ASU News - Research + Research

Research shows impacts from airborne nitrogen

mcoulomb — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:06:37 -0700

The impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and widespread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater than previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes, according to a study published Nov. 6 in the journal Science.

Examining nitrogen deposition in alpine and subalpine lakes in Colorado, Sweden and Norway, James Elser, a limnologist in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, and his colleagues found that, on average, nitrogen levels in lakes were elevated, even those isolated from urban and agricultural centers.

The article “Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition” presents experimental data from more than 90 lakes. The researchers’ collaboration also revealed that nitrogen-rich air pollution has already altered the lakes’ fundamental ecology.

“This is because plant plankton or phytoplankton, like all plants, need nitrogen and phosphorus for growth,” Elser says. “Inputs from pollution in the atmosphere appear to shift the supplies of nitrogen relative to other elements, like phosphorus.”

The increase in the availability of nitrogen means that growing phytoplankton in lakes receiving elevated nitrogen deposition are now limited by how much phosphorus they can acquire. Elser says that this is important because “we know that phosphorus-limited phytoplankton are poor food – basically ‘junk food’ for animal plankton, which in turn are food for fish.”

“Such a shift could potentially affect biodiversity,” he adds. “However, we don’t really know because unlike in terrestrial systems, the impacts of nitrogen deposition on aquatic systems have not been widely studied.”

Elser’s collaborators include researchers Tom Andersen and Dag Hessen from the University of Oslo; Jill Baron of the United States Geological Survey and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University; Ann-Kristin Bergström and Mats Jansson with Umeå University, Sweden; and Koren Nydick of the Mountain Studies Institute in Colorado, in addition to Marcia Kyle and Laura Steger, who are members of his own group in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Hessen, a well-known limnologist, and Elser have had a long-standing collaborative relationship, looking not only at nitrogen deposition but also zooplankton nutrition and a broad range of stoichiometric studies. Elser met Bergström at a conference at Umeå University and discovered that she had performed similar experiments in Sweden.

“By combining these studies we were able to achieve a more global picture of how nitrogen was impacting a broad range of lakes and come to firmer conclusions about effects of deposition,” Elser says.

Elser and Hessen hope to expand on these findings and have a pending grant proposal with the Norwegian government. In addition, Elser says he hopes to perform similar studies in China “where atmospheric nitrogen pollution is extremely high,” but, as yet, unstudied.

Elser has built a career around asking questions about energy and material flows in ecosystems, and traveling all over the world to find answers.Understanding the balance of phosphorus, carbon and nitrogen in systems forms the backbone of Elser’s worldview, known as “stoichiometric theory.” His pioneering studies have jumpstarted new research approaches, insights into nutrient limitation, trophic dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, and linkages between evolutionary and ecosystem processes. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation.

Research shows impacts from airborne nitrogen

mcoulomb — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:06:37 -0700

Research shows impacts from airborne nitrogen

mcoulomb — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:06:37 -0700

New book expands on concept of sustainability

jkullman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:49:55 -0700

Brad Allenby, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, has recently co-authored a book that combines concepts of sustainable engineering with his pioneering work in industrial ecology.

"Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering," co-written with Tom Graedel, a professor in Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is the first book to fully integrate the two fields.

Industrial ecology broadens the scope of the sustainability concept, Allenby says.

“It looks, for instance, at economic, technological and industrial systems and their interaction with environmental and social systems,” he says.

From that point of view, Allenby says, “You look at a factory not only from merely an economic perspective, but from the perspective of its overall impact on environmental and social systems. You look at things like its carbon emissions and how the factory uses resources, and how they are tied to design choices and manufacturing practices.”

Allenby is writing a second book, "The Theory and Practice of Sustainable Engineering," which is designed to provide students a comprehensive introduction to the subject.

The books “are going to further solidify ASU’s leadership in both sustainability and industrial ecology,” says Paul Westerhoff, interim director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.

New book expands on concept of sustainability

jkullman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:49:55 -0700

Industrial ecology broadens the scope of the sustainability concept, Allenby says.

