Award Abstract #0320721
MRI: Acquisition of Natural Treatment Systems Research Facility

NSF Org:	CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Initial Amendment Date:	August 29, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	May 16, 2005
Award Number:	0320721
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Leon Esterowitz CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:	September 1, 2003
Expires:	August 31, 2006 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$436797
Investigator(s):	Joel Burken burken@mst.edu (Principal Investigator) John Hogan (Co-Principal Investigator) Mark Fitch (Co-Principal Investigator) David Wronkiewicz (Co-Principal Investigator) David Porterfield (Co-Principal Investigator) Melanie Mormile (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Missouri University of Science and Technology 300 W 12th Street Rolla, MO 65409 573/341-4134
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):	0203000 Health
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 5345, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

0320721

Burken

The PIs represent all academic schools and colleges on the UMR campus, assuring that this instrumentation will be prominent in interdisciplinary research for decades, fostering productivity, funding, and knowledge to be widely disseminated. Specific research topics to which the new instrumentation is of overriding importance include: 1) Heavy metals sequestration in natural systems and constructed wetlands, 2) Uptake and volatilization of VOCs in phytoremediation systems, 3) Heavy metals transport in plants, 4) Degradation of chlorinated compounds by genetically engineered-root colonizing bacteria, .GEM-Phytoremediation., and 5) Extremophile bacteria in bioremediation. Many other research projects of environmental nature will be enhanced, though not sharing the natural systems focus. Broad access of instrumentation will be granted to faculty members and students across the UMR campus. Biological Sciences faculty and students will observe the greatest impact, as there are no greenhouse facilities available currently, even though many teach botany/plant physiology courses and perform plant-associated research. Additionally, student researchers from many departments will learn to utilize the state of the art equipment. These students and new ones attracted with advanced facilities will be trained to investigate environmental problems not yet imagined.

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