{"691631":{"#nid":"691631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Does Wildfire Smoke Affect the Economy?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the IAC News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech economist Casey Wichman explains how increased wildfire smoke from climate change affects spending, productivity, and healthcare costs."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:02:31","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:06:07","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680847":{"id":"680847","type":"image","title":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECasey Wichman, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786561359","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","changed":"1786561359","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","alt":"Casey Wichman, Associate Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.","file":{"fid":"265174","name":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":448644,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png?itok=GxjiNJf0"}}},"media_ids":["680847"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy","title":"Read Full Story on IAC News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691214":{"#nid":"691214","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rapid Testing Offers Path to More Sustainable Material Choices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E-Written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled materials promise a cleaner future, but recycled content alone does not necessarily make a product sustainable. At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, assistant professor, National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient, and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. Their article in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E details a new testing protocol that reduces cost, increases speed, and simulates real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials shape nearly every part of modern life, from packaging and consumer products to bridges and medical devices. Choosing the right material involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way that materials frequently fail is by cracking. A small crack can begin almost invisibly. Over time, it can spread from regular wear and tear and exposure to common environmental factors like moisture, temperature fluctuations, or even dirt. Eventually, the crack expands, and the part fails. Engineers have studied fracture for more than a century, but connecting the science of cracking to practical decisions about sustainability remains a major challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe characteristics of recycled plastics often vary from those of the same material in unrecycled, or virgin, form. Products made from recycled plastics may be sold with sustainability claims under the assumption that they will perform as if they were made with virgin material. However, premature failure requiring repair or replacement can quickly change the sustainability equation as well as the acceptance of recycled materials by manufacturers and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Conventional Fracture Testing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials rarely fail due to a single factor. They may be exposed to several factors simultaneously, such as mechanical loading, chemical environments, temperature changes, moisture, and time. Traditional fracture protocols test one specimen at a time under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, which bear little resemblance to the real world. To move beyond this limitation, Sun developed an in-situ, high-throughput platform capable of studying how materials degrade and fail under more realistic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform changes conventional fracture testing in three important ways. First, it can test multiple specimens simultaneously rather than one at a time. By monitoring samples in parallel, testing time can be reduced by more than 60%. Second, it allows materials to be tested in realistic environments. In this study, researchers examined virgin and recycled plastics in alkaline environments that resemble conditions encountered in applications like landfill liner membranes and geotextiles. Third, the platform incorporates an imaging technique known as photoelasticity, which reveals the formation of stress fields that form around the origin of a newly developing crack. This allows researchers to see cracks develop earlier than before, giving them a clearer picture of the forces that drive crack growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have made the technology available for licensing through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cOur goal was to make fracture testing not only faster but also more informative,\u201d Sun said. \u201cBy combining high-throughput testing, realistic environments, and full-field stress imaging, we can better understand how materials fail under conditions closer to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Honest View of Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastics are often viewed as a greener choice. But according to the study, it\u2019s not always so straightforward. If a recycled product fails prematurely and needs to be replaced frequently, its environmental and economic costs can increase despite its recycled content. As Athanasiou puts it, \u201cFailing materials don\u2019t just break products. They can break sustainability promises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, comparing virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with recycled PET (rPET) in applications such as landfill geotextiles, the researchers discovered that rPET showed lower resistance to environmental stressors, particularly in alkaline conditions over a pH of 9. In this application, specifying rPET over virgin PET would likely eliminate all of the presumed economic and environmental advantages of using a recycled material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecycling is essential, but recycled content alone does not tell the full story. If a material fails too soon, the environmental benefits can disappear,\u201d Athanasiou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cracks to Circularity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the researchers, the significance of the work extends beyond recycled plastics. The broader goal is to provide a fast, affordable, and realistic platform for evaluating the sustainability of any material choice. Because current testing protocols are costly, not widely available, and limited in the information they yield, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers often have little choice but to continue to specify non-recycled materials because they will perform as expected. Having cheap and accurate data on recycled materials will help to accelerate their adoption because matching the engineering properties of recycled materials to their most appropriate applications will become more obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to expand the platform to simulate even more complex environments and apply it to a wider range of materials. Because the system generates large amounts of detailed data, it may enable opportunities to use computational modeling or artificial intelligence to digitally simulate mechanical testing, driving down costs and expanding availability even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe larger vision is a future in which sustainability is judged not by labels or assumptions, but by evidence for how a material performs, how long it lasts, how it fails, and what it costs society and the environment over its full lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease visit the Daedalus Lab YouTube channel to see an explainer video about this new testing protocol: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the paper here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award No. 2338508.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing the right materials for manufacturing products involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. "}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 20:31:53","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 18:02:44","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680664":{"id":"680664","type":"image","title":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784836559","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","changed":"1784836559","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","alt":"Side-by-side scientific visualization comparing in-situ photoelasticity and modeled stress field evolution during fracture testing of a transparent material. The left panel shows a rectangular specimen with rainbow-colored stress patterns radiating from a crack tip near the center-right edge, while the right panel shows a corresponding color-coded stress map with blue, green, yellow, and red regions indicating increasing stress concentration around the crack tip. Labels at the top identify the two methods.","file":{"fid":"264955","name":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg?itok=35tzJwYR"}}},"media_ids":["680664"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"178818","name":"circular economy"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communication Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690903":{"#nid":"690903","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mining New Possibilities for Critical Minerals: Mapping a Stronger U.S. Supply Chain","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECritical minerals power the technologies that define modern life, from batteries and semiconductors to advanced manufacturing systems and defense applications. They are also essential to the nation\u2019s energy future, manufacturing competitiveness, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/cmei\/articles\/does-office-critical-minerals-and-energy-innovation-launches-regional-consortia\u0022\u003Emajor investment\u003C\/a\u003E from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Georgia Tech is helping accelerate the development of domestic critical minerals from unconventional and secondary resources. The $7.5 million award positions the Institute to advance supply chain solutions that span resource discovery, processing, recycling, and circular materials management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CM-MAP project will focus on sedimentary deposits, including kaolin, bauxite, heavy mineral sands, and phosphates, as well as legacy mining residues, coal combustion byproducts, and other unconventional and secondary resources that could support future recycling and circular economy opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on existing infrastructure, regional assets, industry bases, and scientific expertise, CM-MAP will establish a regional innovation ecosystem that supports domestic critical mineral production, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while fostering new economic opportunities throughout the Southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a powerful example of how Georgia Tech brings together leading research capabilities and partnerships from industry, government, nonprofits, and national labs to address complex national challenges,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for Research. \u201cBy identifying and domestically sourcing critical minerals, we are helping secure essential supply chains, while enabling the next generation of energy and materials technologies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE award builds on a growing network of research, industry, regional, and international partnerships led by Georgia Tech to translate scientific discovery into real-world supply chain solutions, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea149f3a1369a08e50ecd550f254e4fc6\u0022\u003EResearch leadership \u2014 Founded in 2024, Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and technology development across the Institute.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3525757baf2e98febb34b5a40cf084bc\u0022\u003ERegional partnerships \u2014Through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Partnership for Essential Materials\u003C\/a\u003E, a flagship regional collaboration platform, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the Georgia Mining Association convene stakeholders from across the critical minerals sector. The partnership brings together industry, nonprofit organizations, regional economic development agencies, national labs, universities, and technical colleges to connect, collaborate, and stay engaged in the latest developments.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebccf1688cc8ca7d30f05f3e54fb5b005\u0022\u003EInternational engagement \u2014 A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/04\/13\/georgia-universities-and-uk-partners-strengthen-collaboration-critical-minerals-gems-4\u0022\u003EU.K.-U.S. working group\u003C\/a\u003E extends partnerships across the Southeastern United States and Southwest United Kingdom, connecting researchers, industry leaders, and government agencies working to strengthen global supply chains.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1647f02ab83f892d6c95813afcbe8a2e\u0022\u003EGeorgia Critical Mineral Supply Chain Manufacturing Demonstration Center \u2014 Supported through\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/buddycarter.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=16085\u0022\u003Econgressional funding\u003C\/a\u003E, the center is developing capabilities and regional supply chain demonstrations that connect resource development, materials processing, recycling, and advanced manufacturing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of CM-MAP, researchers will analyze materials collected from natural deposits and industrial sites throughout the Southeast to identify their critical mineral content. The resulting large datasets will be combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to better understand and predict where resources exist, optimize extraction pathways, and inform future recovery and recycling strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project brings together a highly collaborative team from Georgia Tech, national labs, industry partners, and research institutions across the region,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, the principal investigator and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is also the founding director of the Center for Critical Mineral Solutions and executive director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough this award, we are working to build secure and resilient critical materials supply chains, from resource discovery and characterization to processing, recovery, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while also developing the skilled workforce needed to support these emerging industries,\u201d Tang said. \u201cOur vision is to create a regional innovation ecosystem that embraces both unconventional resources and circular economy approaches to maximize the value of materials already in use.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about critical materials research and workforce development efforts at Georgia Tech by visiting the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E webpage.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:37:05","changed_gmt":"2026-08-04 16:17:04","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680536":{"id":"680536","type":"image","title":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EUnited States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/netl-exchange.energy.gov\/FileContent.aspx?FileID=fe48ff94-6a59-4df7-b490-54b66c8a22ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDepartment of Energy Core-CM Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782837023","gmt_created":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","changed":"1782837023","gmt_changed":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","alt":"United States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: Department of Energy Core-CM Initiative","file":{"fid":"264810","name":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":709702,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png?itok=7Qcc14JW"}}},"media_ids":["680536"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691311":{"#nid":"691311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hope Among the Pines: A Field Tour in Southeast Georgia Presents Carbon Exchange as Solution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we take care of our forests, our forests will take care of us,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/dr-yanshu-li\u0022\u003EYanshu Li,\u003C\/a\u003E associate professor of forest economics at the University of Georgia (UGA). This message was a main takeaway from a field tour held January 29-30, 2026, across working forests in Southeast Georgia. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gffgrow.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(GFF) in partnership with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022\u003ERay\u0026nbsp;C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Scheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/\u0022\u003EClemson University\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUGA\u0026nbsp;Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources\u003C\/a\u003E, the trip brought together university researchers, foresters, potential carbon credit buyers, and family landowners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is the number one forestry state in the country, with more than 22\u0026nbsp;million\u0026nbsp;of its\u0026nbsp;roughly 24\u0026nbsp;million forested acres held in private hands. According to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southernforests.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/SGSF_Fact-Sheet-1.pdf\u0022\u003ESouthern Group of State Foresters\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;forests and the forest products industry in the Southern U.S. provide for more than 18% of the world\u2019s pulpwood for paper and paper-related products and 7% of the world\u2019s industrial roundwood.\u0026nbsp;The timber industry also supports thousands of rural livelihoods and\u0026nbsp;sequesters\u0026nbsp;enormous amounts of carbon. Yet today, Georgia forests are under pressure due to natural disasters and market changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe field tour promoted a Georgia-specific carbon exchange that has the potential to save forests, help companies\u0026nbsp;purchase\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits, and provide co-benefits for the entire state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPressure Points: Helene\u2019s Wake and Market Headwinds\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross pine-forested Southeast Georgia, the devastation left by Hurricane Helene\u0026nbsp;remains\u0026nbsp;impossible to miss. A year and a half later, the cleanup \u2013 which is slow, expensive, and disheartening \u2013 is still ongoing across thousands of acres. Downed timber, too old to be sold for profit, lies in heaps. Throughout the field tour, landowners and foresters shared personal narratives that made it easy to feel the weight of what has been lost.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelene only worsened troubles that were already underway. The markets for timber and pulpwood have been weakening. Demand for paper products has fallen sharply, taking pulpwood prices with it. In the last year alone, three mills have closed in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDo I bother to replant?\u0026nbsp;If I plant, will someone actually buy my timber in 20 years?\u0026nbsp;These are the questions landowners across Georgia are wrestling with. Landowners\u2019 decisions today can lead to a future with fewer forested acres, less healthy forests, and forests converted to development \u2013 a loss that is permanent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pressing question throughout the field tour was:\u0026nbsp;What happens next?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EStorytelling Matters: The Power of the Personal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the benefits of a field tour is the chance to hear\u0026nbsp;firsthand,\u0026nbsp;personal accounts from the people whose livelihoods depend on forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tour began in Emanuel County at the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate. Herbert Hodges welcomed the group to the 600-acre property his family has stewarded for four generations. Hodges shows his respect for the land through thoughtful stewardship \u2013 for which he was honored when he was named\u0026nbsp;2025 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.nwf.org\/2025\/09\/celebrating-landowner-mentor-herbert-hodges-2025-conservationist-of-the-year\/\u0022\u003EConservationist of the Year\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts. However, Hodges worries whether the fifth generation will keep the land, and he wants to\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;to his heirs that the land is worth holding onto. He remembers his father telling him, \u201cNever get rid of the land.\u0026nbsp;As long as\u0026nbsp;you keep it, you have somewhere to live, somewhere to go.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jmhestad\/\u0022\u003EMatt Hestad\u003C\/a\u003E, senior vice president of GFF, said, \u201cMr. Hodges has to identify new opportunities for his property not only to keep his family engaged but also to prove the land is economically valuable, both today and into the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon exchange, if built well, could be exactly that kind of new opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding a Georgia Carbon Exchange\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative to develop a Georgia Carbon Exchange,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/georgia-tech-and-partners-to-establish-state-specific-forest-carbon-exchange.html\u0022\u003Elaunched in 2025\u003C\/a\u003E, is being led collaboratively by the organizers of the field tour.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;designed to create a voluntary carbon credit marketplace specifically tailored to Georgia\u2019s forest landscape, Georgia\u2019s landowners, and companies that are interested in\u0026nbsp;purchasing\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/eady\/index.html\u0022\u003EDavid Eady\u003C\/a\u003E, director of industry engagement at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, described the vision: \u201cWe\u0027re looking at creating a marketplace for companies doing business in Georgia or headquartered in Georgia, so they can\u0026nbsp;acquire\u0026nbsp;credits that specifically\u0026nbsp;benefit\u0026nbsp;local communities and ecosystems. We want to make sure that we can continue to manage our valuable forest resources that make up well over half of the land in Georgia.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCompanies are concerned about sustainability because their customers are \u2013 and one of the things that that\u0027s manifested is a market for carbon credits,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/leslie-boby\u0022\u003ELeslie Boby\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UGA Southern Regional Extension Forestry. \u201cBeing in forestry, we have the original carbon sequestration system: trees. And we have a lot of trees in Georgia.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe foundation for the Georgia Carbon Exchange already exists, waiting to be built on.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAll the Players at the Table\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe January tour was a pilot that can be replicated for other groups of potential carbon buyers, policymakers, and stakeholders who need to understand what is at stake in Georgia\u2019s forests before they can meaningfully invest in their future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHestad described what made this first tour valuable: \u201cWe need all the players at the table: academics, buyers, and landowners. I feel like\u0026nbsp;we\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;learned from a variety of people about forest management \u2013 from a private family landowner about intergenerational challenges, from a recreation-focused landowner about wildlife management, and from landowners who have been\u0026nbsp;impacted\u0026nbsp;by Hurricane Helene.\u0026nbsp;We\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;been provided with context for how a carbon exchange could serve those different sectors of landowners.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor industry representatives on the tour, the experience was eye-opening. They joined the tour to learn more about recovery efforts, community support, and the mechanics of a carbon exchange. At the end of the tour, they said they had a clearer sense of both\u0026nbsp;the urgency\u0026nbsp;and the opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lucasclay\/\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, extension professional at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, said, \u201cLandowners are focused on the economics of forestry, and buyers are looking for quality credits. I think\u0026nbsp;there\u0027s\u0026nbsp;a lot of opportunity for\u0026nbsp;both of these\u0026nbsp;things to happen.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA successful carbon exchange requires trust, understanding, and shared\u0026nbsp;purpose\u0026nbsp;to be cultivated deliberately. Tours like this one are part of that cultivation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Common Goal in Focus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has everything it needs to make a carbon exchange work: the forests, the science, the institutions, and the will. What it needs now is exactly what the field tour was designed to build: awareness, connection, and shared commitment among the people and organizations whose decisions will shape the future of the state\u2019s forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/zach-johnson-19096918\/\u0022\u003EZach Johnson\u003C\/a\u003E, procurement\u0026nbsp;manager\u0026nbsp;at Beasley Timber Management, LLC, told the group: \u201cWith every one green ton of tree growth, you sequester approximately one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\u0026nbsp;Let\u2019s\u0026nbsp;find a way to certify this wonderful resource we have and prop up these jobs in Georgia \u2013 before\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;too late.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s forests is not only about carbon. Well-managed forests filter water, support native wildlife, improve air quality, protect public health, and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. These are co-benefits that a carbon credit does not fully capture but that are very much part of the value proposition for\u0026nbsp;maintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s private forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the pines of Southeast Georgia, a common goal came into focus. The forests are worth saving. And the right people are coming together with the right plan to make it happen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBusiness and forestry experts from Georgia Tech, Clemson University, University of Georgia, and the Georgia Forestry Foundation led a field tour in Southeast Georgia that illuminated current challenges facing landowners and the forestry industry. Organizers shared how a Georgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state."}],"uid":"36808","created_gmt":"2026-07-28 15:41:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 15:42:53","author":"bmcdonald64","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680696":{"id":"680696","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EField tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Field tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"264998","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2323053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg?itok=TTP9Db5g"}},"680697":{"id":"680697","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EForest in Soperton, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Forest in Soperton, Georgia","file":{"fid":"264999","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2639195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg?itok=aGzumHGQ"}},"680698":{"id":"680698","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETouring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Touring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"265000","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2048200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg?itok=Lk2rGbaN"}},"680699":{"id":"680699","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHerbert Hodges displays photos: one of his father, Willie Hodges, and the other of his father, brother, and mother (photo credit: Sandra S. Hodges). Hodges leads a tour of the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of Herbert Hodges showing his farm estate. ","file":{"fid":"265001","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2472549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg?itok=-vSvhoGE"}},"680700":{"id":"680700","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClockwise from top left: Viewing habitat for gopher turtles. Hurricane Helene damage in Soperton, Georgia, on land owned by Gillis Ag and Timber. Attendees learn about the Georgia Carbon Exchange. Foresters share how Hurricane Helene and market changes have impacted their industry and community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of the field tour in south Georgia","file":{"fid":"265002","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2521516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg?itok=zkyZRVxD"}}},"media_ids":["680696","680697","680698","680699","680700"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"84331","name":"and sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the Georgia Carbon Exchange and upcoming field tours, contact\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWritten by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/lux\/index.html\u0022\u003EJennifer Holley Lux\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhotography (unless otherwise noted) by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mike-gregory-22629a200\/\u0022\u003EMike Gregory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Georgia Forestry Association \u0026amp; Foundation)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lucas.clay@gatech.edu","jennifer.lux@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691259":{"#nid":"691259","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Predatory Bacteria Help Protect Endangered Caribbean Corals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA microscopic predator may offer a new way to protect some of the Caribbean\u2019s most endangered corals. Georgia Tech researchers found that tiny predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECaused by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio coralliilyticus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epathogen, the infection is one of the most notorious causes of tissue loss and death in stony corals. In the study, all untreated corals bleached within 48 hours. But corals exposed to the predatory bacteria fared much better: more than half showed no signs of bleaching beyond the infection site \u2014 and disease progression was effectively halted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDisease is a major driver of death for these corals, and with sea surface temperatures continuing to rise globally, we anticipate that rates of disease will only increase. It\u2019s part of a deadly synergy profoundly threatening Caribbean coral reefs,\u201d says lead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/lauren%20speare\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Speare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cPredatory bacteria function like a living probiotic, fighting coral disease without harsh side effects. This could be a targeted way to protect and treat our most vulnerable coral reefs.