“It looks, for instance, at economic, technological and industrial systems and their interaction with environmental and social systems,” he says.

Allenby is writing a second book, "The Theory and Practice of Sustainable Engineering," which is designed to provide students a comprehensive introduction to the subject.

New College student puts accent on research to help fight cancer

sdesgeor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:47:17 -0700

Julie Furmick is going places. A senior-year life sciences major in Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Furmick is headed to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), on her way to being published in the prestigious Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, in line for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R15 AREA grant, and is on the road to medical school and, quite possibly, a career in academic medicine.

Furmick, who graduated from Peoria Sunrise Mountain High School in 2006, is an ASU SOLUR (School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research) participant and has been under the mentorship of Peter Jurutka, an assistant professor in the New College Division of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, for the past two years.

“Julie and her research exemplify the type of opportunities and achievements that can be attained by our students,” says Jurutka, who is also a founding faculty member of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in Partnership with ASU. “Her experience demonstrates that if students are intellectually curious and motivated, they can, with hard work, develop their own research goals and interests as undergraduates.”

The research being conducted by Furmick at the West campus – which is catching the attention of biomedical industry insiders – focuses on curtailing or alleviating altogether the side effects of Bexarotene, a secondary medication used to treat patients suffering from Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL). Her work won the Outstanding Student Research award in April at the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science annual research conference in Tucson. It is the same research she was invited to present at the recent ABRCMS meeting at the Phoenix Convention Center where she competed in the chemical science division. The conference is one of the largest professional meetings for biomedical and behavioral science students, attracting nearly 3,000 individuals, including 1,500 undergraduate students from as many as 300 colleges and universities across the country.

“We are working on developing a better anti-cancer drug that works by the same mechanism of Bexarotene, but does not cause the same bad side effects, such as red skin lesions, in our patients,” says Furmick, who is originally from New Jersey but grew up in the Valley. “So far, we have developed 27 compounds and found six that appear to work anywhere from 20 to 100 percent of the Bexarotene’s ability.”

Furmick’s findings were recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, which publishes original research on the correlation of molecular structure to biological activity with a focus on the relationships of chemistry to biological activity. Jurutka says he is waiting to hear from the NIH if her research will be funded in the future through an AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Award) grant.

As exciting as Furmick finds her research, she is just as enthused about the opportunities provided by New College and SOLUR, a program that promotes and facilitates opportunities for undergraduates to participate in biological research at ASU and around the Valley.

“I knew that I was interested in research, but I didn’t know that I could act on it as an undergraduate student,” she says. “There are so many great programs ASU offers to support undergraduate research.

“Not only does research allow students to get an inside look into the wide variety of career paths a degree in science can offer, but it also allows them to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it. They see first-hand how science works, instead of just reading about it in a textbook.”

Jurutka, a recipient of the Norwich-Eaton Young Investigator Research and the John Haddad Young Investigator awards, believes the undergraduate research focus in New College is an important benchmark of the West campus school.

“New College embraces an interdisciplinary liberal arts college model where classes are small and professors not only are active leading scholars in their fields, but also are accessible to the student population,” he says. “Because of the small classes and the direct accessibility to their professors, students are better able to determine their areas of interest prior to applying for research opportunities, making for a more successful and enjoyable research experience. Moreover, many of our faculty actively pursue research grants that favor student participation.”

In the meantime, Furmick plans to graduate in May 2010 with bachelor's degree in life sciences from New College. She hopes to follow her undergraduate degree with a master’s in biomedical ethics at ASU’s Tempe campus and, eventually attend medical school. She says Jurutka’s mentorship has been a guiding force in her journey.

“He always takes the time to make sure I understand the science behind my work,” she says. “It would be easier for him to simply give me a protocol and tell me to follow the directions but instead he takes the time to ask me why and when each step is important. This allows me to develop as a researcher, and from it I am able to do better and more complex experiments. I couldn’t have become as successful as I am without his guidance.”

For more informtion on the New College, visit newcollege.asu.edu.

For more information on SOLUR, visit sols.asu.edu/ugrad/research_programs.php.

