Projects

Computational Studies of Catalyzed Chemical Transformations of Biomass

Lead Institution

University of Alabama

Principal Investigator

David Dixon

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

There is a critical need to develop new, renewable sources of energy as well as feedstocks for the chemical industry. Biomass is a carbon neutral source of energy and can also address issues related…

Epigenetic engineering to increase expression of novel feedstocks and lignocellulolytic enzymes

Lead Institution

Oregon State University

Principal Investigator

Michael Freitag

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Responses to environmental stimuli, e.g. changes in nutritional status, require space- and time-dependent transcription of genes in the context of chromatin, the assembly of DNA and proteins that…

Investigating the mechanisms for negative priming of soil organic carbon by pyrogenic carbon using NanoSIMS and LA-AMS

Lead Institution

Cornell University

Principal Investigator

Johannes Lehmann

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Reduced turnover rate (often referred to as "negative priming") of soil organic carbon (SOC) by pyrogenic black carbon (pyC) has the potential to have dramatic long-term effects on soil…

Investigations of Metal-organic Frameworks Using High-field Solid State NMR

Lead Institution

University of California, Berkeley

Principal Investigator

Jeffrey Reimer

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging materials for the applications of CO2 capture from post-combustion flue gases. The knowledge of gas binding mechanisms and the in-depth understanding of…

Early Career: Reducing Scale Dependence of Physics Parameterizations for Global Cloud Resolving Climate Models

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

William Gustafson

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

New climate models with variable resolution grids combined with the anticipated two-order reduction in climate model grid spacing, from roughly 100's to 1's km grid spacing, in the next…

Delineating the Roles of Rising CO2 and Temperature on Flowering Time and Plant Carbon Gain across Pre-Industrial Through Future Conditions

Lead Institution

University of Kansas

Principal Investigator

Joy Ward

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Since the Industrial Revolution began (200 years ago), atmospheric [CO2] has increased from 270 to 390 ppm (44% increase), and average global temperatures have risen by 0.76 degrees C. In the future,…

Effects of Time of Day on the Neurospora Metabolome

Lead Institution

Dartmouth College

Principal Investigator

Jay Dunlap

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Biofuel production using cellulases extracted from fungi has the potential to be a major resource to replace fossil fuels and regulating the synthesis of these and other enzymes is crucial for the…

The Role of Interfacial Water on Mineral Transformations in Wet Supercritical CO2

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Andrew Felmy

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

We propose a comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigation of the molecular mechanisms governing the role of interfacial water in the reactivity of mineral phases in supercritical carbon…

Probing the Mesoscale Structure at Complex Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Vijayakumar Murugesan

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Molecular interactions at electrode-electrolyte interface are pivotal to the modern energy storage/conversion and microelectronic devices. However, our predictive understanding about the impact of…

High resolution cell wall structure and polymer analysis of Populus natural variants

Lead Institution

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Jin-Gui Chen

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Bioenergy crops not only provide biofuel that offsets fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emissions but also sequester carbon in the soil through extensive root systems. Plant cell wall characteristics have…

A comprehensive systems-level investigation of the responses of Setaria viridis to growth promoting associations involving Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Azospirillum lipoferum rhizobacteria.

Lead Institution

University of Missouri - Columbia

Principal Investigator

Richard Ferrieri

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

While nitrogen management is an important agronomic trait in any cropping system, it is of particular concern for future bioenergy crops that will be grown on sub-optimal soils lacking this essential…

In-situ MAS NMR Investigations on Catalytic Conversion of Biogenic Molecules in the Presence and Absence of Water

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Jian-zhi Hu

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The catalyzed conversion of biomass to hydrocarbon energy carriers requires a cascade of reactions that deconstruct and reduce the polymeric, highly oxofunctionalized biomass material. This chemistry…

Structural Characterization of Bacterial Nanowires

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Karl Mueller

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Several species of bacteria are capable of reducing insoluble metal oxides as well as other extracellular electron acceptors. These bacteria play a critical role in the cycling of minerals in…

Atomic scale characterization of dissolution processes in simulant spent nuclear fuel

Lead Institution

University of Cambridge

Principal Investigator

Ian Farnan

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

This proposal aims to provide the underpinning atomistic understanding of the alteration of spent (used) nuclear fuel in contact with repository groundwaters using the unique combination of…

Determination of vadose zone water content using gas-phase partitioning tracers combined with time-lapse electrical conductivity measurements

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Mart Oostrom

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Water content is an important indicator of contaminant distribution and plays a governing role in contaminant transport within the vadose zone. Understanding the water content distribution is…

Understanding unique aqueous glyoxal chemistry leading to formation of secondary organic aerosol

Lead Institution

University of Colorado at Boulder

Principal Investigator

Rainer Volkamer

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Atmospheric aerosols cool climate by scattering incoming solar radiation, and by modifying cloud cover and thus Earth albedo. Organic aerosol (OA) forms a major fraction of aerosol mass in the…

Chemical Characterization of Soot Particles for Model Development

Lead Institution

University of Toronto

Principal Investigator

Murray Thomson

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

An experimental and numerical study is proposed to better understand the evolution of soot morphology and the chemical characterization of particles produced in laminar, co-flow diffusion flames of…

Influence of organic carbon on molecular-scale biogeochemical cycling of iron, sulfur, and uranium in organic-rich aquifer sediments

Lead Institution

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Principal Investigator

John Bargar

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

We propose a SLAC-EMSL collaboration to study the biogeochemical coupling of subsurface natural organic matter (NOM) to iron, sulfur, and uranium redox cycles in the subsurface at the DOE-BER funded…

Analyzing the soil microbial central C metabolic network under contrasting conditions of carbon availability and oxygen concentration in a Florida landscape

Lead Institution

Northern Arizona University

Principal Investigator

Paul Dijkstra

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Understanding how environmental factors affect soil C cycling processes is important, as soil is the largest C pool in terrestrial ecosystems, and any change in its size may feed back to the…

Electronic and optical properties modification of complex oxide epitaxial films and superlattices for efficient light harvesting

Lead Institution

Drexel University

Principal Investigator

Steven May

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

We propose an aggressive program of epitaxial film synthesis, detailed and definitive materials characterization, optical and electronic properties measurements and ab initio simulations with the…