This project aims to prevent further melting of Arctic ice through the creation of a bioengineered strain of glacial Cryobacterium that can uptake dissolved silicon, and biomineralize it into silica (glass), to increase the reflectivity of glaciers. This novel, environmentally-friendly solution will lead to an increase in reflectance that will alow the glaciers to recover over time and prevent devastating sea level rises that would occur due to climate change. 

This project addresses simultaneous removal of ocean carbon removal and soluble oil-in-water contaminants through the creation of a Multi-Functional Remediation Framework (MF-RF), using collected Styrofoam ocean debris to, in turn, remove carbon contaminant.

Development of an early detection tool to assess drought stress in plants is crucial in reducing irrigation water used to grow agricultural crops. The AIDA model was developed using field data and variables that are physiologic and direct indicators of drought stress. A custom-built Spectra-Rover was constructed with infrared (IR) and RGB cameras to capture radiometric IR and RGB plant canopy images. Radiometric IR temperature, red, green, and blue light reflectance values, and soil moisture readings were used to train the AIDA model.

Eighty percent (80%) of the data was used in the training dataset and the remaining 20% was used in the validation dataset. The AIDA model validation output was very close to the actual CWSI values with a low mean absolute error. A prediction output program was coded and appended to the AIDA model to output an AIDA score. This accurately approximated the manually calculated CWSI values. If this novel AIDA model with an AIDA score is used on all tomato farms in California, approximately 26 billion gallons of irrigation water can be saved each season. 

Less than one percent of the earth’s water is easily accessible to us as freshwater and nearly half of this water is heavily polluted with pesticides, emerging contaminants, and heavy metals due to waste from industry, human establishments, and agriculture. This research aimed to remove these key classes of contaminants by manipulating biochar surface area, controlling chemical composition and catalytic properties for oxidative breakdown, adding surface complexing agents, and modifying intrinsic pore size.

Oil spills are environmental catastrophes – yet much of the danger comes from the less-famous emulsion that forms between spilled oil and seawater. I developed prototypes to educe overall emulsion stability by up to 25%..

It is forecast that 66% of our population will experience water scarcity within a decade, leaving us more dependent on surface water for drinking. This requires more filtration infrastructure, and more monitoring of surface water. Current methods rely on expensive and technically challenging manual identification of biological samples. Macroinvertebrates spend their larval lives within a small area of water, showing cumulative effects of habitat alteration and pollutants that chemical testing and field sensors do not. Chironimidae are a global common denominator. DNA Barcoding of Chironomidae results in more accurate and precise waterway health data, adding significant value for monitoring scarce water resources. The learnings from these data are being applied building microbiology capability at a nonprofit scientific water study institute.

The purpose of this project was to establish irrigation water use efficiency improvements by using a percolation control layer in addition to suppression of evaporation loss with infiltration insert water delivery and top soil bed. Reducing fresh water usage in irrigation can lead to significant reduction in world’s water foot print and relieve water stress.

“The goal of the project was to create a cost-effective, low impact system to remove heavy metals from water systems. First two field studies, both at EPA Superfund Sites, were conducted. At these sites, seven heavy metals concentrations were measured along the streams and water samples were taken. 250 bacterial strains were then isolated from the water samples. The bacterial isolates were screened for heavy metal resistance and successful biofilm formation in heavy metals. 24 bacteria that showed the greatest potential for heavy metal remediation were then selected from the group and identified with a 16S Ribosomal Subunit Analysis. To create the system, the bacteria were combined with mixed algae in an immobilized format called a sodium alginate bead.”

Rapid advances in technology in the 21st century have resulted in the recent and significant rise of electronic waste…