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ismej\/article\/19\/1\/wraf270\/8376498\u0022\u003EHalobacteriovorax Halts Disease Progression in Endangered Caribbean Corals\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published in The\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EISME Journal\u003C\/em\u003E. In addition to Speare, the research team included Georgia Tech master\u0027s student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChloe Manley\u003C\/strong\u003E and postdoctoral scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMacey Coppinger\u003C\/strong\u003E; University of California, Santa Barbara graduate students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESunni Patton\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EEddie Fuques\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eemb.ucsb.edu\/people\/faculty\/vega-thurber\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERebecca Vega Thurber\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UCSB Marine Science Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural Defenders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpeare became interested in the research while completing her postdoctoral training with Thurber. \u201cDr. Thurber discovered that predatory bacteria are present in many coral microbiomes,\u201d Speare recalls. \u201cWe theorized that they might be contributing to what keeps the ecosystem healthy, balancing it through predation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt the time, the theory was hard to test. Marine predatory bacteria are difficult to preserve long-term, making experiments challenging. The bacteria are also extremely scarce, with populations increasing during a coral infection and rapidly declining after. Catching them while their populations are high is a matter of timing, Speare says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022It\u0027s a bit like trying to catch a mountain lion in the act of hunting a deer. If we aren\u2019t looking at the right time, we might miss it entirely,\u201d Speare says. \u201cI knew that if I wanted to study these bacteria in more detail, I would need to carefully design my experiments and timing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETesting the Treatment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo test their theory, the team spent six weeks conducting experiments at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mote.org\/location\/summerland-key-lab\/\u0022\u003EMote\u2019s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration (IC2R3)\u003C\/a\u003E in Summerland Key, Florida, a facility that maintains lab-grown living corals in seawater aquariums.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFirst, we had to make our corals sick,\u201d Speare says. \u201cBut there wasn\u2019t an established way to reliably create these infections in this species in a laboratory setting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter weeks of experimenting, Speare developed a \u201cpathogen-sticker,\u201d a small agar patch containing the disease-causing pathogens. When placed at the coral\u2019s base, it mimics how infections spread in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen,\u0026nbsp;at the first sign of infection, the team treated the coral with the \u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax \u003C\/em\u003Epredatory bacteria\u003Cem\u003E. \u003C\/em\u003E\u201cSurprisingly, the most effective method was to pour the bacteria directly into the sick coral\u2019s tank,\u201d Speare says. \u201cThe bacteria are tiny, so we were able to create a concentrated liquid of them by using a filter small enough that only they can pass through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eare among the fastest-known predatory bacteria, and quickly navigate to their food source \u2013 presumably the pathogen causing the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Aquariums to Oceans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBecause of the straightforward delivery method, Speare believes the team\u2019s methods could be readily adapted for coral restoration efforts, offering a simple way to deliver treatment on natural reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere are several approaches to treating corals and mitigating stress, but these techniques don\u2019t work for all situations and all species,\u201d she explains. \u201cCorals are complex, and there is no single cure-all, so we need as many tools as possible to help corals survive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Speare, the next step will be to move from lab-based work to reef environments.\u0026nbsp; She\u2019s particularly curious as to why the predatory bacteria aren\u2019t already moderating illness on natural reefs. \u201cIf this is such an effective way to control pathogens, why isn\u2019t this system preventing disease outbreaks on reefs already?\u0022 she says. \u0022We need to understand what\u0027s limiting this natural defense system \u2013 and that\u2019s what we\u2019re digging into next.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;Lauren Speare was supported as a Simons Foundation Awardee of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. The Vega Thurber Lab was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 16:39:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-29 01:42:03","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680709":{"id":"680709","type":"image","title":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EStaghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","file":{"fid":"265012","name":"coral-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3474517,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg?itok=YDfZY4SX"}},"680710":{"id":"680710","type":"image","title":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELauren Speare sampling corals in the lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","file":{"fid":"265013","name":"sampling-1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2816600,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png?itok=7gsS4R-m"}}},"media_ids":["680709","680710"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETechnical Research Writer \/ Editor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683063":{"#nid":"683063","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sparking New Ideas on How Wildfire Influences Climate","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires have spread across the planet for millennia, but they are increasing as the climate warms. Decimated forests, depleted crops, and destroyed buildings are the hallmark of wildfire devastation. Another is the effect on air quality and even the entire climate system. Researchers at Georgia Tech offer solutions for not only surviving \u2014 but also benefiting from \u2014 fire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/43519\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers monitor wildfires and their impact on air quality and the climate system."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires have spread across the planet for millennia, but they are increasing as the climate warms. Decimated forests, depleted crops, and destroyed buildings are the hallmark of wildfire devastation. Another is the effect on air quality and even the entire climate system. Researchers at Georgia Tech offer solutions for not only surviving \u2014 but also benefiting from \u2014 fire.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers monitor wildfires and their impact on air quality and the climate system."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-07-09 19:19:30","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:47:07","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677377":{"id":"677377","type":"image","title":"climate-fire-thumb.jpg","body":null,"created":"1752088776","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 19:19:36","changed":"1752088776","gmt_changed":"2025-07-09 19:19:36","alt":"A male and female researcher working with a metal piece of equipment outdoors with trees and grass in the background","file":{"fid":"261271","name":"climate-fire-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":952080,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg?itok=pKFlhVQ6"}}},"media_ids":["677377"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690883":{"#nid":"690883","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumni Making a Difference: Tara Stoinski","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a scientific advisor for the Netflix documentary\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u201cA Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETara Stoinski\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. Psychology 2000) helped translate decades of fieldwork into a poignant story of the historic Pablo gorilla family.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a role she knows well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor more than 11 years, Stoinski has served as president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gorillafund.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund\u003C\/a\u003E, leading efforts to help the world better understand and protect Rwanda\u2019s mountain gorillas \u2014 a species with only about 1,000 left in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlthough she now oversees a multimillion-dollar budget and 400 employees worldwide, she never planned to be a CEO.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m a scientist at my core,\u201d says Stoinski. \u201cDay to day, I function more as a leader and executive, but I still think of myself as a scientist first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer job covers a wide range of responsibilities, including fundraising, public speaking, budgeting, and strategy.\u0026nbsp;One week, she might find herself observing gorilla behavior in Rwanda; the next, she\u2019s back in the U.S., discussing conservation on\u0026nbsp;the popular\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EArmchair Expert\u003C\/em\u003E podcast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI love my job,\u201d she says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel like work; it\u2019s a passion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Helluva Scientist\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne of the reasons Stoinski chose Georgia Tech for her Ph.D. was its connection to Zoo Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer doctoral advisor, the late Terry Maple, emeritus professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Psychological and Brain Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, served as director of Zoo Atlanta, giving students rare access to conservation-focused research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe zoo was our lab. I studied elephants, lemurs, gorillas, and golden lion tamarins, both in the zoo and in the wild in Brazil and Africa,\u201d says Stoinski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe appreciates how Georgia Tech prepared her for the challenges of her career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe rigor of a Georgia Tech education is something you need as a scientist,\u201d she says. \u201cI also had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking and teaching, which are huge parts of my job now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeading Global Conservation Efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter earning her Ph.D., Stoinski spent 14 years with Zoo Atlanta while also working with the Atlanta-based Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She became CEO in 2014 and now oversees conservation and research programs in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUnder her leadership, the Fossey Fund has expanded its footprint, including opening its Ellen DeGeneres Campus in 2022, a 12-acre research and education center in Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe site includes labs, classrooms, and a restored landscape, where roughly 250,000 plants from 110 species have been planted to reestablish native ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe host hundreds of students \u2014 including groups from Georgia Tech, and support dozens of graduate and postdoctoral researchers, from countries all over the world including many from Africa,\u201d she explains. \u201cSeeing their excitement and commitment gives me lots of hope for the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScientific Storytelling\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA Gorilla Story\u003C\/em\u003E follows the Pablo family of mountain gorillas living on the slopes of Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Pablo group goes back to Dian Fossey\u2019s time,\u201d explains Stoinski. \u201cIt\u2019s the largest group of gorillas ever recorded, at one point reaching 65 individuals. An average gorilla family is about 10.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDue to Rwandan regulations, filming could take place for just one hour each day. Filmmakers and scientists would often have to hike for five to six hours to reach the gorillas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBecause Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund researchers have followed these gorilla families for decades, they were already familiar with the individual gorillas, including six generations of family history, which \u201cmakes the story incredibly rich,\u201d says Stoinski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cYou see grief, relationships, alliances \u2014 all of it,\u201d she says. \u201cUltimately, I hope that connection leads people to care and to take action.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaborative Conservation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStoinski\u2019s career is all about taking action \u2014 and inspiring others to do the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe need people on the ground doing this work, but we also need people outside of our field to support and be aware of what\u2019s happening to gorillas and the planet\u2019s biodiversity,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe encourages Tech students to stay informed:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cEven if you\u2019re not going into conservation, take a class, listen, learn,\u201d she says. \u201cUnfortunately, there are real challenges facing the next generation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe frequently points out that by helping gorillas, we\u2019re saving ourselves, sharing that gorillas live in the Congo Basin, one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. By dispersing seeds and maintaining forest structure, they help sustain environments critical for climate stability and planetary health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProtecting gorillas means\u0026nbsp;protecting\u0026nbsp;those ecosystems, which ultimately support human survival.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Lasting Georgia Tech Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStoinski maintains strong ties to Georgia Tech through research collaborations and student engagement. Projects over the years have included helping to establish the Center for Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing at the University of Rwanda, geospatial mapping, and architectural design and planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe invites alumni and students to engage with the work firsthand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI encourage more Georgia Tech alumni and students to work with us or come see us. And if you want to meet with a Georgia Tech grad, I lead tours: we can put on our Tech gear and take a photo with the gorillas!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith a career rooted in science, alumna Tara Stoinski is shaping the future of wildlife conservation and gorilla preservation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With a career rooted in science, alumna Tara Stoinski is shaping the future of wildlife conservation and gorilla preservation. "}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 13:55:41","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 13:33:12","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680497":{"id":"680497","type":"image","title":"Tara Stoinksi","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETara Stoinksi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782309768","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:02:48","changed":"1782309863","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:04:23","alt":"Headshot of a woman wearing a Dian Fossey gorilla fund ball cap","file":{"fid":"264770","name":"webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3359387,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png?itok=pIBTHOOG"}},"680498":{"id":"680498","type":"image","title":"Stoinski has studied gorillas for more than three decades and is the author of over 200 scientific publications and books.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStoinski has studied gorillas for more than three decades and is the author of over 200 scientific publications and books.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782310646","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:17:26","changed":"1782311350","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:29:10","alt":"A woman wearing a mask stands near a gorilla.","file":{"fid":"264771","name":"Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":561592,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg?itok=vngR6B6J"}},"680499":{"id":"680499","type":"image","title":"As president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Stoinski splits her time between the Atlanta headquarters and Rwanda.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAs president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Stoinski splits her time between the Atlanta headquarters and Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782310961","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:22:41","changed":"1782312006","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:40:06","alt":"A woman stands in the muddy jungle.","file":{"fid":"264772","name":"Tara-mud.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5853839,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg?itok=q3MOOx6R"}}},"media_ids":["680497","680498","680499"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/2022\/gorilla-power.html","title":"Gorilla Power"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"783","name":"conservation"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Segraves Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691105":{"#nid":"691105","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Lightning Mapping Array Helps Protect World Cup Visitors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and visited outdoor FIFA Fan Festival events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (NGLMA) uses specialized detection equipment to generate detailed maps of the lightning that occurs in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Through a collaboration between GTRI and the National Weather Service (NWS), the array provided continuous lightning information to agencies responsible for visitor safety.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array is providing decision-support information to agencies responsible for protecting events in Atlanta related to the World Cup,\u201d said Michael Peterson, director of the GTRI Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC). \u201cThe system has been up and running and gave us excellent measurements of the thunderstorms that occurred in mid-June. It complements the other sources of weather information that the agencies have available.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/georgia-tech-lightning-mapping-array-helps-protect-world-cup-visitors\u0022\u003ERead the full article\u003C\/a\u003E on the Georgia Tech Research Institute news page\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Severe Storms Research Center provides early warning of approaching storms"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech lightning mapping array is helping authorities protect World Cup visitors from severe weather."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:31:56","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:35:10","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680601":{"id":"680601","type":"image","title":"Setting up a lightning mapping array unit near Atlanta","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783966872","gmt_created":"2026-07-13 18:21:12","changed":"1783967144","gmt_changed":"2026-07-13 18:25:44","alt":"Researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta","file":{"fid":"264884","name":"weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5455243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg?itok=kZf_h_cy"}}},"media_ids":["680601"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691032":{"#nid":"691032","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Experts in the News: AI, Prices, and the War","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving fluctuations in global oil markets and fuel prices. The expansion of AI data centers is also increasing demand for land, power, and water resources. And conflicts involving energy infrastructure in parts of the Middle East and Europe have affected supply stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResponding to these challenges requires careful analysis of emerging trends, supported by strong research in policy and economics. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E study these complex, interconnected issues affecting energy systems, costs, and access. They analyze emerging trends, evaluate policy options, and identify practical pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/07\/01\/epicenter-affiliated-experts-inform-public-understanding-of-energy-systems-and-their-economic-impacts\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EPIcenter Faculty Affiliates have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:40:46","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680549":{"id":"680549","type":"image","title":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","body":null,"created":"1783021099","gmt_created":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","changed":"1783021099","gmt_changed":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","alt":"4 panel image: clockwise from upper left - solar panels in field, data center and cooling complex, Hormuz Island, gas pump in a car\u0027s fuel port","file":{"fid":"264825","name":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","mime":"image\/png","size":103965,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png?itok=GVkV7SSC"}}},"media_ids":["680549"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690118":{"#nid":"690118","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grants Awarded","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most recent round of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainability-next-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Research Seed Grants has been awarded to 15 transdisciplinary teams featuring 36 collaborators from across Georgia Tech and beyond. The teams span 21 units from six of Georgia Tech\u2019s seven Colleges, including Schools, research centers, and Interdisciplinary Research Institutes, as well as organizations external to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee. This year\u2019s partners are\u0026nbsp;the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;College of Design\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBBISS,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;Renewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the program is to nurture promising research areas for future large-scale collaborative sustainability research, research translation, and\/or high-impact outreach; to provide mid-career faculty with leadership and community-building opportunities; and to broaden and strengthen the Georgia Tech sustainability community as a whole. The call for proposals was modeled after the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Moving Teams Forward and Forming Teams programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb093cfb5ae8a6b6a3830c19ddc0e62f9\u0022\u003EAI and Sustainability, and the Sustainability of AI Infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee5eed9c59345c67cf16a2095a3c1ca59\u0022\u003EClimate Science, Technology, and Solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeff06928324490ae6ab7715e8e5a1716\u0022\u003EHealthy Environments and Sustainable Resource Use.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeaef417908461d165bb4284022466f40\u0022\u003EResilience and Regeneration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant awards are:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForming Teams:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e25f6df467676a7c1cc7e3a56d4c134de\u0022\u003EActualize Shallow Geothermal Systems for Decentralized Heating.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPrincipal Investigator (PI):\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sheng-c-dai\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESheng Dai\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1d482fbc517458d8123f6d8c5b4b2674\u0022\u003EBuilding Community University Research Capacity for PFAS Testing and Treatment. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/ruthie-yow\u0022\u003ERuth C. Yow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ECo-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs): \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yongsheng-chen\u0022\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seeel.ce.gatech.edu\/our-team-2\/\u0022\u003EAhmed Ibrahim Yunus\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e927b790b8958ca6a0d675948dad53b31\u0022\u003EA Global Sustainability Analysis of Places \u201cUrbanizing from Within.\u201d PI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-randolph\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGregory\u0026nbsp;Randolph\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theigc.org\/people\/sabina-dewan\u0022\u003ESabina Dewan\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/yiyi-he\u0022\u003EYiyi He\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-e-taylor\u0022\u003EJohn Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/independent.academia.edu\/CelineVacchianiMarcuzzo\u0022\u003ECeline Vacchiani\u2011Marcuzzo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5fc89393dc8654e6991c59dafc1c54b5\u0022\u003ECreating a Refusal Taxonomy to Explore Alternate Computing Practices. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/richmond-wong\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERichmond\u0026nbsp;Wong\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/624a4663-6439-585b-8bb0-3633dbbf089f\u0022\u003EHeidi Biggs\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/carl-disalvo\u0022\u003ECarl DiSalvo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef6184112845dc36886ab6996d162cc00\u0022\u003EDemystifying Data Centers: Examining Georgia Tech\u2019s Coda HPCC in the Context of Sustainability and Resilience. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/scott-j-duncan\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScott\u0026nbsp;Duncan\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/david-solano-sarmiento\u0022\u003EDavid Solano Sarmiento\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9709e50e9a293bcbbd1e752223b3c7dd\u0022\u003EPhysical Transport of Sunlight\u2011Exposed Dissolved Organic Carbon in the New Arctic. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/lily-dove\u0022\u003ELilian Dove\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-bowen\u0022\u003EJennifer Bowen\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving Teams Forward:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec012ec93ef9cc92e5c82d516f070fd8d\u0022\u003EAgentic AI Digital Twins for Hurricane Resilience in Coastal Georgia. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/sarhadi-ali\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAli\u0026nbsp;Sarhadi\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed86bd082992b186131f9ef933c629e08\u0022\u003ECLEAR\u2011SE: Co\u2011Creating a Center\u2011Scale Network for Advancing Collaborative, Long\u2011Term Action Research on Community\u2011Led Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Southeast. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e82478e789a048825abcc3157e9db6535\u0022\u003EData Center Effects on Communities in Georgia\u2019s Black Belt. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/cindy-kaiying-lin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECindy\u0026nbsp;Kaiying\u0026nbsp;Lin\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tony-harding\u0022\u003EAnthony Harding\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/allen-hyde\u0022\u003EAllen Hyde\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/ahmed-saeed\u0022\u003EAhmed Saeed\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebfb94066d0a2555e5c67ef6e930bea7c\u0022\u003EReimagining Southern Forests: Enabling Cost\u2011Effective Sustainable Production of High\u2011Value Climate\u2011Ready Southern Pines. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/caitlin-petro\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECaitlin\u0026nbsp;Petro\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ulrika-egertsdotter\u0022\u003EUlrika Egertsdotter\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef714ab155b21002722ebcf190dddf60\u0022\u003EHuman\u2011Technology Collaborations: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Food Systems. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/rosemarie-santa-gonzalez\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERosemarie\u0026nbsp;Santa\u0026nbsp;Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/ashutosh-dhekne\u0022\u003EAshutosh Dhekne\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/sylvia-janicki\u0022\u003ESylivia Janicki\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/yaman-sangar\u0022\u003EYaman Sangar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/people\/abigale-stangl\u0022\u003EAbigale Stangl\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0d944f2e85ddfd8b4fd8e29e8fd4acc8\u0022\u003EGuiding Transportation with Community Action through Research, Education, and Service (GT\u2011CARES). PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003ERounaq Basu\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-moffat\u0022\u003EScott Moffat\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb89b80d033629196b64c7b6ebc8685ba\u0022\u003EInstability\u2011Resolved Ocean Mixing for Climate Prediction and Climate Solutions. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003ESuhas S. Jain\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/mohammad-mohaghar\u0022\u003EMohammad Mohaghar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/donald-r-webster\u0022\u003EDonald Webster\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72e6c1ade52f81e05c4a967a8110c6da\u0022\u003EBuildings Next: Forming a Transdisciplinary Consortium for Sustainable Building Innovation. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fptd.gatech.edu\/people\/paula-gomez\u0022\u003EPaula Gomez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/bridges\/index.html\u0022\u003EAllison Bridges\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5f679ec3c5c8332e040392bdc39f6430\u0022\u003EPaper and Natural Dye Living Exhibition. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/anna-doll\u0022\u003EAnna Doll\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/virginia-howell\u0022\u003EVirginia Howell\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Next seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges"}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 16:57:44","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 18:10:32","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680154":{"id":"680154","type":"image","title":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage","body":"\u003Cp\u003E2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant Principal Investigators:\u0026nbsp;(R to L, Top to Bottom) Rounaq Basu, Sheng Dai, Anna Doll, Lilian Dove, Scott Duncan, Paula Gomez, Suhas S. Jain, Cindy Kaiying Lin, Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez Guzm\u00e1n, Caitlin Petro, Gregory Randolph, Rosemarie Santa Gonzalez, Ali Sarhadi, Richmond Wong, and Ruth C. Yow.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777913877","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 16:57:57","changed":"1777916844","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:47:24","alt":"Collage of multiple individual portrait photos arranged in a grid, showing people photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Backgrounds include office spaces, greenery, campus walkways, and neutral studio backdrops, with individuals wearing professional or business\u2011casual clothing. The images vary in lighting and composition but share a consistent head\u2011and\u2011shoulders portrait style.","file":{"fid":"264396","name":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1325301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg?itok=cKUbBHG-"}}},"media_ids":["680154"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"191514","name":"sustainability next"},{"id":"174822","name":"seed grants"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690316":{"#nid":"690316","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Georgia\u2019s Severe Weather Season Has Been Unusually Quiet","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe peak of the severe weather season is nearing its end, but in Georgia, it\u0027s been a quieter period than residents have become accustomed to in years past, devoid of the flurry of tornado warnings, heavy rain bands, and thunderstorms. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/handlos.eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EZachary Handlos\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences degree program, explains that the region lacked a major component of the severe weather formula. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor an active season, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/pcZn3dGWQ-U?si=dz8s_PXnW44Eq8_l\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efour key ingredients typically exist\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1. Moisture\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E2. A mechanism to lift air upward\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E3. Instability\u003Cbr\u003E4. Wind Shear\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/droughtmonitor.unl.edu\/CurrentMap\/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?GA\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edrought conditions\u003C\/a\u003E persisting throughout the state, there is sufficient moisture in the air, carried by warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, to create favorable conditions for severe weather. Instability is created as the air warms, and wind shear is created by the changing direction and speed of the wind. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Handlos, what was missing this season was a consistent lifting mechanism.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027ve been stuck with high-pressure systems for most of the season. The air in these systems spirals clockwise instead of counterclockwise and spins away from the center, causing the air above it to sink, which in turn suppresses or shuts off any cloud or precipitation formation. So, even if all the other factors aligned, there would\u0027ve been nothing to lift that air into creating those storms,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe lingering high-pressure systems over Georgia are the result of the state\u2019s location relative to the jet stream, which Handlos describes as an interstate highway for storms. The jet stream is a fast current of air above the Earth\u0027s surface that brings storm activity with its movement. This season, the stream moved through the Midwest, resulting in record precipitation in the region, while a drought rages on in the Southeast. As of May 4, Illinois had confirmed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.accuweather.com\/en\/severe-weather\/this-state-leads-the-nation-for-tornado-reports-in-2026\/1887912\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E119 tornadoes\u003C\/a\u003E in 2026, which began with a historically busy early season.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you didn\u0027t pay attention to any other part of the country (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/jan\/2026tornadoinfo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoutside of Mississippi recently\u003C\/a\u003E), you\u0027d think it was the most boring severe weather season because there was very little activity in Georgia.But if you live along that jet stream line between Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, and southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and southern Michigan, that has been the active area of severe weather.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile it has been a uniquely quiet season in Georgia, Handlos says that as it ends, the region can expect a typical summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022No matter if it\u0027s an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/media\/14483\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u00f1o or La Ni\u00f1a\u003C\/a\u003E or neither, the quintessential Atlanta summer is one where, most days, you wake up, and it\u0027s warm and humid out in the morning with clear skies. Then, it\u0027s hot and just awful in the afternoon before you start to see the puffy cumulonimbus clouds pop up, and sometimes you get hit with a thunderstorm. For what feels like about three straight months, if you live here, you don\u0027t even need to look at the weather forecast to know what the weather will be like outside here until we get to the fall,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA quiet spring season could be a precursor to a brewing \u201csuper El Ni\u00f1o\u201d at summer\u0027s end, experts predict. The potential pattern could cause a drastic rise in sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, and the disruption of weather systems could increase the likelihood of precipitation and severe weather in the Southeast. The increased precipitation could be a welcome sight for the region, lessening drought concerns and reducing the likelihood of wildfires. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 16:32:19","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 19:10:27","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680292":{"id":"680292","type":"image","title":"Radar Image Over Georgia","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA 2010 storm system moving eastward, which brought severe weather to the Atlanta region. Image credit: NOAA NESDIS Environmental Visualization Laboratory; NOAA GOES-13 Satellite\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778871863","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 19:04:23","changed":"1778871863","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 19:04:23","alt":"Weather Radar","file":{"fid":"264539","name":"pl23_spac0590.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1014121,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg?itok=ZPLGa4DP"}}},"media_ids":["680292"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"169297","name":"severe weather"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690204":{"#nid":"690204","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What It\u2019s Like to Be the Human in Mosquito Research ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChristopher Zuo never thought of himself as someone mosquitoes singled out. They bit him from time to time, he said, but no more than anyone else who spent a lot of time outdoors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI don\u2019t know if I would say I\u2019m prone,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cI do get bitten, but I also think that\u2019s partly because I\u2019m just outside a lot more.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, that assumption did not hold up once he stepped inside a sealed mosquito chamber as part of a Georgia Tech research study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo, a Georgia Tech alum and co-author on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe study\u003C\/a\u003E, worked alongside Georgia Tech faculty member \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E and researchers in Hu\u2019s fluid dynamics lab \u2014 and co-authors Chenyi Fei, Alex Cohen, Jorn Dunkel from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology \u2014 on a multi-year effort to understand how mosquitoes locate people. Using high-speed cameras, careful controls, and mathematical modeling, the research examined how mosquitoes respond to carbon dioxide and visual cues. To confirm whether the data reflected real-world behavior, the team needed a human subject.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo volunteered.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore entering the chamber, he knew the mosquitoes were safe. They had been raised in a laboratory environment and were carefully controlled, making the experiment safer than being outdoors during peak mosquito activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe knew exactly how all of these mosquitoes were reared, so we knew they\u2019re disease-free,\u201d he said. \u201cHonestly, even if I got bitten 100 plus times, the actual danger that I was in was very little.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWearing a mesh suit, Zuo stood nearly motionless inside the chamber while mosquitoes were released and flew freely around him. Any movement could disrupt the data, so remaining still was critical even as mosquitoes gathered close to his face and upper body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe response was immediate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou release the mosquitoes, and they\u2019re already on top of you,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cAlmost felt like it was instant.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat surprised him most was not the bites but the sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how loud they were,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen they\u2019re flying around your head, it\u2019s that annoying buzzing sound. I didn\u2019t realize how annoying it can get with just enough mosquitoes flying around.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experience was not limited to a single trial. Zuo entered the chamber multiple times as the research progressed, testing different variables including posture, clothing, and body positioning. In some experiments, he was required to hold his arms extended so cameras could capture a consistent silhouette.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt felt more like an exercise at the gym,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cI was very much more focused on keeping my arms up and being as still as possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross those repeated interactions, patterns emerged that closely matched what the data predicted. Mosquitoes found him quickly, clustered in specific areas, and lingered only when certain conditions aligned.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd once the conditions were right,\u201d Zuo said, \u201cthey stayed.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo\u2019s role helped bridge the gap between abstract modeling and human experience. It also challenged common assumptions about mosquito behavior that many people take for granted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat follows are some of the most common mosquito myths, and what the Georgia Tech research and Zuo\u2019s firsthand experience actually showed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMosquito Myths vs. Reality\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Mosquitoes swarm because they are following each other.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquitoes respond independently to the same cues, which creates the appearance of swarming.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrajectory data collected during the experiments showed no evidence that mosquitoes were coordinating or communicating with one another. Zuo explained that what people often describe as swarming is the result of multiple mosquitoes responding simultaneously to the same environmental signals. When carbon dioxide and a clear visual target are present, many mosquitoes converge on the same area independently. Zuo compared it to people arriving separately at the same crowded place because something there is attractive, not because they are following the crowd.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Mosquitoes randomly target different parts of the body.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E In this study, mosquitoes concentrated near the head and shoulders, but only for the species observed, which is present in parts of the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech experiments focused on \u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti \u003C\/em\u003E(dengue or yellow fever mosquito), a species found in parts of Georgia and other areas of the southeastern United States. Within that species, both trajectory data and Zuo\u2019s experience inside the chamber showed mosquitoes repeatedly clustering near the head and shoulders rather than distributing evenly across the body. Zuo observed this pattern while standing still in the mesh suit, as mosquitoes returned again and again to his upper body. The study also confirmed previous biting studies showing that \u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti\u003C\/em\u003E mosquitoes target the upper body, while other mosquitoes might focus on other areas. Researchers linked the behavior to carbon dioxide released through breathing near the mouth and nose, paired with a strong visual target. Zuo emphasized that other mosquito species behave differently and that these findings should not be applied to all mosquitoes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Carbon dioxide alone explains why mosquitoes find people.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Carbon dioxide and visual cues work together, and neither is enough on its own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo described experiments that isolated carbon dioxide using inanimate objects before introducing a human subject. Carbon dioxide alone helped mosquitoes locate the general area of a target but did not consistently keep them there. Visual cues alone helped mosquitoes recognize an object but did not hold their attention. When both signals were combined, mosquito behavior changed significantly. The research showed the response was nonlinear, meaning the combined effect was stronger than simply adding the two cues together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Once mosquitoes find a target, they always stay nearby.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquitoes do not linger unless conditions align.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe data showed that mosquitoes often passed by targets unless both carbon dioxide and visual signals were present at the same time. Zuo observed that once those conditions aligned during the mesh suit experiments, mosquitoes stayed close and returned repeatedly to the same areas. Without the full set of cues, they were less likely to remain focused on a target.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: All mosquitoes behave the same way.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquito behavior varies by species and environmental conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti\u003C\/em\u003E, Zuo described, are capable of feeding in well-lit conditions rather than relying solely on dusk. He contrasted this with \u003Cem\u003EAnopheles\u003C\/em\u003E (marsh) mosquitoes, which require darker conditions and are closely tied to light and dark cycles during experiments. Zuo emphasized that the findings reflect the behavior of a single species and that different mosquito species respond to different cues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat the CDC Recommends During Mosquito Season\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Georgia Tech research explains how mosquitoes locate people, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mosquitoes\/prevention\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenters for Disease Control and Prevention\u003C\/a\u003E (CDC) outlines steps people can take during mosquito season to reduce the risk of bites.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CDC recommends using \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/insect-repellents\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents\u003C\/a\u003E on exposed skin and wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Clothing and gear can also be treated with permethrin, which is designed for use on fabrics and not directly on skin. The agency also advises controlling mosquitoes indoors and outdoors by eliminating standing water and keeping window and door screens in good repair. The CDC notes that mosquitoes can bite during the day or night, depending on the species, and encourages precautions whenever mosquitoes are active.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EStanding still inside a sealed mosquito chamber, Georgia Tech student and alum Christopher Zuo became the human test subject behind the science, offering a firsthand look at how mosquitoes find and fixate on people when breath and visual cues collide.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The science behind the buzz, as told by the guy who stood still. "}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-05-08 17:48:26","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 18:04:23","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680238":{"id":"680238","type":"image","title":"IMG_1500.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1778262537","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:48:57","changed":"1778262537","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:48:57","alt":"image of Chris Zuo in a mesh mosquito suit","file":{"fid":"264482","name":"IMG_1500.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1836258,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg?itok=o87xp0fP"}},"680239":{"id":"680239","type":"image","title":"file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESome of Chris Zuo\u2019s itchy results after his session with the mosquitoes.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778262756","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:52:36","changed":"1778262756","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:52:36","alt":"Image of Chris Zuo\u0027s arm after an experiment","file":{"fid":"264483","name":"file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":159199,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?itok=2Jo2IT7K"}},"680240":{"id":"680240","type":"image","title":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team visualized the mosquito trajectories as they flew around Zuo.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778262869","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:54:29","changed":"1778262869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:54:29","alt":"mosquito trajectory around Chris Zuo","file":{"fid":"264484","name":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":987262,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg?itok=rEqOpCxG"}}},"media_ids":["680238","680239","680240"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/why-mosquitoes-swarm-your-head-theyre-following-signals-not-each-other","title":"Why Mosquitoes Swarm Your Head: They\u2019re Following Signals, Not Each Other"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/hundreds-hungry-mosquitoes-student-volunteer-and-mesh-suit","title":"Hundreds of Hungry Mosquitoes, a Student Volunteer and a Mesh Suit"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195108","name":"mosquito research"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193225","name":"student researcher"},{"id":"28201","name":"Alum"},{"id":"195109","name":"human test subject"},{"id":"195110","name":"mosquito chamber experiment"},{"id":"195111","name":"mosquito behavior"},{"id":"195112","name":"carbon dioxide cues"},{"id":"195113","name":"visual cues"},{"id":"195114","name":"breathing signals"},{"id":"195115","name":"mosquito attraction"},{"id":"195116","name":"Aedes aegypti"},{"id":"195117","name":"Southeast United States mosquitoes"},{"id":"195118","name":"fluid dynamics research"},{"id":"195119","name":"applied physics"},{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"195120","name":"high-speed imaging"},{"id":"10825","name":"Mathematical Modeling"},{"id":"195121","name":"trajectory data"},{"id":"195122","name":"mosquito myths"},{"id":"195123","name":"mosquito swarming myth"},{"id":"195124","name":"mosquito targeting patterns"},{"id":"195125","name":"head and shoulder targeting"},{"id":"195126","name":"disease-free lab mosquitoes"},{"id":"195127","name":"controlled laboratory environment"},{"id":"195128","name":"firsthand research experience"},{"id":"195129","name":"student-led science storytelling"},{"id":"195130","name":"experiential research"},{"id":"195131","name":"vector science"},{"id":"195132","name":"public health relevance"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688969":{"#nid":"688969","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Carbon Into Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential for all living things. Twenty different amino acids build the thousands of proteins that carry out biological tasks. While some are made naturally in our bodies, others are absorbed through the food we eat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmino acids also play a critical role commercially where they are manufactured and added to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, animal feeds, and industrial chemicals \u2014 an energy-intensive process leading to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA landmark new system developed at Georgia Tech could lead to an alternative: a commercially scalable, environmentally sustainable method for amino acid production that is carbon negative, using more carbon than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe breakthrough builds on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-carbon-negative-method-produce-essential-amino-acids\u0022\u003Ea method that the team pioneered\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and solves a key issue \u2013 increasing efficiency to an unprecedented 97% and reducing the bioprocess cost by over 40%.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;the highest reported conversion of CO2 equivalents into amino acids using any synthetic biology system to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Synthetic Biology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022\u003ECell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids From One-Carbon Feedstocks\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/bioengineering-phd\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERay Westenberg\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peralta-yahya.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Pamela Peralta-Yahya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShaafique Chowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ChBE 25) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Wennerholm\u003C\/strong\u003E (ChBE 23)\u003Cstrong\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ealongside\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/a\u003E collaborators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chainreaction.anl.gov\/ryan-cardiff\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Cardiff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, then a Ph.D. student and now a Chain Reaction Innovations Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, and Charles W. H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cheme.washington.edu\/facultyfinder\/james-carothers\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames M. Carothers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to\u0026nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Synthetic Biology Team Leader\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/alex-beliaev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander S. Beliaev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This work shifts the narrative from simply reducing carbon emissions to actually consuming them to create value,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Peralta-Yahya.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are taking low-cost carbon sources and building essential ingredients in a truly carbon-negative process that is efficient, effective, and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat-Loving Organisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work builds on the cell-free technology the team used in their earlier study. \u201cPreviously, we discovered that a system that uses the machinery of cells, without using actual living cells, could be used to create amino acids from carbon dioxide,\u201d Peralta-Yahya explains. \u201cBut to create a commercially viable system, we needed to increase the system\u2019s efficiency and reduce the cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team discovered that bits of leftover cells were consuming starting materials, and \u2014 like a machine with unnecessary gears or parts \u2014 this limited the system\u2019s efficiency. To optimize their \u201cmachine,\u201d the team would need to remove the extra background machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Leftover cell parts were using key resources without helping produce the amino acids we were looking for,\u201d says Peralta-Yahya. \u201cWe knew that heating the system could be one way to purify it because heat can denature these components.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe challenge was in how to protect the essential system components from the high temperatures, she adds. \u201cWe wondered if introducing enzymes produced by a heat-loving bacterium,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMoorella thermoacetica,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Emight protect our system, while still allowing us to denature and remove that inefficient background machinery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe results were astounding: after introducing the enzymes, heating and \u201ccleaning\u201d the system, and letting it cool to room temperature, synthesis of the amino acids serine and glycine leaped to 97% yield \u2014 nearly three times that of the team\u2019s previous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling for Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo make the system viable for large-scale use, the team also needed to reduce costs. \u201cOne of the most costly components in this system is the cofactor tetrahydrofolate (THF),\u201d Peralta-Yahya shares. \u201cReducing the amount of THF needed to start the process was one way to make the system more inexpensive and ultimately more commercially viable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy linking reaction steps so waste from one step fueled the next, the team devised a method to recycle THF within the system that reduces the amount of THF needed by five-fold \u2014 lowering bioprocessing costs by 42%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis decrease in cost and increase in yield is a critical step forward in creating a method with real potential for use in industry and manufacturing,\u201d Peralta-Yahya says. \u201cThis system could pave the way for moving this carbon-negative technology out of the lab and onto the continuous, industrial scale.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E); U.S. Department of Energy; and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:16:42","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679657":{"id":"679657","type":"image","title":"Amino Acids","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of a chain of amino acids forming a protein (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773763467","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","changed":"1773763467","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","alt":"Blue and orange spirals against a light blue background.","file":{"fid":"263840","name":"AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg?itok=nVtDwueb"}}},"media_ids":["679657"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689137":{"#nid":"689137","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Challenges to the U.S. Energy Transition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEfficiently transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy means looking at so much more than just the technology we use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReliable energy is required to keep safe in cold winters and hot summers, making it a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts in Georgia Tech\u2019s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts examine \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/03\/us-energy-transition-challenges\u0022\u003Ethe challenges we face with the U.S. energy transition,\u003C\/a\u003E and work to help make it safe, fair, and effective for all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 1: Managing National Security \u2014 with Adam N. Stulberg, professor and chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 2: Confronting Inequality \u2014 with Bijesh Mishra, a postdoctoral scholar in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 3: Choosing the Right Economic Policies \u2014 with Bobby Harris, an assistant professor in the School of Economics.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 4: Navigating Financial and Political Incentives \u2014 with Kate Pride Brown, a sociologist in the School of History and Sociology.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/03\/us-energy-transition-challenges\u0022\u003ERead the article on the Ivan Allen College website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EReliable energy is required to keep safe in cold winters and hot summers, making it a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality. Experts in Georgia Tech\u2019s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts examine the challenges we face with the U.S. energy transition, and work to help make it safe, fair, and effective for all.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Reliable energy is a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality to consider."}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2026-03-23 18:34:56","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 20:13:07","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679717":{"id":"679717","type":"image","title":"MERCURY--1-.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774291064","gmt_created":"2026-03-23 18:37:44","changed":"1774291064","gmt_changed":"2026-03-23 18:37:44","alt":"Power lines running through open land.","file":{"fid":"263909","name":"MERCURY--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1363201,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg?itok=3CSxj0Wp"}}},"media_ids":["679717"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1282","name":"School of Economics"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dminardi3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDi Minardi\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687586":{"#nid":"687586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Tool Turns Disaster Zones Into Living Classrooms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffered by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and taught by IDR director and Regents\u2019 Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E, the course pairs traditional fieldwork with Roozbahani\u2019s expertise in immersive technology and data-driven learning, transforming on-the-ground observations into reusable, interactive educational resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Computing Can Capture Data\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDisasters are not only physical events; they are also information events, Roozbahani says. Effective response and long-term resilience depend on the ability to observe, record, and communicate critical data under pressure. Georgia Tech\u2019s IDR course pairs structured on-campus preparation with international field experiences, enabling students to study the cascading effects of major disasters, including how local building practices, governance, and culture shape damage and recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen students step into a disaster zone, they learn quickly that resilience is a systems problem: physical, social, and informational. Our job in computing is to help them capture and reason about that system responsibly,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning from the 2025 Himalayas Expedition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring spring break last year, the cohort traveled along the Teesta River corridor in Sikkim, India. The region is shaped by steep terrain, fast-moving water, and critical infrastructure in narrow valleys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe visit followed the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood from South Lhonak Lake, which destroyed the Teesta III hydropower dam and impacted downstream towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo. Field stops across India included Lachung, Chungthang, Dikchu, Rangpo, Gangtok, and New Delhi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents explored both upstream and downstream consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUpstream, the team examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces, creating cascading risks for infrastructure. Using Filio\u2019s interactive 360\u00b0 media, students captured conditions in Lachung and Chungthang, allowing viewers to explore the landscape through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_d6LpRAkr0ymi1OqCtGeAYrXo8xBGTJmACPN0SGXP50QlCE8FLR-f-67da18bc11c485642674bf73_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_IX5yWxXjRjtueg1qeGFhV62K8GDhLlarQ6uFC9g4zkjIl7rCM3-f-67dcd50f11c485642674d269_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that reveal how topography and river dynamics intensify disaster impacts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey studied community-scale effects downstream, including damaged buildings, disrupted access, and prolonged recovery timelines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERangpo offered a glimpse of recovery in motion, with materials staged for rebuilding bridges and roads essential to commerce and emergency response.