Projects

In situ Observation of Nanoscale Dynamic Interfacial Processes and Structural Transformations in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Gas Storage and Sensing Technologies

Lead Institution

University of California, San Diego

Principal Investigator

Nathan Gianneschi

Project type

Exploratory Research

High-capacity gas storage and separation materials have tremendous potential for applications in alternative energy generation (hydrogen fuel cells) and in environmental and human health protection …

The effect of trace element content on the rate of biotic and abiotic pyrite oxidation

Lead Institution

University of California, Riverside

Principal Investigator

Timothy Lyons

Project type

Exploratory Research

The oxidation of pyrite is a common source of toxic trace elements and acid generation in many contaminated systems. A key component in understanding the potential threat to ecosystems and possible…

Controlling topotactic phase transitions in oxide thin films

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Yingge Du

Project type

Exploratory Research

The objective of this research is to understand, predict, and control the phase transitions occurring in structurally ordered thin films to enable the rational design, synthesis, and utilization of…

Towards Complete Characterization of Gas-Phase Organic Compounds Emitted from Biomass Burning

Lead Institution

University of California, Riverside

Principal Investigator

Kelley Barsanti

Project type

Exploratory Research

Biomass burning emits teragrams (1012 g) of gaseous organic compounds to the atmosphere. In-plume chemistry leads to the formation of secondary pollutants and short-lived climate forcers, including…

Water condensation in unsaturated mineral-organic assemblages

Lead Institution

Umea University

Principal Investigator

Jean-Francois Boily

Project type

Exploratory Research

This objective of this work is to predict condensation of atmospheric water vapor in the vadose zone of organic-bearing soils. It will primarily develop knowledge on the formation of condensed forms…

Infrared Nanoscopic Imaging of Structural and Globular Proteins

Lead Institution

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Principal Investigator

Joanna Atkin

Project type

Exploratory Research

This work uses infrared near-field optical spectroscopy to investigate the secondary structure of fiber-forming and globular proteins with nanoscale spatial resolution. These protein classes are…

Life in the deep terrestrial subsurface: microbial metabolism before and after shale gas extraction

Lead Institution

Colorado State University

Principal Investigator

Michael Wilkins

Project type

Exploratory Research

Black shales underlay much of the continental U.S., and are a critical component of current and future energy resources. To extract hydrocarbons from these formations, shales are hydraulically…

Understanding enzymatic depolymerization of lignin

Lead Institution

Sandia National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Michael Kent

Project type

Exploratory Research

Producing fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass is a promising technology to meet the nation's goal of a secure and sustainable energy future. Valorization of lignin is a key…

Identifying the mechanism of bacterial extracellular electron transfer via conductive pili proteins

Lead Institution

Yale University

Principal Investigator

Nikhil Malvankar

Project type

Exploratory Research

Microbial metabolism plays an important role in the global cycling of carbon, nutrients, and metals. Recent discovery of microorganisms sharing energy using direct electrical connections might…

Speciation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides in the ALSEP solvent extraction system

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Tatiana Levitskaia

Project type

Exploratory Research

Nuclear energy is a clean, carbon neutral energy source that can mitigate the effects of climate change in the coming decades by replacing fossil fuel energy sources. Political and societal…

Chemical Imaging and Molecular Characterization of Primary Biological Particles.

Lead Institution

University of California, Irvine

Principal Investigator

Alex Guenther

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The objective of the proposed project is to conduct in-depth studies of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAP) for predictive understanding of their environmental impact. The ultimate goal is to…

Development of NMR Sparse Sampling Methods for Quantitative Metabolic Flux Analysis

Lead Institution

Duke University

Principal Investigator

Brian Coggins

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Quantitative metabolomics and metabolic flux analysis have emerged in recent years as valuable approaches for the study of carbon cycling in living organisms and in the environment, whether for…

Molecular mechanisms underlying changes in the temperature sensitive respiration response of forest soils to long-term experimental warming

Lead Institution

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Principal Investigator

Jeffrey Blanchard

Project type

FICUS Research

A more complete understanding of how global warming will affect carbon-cycle feedbacks to the climate system is central to model projections of future climate. Simulation experiments with fully…

Deciphering controls on plant decomposition in Arctic ecosystems: Identifying unknown microbial condensed tannin degradation pathways

Lead Institution

Colorado State University

Principal Investigator

Kelly Wrighton

Project type

FICUS Research

Climate change in the Arctic is progressing rapidly, and much of the focus, thus far, has been on permafrost thaw and the rapid mineralization of soil organic carbon (C) by soil microorganisms…

The impacts of nitrogen availability and seasonal dynamics on plant-microbial interactions affecting C and N cycling in coniferous forest soils

Lead Institution

Institute of Microbiology of the CAS

Principal Investigator

Petr Baldrian

Project type

FICUS Research

Coniferous forests are widely distributed in temperate and boreal biomes and the fact that they efficiently store large stocks of carbon makes them globally important. Decomposer and mycorrhizal…

Global warming induced salinity shifts: metabolic responses by algal-bacterial consortia

Lead Institution

University of Washington

Principal Investigator

Rose Ann Cattolico

Project type

FICUS Research

The reality of global warming predicts that the survival of many organisms will be compromised due to rapid environmental changes of the ecosystems in which they live. Aquatic ecosystems are…

The role of priming effects on the conversion of blue carbon to CO2 in the coastal zone

Lead Institution

University of Florida

Principal Investigator

Thomas Bianchi

Project type

FICUS Research

"Blue carbon," or organic carbon (OC) derived from and stored in coastal and marine environments, is recognized as an important OC sink within the global carbon cycle, particularly in…

Systems analysis of grass secondary cell wall development and regulation for biofuel production

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Laura Bartley

Project type

FICUS Research

The objective of this proposal is to identify the proteins, phosphopeptides, transcripts, and metabolic signatures that mediate secondary cell wall (SCW) development in grasses. Grass cell walls are…

Combined 'omics approaches for the study of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis between Suillus and Pinaceae, with emphasis on their role in nutrient cycling

Lead Institution

University of Florida

Principal Investigator

Hui-ling Liao

Project type

FICUS Research

This study will explore the genetics of obligately symbiotic interactions between conifers (Pinaceae) and their host-specific ectomycorrhizal fungi in the mushroom genus Suillus, and their effects on…

Understanding conversion of biomass-derived carbon into lipids and terpenoids in the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides

Lead Institution

University of California, Berkeley

Principal Investigator

Jeffrey Skerker

Project type

FICUS Research

The objective of this proposal is to understand how biomass-derived carbon is converted into lipids and terpenoids in the oleaginous and carotenogenic yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides. We will carry…