MONet Shiny App Visualization Tool for Biogeochemical Data

  • Qian Zhao | Earth Scientist | EMSL
  • Layton Washburn | Tech Student | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

1:30 p.m. - Tutorial 2: XCT Raw Data Processing and Analysis for Comprehensive Insights

2:30 p.m. Tutorial 3: Mastering Organic Matter Molecular Structure Analysis through Fourier-transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR)/Mass Spectrometry Data Processing.

  • Will Kew |Chemist| EMSL
  • Cheng Shi | DGEP fellow/PhD student | Oregon State University

3:30 p.m. Tutorial 4:  Exploring Respiration, Mineral-Associated Organic Matter (MAOM), and Soil Biogeochemistry through Bulk Measurements

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 

10 A.M. to 2 p.m. PST
EMSL (on-site only)

Participants will attend breakout room sessions to learn how to navigate the MONet database, retrieve raw or processed data, analyze molecular data on organic matter, utilize specialized software tools, and collaborate with EMSL data team mentors. 

Session 4: Hands-on Learning

The three breakout rooms will have three hourlong sessions available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon.

Breakout Room 1: XCT Data
EMSL 1075

Breakout Room 2: FTICR/MS: From Raw to Processed Data  
EMSL 1077

  • Will Kew |Chemist| EMSL
  • Cheng Shi | DGEP fellow/PhD student | Oregon State University
  • Nicole Didonato | Chemist | EMSL

Breakout Room 3: Respiration & MAOM: From Raw to Processed Data 
EMSL 1079

  • Qian Zhao | Earth Scientist | EMSL
  • Kaizad Patel | Earth Scientist | PNNL 
  • Andrew Townsend | Post Masters Research Associate | EMSL

1 p.m. - Working Lunch - Plans for Follow up Seminars

Sheng Chi

Sheng Chi

Distinguished Graduate Research Program Fellow and PhD student
MONet Team
monet@pnnl.gov