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing Immersive Media as a Learning Tool\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents documented their field experience using \u003Cem\u003EFilio\u003C\/em\u003E, an AI-powered visual reporting platform developed by Roozbahani through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E ecosystem. Filio captures high-resolution photos, video, and 360\u00b0 immersive media, preserving both the facts and the context of disaster sites; what the site felt like, what was lost, and what communities prioritized in recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA 360\u00b0 capture lets students return months later and ask better questions. That second look is where learning accelerates,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by alumni and faculty mentors, including Tech alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EChris Klaus\u003C\/strong\u003E and Georgia Tech mentor \u003Cstrong\u003EBill Higginbotham\u003C\/strong\u003E, the platform is evolving into a reusable educational library for future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKathmandu: The Context of Culture\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal, where students examined how heritage, governance, and the everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough Filio\u2019s immersive documentation \u2014 including a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_n2OFrWLzHNcdTkMl6uD9j0tSrOPybGLZccsNcarj8vwZaZIbuu-f-67dedf3f11c485642674d820_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_CD25dUToZ6BgfmfrayfHHtsThQGJIQWu82xqmzSy884UXHnbEB-f-67dd5a9b11c485642674d302_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E from Kathmandu \u2014 the focus broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, highlighting how recovery is not only about rebuilding structures, but also about preserving identity, memory, and community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead: A Growing Resource for All Students\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrost and Roozbahani envision the IDR immersive media library as a reusable resource for students even when they cannot travel, supporting future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience. Spring 2026 cohorts will continue to build on this foundation by documenting, analyzing, and sharing insights that can improve education and real-world disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-01-22 15:11:14","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:54:39","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679052":{"id":"679052","type":"image","title":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudents visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Students visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure. ","file":{"fid":"263164","name":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1897568,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg?itok=zDRmcY2d"}},"679053":{"id":"679053","type":"image","title":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDownstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Downstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.","file":{"fid":"263165","name":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":543269,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg?itok=vdI7egUR"}},"679054":{"id":"679054","type":"image","title":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Rangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.","file":{"fid":"263166","name":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1479166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg?itok=MuIfiKjX"}},"679055":{"id":"679055","type":"image","title":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"In Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.","file":{"fid":"263167","name":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2316531,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg?itok=KBCQfvza"}},"679056":{"id":"679056","type":"image","title":"cover-photo.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani. ","file":{"fid":"263168","name":"cover-photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg?itok=jiNPLFL8"}}},"media_ids":["679052","679053","679054","679055","679056"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"172752","name":"Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683928":{"#nid":"683928","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Twenty Years After Katrina: How Levee Failures Changed America","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, it wasn\u2019t just another storm \u2014 it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Entire neighborhoods disappeared, families were scattered, and lives were split into \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter.\u201d Nearly 20 years later, the haunting images of submerged rooftops and boat rescues remain vivid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Surge That Shattered New Orleans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Aug. 29, 2005, early reports claimed New Orleans had \u201cdodged the bullet.\u201d But offshore winds funneled water into the city\u2019s canals, triggering multiple catastrophic levee failures. The Lower Ninth Ward, where most fatalities occurred, was devastated as many residents, misled by comparisons to Hurricane Camille, chose not to evacuate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cKatrina\u2019s storm surge was exceptional,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/hermann-m-fritz\u0022\u003EHermann Fritz\u003C\/a\u003E, a civil engineering professor at Georgia Tech. \u201cIn some areas, we saw water levels over 27 feet\u0026nbsp;\u2014 that\u2019s like a three-story building.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile much attention focused on New Orleans\u2019 levee failures, Fritz points out that the surge\u2019s sheer height and energy would have overwhelmed even more robust defenses in some areas. \u201cKatrina showed us that nature can produce forces beyond our engineering designs,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Disaster of Inequality\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe storm didn\u2019t strike evenly; it exposed and deepened existing social and economic inequalities. \u201cThe disaster hit lower-income Black neighborhoods hardest,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/allen-hyde\u0022\u003EAllen Hyde\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of history and sociology. He notes how years of segregation, disinvestment, and discriminatory housing policies left these communities uniquely vulnerable. Hyde continues, \u201cMany homes were in low-lying, flood-prone areas, and residents often lacked access to reliable transportation, making evacuation difficult or impossible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia\u2019s Changing Landscape: Migration and Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKatrina displaced hundreds of thousands and claimed a staggering toll of more than 1,800 lives. Georgia quickly absorbed many evacuees, reshaping its demographics and infrastructure. \u201cHurricane Katrina led to one of the largest displacements of people due to a natural disaster,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/shatakshee-dhongde\u0022\u003EShatakshee Dhongde\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of economics. \u201cIt changed the demographics of Georgia in measurable ways, from school enrollment to the labor market.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Census Bureau tracked this migration, noting spikes in Louisiana-born residents in metro Atlanta. Local school districts enrolled hundreds of new students almost overnight, while housing markets saw increased demand from families looking for permanent homes. The arrival of so many displaced residents didn\u2019t just strain schools and housing \u2014 it reshaped the state\u2019s economy. Dhongde notes that evacuees often brought new skills, business ideas, and networks. At the same time, the state and local governments faced the financial burden of expanding social services, healthcare, and housing assistance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDhongde adds, \u201cThe impact of a disaster doesn\u2019t stop at the water\u2019s edge. It travels with people, and those effects can last for years.\u201d While the influx strained services, it also enriched Georgia\u2019s cultural and economic fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHyde notes, \u201cGentrification made many neighborhoods unaffordable for former residents,\u201d and adds that many Black evacuees didn\u2019t return to New Orleans due to economic barriers and post-Katrina gentrification. Cultural communities scattered across cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Baton Rouge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELessons the Levees Still Teach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Fritz, Katrina remains a wake-up call for coastal preparedness.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cWe can\u2019t stop hurricanes,\u201d he says, \u201cbut we can improve how we design and maintain our defenses, and how we evacuate people before it\u2019s too late.\u201d He warns that climate change, with its potential to intensify storms, makes those improvements even more urgent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDhongde sees a parallel need for social and economic planning. \u201cDisaster preparedness isn\u2019t just about sandbags and levees,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s also about ensuring the communities receiving evacuees have the resources and support systems to integrate them successfully.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, Hyde stresses the importance of engaging youth and communities in preparedness efforts. \u201cYouth advocacy programs, like those we\u2019re piloting in Georgia, empower young people in marginalized neighborhoods with knowledge and agency to build long-term resilience. Disaster planning must be a community effort, inclusive and forward-looking.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwenty years after Hurricane Katrina\u2019s catastrophic landfall, its legacy of destruction, displacement, and deepened inequality continues to shape communities and challenge disaster preparedness across the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina\u2019s catastrophic landfall, its legacy of destruction, displacement, and deepened inequality continues to shape communities and challenge disaster preparedness across the U.S."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2025-08-18 20:59:51","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:11:54","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677735":{"id":"677735","type":"image","title":"Hurricane Katrina New Orleans","body":null,"created":"1755620033","gmt_created":"2025-08-19 16:13:53","changed":"1755620033","gmt_changed":"2025-08-19 16:13:53","alt":"Flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina","file":{"fid":"261668","name":"AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3672480,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg?itok=Mj7riyMS"}},"677737":{"id":"677737","type":"image","title":"Katrina.jpg","body":null,"created":"1755622437","gmt_created":"2025-08-19 16:53:57","changed":"1755622437","gmt_changed":"2025-08-19 16:53:57","alt":"Three changes since Katrina that still have an impact two decades later","file":{"fid":"261671","name":"Katrina.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1316301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg?itok=IvnP-aCU"}}},"media_ids":["677735","677737"],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"1647","name":"Hurricane Katrina"},{"id":"1860","name":"hurricane"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688716":{"#nid":"688716","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research Priorities Chart Course Toward Impactful, Energy-Efficient Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers applied their expertise to a national research program that will shape the future of computing. Their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges like carbon storage, tsunamis, wildfires, and sustainable energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Energy Office of Science recently released two reports through its Advanced Scientific Computing Research (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/ascr\/advanced-scientific-computing-research\u0022\u003EASCR\u003C\/a\u003E) program. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/ascr\/Community-Resources\/Program-Documents\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E were produced by workshops that brought together researchers from universities, national labs, government, and industry to set priorities for scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/slim.gatech.edu\/people\/felix-j-herrmann\u0022\u003EFelix Herrmann\u003C\/a\u003E served on the organizing committee for the Workshop on Inverse Methods for Complex Systems under Uncertainty. Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~pchen402\/group.html\u0022\u003EPeng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E joined Herrmann as a workshop participant, contributing expertise in data science and machine learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInverse methods work backward from outcomes to find their causes. Scientists use these tools to study complex systems, like designing new materials with targeted properties and using past wildfires to map vulnerable areas and behavior of future fires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/biblio\/2583339\u0022\u003EASCR report\u003C\/a\u003E highlighted Herrmann\u2019s work on seismic exploration and monitoring through digital twins. Founded on inverse methods, digital twins upgrade from static models to virtual systems that accurately mirror their physical counterparts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDigital twins integrate real-time data sources, including fluid flows, monitoring and control systems, risk assessments, and human decisions. These models also account for uncertainty and address data gaps or limitations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE organized the workshop to support the growing role of inverse modeling. The group identified four priority research directions (PRDs) to guide future work. The PRDs are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 1: Discovering, exploiting, and preserving structure\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 2: Identifying and overcoming model limitations\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 3: Integrating disparate multimodal and\/or dynamic data\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 4: Solving goal-oriented inverse problems for downstream tasks\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA digital twin is a system you can control, like to optimize operations or to minimize risk,\u201d said Herrmann, who holds joint appointments in the Schools of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computational Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDigital twins give you a principled way to consider uncertainties, which there are a lot in subsurface monitoring. If you inject carbon dioxide too fast, you will will increase the pressure and may fracture the rock. If you inject too slow, then the process may become too costly. Digital twins help us make balanced decisions under uncertainty.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupercomputers, algorithms, and artificial intelligence now power modern science. However, these tools consume enormous amounts of energy. This raises concerns about how to sustain computing and scientific research as we know them in the decades ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessors\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vuduc.org\/v2\/\u0022\u003ERich Vuduc\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hyesoon.github.io\/\u0022\u003EHyesoon Kim\u003C\/a\u003E co-authored\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/biblio\/2476961\u0022\u003Ethe report\u003C\/a\u003E from the Workshop on Energy-Efficient Computing for Science. At the three-day ASCR workshop, participants identified five key research directions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 1: Co-design energy-efficient hardware devices and architectures for important workloads\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 2: Define the algorithmic foundations of energy-efficient scientific computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 3: Reconceptualize software ecosystems for energy efficiency\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 4: Enable energy-efficient data management for data centers, instruments, and users\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 5: Develop integrated, scalable energy measurement and modeling capabilities for next-generation computing systems\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m cautiously optimistic about the future of energy-efficient computing. The ASCR report says, from a technological point of view, there are things we can do,\u201d said Vuduc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe report lays out paths for how we might design better apps, hardware systems, and algorithms that will use less energy. This is recognition that we should think about how architectures and software work together to drive down energy usage for systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers applied their expertise to a national research program that will shape the future of computing. Their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges like carbon storage, tsunamis, wildfires, and sustainable energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Energy Office of Science recently released two reports through its Advanced Scientific Computing Research (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/ascr\/advanced-scientific-computing-research\u0022\u003EASCR\u003C\/a\u003E) program. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/ascr\/Community-Resources\/Program-Documents\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E were produced by workshops that brought together researchers from universities, national labs, government, and industry to set priorities for scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty members contributed to two DOE Advanced Scientific Computing Research program workshops. Recently published reports of their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-03-04 13:29:44","changed_gmt":"2026-03-04 21:01:18","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679513":{"id":"679513","type":"image","title":"ASCR-Report-Authors.png","body":null,"created":"1772630996","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 13:29:56","changed":"1772630996","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 13:29:56","alt":"DOE Office of Science ASCR Reports","file":{"fid":"263685","name":"ASCR-Report-Authors.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png","mime":"image\/png","size":578789,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png?itok=dQ53-joi"}},"679514":{"id":"679514","type":"image","title":"ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772631052","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 13:30:52","changed":"1772631052","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 13:30:52","alt":"ASCR Workshop on Inverse Methods for Complex Systems under Uncertainty","file":{"fid":"263686","name":"ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56325,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg?itok=rZGhJhnP"}},"679515":{"id":"679515","type":"image","title":"ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772631087","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 13:31:27","changed":"1772631087","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 13:31:27","alt":"ASCR Workshop on Energy-Efficient Computing for Science","file":{"fid":"263687","name":"ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":58857,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg?itok=-0arX_Rb"}}},"media_ids":["679513","679514","679515"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-priorities-chart-course-toward-impactful-energy-efficient-computing","title":"New Research Priorities Chart Course Toward Impactful, Energy-Efficient Computing"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"},{"id":"179230","name":"digital twin"},{"id":"15030","name":"high-performance computing"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688502":{"#nid":"688502","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Understanding the Data Center Building Boom ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, several faculty members are approaching these sustainability challenges from different but complementary angles: examining how data center policy affects local communities, modeling how AI-driven demand reshapes regional energy systems, and building tools that help the public understand the tradeoffs embedded in grid planning. Together, their work highlights how better data, thoughtful policy, and public engagement can guide more resilient and equitable decisions in an AI-powered future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI\u2019s Hidden Footprint: How Data Centers Reshape Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAhmed Saeed studies the infrastructure most people never see. An assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, Saeed focuses on how data centers \u2014 the backbone of modern AI \u2014 are built, operated, and regulated, and what their growth means for host communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cData centers are the infrastructure for our digital life, so more of them are necessary to keep doing what we\u2019re doing,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData center energy consumption could double or triple by 2028, accounting for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use, according to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/32d6m0d1\u0022\u003Ereport by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. U.S. spending on data center construction jumped nearly 70% between May 2023 and May 2024, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/americanedgeproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Americas-AI-Surge-Powering-Growth-in-Every-State.pdf\u0022\u003EAmerican Edge Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is an AI data center hub, ranked fourth globally, with $4.6 billion in AI-related venture capital invested across 368 deals, the American Edge Project reported. At a recent \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sustainability-fellowship-supports-professors-data-center-research\u0022\u003Etown hall in DeKalb County, Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, Saeed helped residents connect AI\u2019s promise to its local consequences. Training large AI models can require tens of thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs) running for days or weeks, driving an unprecedented wave of data center construction. AI-focused chips, he noted, can consume 10 to 14 times more power than traditional processors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat demand often shows up as pressure on local infrastructure. Communities are increasingly concerned about electricity and water use, grid upgrades, and who ultimately pays. In Virginia, Saeed pointed to a legal dispute in which consumer advocates warned that data centers could raise electricity bills by 5% in the short term and up to 50% over time, while utilities argued those investments were inevitable and could benefit customers in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental concerns add another layer. Saeed cited controversies over water use and backup diesel generators in states, including Georgia and Tennessee, alongside a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling that tightened generator regulations. While diesel generators are clearly harmful, he cautioned that long-term, rigorous evidence linking data centers to regional health impacts remains limited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed\u2019s research aims to reduce those impacts directly. By optimizing how workloads are scheduled across large server fleets, his team has demonstrated power savings of 4 \u2013 12%, a meaningful gain if U.S. data centers approach projected levels of up to 12% of national electricity use by 2028.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Saeed, data centers are akin to highways: essential to modern life, disruptive to nearby communities, and shaped by policy choices. The question, he argues, is not whether AI infrastructure should exist, but how transparently and fairly it is built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomist Probes the Energy Costs of the AI Boom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile headlines often frame AI as an energy crisis, Georgia Tech environmental and energy economist and BBISS Faculty Fellow Tony Harding is focused on measuring its real \u2014 and uneven \u2014 impacts. Harding, an assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, uses economic modeling to examine how AI adoption affects energy use, emissions, and local communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/ae0e3b\u0022\u003Erecent work\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, Harding and his co-author analyzed how productivity gains from AI could influence national energy demand. Their findings suggest that, at a macro level, AI-related activity may increase annual U.S. energy use by about 0.03% and CO\u2082 emissions by roughly 0.02%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose numbers are small in the context of the overall economy,\u201d Harding said. \u201cBut the impacts are highly uneven.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat unevenness is evident in where data centers are built. While Northern Virginia remains the country\u2019s top data center hub, with 343 operational data centers, states like Georgia, which currently has 94 operational data centers, are rapidly attracting facilities due to reliable power and favorable tax policies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s latest research focuses on local effects, asking why data centers cluster in urban areas, how they influence housing markets, what happens to electricity prices, and whether they exacerbate water stress. Early evidence suggests large facilities can increase local electricity rates, contributing to public backlash and regulatory response. In Georgia, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psc.ga.gov\/site\/assets\/files\/8617\/media_advisory_data_centers_rule_1-23-2025.pdf\u0022\u003EPublic Service Commission\u003C\/a\u003E has begun requiring new, high power draw customers (like data centers) to cover more of the costs associated with grid expansion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s goal is to give policymakers better evidence to design incentives and guardrails. \u201cTo manage these technologies responsibly,\u201d he said, \u201cwe need a clear picture of their intended and unintended consequences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGamifying a Strained and Aging Power Grid\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDaniel Molzahn is tackling another side of the problem: how to modernize an aging power grid under growing demand. Electricity demand is expected to rise about 25% by 2030, driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and broadscale electrification. At the same time, much of the U.S. electricity grid is nearing the end of its lifespan, with many transformers being decades old.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make these challenges tangible, Molzahn, an associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developed a browser-based game with a group of students through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/frm_display\/team-listings\/entry\/1303\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/a\u003E program called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/currentcrisis.itch.io\/current-crisis\u0022\u003ECurrent Crisis\u003C\/a\u003E. Players take on the role of a utility decision-maker, balancing reliability, wildfire risk, renewable integration, and affordability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe game grew out of Molzahn\u2019s National Science Foundation CAREER award and reflects his belief that complex systems are best understood experientially. Its initial focus is wildfire resilience, modeling how grid infrastructure can both spark and suffer damage from fires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut resilience comes at a cost. Burying power lines, for example, reduces wildfire risk but dramatically increases expenses. Players must confront the same tradeoffs utilities face: improve reliability or keep rates low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMolzahn hopes the game will help students and the public grapple with the realities of planning future power systems. \u201cThese choices aren\u2019t abstract,\u201d he said. \u201cThey shape affordability, resilience, and our path toward a cleaner grid.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project now involves nearly 40 students from across campus, supported by Sustainability NEXT funding and a collaboration with Jessica Roberts, former BBISS Faculty Fellow and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tiles.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETechnology-Integrated Learning Environments (TILES) Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a learning scientist, I look at how to engage people with science and scientific data and get people having conversations they might not otherwise have,\u201d says Roberts, who hopes the seed grant helps the team determine first that they are going in the right direction and, second, how to broaden the impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne student, Stella Quinto Lima, a graduate research assistant in Human-Centered Computing, has made the game the focus of her doctoral thesis. Through the game, she wants players to notice their misconceptions about the power grid, energy use, and AI, and to use critical thinking to identify, question, and possibly undo those misconceptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cI hope that we can really engage adults and help them see it\u2019s not black and white. The game is not only about power grids, but how AI affects the grid, how it affects our lives, and how it will impact our future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team plans to expand the game\u2019s features, use it in outreach programs, and analyze player decisions as a source of data to study energy-system decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to change the conversation about power and power grid stability, reliability, and sustainability, Roberts said, \u201cand find a way to get this message to a larger public.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Explosive data center growth requires research to inform policies which manage the building of this critical infrastructure."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 20:29:10","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 16:43:42","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679428":{"id":"679428","type":"image","title":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized","body":null,"created":"1772037433","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 16:37:13","changed":"1772037615","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 16:40:15","alt":"Three men\u0027s individual portrait-style photos are arranged side by side, each showing a person from the shoulders up. The individuals wear collared shirts and appear in different lighting settings, including a dark background, a neutral studio backdrop, and a bright white background.","file":{"fid":"263591","name":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":872348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg?itok=TPizgOZr"}}},"media_ids":["679428"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688378":{"#nid":"688378","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 BBISS Sustainability Showcase Recap: Resilience Is About Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by: Shweta Ram and Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat does it mean to design systems that endure even after major disruptions? This question framed the 2026 Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Sustainability Showcase, where conversations over two days spanned the Georgia coast, wildfire modeling, AI data centers, infrastructure, community engagement, and the joy of working for a more sustainable and resilient world. Across disciplines and scales, a unifying theme emerged: resilience is not a single solution. It is a systems-level challenge requiring integration across science and technology, policy, communities, and human experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Coastlines to Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase opened with a keynote from President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough on wildlife management and resiliency along Georgia\u2019s coast. The conversation that followed between Clough and BBISS Executive Director Beril Toktay highlighted the interconnection between public policy, wilderness conservation, community leadership, and scientific research. The session highlighted not only the urgency of protecting fragile ecosystems, but also that resilience works best when it is community-focused and community-driven.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubsequent panels continued this systemic perspective. Sessions on community engagement, biotechnology-derived, climate-resilient plants, the flood resilience of Georgia coastal communities, wildfire prediction and prevention, and infrastructure resilience analytics all emphasized that resilience depends on the synthesis of many disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross sessions, researchers emphasized that infrastructure resilience must include governance frameworks informed by good science, community engagement based on trust, and sustained collaboration that seeks to constantly improve the science, policy, and stakeholder relationships. The researchers demonstrated that they understand their role to be greater than merely modeling risk, but as collaborators who translate research into practical solutions that communities can adopt, maintain, and trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI Data Centers: A New Resilience Frontier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay two shifted attention to data centers, which are emerging as a critical resilience frontier.