New College student puts accent on research to help fight cancer

sdesgeor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:47:17 -0700

For more informtion on the New College, visit newcollege.asu.edu.

For more information on SOLUR, visit sols.asu.edu/ugrad/research_programs.php.

UAE to model new innovation center on ASU’s SkySong

cderra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:08:18 -0700

A visit to the United Arab Emirates by Arizona State University President Michael Crow and Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs R.F. “Rick” Shangraw Jr. could help the Arab state face its challenges by unleashing the talents of its entrepreneurs and innovators. During their visit, Crow and Shangraw came to an agreement with UAE officials on replicating ASU's SkySong in their country.

As it turns out, both sides had a lot in common, said Shangraw.

“Our physical environments are very much the same – we're both rapidly growing desert regions,” Shangraw said. “Because of that, we face a lot of the same challenges for managing resources and planning for growth. It turns out that innovation was a common goal, too.”

As a result, the first National Innovation Center in the UAE will be in place by the end of 2010, said Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE economic minister. The UAE center will identify key projects in alternative energy, environment, education and information technology.

ASU’s SkySong Innovation Center, located in Scottsdale, Ariz., supports firms entering or expanding within the United States. SkySong is designed to help companies grow by providing business services and programs – access to new technologies, capital networks, business education and a skilled workforce – offered or facilitated by ASU.

Shangraw explained that the goal of the ASU-UAE discussions was to find common ground in areas where both entities could benefit, but not act like other universities and simply replicate infrastructure.

“We’ve been talking with UAE for the past 18 months on moving the concept of SkySong over to UAE,” he said. “We aren’t talking about a building and a sail in UAE, but to help them build a SkySong equivalent activity over there to help encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, which will be tied back to ASU by offering versions of our entrepreneurship training and the way we think about connecting global companies with other companies, and how we bring venture capitalists into that environment.”

SkySong wasn’t the only focus of the discussions.

“We are also moving forward with the concept of a national decision center (based on the Decision Theater concept) in UAE and an advanced educational platform as well,” Shangraw said.

“Each of these three concepts exist at very nontraditional intersections and collaborations,” he added. “ We aren’t talking about picking up ASU and putting it over there and start offering degrees. We are talking about bringing the concept over.”

One of the more interesting initial challenges of the UAE innovation center will be to address alternative energy.

“There are certain parts of the economy that we would like to build and enhance, especially alternative energy,” al Mansouri said.

That gave Crow the opportunity to talk about one of ASU’s newest initiatives, LightWorks, which focuses on the university's strengths in renewable energy fields including artificial photosynthesis, biofuels and next-generation photovoltaics. LightWorks will expand to include other light-based projects, such as lasers for biomedical applications, energy-efficient lighting and smart-grid technologies.

Shangraw said that the two sides are exploring ways where ASU can bring some of its expertise in solar, biofuels and smart-grid technology to the UAE. Additional challenges the UAE innovation center will address include population stress, the urban heat island and sustainable development.

Grants to help change how we generate, consume energy

cderra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:26:21 -0700

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Arizona State University two grants for alternative energy research that are part of a special DOE program to pursue high-risk, high-reward advances with the potential to change the way the nation generates and consumes energy.

ASU’s grants, totaling more than $10 million, are among 37 new DOE grants totaling $151 million to support the program.

ASU’s grants are for work on a new class of high-performance metal-air batteries and the use of photosynthetic bacteria to produce automotive fuel from a combination of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.

“ASU is the only university to be heading up two of these highly competitive projects,” said Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, ASU’s deputy vice president for research and economic affairs.

DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program has the goal of developing nimble, creative and inventive approaches to transform the global energy landscape while advancing America’s technology leadership.

In announcing the awards, U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu said “ARPA-E is a crucial part of the new effort by the U.S. to spur the next Industrial Revolution in clean energy technologies, creating thousands of new jobs and helping cut carbon pollution.” The program is generally considered as an effort to “hit a home run” in advanced alternative energy research.

