Projects

CFD Code Performance Testing

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Thomas Michener

Project type

Exploratory Research

The purpose of the Pilot Project request is to perform code conversion and performance testing of the COBRA-SFS and TEMPEST CFD computer codes.

Ultrastructural Properties of SIS

Lead Institution

Cook Biotech Incorporated

Principal Investigator

Abram Janis

Project type

Exploratory Research

Porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is a naturally derived, collagen-based extracellular matrix that has been used extensively in humans as a biomaterial without complication. Scanning electron…

Hygrogen adsorption/release study of selected chemical hydrides

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Liyu Li

Project type

Exploratory Research

To explore new, high capacity hydrogen storage materials, hydrogen adsorption and desorption behavior of selected chemical hydrides will be studied. Temperature effect on the absorption/desorption…

Investigation of Genetic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity in the Bacterial Endosymbionts of Aphids

Lead Institution

United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service

Principal Investigator

Michelle Cilia

Project type

Exploratory Research

Aphids are sap-sucking insects that induce a necrotic reaction in host plants and transmit hundreds of destructive plant viruses. Luteoviruses are plant viruses vectored exclusively by aphids in a…

Characterization of ion movement in organic electronic devices via ToF-SIMS

Lead Institution

Western Washington University

Principal Investigator

Janelle Leger

Project type

Exploratory Research

An emerging advantage of organic semiconductors is their ability to conduct ions in applications such as light-emitting electrochemical cells, photovoltaic devices, actuators, and electrochromic…

Understanding and Harnessing the Robustness of Undomesticated Yarrowia lipolytica Strains for Biosynthesis of Designer Bioesters

Lead Institution

University of Tennessee

Principal Investigator

Cong Trinh

Project type

FICUS Research

The goal of this proposed research is to elucidate and harness the exceptional robustness of the novel, undomesticated Yarrowia lipolytica isolates from genetic diversity screening as a bioenergy…

Deciphering the Structure & Function of Secondary Metabolites from Anaerobic Fungi

Lead Institution

University of California, Santa Barbara

Principal Investigator

Michelle O'Malley

Project type

FICUS Research

We recently uncovered the biosynthetic machinery to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites within the genomes of the anaerobic fungal phylum Neocallimastigomycota. These fungi live among…

Linking phosphorus and carbon in rhizosphere nutrient cycling

Lead Institution

Michigan State University

Principal Investigator

James Moran

Project type

FICUS Research

Plant root exudates provide a significant carbon (C) source for rhizosphere microbial communities. In return, these communities help mobilize nutrients needed for plant growth. For instance,…

Epigenetic regulation of anaerobic fungi for increased lignocellulose degradation

Lead Institution

University of Delaware

Principal Investigator

Kevin Solomon

Project type

FICUS Research

This project studies the impact of epigenetic regulation in anaerobic fungi to develop strategies that control lignocellulolytic enzyme expression and activity for increased lignocellulose breakdown…

Interactive mechanisms of mineral dissolution by a microbial consortia

Lead Institution

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Principal Investigator

Yeala Shaked

Project type

FICUS Research

Essential metabolic functions within ecosystems are often partitioned among various members of microbial communities that each benefit the whole population. For example, nitrogen fixation is carried…

Plant litter degradation and microbial defense by host-specific fungal endophytes

Lead Institution

University of California, Santa Barbara

Principal Investigator

Ryoko Oono

Project type

FICUS Research

Decomposition of leaf litter by a diverse microbial community is a major biogeochemical process in the global carbon cycle. Fungi are considered the primary decomposers of plant litter, especially of…

Microbial membrane features and metabolic pathways in deep fractured shale systems

Lead Institution

University of New Hampshire

Principal Investigator

Paula Mouser

Project type

Exploratory Research

Humans are currently engineering the deep subsurface at unprecedented scales for the purposes of energy-capture technologies, energy-storage capabilities, and environmental mitigation strategies. To…

Intercellular Vesicular Communication in Plants

Lead Institution

Rice University

Principal Investigator

Janet Braam

Project type

Exploratory Research

Exosomes are powerful vehicles for local, distal and even transpecies cell-to-cell communication in diverse eukaryotes, but whether plant extracellular vesicles can act similarly to exosomes…

Soil organic phosphorus: speciation, abundance, and ecosystem implications in a changing climate

Lead Institution

University of California, Merced

Principal Investigator

Asmeret Berhe

Project type

Exploratory Research

Soil organic phosphorus (P) has been identified as a pivotal component of bioavailable P, especially in late stages of ecosystem development. Organic P turnover rate is affected by the stabilization…

Experimental validation of a central carbon metabolic model in Aspergillus niger to enable metabolic engineering of this fungal cell factory

Lead Institution

Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

Principal Investigator

Ronald de Vries

Project type

Exploratory Research

Sugar conversion through central carbon catabolism in filamentous fungi is a complex progress that involves many pathways. During growth on plant biomass, multiple 5- and 6-carbon monomeric sugars…

Understanding ice nucleating particles associated with agricultural soils

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Susannah Burrows

Project type

Exploratory Research

The atmospheric concentration of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) impacts the formation and development of cloud ice crystals, affecting cloud radiative properties and precipitation. However,…

Tracking substrate uptake and mRNA expression of aerobic methane-producing bacteria in pelagic waters of Yellowstone Lake

Lead Institution

Montana State University

Principal Investigator

Tim McDermott

Project type

Exploratory Research

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and understanding its sources and sinks is a core goal of the EMSL and DOE mission. Biological methane production is traditionally viewed as a process that can only…

Computational Studies of Nanoparticle Formation Leading to Mineralization and ab initio Thermodynamics Studies of Minerals

Lead Institution

University of Alabama

Principal Investigator

David Dixon

Project type

Exploratory Research

There is a critical need to develop an understanding of nanoparticle and mineral formation in systems that contain H2O, metal ions and CO2 as carbonation and hydrolysis reactions are important for…

Reactivity of Soil Organic Carbon with Minerals under Low Water Conditions

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

John Loring

Project type

Exploratory Research

The manner in which soil organic carbon (SOC) binds to and reacts with mineral surfaces affects SOC (bio)degradation, SOC mobility, soil wettability, mineral dissolution, and the bioavailability of…

Applying multi-dimensional solid state NMR to explore the nanoarchitecture of native and engineered plant cell walls

Lead Institution

University of Adelaide

Principal Investigator

Jennifer Mortimer

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Plants fix carbon via photosynthesis, the majority of which is incorporated into cell wall polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are synthesized in different cellular compartments, but are assembled…