\u0026nbsp;As artificial intelligence systems scale rapidly, so does the infrastructure that powers them, as well as the growing realization that digital systems are physical systems. Conversations examined the feedback loops that play a significant role in determining environmental impacts, such as chip architecture, AI workloads, data center sustainability, appropriate AI usage, and who makes the decisions on data center infrastructure development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most fascinating sessions came from Alexandria Smith, assistant professor in the School of Music at Georgia Tech. She presented an artistic yet algorithmic composition that sonified data from AI data centers. Through translating kilowatt-hour usage and interconnection data into immersive soundscapes, she reframed data centers not as static input-output machines, but as adaptive, living systems. Drawing inspiration from \u003Cem\u003EPhysarum polycephalum\u003C\/em\u003E, a slime mold without a brain or nervous system known for its innate problem-solving abilities, she invites the listener to imagine infrastructure that senses, adapts, and self-optimizes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus as a Living Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her session, Professor Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability, highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s 2024 Climate Action Plan, focusing on building energy efficiency, renewable integration, materials management, and mobility transitions. The plan frames the Georgia Tech campus as a test bed for resilience strategies \u2014 an ecosystem where research, operations, and policy intersect. Chirico highlighted several examples where the alignment between research and implementation was essential in moving projects from modeling to pilot projects to sustained institutional change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding Joy in Climate Action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERebecca Watts Hull, Matthew Realff, and Christie Stewart led an interactive discussion inspired by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\u2019s framework for accelerating long-term climate action. Participants were asked three simple questions: What are you good at? What work needs doing? What brings you joy? Sustainability and climate research are fields often defined by serious urgency, crisis narratives, and burnout. This session offered a personal framework for resilience where emotional sustainability, professional fulfillment, and joy matter just as much as the motivation to drive a mission ever forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Shared Vision\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Showcase concluded with a facilitated visioning session led by Kristin Janacek, associate director for Interdisciplinary Research Impact, and Beril Toktay. In small groups, leaders, researchers, and community members worked to define what resilience looks like for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the conversations, several themes emerged:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EResilience must move from research to practical and community-based solutions to sustained action.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENetworks create opportunity but require long-term stewardship to endure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoosing the right metrics to measure resilience will galvanize efforts to strengthen it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECommunity capacity is at least as important as built infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver two days, it became clear that Georgia Tech is not approaching resilience as a narrow technical problem. It is approaching it as a systems challenge \u2014 one that spans coastlines, campuses, disciplines, data centers, the Appalachian Mountains, data models, the arts, and human relationships. Designing systems that endure requires more than innovation. It requires collaboration, stewardship, and a shared commitment to long-term impact. The conversations launched at this year\u2019s BBISS Sustainability Showcase laid the foundation for continued coordination and ambitious action in the months ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Sustainability Showcase was held recently in the Scholars Event Theater in the Price Gilbert Library. Two days of conversations spanned the Georgia coast, wildfire modeling, AI data centers, infrastructure, community engagement, and the joy of working for a more sustainable and resilient world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Across disciplines and scales, a unifying theme emerged: resilience is not a single solution. It is a systems-level challenge requiring integration across science and technology, policy, communities, and human experience."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 22:33:59","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 22:38:36","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679363":{"id":"679363","type":"image","title":"Showcase_cropped.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771454051","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 22:34:11","changed":"1771454051","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 22:34:11","alt":"A view inside the Scholars Event Theater of a session of the Sustainability Showcase. A man speaks to a crowd while presenting slides on a large projection screen.","file":{"fid":"263513","name":"Showcase_cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":915573,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg?itok=JyP4R8WN"}}},"media_ids":["679363"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688257":{"#nid":"688257","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Christos Athanasiou to Receive 2025 Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristos Athanasiou\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, has been selected to receive the 2025 Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty. Presented annually by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asme.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the award recognizes rapidly emerging junior faculty who exemplify originality, depth, and impact in the development and application of mechanics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Eshelby Mechanics Award was established in 2012\u202fin memory of\u202fProfessor John Douglas Eshelby\u0026nbsp;to promote the field of mechanics, among young researchers. The award will be formally presented at the 2026 Applied Mechanics Division Awards Banquet during the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAthanasiou and his team advance the fundamental mechanics and physics of materials and translates these insights into systems-level design strategies that address global challenges in resource efficiency and sustainable development. His research integrates advanced experimental methods capable of capturing material behavior under realistic operational conditions, mechanics-based design principles, and tailored AI- and physics-informed modeling frameworks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these efforts enable the development of life-cycle-efficient, cost-effective materials and structures for applications ranging from sustainable packaging to aerospace systems and space construction. His recent work published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2502613122\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E (PNAS)\u003C\/em\u003E introduced a bioinspired framework to improve plastic recycling while addressing a foundational mechanics question: how can we build reliable structures from inherently variable materials?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAthanasiou is also the recipient of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2024 NSF CAREER Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/christos-athanasiou-receives-asme-orr-early-career-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EASME Orr Early Career Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and is a Climate Tech Fellow at the New York Climate Exchange.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristos Athanasiou\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, has been selected to receive the 2025 Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award recognizes early-career researchers who\u2019ve made impactful contributions to the field of mechanics."}],"uid":"36345","created_gmt":"2026-02-13 16:57:40","changed_gmt":"2026-02-13 17:03:06","author":"gwaddell3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679280":{"id":"679280","type":"image","title":"headshot-anthansiou.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christos-e-athanasiou\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristos E Athanasiou\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAssistant Professor\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1771002011","gmt_created":"2026-02-13 17:00:11","changed":"1771002011","gmt_changed":"2026-02-13 17:00:11","alt":"Christos Anthanasiou headshot","file":{"fid":"263417","name":"headshot-anthansiou.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/13\/headshot-anthansiou.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/13\/headshot-anthansiou.png","mime":"image\/png","size":943888,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/13\/headshot-anthansiou.png?itok=hBe5dgbw"}}},"media_ids":["679280"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/christos-athanasiou-receives-asme-orr-early-career-award","title":"Christos Athanasiou Receives the ASME Orr Early Career Award"},{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/georgia-tech-researchers-pioneer-eco-friendly-building-materials-earth-and-mars","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Pioneer Eco-Friendly Building Materials for Earth and Mars"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1239","name":"School of Aerospace Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2082","name":"aerospace engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMonique Waddell\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["monique.waddell@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687242":{"#nid":"687242","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Energy Policy and Innovation Center Launches Interactive Dashboard ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter) has collaborated with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDan Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E and EPIcenter\u2019s faculty affiliate, to develop a new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/saf\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Data Dashboard\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E designed to provide clear, accessible insights into the rapidly evolving SAF market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe interactive dashboard compiles and visualizes data gathered by\u0026nbsp;Matisoff, along with\u0026nbsp;Program and Operations Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/2af53a9b-d638-574a-a72e-567d586c3cef\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Morley\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;offering a comprehensive view of SAF production, feedstock availability, and policy trends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEPIcenter Research Associate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-yang-you\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYang You\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has designed the dashboard to translate complex datasets into policy-relevant insights for decision-makers. By organizing key metrics into interactive visuals, the dashboard helps stakeholders assess market readiness and identify regulatory actions that could accelerate SAF adoption.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmphasizing the importance of data-driven insights, Matisoff said, \u201cThe Department of Energy has a Grand Challenge to produce 3 billion gallons a year of Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2030, and 35 billion gallons a year by 2050. By compiling and visualizing SAF data, we can help policymakers and researchers understand progress towards these goals, where the key opportunities and bottlenecks are \u2013 and how to move forward effectively\u201d.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy SAF Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile aviation only accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is a rapidly growing share, and decarbonizing this sector is considered one of the most challenging aspects of the energy transition. Produced from renewable feedstocks, sustainable aviation fuel offers a pathway to reduce lifecycle emissions from air travel without requiring major changes to aircraft or infrastructure. However, SAF production and deployment face hurdles related to cost, supply chain development, and policy support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEPIcenter\u2019s Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E highlighted the dashboard\u2019s role in addressing these challenges:\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cSustainable aviation fuel is a cornerstone of decarbonizing air travel, but the market is complex and rapidly evolving. The dashboard provides clarity by organizing the relevant data in a way that\u2019s accessible and actionable for decision-makers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis tool is meant to bridge analysis and action,\u201d said You. \u201cBy visualizing SAF production, capacity, and offtake dynamics, the dashboard allows policymakers and stakeholders to see where the market is moving, where gaps remain, and how targeted infrastructure investments or supportive policies could unlock scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EPIcenter SAF Dashboard is intended as a resource for industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers working to accelerate SAF adoption. By providing transparent, data-driven insights, Georgia Tech aims to support informed decisions that advance innovation and sustainability in aviation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo explore the dashboard and learn more about Georgia Tech\u2019s work on sustainable aviation fuel, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/saf\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u2019s SAF page\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter) has collaborated with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDan Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E and EPIcenter\u2019s faculty affiliate, to develop a new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/saf\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Data Dashboard\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E designed to provide clear, accessible insights into the rapidly evolving SAF market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Energy Policy and Innovation Center has collaborated with Dan Matisoff, EPIcenter\u2019s faculty affiliate, to develop a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel Data Dashboard to provide clear, accessible insights into the rapidly evolving SAF market. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-01-13 17:04:00","changed_gmt":"2026-01-13 17:10:35","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678970":{"id":"678970","type":"image","title":"SAFDashboard-AdobeStock.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1768324007","gmt_created":"2026-01-13 17:06:47","changed":"1768324007","gmt_changed":"2026-01-13 17:06:47","alt":"Fuel Truck carrying Sustainable Aviation Fuel near an airplane","file":{"fid":"263073","name":"SAFDashboard-AdobeStock.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/SAFDashboard-AdobeStock.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/SAFDashboard-AdobeStock.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":831898,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/13\/SAFDashboard-AdobeStock.jpeg?itok=bJdX1-Z0"}}},"media_ids":["678970"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/saf\/","title":"EPIcenter SAF Dashboard"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679801":{"#nid":"679801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"At the Intersection of Climate and AI, Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Climate Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EExponential growth in big data and computing power is transforming climate science, where machine learning is playing a critical role in mapping the physics of our changing climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cWhat is happening within the field is revolutionary,\u201d\u0026nbsp;says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAssociate Chair and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/annalisabracco\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnnalisa Bracco\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, adding that because many climate-related processes\u0026nbsp;\u2014 from ocean currents to melting glaciers and weather patterns\u0026nbsp;\u2014 can be described with physical equations, these advancements have the potential to help us understand and predict climate in critically important ways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBracco is the lead author of a new review paper providing a comprehensive look at the intersection of AI and climate physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe result of an international collaboration between Georgia Tech\u2019s Bracco,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJulien Brajard\u003C\/strong\u003E (Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHenk A. Dijkstra\u003C\/strong\u003E (Utrecht University),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPedram Hassanzadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E (University of Chicago),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChristian Lessig\u003C\/strong\u003E (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClaire Monteleoni\u003C\/strong\u003E (University of Colorado Boulder), the paper, \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s42254-024-00776-3\u0022\u003EMachine learning for the physics of climate\u003C\/a\u003E,\u2019\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Physics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOne of our team\u2019s goals was to help people think deeply on how climate science and AI intersect,\u201d Bracco shares. \u201cMachine learning is allowing us to study the physics of climate in a way that was previously impossible. Coupled with increasing amounts of data and observations, we can now investigate climate at scales and resolutions we\u2019ve never been able to before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting hidden dots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team showed that ML is driving change in three key areas: accounting for missing observational data, creating more robust climate models, and enhancing predictions, especially in weather forecasting. However, the research also underscores the limits of AI \u2014 and how researchers can work to fill those gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning has been fantastic in allowing us to expand the time and the spatial scales for which we have measurements,\u201d says Bracco, explaining that ML could help fill in missing data points \u2014 creating a more robust record for researchers to reference. However, like patching a hole in a shirt, this works best when the rest of the material is intact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning can extrapolate from past conditions when observations are abundant, but it can\u2019t yet predict future trends or collect the data we need,\u201d Bracco adds. \u201cTo keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling climate, predicting weather\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMachine learning is often used when improving climate models that can simulate changing systems like our atmosphere, oceans, land, biochemistry, and ice. \u201cThese models are limited because of our computing power, and are run on a three-dimensional grid,\u201d Bracco explains: below the grid resolution, researchers need to approximate complex physics with simpler equations that computers can solve quickly, a process called \u2018parameterization\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMachine learning is changing that, offering new ways to improve parameterizations, she says. \u201cWe can run a model at extremely high resolutions for a short time, so that we don\u2019t need to parameterize as many physical processes \u2014 using machine learning to derive the equations that best approximate what is happening at small scales,\u201d she explains. \u201cThen we can use those equations in a coarser model that we can run for hundreds of years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile a full climate model based solely on machine learning may remain out of reach, the team found that ML is advancing our ability to accurately predict weather systems and some climate phenomena like El Ni\u00f1o.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, weather prediction was based on knowing the starting conditions \u2014 like temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure \u2014 and running a model based on physics equations to predict what might happen next. Now, machine learning is giving researchers the opportunity to learn from the past. \u201cWe can use information on what has happened when there were similar starting conditions in previous situations to predict the future without solving the underlying governing equations,\u201d Bracco says. \u201cAnd all while using orders-of-magnitude less computing resources.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe human connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBracco emphasizes that while AI and ML play a critical role in accelerating research, humans are at the core of progress. \u201cI think the in-person collaboration that led to this paper is, in itself, a testament to the importance of human interaction,\u201d she says, recalling that the research was the result of a workshop organized at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kitp.ucsb.edu\/\u0022\u003EKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 one of the team\u2019s first in-person discussions after the Covid-19 pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning is a fantastic tool \u2014 but it\u0027s not the solution to everything,\u201d she adds. \u201cThere is also a real need for human researchers collecting high-quality data, and for interdisciplinary collaboration across fields.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EI see this as a big challenge, but a great opportunity for computer scientists and physicists, mathematicians, biologists, and chemists to work together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Office of Naval Research, US Department of Energy, European Space Agency, Choose France Chair in AI.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42254-024-00776-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42254-024-00776-3\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA Georgia Tech-led review paper recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Physics\u003C\/em\u003E is exploring the ways machine learning is revolutionizing the field of climate physics \u2014 and the role human scientists might play.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led review paper recently published in\u00a0Nature Reviews Physics is exploring the ways machine learning is revolutionizing the field of climate physics \u2014 and the role human scientists might play."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-01-22 17:43:30","changed_gmt":"2026-01-01 18:31:44","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676086":{"id":"676086","type":"image","title":"Researchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1737567826","gmt_created":"2025-01-22 17:43:46","changed":"1737567826","gmt_changed":"2025-01-22 17:43:46","alt":"Researchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)","file":{"fid":"259801","name":"noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2094496,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg?itok=KR8SZhoH"}}},"media_ids":["676086"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683422":{"#nid":"683422","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Georgia\u2019s Urban Forest: Georgia Tech Tools Help Planners Prioritize Tree Canopy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor more than 15 years, Georgia Tech has provided the City of Atlanta with the foundational data and insight that shape how the city tracks, understands, and plans for changes in its tree canopy. The latest cycle of this research \u2014 delivered through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics (CURA)\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 continues that legacy by offering a high-resolution, citywide canopy assessment using satellite imagery and field validation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe assessment, funded by the city\u2019s Tree Recompense Fund, uses advanced remote sensing tools such as WorldView-2 satellite data and a random forest classification model to categorize land into three land cover types. These include tree canopy, non-tree vegetation (grass, shrubs, and low lying vegetation) and non-vegetation (water, pervious surface). The methodology delivers a detailed spatial picture of land cover across the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is simply a tool in their planning arsenal,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/tony-giarrusso\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony Giarrusso\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who has led every canopy study since 2008. \u201cBefore they did any of this work in 2008, everything was anecdotal. It was reactionary.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study is not advocacy \u2014 it\u2019s information. Giarrusso emphasized that while researchers stay neutral in the politics of urban growth and conservation, their work equips city leaders with science-based knowledge to make more effective zoning and planning decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to mapping existing conditions, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/b53452fbad5c4cc6a237940bcd08bd7d\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech team developed the Potential Planting Index (PPI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a scalable tool that identifies where tree planting is physically possible based on current land cover. The tool quantifies the difference between tree canopy and non-tree vegetation, indicating zones with restoration potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key insight is the challenge of interpreting canopy change without understanding land use patterns. \u201cIt gives you a false sense of stability if you don\u2019t understand the underlying land use,\u201d said Giarrusso. \u201cYou might see canopy regrowth on paper, but that land could be cleared again tomorrow.\u201d He explained that this false signal is particularly common in stalled development sites: \u201cWe saw a lot of properties where trees had regrown after initial clearing, but it was temporary and monoculture, low quality canopy. Several of those areas were cleared again for construction later.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso pointed to these \u201closs-gain-loss\u201d cycles as one of the more misleading aspects of tree canopy analysis without strong land use context. \u201cSome of them were pipe farms \u2014 land cleared for development with infrastructure like water and sewer lines installed, but then construction never happened. So trees grow back, and you get a canopy gain that doesn\u2019t last and is nowhere near the quality of the trees originally cleared.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe stressed that policymakers need to consider the permanence of canopy when using the data. \u201cIf it\u2019s just going to be cleared again in two years, it\u2019s not really a gain. That\u2019s why long-term tracking and land use analysis together are so important.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe city has incorporated these tools into broader planning efforts, including zoning reform and tree ordinance revisions. The research supports recommendations such as restricting full lot clearing in certain zoning categories and adjusting setback or lot coverage limits to better preserve existing canopy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso underscored the urgency of protecting larger, intact forested tracts. \u201cIf you can see it from space and it\u2019s still forest \u2014 save it,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce it\u2019s cleared, you don\u2019t get it back.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience."}],"uid":"36761","created_gmt":"2025-07-31 19:26:56","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:38:16","author":"malonso35","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"587356":{"id":"587356","type":"image","title":"Trees around Einstein Statue","body":null,"created":"1487015393","gmt_created":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","changed":"1487015393","gmt_changed":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","alt":"Trees around Einstein","file":{"fid":"223847","name":"16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2802823,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg?itok=uBcC4GSz"}}},"media_ids":["587356"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"179325","name":"urban canopy"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["Melissa.Alonso@design.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685663":{"#nid":"685663","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Method Uses Collisions to Break Down Plastic for Sustainable Recycling","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile plastics help enable modern standards of living, their accumulation in landfills and the overall environment continues to grow as a global concern.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, with tens of millions of tons produced annually in the production of bottles, food packaging, and clothing fibers. The durability that makes PET so useful also means that it is more difficult to recycle efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers have developed a method to break down PET using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals. Published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929425003456\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etheir findings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E demonstrate how a \u201cmechanochemical\u201d method \u2014 chemical reactions driven by mechanical forces such as collisions \u2014 can rapidly convert PET back into its basic building blocks, opening a path toward faster, cleaner recycling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by postdoctoral researcher Kinga Go\u0142\u0105bek and Professor Carsten Sievers of Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the research team hit solid pieces of PET with metal balls with the same force they would experience in a machine called a ball mill. This can make the PET react with other solid chemicals such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), generating enough energy to break the plastic\u2019s chemical bonds at room temperature, without the need for hazardous solvents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re showing that mechanical impacts can help decompose plastics into their original molecules in a controllable and efficient way,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sievers.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESievers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E said. \u201cThis could transform the recycling of plastics into a more sustainable process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMapping the Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn demonstrating the process, the researchers used controlled single-impact experiments along with advanced computer simulations to map how energy from collisions distributes across the plastic and triggers chemical and structural transformations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese experiments showed changes in structure and chemistry of PET in tiny zones that experience different pressures and heat. By mapping these transformations, the team gained new insights into how mechanical energy can trigger rapid, efficient chemical reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis understanding could help engineers design industrial-scale recycling systems that are faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient,\u201d Go\u0142\u0105bek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking Down Plastic\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach collision created a tiny crater, with the center absorbing the most energy. In this zone, the plastic stretched, cracked, and even softened slightly, creating ideal conditions for chemical reactions with sodium hydroxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHigh-resolution imaging and spectroscopy revealed that the normally ordered polymer chains became disordered in the crater center, while some chains broke into smaller fragments, increasing the surface area exposed to the reactant. Even without sodium hydroxide, mechanical impact alone caused minor chain breaking, showing that mechanical force itself can trigger chemical change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also showed the importance of the amount of energy delivered by each impact. Low-energy collisions only slightly disturb PET, but stronger impacts cause cracks and plastic deformation, exposing new surfaces that can react with sodium hydroxide for rapid chemical breakdown.