Inspired by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA-E was created to support high-risk, high-reward research that can provide transformative new solutions for climate change and energy security. This first ARPA-E solicitation was highly competitive, with more than 3,600 concept papers received. Of that, some 300 were chosen for full application submissions and 37 were finally selected for funding. ASU is the only institution to lead more than one ARPA-E grant, from a pool of awardees that includes MIT, Stanford University, Michigan State University, E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Ohio State University, Penn State University and United Technologies Research Center.

Panchanathan added that these grants, along with the high profile $14 million grant recently awarded by the DOE for an Energy Frontier Research Center, devoted to creating solar-generated biofuels, testifies to the rapidly emerging leadership of ASU in renewable energy research. ASU has been building up its portfolio in alternative energy research for several years and currently includes, among its capabilities, several advanced programs on solar energy research; one of the leading testing and certification centers for solar energy; and research into solar-generated biofuels including advanced work on algae-based biofuels.

ASU also has launched a new initiative called LightWorks by bringing together the intellectual expertise across the university centered on the idea of harnessing all that the sun has to offer as the ultimate power source of nature and using it to generate electricity, alternative fuels, new forms of lighting, even new medical and health-care devices.

The ASU ARPA-E awards will go toward:

Fuel from sunlight

A $5.2 million grant for two years will fund work on a form of photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria that are modified to over-produce and secrete fatty acids for biofuel feedstocks using just sunlight, water and carbon dioxide as inputs. ASU researchers will work with scientists from North Carolina State University and Diversified Energy on the project.

The project essentially uses the cyanobacteria as biocatalysts for generating the fatty acids which, in turn, are secreted by the cyanobacteria. Fatty acids, a biofuel feedstock, then are used for producing “jet fuel, gasoline, even green diesel fuel,” said lead researcher Wim Vermaas, a professor in ASU’s School of Life Sciences and the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis.

The advantage of the new process is getting the cyanobacteria to secrete the fatty acids, Vermaas said.

“In the past, we had to ‘demolish the factory,’ basically break open the cyanobacteria, to get the product (lipids or fatty acids) out,” Vermaas said. “This process will avoid that because the bacteria secrete the product.”

As a result it would avoid much of the environmental drawbacks to current cyanobacteria or algae conversion processes by not generating leftover biomass – or waste product – when the organisms are cracked open, and avoiding the use of solvents and additional energy normally needed to extract the lipids or fatty acids from the photosynthetic microbes.

The project will lead to a higher efficiency in solar energy conversion to fuel and provide insight into ways to scale the process “so it has a significant impact on environmentally responsible, domestic production of fuels,” Vermaas said.

Co PIs on this project are: Roy Curtiss, Biodesign Institute; Bruce Rittmann, Biodesign Institute and Regents Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Environment; David Nielsen, School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering; Robert Roberson, School of Life Sciences; Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Environment.

High-energy batteries

A grant of $5.1 million over two years will help support pursuit of advances in battery technology and energy storage led by Cody Friesen, an associate professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering. ASU will work with researchers from Fluidic Energy Inc., on the project.

Friesen is developing a new type of ultra-high-energy metal-air batteries that use advanced ionic liquids and promise to provide low-cost, long-range power for all-electric and hybrid vehicles. In the long run, this advance could significantly reduce the need for the United States to import oil since more of the energy to power transportation could be drawn from the nation’s electrical grid.

“This has the potential to dramatically decrease the cost of energy storage,” Friesen said. “An electric-vehicle powered by these types of batteries would have a distance range comparable to that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. A cell phone could remain powered for as long as a month without recharging.”

Friesen sees the combination of efforts at the university to advance solar power and energy-storage technologies “demonstrating a holistic approach to energy research that is making ASU a global leader in renewable energy advances.”

Co PIs on this project are Dan Buttry, chemistry and biochemistry; and Karl Sieradzki, School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering.

“We need to come up with new, imaginative and elegant ways of generating energy, and smarter ways of consuming that energy so we are not depleting resources and harming our environment,” said Panchanathan. “These projects strive to achieve all of that.”

Grants to help change how we generate, consume energy

cderra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:26:21 -0700