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding this energy threshold allows engineers to optimize mechanochemical recycling, maximizing efficiency while minimizing unnecessary energy use,\u201d Sievers explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClosing the Loop on Plastic Waste\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese findings point toward a future where plastics can be fully recycled back into their original building blocks, rather than being downcycled or discarded. By harnessing mechanical energy instead of heat or harsh chemicals, recycling could become faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach could help close the loop on plastic waste,\u201d Sievers said. \u201cWe could imagine recycling systems where everyday plastics are processed mechanochemically, giving waste new life repeatedly and reducing environmental impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team now plans to test real-world waste streams and explore whether similar methods can work for other difficult-to-recycle plastics, bringing mechanochemical recycling closer to industrial use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith millions of tons of PET produced every year, improving recycling efficiency could significantly reduce plastic pollution and help protect ecosystems worldwide,\u201d Go\u0142\u0105bek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Kinga Go\u0142\u0105bek, Yuchen Chang, Lauren R. Mellinger, Mariana V. Rodrigues, Cau\u00ea de Souza Coutinho Nogueira, Fabio B. Passos, Yutao Xing, Aline Ribeiro Passos, Mohammed H. Saffarini, Austin B. Isner, David S. Sholl, Carsten Sievers, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929425003456\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpatially-resolved reaction environments in mechanochemical upcycling of polymers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a method to break down polyethylene terephthalate, one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals. Published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, their findings demonstrate how a \u201cmechanochemical\u201d method \u2014 chemical reactions driven by mechanical forces such as collisions \u2014 can rapidly convert PET back into its basic building blocks, opening a path toward faster, cleaner recycling.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a method to break down PET, one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, for sustainable recycling using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2025-10-10 16:09:50","changed_gmt":"2025-12-10 20:34:48","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678329":{"id":"678329","type":"image","title":"sieversballmachine.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is suffi\u0002cient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760112196","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 16:03:16","changed":"1760112196","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 16:03:16","alt":"The high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is suffi\u0002cient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.","file":{"fid":"262342","name":"sieversballmachine.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":240481,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg?itok=WPkvqn7-"}},"678330":{"id":"678330","type":"image","title":"Kinga-Golabek.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EKinga Go\u0142\u0105bek\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760112262","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 16:04:22","changed":"1760112262","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 16:04:22","alt":"Kinga Golabek","file":{"fid":"262343","name":"Kinga-Golabek.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg?itok=ZljPVPOR"}},"678331":{"id":"678331","type":"image","title":"sievers2023webcrop.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProf. Carsten Sievers\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760116175","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 17:09:35","changed":"1760116175","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 17:09:35","alt":"Professor Carsten Sievers","file":{"fid":"262347","name":"sievers2023webcrop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116072,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg?itok=QeQj0eFu"}}},"media_ids":["678329","678330","678331"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5607","name":"chemical recycling"},{"id":"14536","name":"plastic"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"},{"id":"171925","name":"mechanochemistry"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681603":{"#nid":"681603","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study: Burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers is the best available option for bulk maritime shipping","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the International Maritime Organization enacted a mandatory cap on the sulfur content of marine fuels in 2020, with an eye toward reducing harmful environmental and health impacts, it left shipping companies with three main options.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey could burn low-sulfur fossil fuels, like marine gas oil, or install cleaning systems to remove sulfur from the exhaust gas produced by burning heavy fuel oil. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cba.mit.edu\/docs\/papers\/22.01.biofuel.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiofuels with lower sulfur content\u003C\/a\u003E offer another alternative, though their limited availability makes them a less feasible option.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile installing exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers, is the most feasible and cost-effective option, there has been a great deal of uncertainty among firms, policymakers, and scientists as to how \u201cgreen\u201d these scrubbers are.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a novel lifecycle assessment, researchers from MIT, Georgia Tech, and elsewhere have now found that burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers in the open ocean can match or surpass using low-sulfur fuels, when a wide variety of environmental factors is considered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists combined data on the production and operation of scrubbers and fuels with emissions measurements taken onboard an oceangoing cargo ship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey found that, when the entire supply chain is considered, burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers was the least harmful option in terms of nearly all 10 environmental impact factors they studied, such as greenhouse gas emissions, terrestrial acidification, and ozone formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn our collaboration with Oldendorff Carriers to broadly explore reducing the environmental impact of shipping, this study of scrubbers turned out to be an unexpectedly deep and important transitional issue,\u201d says Neil Gershenfeld, an MIT professor, director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA), and senior author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cClaims about environmental hazards and policies to mitigate them should be backed by science. You need to see the data, be objective, and design studies that take into account the full picture to be able to compare different options from an apples-to-apples perspective,\u201d adds lead author \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/patricia-stathatou\u0022\u003EPatricia Stathatou\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, who began this study as a postdoc in the CBA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStathatou is joined on the paper by Michael Triantafyllou and others at the National Technical University of Athens in Greece and the maritime shipping firm Oldendorff Carriers. The research \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.4c10006\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eappears today in \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science and Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESlashing sulfur emissions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeavy fuel oil, traditionally burned by bulk carriers that make up about 30 percent of the global maritime fleet, usually has a sulfur content around 2 to 3 percent. This is far higher than the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/MediaCentre\/PressBriefings\/pages\/34-IMO-2020-sulphur-limit-.aspx#:~:text=and%20the%20environment.-,From%201%20January%202020%20the%20global%20upper%20limit%20on%20the,the%20limit%20is%20already%200.10%25.\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInternational Maritime Organization\u2019s 2020 cap\u003C\/a\u003E of 0.5 percent in most areas of the ocean and 0.1 percent in areas near population centers\u0026nbsp;or environmentally sensitive regions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESulfur oxide emissions contribute to air pollution and acid rain, and can damage the human respiratory system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, fewer than 1,000 vessels employed scrubbers. After the cap went into place, higher prices of low-sulfur fossil fuels and limited availability of alternative fuels led many firms to install scrubbers so they could keep burning heavy fuel oil.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lloydslist.com\/LL1150318\/Shipowners-still-adding-more-scrubbers-via-newbuildings-not-retrofits\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emore than 5,800\u003C\/a\u003E vessels utilize scrubbers, the majority of which are wet, open-loop scrubbers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScrubbers are a very mature technology. They have traditionally been used for decades in land-based applications like power plants to remove pollutants,\u201d Stathatou says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA wet, open-loop marine scrubber is a huge, metal, vertical tank\u0026nbsp;installed in a ship\u2019s exhaust stack, above the engines. Inside, seawater drawn from the ocean is sprayed through a series of nozzles downward to wash the hot exhaust gases as they exit the engines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seawater interacts with sulfur dioxide in the exhaust, converting it to sulfates \u2014 water-soluble, environmentally benign compounds that naturally occur in seawater. The washwater is released back into the ocean, while the cleaned exhaust escapes to the atmosphere with little to no sulfur dioxide emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the acidic washwater can contain other combustion byproducts like heavy metals, so scientists wondered if scrubbers were comparable, from a holistic environmental point of view, to burning low-sulfur fuels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral studies explored toxicity of washwater and fuel system pollution, but none painted a full picture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers set out to fill that scientific gap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA \u201cwell-to-wake\u201d analysis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team conducted a lifecycle assessment using a global environmental database on production and transport of fossil fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, marine gas oil, and very-low sulfur fuel oil. Considering the entire lifecycle of each fuel is key, since producing low-sulfur fuel requires extra processing steps in the refinery, causing additional emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we just look at everything that happens before the fuel is bunkered onboard the vessel, heavy fuel oil is significantly more low-impact, environmentally, than low-sulfur fuels,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also collaborated with a scrubber manufacturer to obtain detailed information on all materials, production processes, and transportation steps involved in marine scrubber fabrication and installation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you consider that the scrubber has a lifetime of about 20 years, the environmental impacts of producing the scrubber over its lifetime are negligible compared to producing heavy fuel oil,\u201d she adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the final piece, Stathatou spent a week onboard a bulk carrier vessel in China to measure emissions and gather seawater and washwater samples. The ship burned heavy fuel oil with a scrubber and low-sulfur fuels under similar ocean conditions and engine settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollecting these onboard data was the most challenging part of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll the safety gear, combined with the heat and the noise from the engines on a moving ship, was very overwhelming,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir results showed that scrubbers reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 97 percent, putting heavy fuel oil on par with low-sulfur fuels according to that measure. The researchers saw similar trends for emissions of other pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, they tested washwater samples for more than 60 chemical parameters, including nitrogen, phosphorus, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 23 metals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe concentrations of chemicals regulated by the IMO were far below the organization\u2019s requirements. For unregulated chemicals, the researchers compared the concentrations to the strictest limits for industrial effluents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and European Union.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost chemical concentrations were at least an order of magnitude below these requirements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, since washwater is diluted thousands of times as it is dispersed by a moving vessel, the concentrations of such chemicals would be even lower in the open ocean.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese findings suggest that the use of scrubbers with heavy fuel oil can be considered as equal to or more environmentally friendly than low-sulfur fuels across many of the impact categories the researchers studied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study demonstrates the scientific complexity of the waste stream of scrubbers. Having finally conducted a multiyear, comprehensive, and peer-reviewed study, commonly held fears and assumptions are now put to rest,\u201d says Scott Bergeron, managing director at Oldendorff Carriers and co-author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis first-of-its-kind study on a well-to-wake basis provides very valuable input to ongoing discussion at the IMO,\u201d adds Thomas Klenum, executive vice president of innovation and regulatory affairs at the Liberian Registry, emphasizing the need \u201cfor regulatory decisions to be made based on scientific studies providing factual data and conclusions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, this study shows the importance of incorporating lifecycle assessments into future environmental impact reduction policies, Stathatou says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is all this discussion about switching to alternative fuels in the future, but how green are these fuels? We must do our due diligence to compare them equally with existing solutions to see the costs and benefits,\u201d she adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis study was supported, in part, by Oldendorff Carriers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Written by Adam Zewe, MIT News Office\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers analyzed the full lifecycle of several fuel options and found this approach has a comparable environmental impact, overall, to burning low-sulfur fuels.ulfur fuels"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers found that burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers is the best available option for bulk maritime shipping. They analyzed the full lifecycle of several fuel options and found this approach has a comparable environmental impact, overall, to burning low-sulfur fuels.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers found that burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers is the best available option for bulk maritime shipping. They analyzed the full lifecycle of several fuel options and found this ble environmental impact, overall, to burning low-sulfur fuels."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2025-04-04 15:07:46","changed_gmt":"2025-12-02 05:09:27","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676754":{"id":"676754","type":"image","title":"Barge.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHedwig Oldendorff vessel at the start of its emission monitoring voyage\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1743779290","gmt_created":"2025-04-04 15:08:10","changed":"1743779290","gmt_changed":"2025-04-04 15:08:10","alt":"Hedwig Oldendorff vessel at the start of its emission monitoring voyage","file":{"fid":"260584","name":"Barge.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/Barge.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/Barge.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":460117,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/04\/Barge.jpg?itok=TPA-HrNw"}},"676756":{"id":"676756","type":"image","title":"stathatou.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe study\u0027s lead author Patricia Stathatou is now an assistant professor at Georgia Tech. She began this study as a postdoc in MIT\u0027s Center for Bits and Atoms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1743788582","gmt_created":"2025-04-04 17:43:02","changed":"1743788582","gmt_changed":"2025-04-04 17:43:02","alt":"Patricia Stathatou","file":{"fid":"260586","name":"stathatou.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/stathatou.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/stathatou.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4211128,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/04\/stathatou.jpeg?itok=apdajdKM"}},"676758":{"id":"676758","type":"image","title":"MIT-Scrubber-Perform-02-press.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPatricia Stathatou onboard a bulk carrier vessel to measure emissions and gather seawater and washwater samples. The image shows (from left to right) measuring emissions upstream of the scrubber, Stathatou downsteam of the scrubber, and the enginer room aboard the bulk carrier vessel.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1743789998","gmt_created":"2025-04-04 18:06:38","changed":"1743789998","gmt_changed":"2025-04-04 18:06:38","alt":"Patricia Stathatou onboard a bulk carrier vessel to measure emissions and gather seawater and washwater samples. The image shows (from left to right) measuring emissions upstream of the scrubber, Stathatou downsteam of the scrubber, and the enginer room aboard the bulk carrier vessel.","file":{"fid":"260588","name":"MIT-Scrubber-Perform-02-press.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-02-press.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-02-press.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":590456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-02-press.jpg?itok=nlY9tqi2"}},"676759":{"id":"676759","type":"image","title":"MIT-Scrubber-Perform-03-press.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStathatou (center) onboard the Hedwig Oldendorff vessel with crew members.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1743790073","gmt_created":"2025-04-04 18:07:53","changed":"1743790073","gmt_changed":"2025-04-04 18:07:53","alt":"Stathatou (center) onboard the Hedwig Oldendorff vessel with the crew.","file":{"fid":"260589","name":"MIT-Scrubber-Perform-03-press.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-03-press.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-03-press.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483298,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/04\/MIT-Scrubber-Perform-03-press.jpg?itok=gulsavIr"}}},"media_ids":["676754","676756","676758","676759"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2342","name":"biofuels"},{"id":"170910","name":"shipping"},{"id":"190761","name":"maritime"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686380":{"#nid":"686380","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A 30-Year \u201cSnapshot\u201d of Pacific Northwestern Birds Shows Their Surprising Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA 30-year \u201csnapshot study\u201d of birds in the Pacific Northwest is showing their surprising resilience in the face of climate change. The project started when School of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin%20freeman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenjamin Freeman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efound\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/jem-online.org\/index.php\/jem\/article\/view\/232\u0022\u003Ea study by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELouise Waterhouse\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E detailing birds in the mountains near Vancouver three decades ago. What followed was an ecological scavenger hunt: Freeman revisited each of the old field sites, navigating using his local knowledge and Waterhouse\u2019s hand-drawn maps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman, who grew up in Seattle, mainly studies the ecology of tropical birds \u2014 but the discovery of Waterhouse\u2019s paper made him curious about research closer to home. The results were surprising: over the last three decades, most of the bird populations in the region were stable and had been increasing in abundance at higher elevations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/ecy.70193\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest birds have shifted their abundances upslope in response to 30\u2009years of warming temperatures\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d was published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEcology\u003C\/em\u003E this fall.\u0026nbsp;In addition to lead author Freeman, the team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHarold Eyster\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(The Nature Conservancy),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJulian Heavyside\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(University of British Columbia),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Yip\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(Canadian Wildlife Service),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMonica Mather\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(British Columbia Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship), and Waterhouse\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Coast Area Research).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is great news that most birds in the region are resilient, and by doing this work, we can focus on the species that do need help, like the Canada Jay, which is struggling in this region,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cStudies like this help us focus resources and effort.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESongbirds and snow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EConducting the fieldwork was a detective game, Freeman says. Each day, he would wake up at four in the morning to locate and visit the research areas \u2014 often navigating trails, open forest, and rough terrain on foot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis area of the Pacific Northwest is punctuated with old-growth stands of trees \u2014 sections of forest that have never been logged or altered. \u201cThese areas feel like islands,\u201d Freeman shares. \u201cThey feel ancient and untouched, but even in pristine habitats, birds are still responding to climate change.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMost of the work was conducted during the birds\u2019 breeding season, from late May into June. This is when the birds are most vocal, which is ideal for surveys, Freeman says. The downside? Even in June, there is often snow in the mountains. \u201cI was out at dawn, hiking through snow in the freezing cold, wondering why I didn\u2019t stay in bed,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBut then I\u2019d hear birds singing all around me and realize it was all worth it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUpward expansion \u2014 and resilience\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy comparing the two \u201csnapshots,\u201d the team showed that while temperatures have increased over the last 30 years, most bird populations in the region haven\u2019t declined \u2014 but they have become more abundant at higher elevations. \u201cIt\u2019s encouraging,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cThirty years of warming has led to changes, but for the most part, these bird populations are mostly stable or improving.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne reason for this resilience could be the stability that old growth forests provide, and Freeman suggests that conserving wide swaths of mountain habitat might help birds thrive as they continue to adapt, while still supporting populations at lower elevations. The study also helps identify which bird species need additional support, like the Canada Jay \u2014 a gray and white bird known for following hikers in pursuit of dropped snacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s just one piece of Freeman\u2019s larger research goal \u2014 he aims to do this type of snapshot research in many different places to identify general patterns, especially differences in temperate versus tropical environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIn the tropics, most bird species are vulnerable, with only a few resilient species. In the Pacific Northwest, we saw the opposite,\u201d he says. \u201cA pattern is emerging: temperate zones show more resilience, tropics more vulnerability.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman is also conducting research with a group of students in Northern Georgia. \u201cWe predict that these Appalachian birds will be resilient as well,\u201d he says, \u201cbut we need to study and understand what\u2019s happening in nature \u2014 not just make predictions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ecy.70193\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ecy.70193\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: Packard Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter discovering a historic bird survey in the Pacific Northwest, Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBen Freeman\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Elocated the original sites, repeating the surveys three decades later. Each day, he would wake up at four in the morning to locate and visit the research areas \u2014 often navigating trails, open forest, and rough terrain on foot.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"After discovering a historic bird survey in the Pacific Northwest, Georgia Tech\u2019s\u00a0Ben Freeman\u00a0located the original sites, repeating the surveys three decades later."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-11-12 14:22:25","changed_gmt":"2025-11-14 21:26:39","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678597":{"id":"678597","type":"image","title":"The Canada Jay is one of the birds struggling in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Mason Maron)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Canada Jay is one of the birds struggling in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Mason Maron)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"The Canada Jay is one of the birds struggling in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Mason Maron)","file":{"fid":"262652","name":"Canada_Jay.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Canada_Jay.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Canada_Jay.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11607706,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/Canada_Jay.jpg?itok=-KvA6Vn1"}},"678599":{"id":"678599","type":"image","title":"A placard still standing from the original surveys conducted in the early 90\u0027s. Finding these original sites was a \u0022scavenger hunt,\u0022 Freeman says. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA placard still standing from the original surveys conducted in the early 90\u0027s. Finding these original sites was a \u0022scavenger hunt,\u0022 Freeman says. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"A placard still standing from the original surveys conducted in the early 90\u0027s. Finding these original sites was a \u0022scavenger hunt,\u0022 Freeman says. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","file":{"fid":"262654","name":"placard_leftover_from_early90s_surveys.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/placard_leftover_from_early90s_surveys.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/placard_leftover_from_early90s_surveys.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3900939,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/placard_leftover_from_early90s_surveys.jpeg?itok=qHVcLO0k"}},"678598":{"id":"678598","type":"image","title":"A large downed cedar tree in one of the lowland old-growth forests that Freeman navigated. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA large downed cedar tree in one of the lowland old-growth forests that Freeman navigated. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"A large downed cedar tree in one of the lowland old-growth forests that Freeman navigated. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","file":{"fid":"262653","name":"lowland_oldgrowth_massive_downed_cedar.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/lowland_oldgrowth_massive_downed_cedar.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/lowland_oldgrowth_massive_downed_cedar.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5162509,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/lowland_oldgrowth_massive_downed_cedar.jpeg?itok=qsBpKQgV"}},"678600":{"id":"678600","type":"image","title":"Townsend\u0027s Warbler, a small songbird that lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETownsend\u0027s Warbler, a small songbird that lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"Townsend\u0027s Warbler, a small songbird that lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)","file":{"fid":"262655","name":"Townsend-s_Warbler.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Townsend-s_Warbler.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Townsend-s_Warbler.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6682884,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/Townsend-s_Warbler.jpeg?itok=tZA3VVj5"}},"678596":{"id":"678596","type":"image","title":"While locating the field sites, Freeman spotted this bear on an old road. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile locating the field sites, Freeman spotted this bear on an old road. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"While locating the field sites, Freeman spotted this bear on an old road. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","file":{"fid":"262651","name":"bear_on_road.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/bear_on_road.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/bear_on_road.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4431217,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/bear_on_road.jpeg?itok=9jCCrqlU"}},"678595":{"id":"678595","type":"image","title":"An overgrown and abandoned road that Freeman traversed. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn overgrown and abandoned road that Freeman traversed. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762960403","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 15:13:23","alt":"An overgrown and abandoned road that Freeman traversed. (Credit: Benjamin Freeman)","file":{"fid":"262650","name":"abandoned_road_difficult_to_walk_on.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/abandoned_road_difficult_to_walk_on.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/abandoned_road_difficult_to_walk_on.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5305167,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/abandoned_road_difficult_to_walk_on.jpeg?itok=5imBlQae"}},"678601":{"id":"678601","type":"image","title":"The Varied Thrush is another bird common in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Varied Thrush is another bird common in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762959555","gmt_created":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","changed":"1762959555","gmt_changed":"2025-11-12 14:59:15","alt":"The Varied Thrush is another bird common in the Pacific Northwest. (Credit: Melissa Hafting, @bcbirdergirl)","file":{"fid":"262656","name":"Varied_Thrush.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Varied_Thrush.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/12\/Varied_Thrush.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6078901,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/12\/Varied_Thrush.jpg?itok=Qz8fEy9T"}}},"media_ids":["678597","678599","678598","678600","678596","678595","678601"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685622":{"#nid":"685622","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Storms Are Changing \u2014 Should the Hurricane Scale Change Too?  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs climate change continues to reshape the intensity and behavior of hurricanes, meteorologists and researchers are examining whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a decades-old classification system, still adequately communicates the full scope of hurricane hazards. While the scale remains a widely recognized tool, experts like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/handlos-zachary\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EZachary Handlos\u003C\/a\u003E, director of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Georgia Tech, suggest that a complementary system could enhance public understanding of the broader risks hurricanes pose.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/news\/hurricane-season-begins-how-georgia-tech-civil-engineer-created-five-categories-we-use-classify\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDeveloped in 1969\u003C\/a\u003E by civil engineer and Georgia Tech alumnus Herbert Saffir, CE 1940, and meteorologist Robert Simpson, the scale classifies hurricanes solely by sustained wind speed, ranging from Category 1 to Category 5. It has long served as the primary tool for describing hurricane intensity in forecasts and media coverage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor anyone that follows hurricane coverage on TV, social media, the internet, or in any other form, the Saffir-Simpson scale is the way that hurricanes are described and classified,\u201d said Handlos.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToward a More Comprehensive Hazard Framework\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHandlos noted that while the scale is widely recognized, it does not account for other major hazards such as storm surge, inland flooding, tornadoes, and storm size. \u201cMaximum wind speeds are certainly a threat if one is in the path of a hurricane,\u201d he said, \u201cbut several other hazards are also problematic.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new scale to complement the Saffir-Simpson scale could be beneficial. It would need to have accurate messaging about all aspects of a hurricane event while also continuing to record Saffir-Simpson scale data for comparison to past events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAny effort to revise or supplement the scale would require broad collaboration across sectors. Handlos emphasized that input from government agencies, emergency managers, academic researchers, and private industry would be essential, and that formal adoption of any new system would likely involve coordination with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nhc.noaa.gov\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Hurricane Center\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added, \u201cIf there is a way to update this scale or devise a new scale that both accounts for all types of hurricane hazards and is something that is digestible to the general public, this could be helpful in the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForecasting Advances and Communication Challenges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClimate change is not currently altering how hurricane strength is measured, but it is changing the conditions in which hurricanes form. Handlos said that with the observed increase in global average temperature over the past several decades, scientists also anticipate sea surface temperature values continuing to rise. This would result in the additional transfer of heat energy from the ocean\u2019s surface to the atmosphere, further fueling hurricanes. It also provides the potential for hurricane development farther poleward in both hemispheres. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also pointed to changes in atmospheric moisture. As air temperature rises, the atmosphere\u2019s capacity to hold water vapor is expected to increase. One possible consequence of this is that any rainfall associated with hurricanes could be associated with higher rain rates and more total precipitation, which could intensify inland flooding.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvances in forecasting technology are helping meteorologists improve how hurricane hazards are predicted and communicated. According to Handlos, the integration of traditional numerical weather prediction models with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, alongside data from radar, satellites, weather balloons, and aircraft, has significantly enhanced the accuracy of hurricane forecasts over the past two decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, Handlos cautioned that effectively reaching the public remains a persistent challenge. \u201cDespite repeated warnings and widespread messaging, we often hear stories of individuals choosing not to evacuate, because they\u2019ve weathered previous storms without issue,\u201d he said. \u201cIn today\u2019s environment of nonstop social media, constant notifications, and information overload, people can struggle to identify which messages are most important and trustworthy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Experts revisit the Saffir-Simpson scale in a changing climate"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs climate change influences hurricane behavior, experts are taking a closer look at how we classify and communicate storm risks, and what that means for forecasting, preparedness, and public understanding.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech expert Zachary Handlos joins a growing conversation about whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale adequately reflects the full range of hurricane hazards in a changing climate."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2025-10-08 19:00:13","changed_gmt":"2025-10-28 18:55:26","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678307":{"id":"678307","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_478449398.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1759950026","gmt_created":"2025-10-08 19:00:26","changed":"1759950026","gmt_changed":"2025-10-08 19:00:26","alt":"Image of a hurricane ","file":{"fid":"262317","name":"AdobeStock_478449398.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_478449398.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_478449398.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12202303,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_478449398.jpeg?itok=PoFo4GjN"}},"678308":{"id":"678308","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_287907491.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Saffir-Simpson scale classifies hurricanes solely by sustained wind speed, ranging from Category 1 to Category 5.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759950145","gmt_created":"2025-10-08 19:02:25","changed":"1759950145","gmt_changed":"2025-10-08 19:02:25","alt":"Image of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale","file":{"fid":"262318","name":"AdobeStock_287907491.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_287907491.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_287907491.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1483004,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/08\/AdobeStock_287907491.jpeg?itok=TVCPO4SV"}}},"media_ids":["678307","678308"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194813","name":"Saffir-Simpson scale"},{"id":"194814","name":"hurricane classification"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"194815","name":"hurricane risk"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"184642","name":"Zachary Handlos"},{"id":"181659","name":"Storm Surge"},{"id":"194816","name":"inland flooding"},{"id":"194817","name":"hurricane communication"},{"id":"90271","name":"NOAA"},{"id":"194818","name":"National Hurricane Center"},{"id":"194819","name":"hurricane forecasting"},{"id":"185530","name":"emergency management"},{"id":"194820","name":"weather prediction"},{"id":"194821","name":"AI in meteorology"},{"id":"194822","name":"hurricane hazards"},{"id":"3035","name":"public safety"},{"id":"24971","name":"Disaster Preparedness"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"173581","name":"go-COS"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685973":{"#nid":"685973","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Peatlands\u2019 \u2018Huge Reservoir\u2019 of Carbon at Risk of Release","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story by Caitlin Hayes is shared jointly with the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2025\/10\/peatlands-huge-reservoir-carbon-risk-release\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECornell Chronicle newsroom\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudy co-author Joel E. Kostka is the Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and associate chair for Research in the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E with a joint appointment in the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. He also serves as faculty director of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-center-science-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/kostkalab\/peatlands-and-climate-change\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Kostka Lab\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;works in peatland ecosystems to quantify changes in microbial communities brought on by climate change drivers. In particular, next generation gene sequencing and omics approaches are employed to investigate the microbial groups that mediate organic matter degradation and the release of greenhouse gases.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeatlands make up just 3% of the earth\u2019s land surface but store more than 30% of the world\u2019s soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that an extreme drought event could quadruple peatland carbon loss in a warming climate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adv7104\u0022\u003Epublished October 23 in \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E researchers find that, under conditions that mimic a future climate (with warmer temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide), extreme drought dramatically increases the release of carbon in peatlands by nearly three times. This means that droughts in future climate conditions could turn a valuable carbon sink into a carbon source, erasing between 90 and 250 years of carbon stores in a matter of months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs temperatures increase, drought events become more frequent and severe,\u0026nbsp; making peatlands more vulnerable than before,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cals.cornell.edu\/people\/yiqi-luo\u0022\u003EYiqi Luo\u003C\/a\u003E, senior author and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science\u2019s Soil and Crop Sciences Section, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornell.edu\/\u0022\u003ECornell University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe add new evidence to show that with peatlands, the stakes are high. We observed that these extreme drought events can wipe out hundreds of years of accumulated carbon, so this has a huge implication.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo me, this study is striking in that it shows that around 10 to 100 years of carbon uptake by one of the most important global soil carbon stores can be erased by just two months of extreme drought,\u201d adds \u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E, Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was already well-established that drought reduces ecosystem productivity and increases carbon release in peatlands, but this study is the first to examine how that carbon loss is exacerbated as the planet warms and more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates extreme drought will become 1.7 to 7.2 times more likely in the near future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERead the full story in the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2025\/10\/peatlands-huge-reservoir-carbon-risk-release\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECornell newsroom\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E###\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther co-authors\u003C\/strong\u003E include Cornell postdoctoral researchers Jian Zhou and Ning Wei; senior research associate Lifen Jiang; and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ETH Zurich, Northern Arizona University, the Australian National University, the University of Western Ontario and Duke University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E for the study came in part from the National Science Foundation, USDA, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeatlands make up just 3% of the earth\u2019s land surface but store more than 30% of the world\u2019s soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that an extreme drought event could quadruple peatland carbon loss in a warming climate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers analyzed data from 10, yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2025-10-24 14:03:13","changed_gmt":"2025-10-24 14:05:18","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678444":{"id":"678444","type":"image","title":"Yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota (provided).","body":null,"created":"1761314632","gmt_created":"2025-10-24 14:03:52","changed":"1761314632","gmt_changed":"2025-10-24 14:03:52","alt":"Yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota (provided).","file":{"fid":"262467","name":"1023_peatlands1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/24\/1023_peatlands1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/24\/1023_peatlands1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":374455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/24\/1023_peatlands1.jpg?itok=9kQxCKho"}}},"media_ids":["678444"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kms465@cornell.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKaitlyn Serrao\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMedia Relations\u003Cbr\u003ECornell University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:natalia.burgess@anu.edu.au\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatalia Burgess\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMedia Assistant\u003Cbr\u003EANU Communications and Engagement\u003Cbr\u003EThe Australian National University\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685709":{"#nid":"685709","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Evolution: James Stroud Named 2025 Packard Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been named a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.packard.org\/approach\/fellowships-for-science-engineering\/\u0022\u003E2025 Packard Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E for his pioneering research in evolutionary biology. Stroud, Elizabeth Smithgall-Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, will receive $875,000 over five years to fund his work on \u201cLizard Island\u201d in South Florida. His goal? To create evolution\u2019s first high-definition map \u2014 with the help of 1,000 backpack-wearing lizards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAwarded annually to just 20 individuals by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.packard.org\/\u0022\u003EDavid and Lucile Packard Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E, Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering support researchers pursuing cutting-edge research and ambitious goals. \u201cThese visionary Packard Fellows are pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and their bold ideas will become tomorrow\u2019s real-world solutions,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENancy Lindborg\u003C\/strong\u003E, president and CEO of the Packard Foundation \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.packard.org\/2025fellows\u0022\u003Ein a recent press release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe flexible funding allows researchers to maximize their creativity and ingenuity. Stroud will spend the next five years transforming Lizard Island into the world\u2019s premier evolutionary observatory, merging groundbreaking technology with long-term field research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOn Lizard Island, that means equipping every lizard with an ultra-lightweight sensor \u201cbackpack.\u201d Although the sensors weigh just six-hundredths of a gram each \u2014 the same as two grains of rice \u2014 when combined with innovations in mapping technology, they will help Stroud investigate the role that behavior plays in driving evolution in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m incredibly honored to be named a 2025 Packard Fellow,\u201d says Stroud. \u201cThis support allows me to pursue a question that has fascinated evolutionary biologists for centuries: how does behavior shape evolution? It\u2019s a transformative opportunity, and I\u2019m deeply grateful to the Packard Foundation for believing in the potential of this work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETiny sensors, big questions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBegun in 2015, Stroud\u2019s work on Lizard Island is one of the longest-running evolutionary studies of its kind: for the last 10 years, he has carefully caught and released every lizard on the island, measuring evolution through documenting their body characteristics, habitat use, and survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThrough his studies, he has captured\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/when-two-lizards-meet-first-time-scientists-witness-evolution-action\u0022\u003Eevolution in action\u003C\/a\u003E, but monitoring and measuring behavior in evolutionary studies has historically been an extremely difficult and elusive task. The problem? While smaller animals tend to have higher population densities and reproduce more quickly (making them ideal candidates for evolutionary field studies), it has been difficult to find durable and long-lasting sensors small enough for these animals to carry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis has been a missing link because behavior is a critical component of evolution,\u201d Stroud says. \u201cBehavior can both expose individuals to \u2014 or shield them from \u2014 natural selection. For example, an animal with a less favorable trait, like bad eyesight, could change its behavior to avoid situations where it is disadvantaged.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThese decisions can ultimately determine whether they survive and reproduce in the wild, directly influencing the outcome of natural selection. However, until now, we just haven\u2019t had the technology to measure these types of extremely intricate behaviors across many individuals before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMapping the future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud won\u2019t just know exactly where each lizard is \u2014 he\u2019ll also create a detailed three-dimensional map of the entire island using remote sensing technology called LiDAR, updating it each year. \u201cBy shooting millions of laser beams, we can create a highly detailed three-dimensional map of Lizard Island, capturing the shape of every branch, rock, and blade of grass on the island,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhen connected to our lizard backpacks, we\u2019ll know the exact microhabitats and resources available to each lizard as they move through this environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud will also deploy hundreds of microclimate sensors to understand how species are reacting to changes in temperature and climate. The result will be the world\u2019s first comprehensive database: a record of minute lizard movements, the resources each individual uses, daily interactions, and changes in the environment spanning seasons and years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFor evolutionary scientists, it has been seemingly impossible to track the moment-by-moment decisions of individual organisms\u2026 until now,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cToday, it\u2019s possible to study what Darwin could only dream of \u2014 evolution occurring in real time,\u201d Stroud adds. \u201cBehavior is a critical component of evolution, understanding evolution is critical to understanding life on Earth, and understanding life on Earth is more important than ever.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support Stroud as he creates evolution\u2019s first high-definition map \u2014 with the help of 1,000 backpack-wearing lizards.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award will support Stroud as he creates evolution\u2019s first high-definition map \u2014 with the help of 1,000 backpack-wearing lizards."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-10-14 15:33:34","changed_gmt":"2025-10-22 00:44:10","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678350":{"id":"678350","type":"image","title":"A lizard wearing one of the sensors, which weigh just three-hundredths of a gram each \u2014 the same as a two grains of rice. (Credit: Jon Suh)","body":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA lizard wearing one of the sensors, which weigh just three-hundredths of a gram each \u2014 the same as a two grains of rice. (Credit: Jon Suh)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760456026","gmt_created":"2025-10-14 15:33:46","changed":"1760546990","gmt_changed":"2025-10-15 16:49:50","alt":"A lizard wearing one of the sensors, which weigh just three-hundredths of a gram each \u2014 the same as a two grains of rice. (Credit: Jon Suh)","file":{"fid":"262368","name":"AB4A1966.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A1966.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A1966.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2677038,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A1966.jpg?itok=AFpraiZV"}},"678351":{"id":"678351","type":"image","title":"Stroud will spend the next five years transforming Lizard Island into the world\u2019s premier evolutionary observatory (Credit: Jon Suh)","body":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud will spend the next five years transforming Lizard Island into the world\u2019s premier evolutionary observatory (Credit: Jon Suh)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760456026","gmt_created":"2025-10-14 15:33:46","changed":"1760547098","gmt_changed":"2025-10-15 16:51:38","alt":"Stroud will spend the next five years transforming Lizard Island into the world\u2019s premier evolutionary observatory (Credit: Jon Suh)","file":{"fid":"262369","name":"AB4A2042.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A2042.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A2042.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9084848,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/14\/AB4A2042.jpg?itok=xnivhidD"}},"678098":{"id":"678098","type":"image","title":"James Stroud examines a lizard in the field. (Credit: Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJames Stroud examines a lizard in the field. (Credit: Day\u2019s Edge Productions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758636184","gmt_created":"2025-09-23 14:03:04","changed":"1760547417","gmt_changed":"2025-10-15 16:56:57","alt":"James Stroud examines a lizard in the field. (Credit: Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"262081","name":"brighter_StroudResearchMiami_003_DaysEdgeProds.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/23\/brighter_StroudResearchMiami_003_DaysEdgeProds.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/23\/brighter_StroudResearchMiami_003_DaysEdgeProds.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2817190,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/23\/brighter_StroudResearchMiami_003_DaysEdgeProds.png?itok=8uLh4VRQ"}}},"media_ids":["678350","678351","678098"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.packard.org\/2025fellows","title":"The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Announces the 2025 Class of Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering"},{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/3-legged-lizards-can-thrive-against-all-odds-challenging-assumptions-about-how-evolution-works-in-the-wild-262467","title":"3-legged lizards can thrive against all odds, challenging assumptions about how evolution works in the wild"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/when-two-lizards-meet-first-time-scientists-witness-evolution-action","title":"When Two Lizards Meet for the First Time, Scientists Witness Evolution in Action"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/natures-time-machine-how-long-term-studies-unlock-evolutions-secrets","title":"Nature\u0027s Time Machine: How Long-Term Studies Unlock Evolution\u0027s Secrets"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/james-stroud-receives-maxwellhanrahan-award-field-biology","title":"James Stroud Receives Maxwell\/Hanrahan Award in Field Biology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685484":{"#nid":"685484","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Winnie Chu Awarded NSF CAREER Grant to Create First-Ever Map of Antarctic Ice Sheet Base Temperatures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECovering 98% of the continent and spanning more than 5.4 million square miles, the Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass on Earth. Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EWinnie Chu\u003C\/strong\u003E is going to map it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChu\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2442200\u0022\u003E$770,000 CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)\u003C\/a\u003E to\u0026nbsp;create the first-ever comprehensive map of temperatures at the bottom of the ice sheet\u0026nbsp;\u2014 a map that will span the entire Antarctic continent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program is a five-year grant designed to help promising researchers establish a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their field. Known as CAREER awards, the grants are NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for early-career faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn total, the Antarctic ice sheet holds enough water to raise global sea levels by over 200 feet \u2014 more than 50 feet higher than the top of Tech Tower. Climate models help predict how much of this ice may melt in the coming years, providing critical safety and planning information for coastal communities.\u0026nbsp;However, researchers have limited knowledge of temperatures at the base of the ice sheet \u2014 miles beneath the surface\u0026nbsp;\u2014 and these temperatures play a critical role in melting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur research addresses this critical gap in Antarctic ice sheet modeling,\u201d Chu explains. \u201cIf\u0026nbsp;temperatures at the base are warm enough, the ice can melt and lubricate the interface.\u201d The result? The surface acts like a slip-and-slide, carrying ice toward the ocean and accelerating melt.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is crucial that we can accurately predict this behavior,\u201d Chu says. \u201cThis map will be an essential step forward in refining our climate models for the safety of coastal communities, for infrastructure planning, and for climate adaptation worldwide.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMapping miles-thick ice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe process isn\u2019t as simple as measuring the temperature with a thermometer though. The Antarctic ice sheet is, on average, over a mile thick and can range up to three miles thick.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChu, who leads the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/glacier-geophys.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPolar Geophysical Simulation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, will combine 20 years of radar data\u0026nbsp;\u2014 the result of multiple international polar programs\u0026nbsp;\u2014 and leverage a technique called \u201cradar sounding,\u201d which analyzes the echoes of airborne radar measurements. The brightness and shape of the echoes can reveal clues about subglacial meltwater and\u0026nbsp;temperatures. To complete the picture, Chu will use cutting-edge generative\u0026nbsp;artificial intelligence (AI) models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cInnovations in generative AI are part of what makes this research possible,\u201d says Chu, \u201cbut the driving force is the data collected by these long-term research studies. AI can help complete the picture\u0026nbsp;\u2014 but only because that data exists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparing for the future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChu aims for the temperature map to improve the parameterization of climate models and ice sheet projections. This will enable better predictions of future melt and help scientists assess areas that may be particularly vulnerable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe hopes that the map will drive further advances in polar science. \u201cOur datasets and radar observations will be open access, meaning they\u2019ll be available for all researchers to use,\u201d Chu shares. \u201cWe\u2019ll also be sharing the AI processing codes that we develop and the enhanced ice sheet model outputs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditionally, the research will train the next generation of climate scientists through developing educational programs for high schoolers, empowering and engaging students nationwide with hands-on polar science and AI applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis research is about more than just mapping Antarctica \u2014 it\u2019s about building tools that help us prepare for the future,\u201d Chu says. \u201cBy making our data and models openly available, and by engaging students in the science behind climate change, we\u2019re not only advancing polar research \u2014 we\u2019re empowering the next generation to carry it forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will support Chu as she uses radar data and generative AI to map temperatures beneath the Antarctica ice sheet, aiming to improve climate predictions, support coastal planning, and train future scientists through open-access tools and education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The grant will support Chu as she uses radar data and generative AI to map temperatures beneath the Antarctica ice sheet, aiming to improve climate predictions, support coastal planning, and train future scientists through open-access tools and education."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-10-03 15:31:46","changed_gmt":"2025-10-08 15:03:02","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678302":{"id":"678302","type":"image","title":"Winnie Chu","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWinnie Chu\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759935741","gmt_created":"2025-10-08 15:02:21","changed":"1759935741","gmt_changed":"2025-10-08 15:02:21","alt":"Winnie Chu","file":{"fid":"262312","name":"WinnieChu.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/WinnieChu.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/WinnieChu.png","mime":"image\/png","size":934158,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/08\/WinnieChu.png?itok=Dffly_oC"}},"678254":{"id":"678254","type":"image","title":"The Ross Archipelago near the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. (Credit: USGS)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Ross Archipelago near the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. (Credit: USGS)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759505805","gmt_created":"2025-10-03 15:36:45","changed":"1759505805","gmt_changed":"2025-10-03 15:36:45","alt":"The Ross Archipelago near the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. (Credit: USGS)","file":{"fid":"262254","name":"Ross-Archipelago.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/03\/Ross-Archipelago.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/03\/Ross-Archipelago.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":385248,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/03\/Ross-Archipelago.jpg?itok=XPFe_yWv"}}},"media_ids":["678302","678254"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677096":{"#nid":"677096","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scheller Business Insights: Achieving Net Zero Featuring Beril Toktay","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScheller Business Insights is a dynamic video series that highlights the innovative thought leadership of the esteemed faculty at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. At Scheller, we are committed to exploring ideas that educate and inform others about the profound impact of business on our lives and the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/toktay\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeril Toktay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor and faculty director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERay C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, defines net zero and discusses some ways to alleviate climate change by reducing carbon emissions to the point of net zero emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGlobally, most major polluters, such as China, the U.S., India, and the EU, are among over 140 nations with net-zero goals, which encompasses roughly 88 percent of global emissions. Meeting the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParis Agreement\u0027s\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E 1.5\u00b0C climate threshold requires 45 percent emissions cut by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050 (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/net-zero-coalition\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnited Nations Climate Action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToktay describes ways this can be accomplished in different business sectors. For example, in the energy sectors, this means moving from fossil fuels to renewable technologies, and in the transportation sector, moving to electrification and innovative battery technologies as well as developing the infrastructure to support these initiatives. These efforts help move businesses towards achieving net zero as well as providing cleaner air and water, and better health outcomes to the global population.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EListen as Toktay discusses what net zero means, the importance of getting to net zero, and how businesses can help reduce carbon emissions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of Scheller Business Insights, Beril Toktay, director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business and Regents\u0027 Professor in Operations Management, discusses achieving net zero and provides examples of how some industries can reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Beril Toktay, director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business and Regents\u0027 Professor in Operations Management, discusses achieving net zero and provides examples of how some industries can reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change."}],"uid":"28082","created_gmt":"2024-09-25 15:50:30","changed_gmt":"2025-10-03 19:12:55","author":"Lorrie Burroughs","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678262":{"id":"678262","type":"image","title":"Beril Toktay, Brady Family Chair in Management and regents professor","body":null,"created":"1759518194","gmt_created":"2025-10-03 19:03:14","changed":"1759518687","gmt_changed":"2025-10-03 19:11:27","alt":"Beril Toktay, Brady Family Chair in Management and regents professor","file":{"fid":"262263","name":"beril-toktay.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/03\/beril-toktay.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/03\/beril-toktay.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":121084,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/03\/beril-toktay.jpg?itok=Eib20_cn"}}},"media_ids":["678262"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"179355","name":"Building Construction"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"166920","name":"Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business"},{"id":"87921","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188512","name":"bio-renewable energy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELorrie Burroughs\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683712":{"#nid":"683712","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brothers United in Mission to Improve Water","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental Engineering graduate students Farhan Khan and Farshid Khan are passionate about providing access to clean water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey have a lot in common\u2014starting with the fact that they are brothers. Farhan Khan came to Georgia Tech from Bangladesh to begin his Ph.D. studies in 2021. Farshid Khan followed in 2024, beginning his first semester assisting a doctoral student in the very same lab as his older brother.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech undoubtedly has one of the best programs in this field,\u201d Farshid Khan said. \u201cAlso because of the fact that my brother is here, when I got the admission offer, it was the perfect place to come.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir journey to Georgia Tech is deeply rooted in their experience growing up in Bangladesh.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the major problems in Bangladesh is textile effluent pollution,\u201d Farshid Khan said. \u201cIt is one of the largest textile exporters in the world. But the problem with the textile industry is they do not treat the water well. All of their effluents come into our rivers and they are highly polluted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI always wanted to work on that, and it is still my plan after going back to Bangladesh to work on that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead more about their story on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/brothers-united-mission-improve-water\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental Engineering graduate students Farhan Khan and Farshid Khan are passionate about providing access to clean water. They have a lot in common\u2014starting with the fact that they are brothers. Farhan Khan came to Georgia Tech from Bangladesh to begin his Ph.D. studies in 2021. Farshid Khan followed in 2024, beginning his first semester assisting a doctoral student in the very same lab as his older brother.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Environmental Engineering graduate students Farhan Khan and Farshid Khan are passionate about providing access to clean water.  They have a lot in common\u2014starting with the fact that they are brothers. Farhan Khan came to Georgia Tech from Bangladesh to be"}],"uid":"35146","created_gmt":"2025-08-11 16:46:03","changed_gmt":"2025-08-11 16:51:43","author":"mweinman3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677644":{"id":"677644","type":"image","title":"_MG_9577.jpg","body":null,"created":"1754930820","gmt_created":"2025-08-11 16:47:00","changed":"1754930820","gmt_changed":"2025-08-11 16:47:00","alt":"Farhan and Farshid Khan in the lab ","file":{"fid":"261562","name":"_MG_9577.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/_MG_9577.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/_MG_9577.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14004659,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/11\/_MG_9577.jpg?itok=k2jn9oZR"}}},"media_ids":["677644"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMelissa Fralick\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["melissa.fralick@ce.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683257":{"#nid":"683257","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Deep Dive Into Shark Ecology Provides Path to Conservation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFew animals captivate people\u2019s imagination like sharks. From the enduring cultural legacy of \u003Cem\u003EJaws\u003C\/em\u003E, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, to the continued popularity of the Discovery Channel\u0027s Shark Week, now in its 37th year, media portrayals of the apex predator can shape public perception, illuminate their role within Earth\u0027s ecosystems, and influence conservation efforts. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Cameron Perry, every week is shark week. The Georgia Tech alumnus earned his Ph.D. in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ocean.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eocean science and engineering\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and now leads the whale shark and manta ray initiatives at Georgia Aquarium. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a 6-year-old listening to his mother read him \u003Cem\u003ETwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea\u003C\/em\u003E and imagining the creatures Captain Nemo encountered, Perry had dreams of exploring the oceans for himself. When he saw his first whale shark in Georgia Aquarium\u0027s 6.3-million-gallon tank, he set out to learn as much as he could about the gentle giants and help to conserve the endangered species. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry\u0027s research has taken him around the world to observe whale shark behaviors in St. Helena and the Galapagos Islands, working to understand their migration habits, reproduction, and global ecology. While most people won\u0027t encounter sharks daily as he does, Perry sees the aquarium as well as the media as effective tools in showcasing sharks in the proper light. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022They are kind of mysterious and unknown. For many people, they\u0027ve never encountered sharks in their lifetime, and part of that captivation could lead to fear, but education can turn that fear into wonder and awe. There\u0027s a narrative that these animals are mindless eating machines, but the more you learn, you realize that\u0027s not the case,\u0022 he said. \u201cThese creatures have existed for 400 million years; they\u0027re older than trees, and understanding their role on our planet is important to changing the narrative around sharks.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry likens sharks to the white blood cells of the ecosystems in which they live, as they help prevent the spread of disease through the consumption of dead or diseased prey, contribute to population control, and provide balance to the ocean\u0027s biodiversity.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EUnderstanding Our Role\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile at Georgia Tech, Perry worked alongside Regents\u2019 Chair and Harry and Anna Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-hay\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMark Hay\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research has highlighted the role that sharks, and other large predators, play in habitat regulation within coral reefs. Hay explains that overfishing and other human activities have decimated shark populations in certain parts of the world, significantly affecting coral reefs and the populations that rely on them. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the manager of a freshwater beach in Kentucky in 1975, Hay saw firsthand the impact that \u003Cem\u003EJaws\u003C\/em\u003E had on the beachgoing public at the time \u2014 including his lifeguards.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI had about 25 lifeguards, and I made them swim a mile every day on our buoy line. After we all went to see \u003Cem\u003EJaws\u003C\/em\u003E, about half of them refused to swim the mile for over a week. They\u0027d look at me and say, \u0027You can fire me. I\u0027m not going in,\u0027 and I\u0027d laugh and say, \u2018We\u0027re in freshwater. Jaws isn\u0027t in there.\u2019\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHay said that while the movie remains a favorite of his, its depiction of sharks isn\u0027t representative of their behavior in the wild, as shark attacks are often accidents, not predatory actions. Like Perry, Hay believes that education can help protect sharks and bring a renewed focus to solving the ongoing issues facing the oceans. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These ecosystems are degrading, and it\u0027s us that\u0027s doing it. What I am trying to do in my teaching is to go beyond cataloging the demise and take a more Georgia Tech-type approach by saying, \u0027If the bridge is broken, we have to be the ones to rebuild it,\u0027\u0022 he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHay keeps a saber-toothed tiger fossil on his desk as a constant reminder to himself that \u0022everything I study was shaped by what used to be here,\u0022 and how understanding nature can help preserve it for the future. Sharks are a captivating species, and both Perry and Hay stress that continued research and a commitment to education are the key to their conservation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Experts say that more accurate depictions of sharks can help protect them and highlight their role in global ecosystems.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EExperts say that more accurate depictions of sharks can help protect them and highlight their role in global ecosystems. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Experts say that more accurate depictions of sharks can help protect them and highlight their role in global ecosystems.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-07-24 16:47:25","changed_gmt":"2025-07-24 19:08:53","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677479":{"id":"677479","type":"image","title":"Cameron Perry with Whale Shark","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECameron Perry swims alongside a whale shark on a Georgia Aquarium expedition off the coast of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1753377191","gmt_created":"2025-07-24 17:13:11","changed":"1753377191","gmt_changed":"2025-07-24 17:13:11","alt":"Whale shark in the ocean. ","file":{"fid":"261381","name":"Unknown-1.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/Unknown-1.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/Unknown-1.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116048,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/24\/Unknown-1.jpeg?itok=PECHZ5jE"}}},"media_ids":["677479"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"169673","name":"Sharks"},{"id":"50821","name":"Whale Sharks"},{"id":"783","name":"conservation"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683093":{"#nid":"683093","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018Biochar\u2019 Can Naturally Clean the Pollution that Rain Washes Off Georgia\u2019s Roads","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA charcoal-like material made from leaves and branches that collect on forest floors could be a cheap, sustainable way to keep pollution from washing off roadways and into Georgia\u2019s lakes and rivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineers at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern University have found that this biological charcoal, or biochar, can be mixed with soil and used along roadways to catch grimy rainwater and filter it naturally before it pollutes surface water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir tests found the biochar effectively cleans contaminants from the rainwater and works just as well in the sandy soils of the coastal plain as in the clays of north Georgia. Their biochar-soil mixture can be easily substituted for expensive material mined from the earth that\u2019s typically used on roads.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough they focused on Georgia, the researchers said the findings could easily apply across the U.S., providing a simple, natural way to keep road pollutants out of water sources. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jenvman.2025.126259\u0022\u003EThey published their approach in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Environmental Management\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/biochar-can-naturally-clean-pollution-rain-washes-georgias-roads\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn about their system on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows how the material made from leaves and branches that collect on forest floors can be mixed with local soil to filter out road grime before it reaches waterways.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows how the material made from leaves and branches that collect on forest floors can be mixed with local soil to filter out road grime before it reaches waterways."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2025-07-10 17:09:21","changed_gmt":"2025-07-10 17:25:28","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677386":{"id":"677386","type":"image","title":"Yongsheng-Chen-Ahmed-Yunus_5613-web.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Yongsheng Chen (left) and Ph.D. student Ahmed Yunus work with a wastewater reactor system in the lab. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752167370","gmt_created":"2025-07-10 17:09:30","changed":"1752167370","gmt_changed":"2025-07-10 17:09:30","alt":"Ahmed Yunus and Yongsheng Chen working with a wastewater reactor system in the lab.","file":{"fid":"261281","name":"Yongsheng-Chen-Ahmed-Yunus_5613-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/10\/Yongsheng-Chen-Ahmed-Yunus_5613-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/10\/Yongsheng-Chen-Ahmed-Yunus_5613-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1037044,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/10\/Yongsheng-Chen-Ahmed-Yunus_5613-web.jpg?itok=NyQGN1U_"}}},"media_ids":["677386"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682882":{"#nid":"682882","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mars Rising as the New Frontier of Science and Strategy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than half a century after the United States won the race to the moon, the White House is setting its sights on a new frontier: Mars. In a move reminiscent of the Apollo era, the administration has proposed landing Americans on the red planet by the end of 2026 \u2014 a bold initiative that has reignited national ambition and drawn comparisons to the space race of the 20th century.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, researchers are already considering the mission\u2019s implications, from engineering challenges to international diplomacy. While the White House has framed the mission as a demonstration of American leadership, experts say its success will depend on collaboration \u2014 across disciplines, sectors, and borders.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is more than a space race,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christos-e-athanasiou\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristos Athanasiou\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. \u201cMars isn\u2019t just the next step for space exploration \u2014 it\u2019s a stress test for everything we\u2019ve learned about sustainability, resilience, and engineering under uncertainty.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering for the Red Planet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Athanasiou, the Mars mission is a test of human ingenuity, creativity, and endurance. Unlike the moon, Mars is months away by spacecraft, with no quick return option. That distance introduces a host of engineering challenges that must be solved before a single boot touches Martian soil.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnsuring astronaut safety on such a long-duration mission requires us to understand how the Earth materials we will be using in our mission behave in extraterrestrial conditions,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his recent \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ds6hQXVpUCs\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETEDx talk\u003C\/a\u003E, Athanasiou emphasized that the mission must also consider its environmental impact. Mars may be barren, but it is not immune to contamination. Athanasiou believes that strategies used for environmental remediation on Earth \u2014 such as waste recycling, habitat sustainability, and pollution control \u2014 can be adapted to protect the Martian environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we can build structures that survive Mars using recycled materials, AI, and Earth-born ingenuity, we\u2019ll unlock entirely new ways to live \u2014 both out there and back here,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReading the Martian Landscape\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wray.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJames Wray\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has spent years analyzing Mars\u2019 surface using data from orbiters and rovers. He sees the planet as both a scientific treasure trove and a logistical puzzle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMars has vast lava plains, dust storms, and steep canyons that pose real risks to human settlement,\u201d Wray said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut beneath the challenges lies opportunity. Mars is home to significant deposits of water ice, especially near the poles and just below the surface in some mid-latitude regions. That water could be used not only for drinking but also for producing oxygen and rocket fuel \u2014 critical resources for long-term habitation and return missions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe presence of water ice near the surface is a game changer. It could support life, and more importantly, it could support us,\u201d Wray said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also noted that Mars\u2019 thin atmosphere \u2014 just 1% the density of Earth\u2019s \u2014 complicates everything from landing spacecraft to shielding astronauts from cosmic radiation. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned a lot from robotic missions. Now it\u2019s time to apply that knowledge to human exploration.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiplomacy Beyond Earth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/Lincoln-Hines\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELincoln Hines\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, says that the Mars mission could have significant diplomatic implications. \u201cThe Mars mission has little to no bearing on space security; it has no military value,\u201d he said. However, he noted that international cooperation could still play a valuable role in reducing the financial burden of such a costly endeavor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHines warned that shifting U.S. priorities from the moon to Mars could strain the international partnerships built through the Artemis program. He explained that some countries may view the Mars initiative as a distraction from the more immediate and economically promising lunar goals. Political instability in the U.S., he added, could further erode trust in its long-term commitments. \u201cCountries may lose faith that the United States is a reliable partner to cooperate with for its lunar program if Mars seems to be the new priority,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also pointed to existing legal frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits sovereign claims on celestial bodies, and the Rescue Agreement, which obliges nations to assist astronauts in distress. While these agreements provide a foundation, Hines emphasized that they don\u2019t fully address the complexities of future Mars missions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablishing international norms for Mars exploration, he said, will be challenging. \u201cNorms are really hard to develop,\u201d Hines explained, noting that countries often hesitate to commit to rules without assurance that others will do the same. Still, he suggested that Mars \u2014 with its limited material value \u2014 might offer a rare opportunity for cooperation, if nations are willing to engage in good faith.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech contributes to the national vision with research in engineering, science, and policy. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than half a century after the United States won the race to the moon, the White House is setting its sights on a new frontier: Mars. In a move reminiscent of the Apollo era, the administration has proposed landing Americans on the red planet by the end of 2026 \u2014 a bold initiative that has reignited national ambition and drawn comparisons to the space race of the 20th century.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As the White House accelerates plans for a 2026 crewed mission to Mars, Georgia Tech experts highlight the engineering, scientific, and diplomatic challenges that will shape the success\u2014and sustainability\u2014of humanity\u2019s next giant leap."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2025-06-25 13:46:35","changed_gmt":"2025-07-07 14:22:22","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677344":{"id":"677344","type":"image","title":"mars-news-img-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1751898074","gmt_created":"2025-07-07 14:21:14","changed":"1751898074","gmt_changed":"2025-07-07 14:21:14","alt":"the planet mars with a satellite flying in front of it","file":{"fid":"261236","name":"mars-news-img-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/07\/mars-news-img-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/07\/mars-news-img-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1914579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/07\/mars-news-img-2.jpg?itok=ZkvQ7Rjs"}}},"media_ids":["677344"],"related_links":[{"url":"entity:node\/682660","title":"Volcano \u0027Hidden in Plain Sight\u0027 Could Help Date Mars \u2014 and its Habitability"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194614","name":"Mars mission"},{"id":"194615","name":"White House space policy"},{"id":"194616","name":"2026 Mars landing"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"52181","name":"James Wray"},{"id":"194617","name":"Lincoln Hines"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"},{"id":"194618","name":"Artemis program"},{"id":"167098","name":"space exploration"},{"id":"194619","name":"international cooperation"},{"id":"194620","name":"Outer Space Treaty"},{"id":"194621","name":"space diplomacy"},{"id":"167990","name":"space security"},{"id":"194622","name":"lunar vs. Mars priorities"},{"id":"194623","name":"U.S.\u2013China space relations"},{"id":"194624","name":"environmental impact on Mars"},{"id":"194625","name":"human spaceflight"},{"id":"194626","name":"Mars geology"},{"id":"167707","name":"Space Policy"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations\u0026nbsp;Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682906":{"#nid":"682906","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joel Kostka re\u00adceives Hum\u00adboldt Re\u00adsearch Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis week, Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/kostkalab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was awar\u00added the pres\u00adti\u00adgi\u00adous\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.humboldt-foundation.de\/en\/apply\/sponsorship-programmes\/humboldt-research-award\u0022\u003EHumboldt Research Award\u003C\/a\u003E by the Al\u00adex\u00adan\u00adder von Hum\u00adboldt Found\u00ada\u00adtion\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.humboldt-foundation.de\/en\/explore\/newsroom\/press-releases\/humboldt-foundations-annual-meeting-and-reception-with-federal-president-steinmeier-3\u0022\u003Eduring its annual meeting\u003C\/a\u003E and reception with Germany\u2019s Federal President Steinmeier in Berlin. Every year, the Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt Research Awards worldwide, which recognize internationally leading researchers of all disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award\u2019s \u20ac80,000 endowment will support a research trip to Germany for up to a year \u2014 during which Kostka will collaborate with Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mpi-bremen.de\/en\/Biogeochemistry-Group\/People\/Marcel-Kuypers.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMar\u00adcel Kuypers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mpi-bremen.de\/en\/Home.html\u0022\u003EMax Planck In\u00adsti\u00adtute for Mar\u00adine Mi\u00adcro\u00adbi\u00ado\u00adlogy\u003C\/a\u003E in Bre\u00admen, Germany \u2014 to as\u00adsess the role of mar\u00adine plant mi\u00adcro\u00adbi\u00ado\u00admes in coastal mar\u00adine eco\u00adsys\u00adtem health and climate re\u00adsi\u00adli\u00adence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003ESchool of Bio\u00adlo\u00adgical Sci\u00adences\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/kostka-joel\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, is also the as\u00adso\u00adci\u00adate chair for re\u00adsearch in Bio\u00adlo\u00adgical Sci\u00adences. He was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/joel-kostka-named-director-georgia-tech-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u200b\u200brecently named the inaugural faculty director\u003C\/a\u003E of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-center-science-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E. The new Center, announced by the College of Sciences in December 2024, will drive research aimed at improving life across the state of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWetlands in a changing climate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHuman population is centered on coastlines, and coastal ecosystems provide many services for people,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cAlthough they cover less than 1 percent of the ocean, coastal wetlands store over 50 percent of the seafloor\u2019s rich carbon reserves.\u201d But researchers aren\u2019t sure how these ecosystems will respond to a changing climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMicrobes may be the key. Microbes play a critical role in maintaining plant health and helping them adapt to stressors, Kostka says. Similar to human bodies, plants have microbiomes: a community of microbes intimately associated with the plant that help it take up nutrients, stimulate the plant\u2019s immune system, and regulate plant hormones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur research indicates that plant microbiomes are fundamental to wetland ecosystem health, yet almost everything we know about them is from agricultural systems,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe know very little about the microbes associated with these important marine plants that dominate coastal ecosystems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka\u2019s work in Germany will investigate how microbiomes help coastal marine plants adapt to stress and keep them healthy. From there, he will investigate how plant microbiomes contribute to the carbon and nutrient cycles of coastal ecosystems \u2014 and how they contribute to ecosystem resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding collaboration \u2014 and insights\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne goal of the collaboration is to exchange information on two types of marine plants that dominate coastal ecosystems worldwide: those associated with seagrass meadows and salt marshes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve investigated salt marsh plants in the intertidal zone between tides, and my colleagues at the Max Planck Institute have focused on seagrass beds and seagrass meadows, which are subtidal, below the tides,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cWhile these two ecosystems have some different characteristics, they both cover large areas of the global coastline and are dominated by salt-tolerant plants.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn salt marshes, Kostka has shown that marine plants have symbiotic microbes in their roots that help them to take up nitrogen and deal with stress by removing\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/experts\/sulfur-oxidation-and-reduction-are-coupled-nitrogen-fixation-roots-salt-marsh-foundation\u0022\u003Etoxic sulfides\u003C\/a\u003E. He suspects that these plant-microbe interactions are critical to the resilience of coastal ecosystems. \u201cThe Max Planck Institute made similar observations in seagrass meadows as we did in salt marshes,\u201d Kostka explains. \u201cBut they found different bacteria.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Georgia to Germany\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBeyond supporting excellence in research, another key goal of the Humboldt Research Award is to support international collaboration \u2014 something very familiar to Kostka. \u201cI\u0027ve been working with Professor Kuypers and the Max Planck Institute in Bremen for many years,\u201d he says, adding that he completed his postdoctoral research at the Institute. \u201cMax Planck\u0027s labs are some of the best in the world for what they do, and their imaging technology can give us an unprecedented look at plant-microbe interactions at the cellular level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis project is also special because I am collaborating with other scientists in northern Germany,\u201d Kostka adds. \u201cThe University of Bremen is home to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marum.de\/en\/index.html\u0022\u003ECen\u00adter for Mar\u00adine En\u00advir\u00adon\u00admental Sci\u00adences\u003C\/a\u003E (MARUM), which is designated as a Cluster of Excellence by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dfg.de\/en\u0022\u003EGerman National Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E, so there are a number of fantastic research centers in Bremen to work with.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHis hope is that this project will deepen collaboration between the research at Georgia Tech and research in Germany. \u201cI look forward to seeing what we can uncover about these critical systems while working together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe award will support Kostka\u2019s research on the role of marine plant microbiomes in coastal climate resilience in collaboration with Germany\u2019s Max Planck Institute.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award will support Kostka\u2019s research on the role of marine plant microbiomes in coastal climate resilience in collaboration with Germany\u2019s Max Planck Institute."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-06-26 17:04:12","changed_gmt":"2025-06-26 21:08:14","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677294":{"id":"677294","type":"image","title":"Professor\u00a0Joel Kostka at the Al\u00adex\u00adan\u00adder von Hum\u00adboldt Found\u00ada\u00adtion\u00a0annual meeting and reception in Germany this week.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;Joel Kostka at the Al\u00adex\u00adan\u00adder von Hum\u00adboldt Found\u00ada\u00adtion\u0026nbsp;annual meeting and reception in Germany this week.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1750971890","gmt_created":"2025-06-26 21:04:50","changed":"1750971890","gmt_changed":"2025-06-26 21:04:50","alt":"Professor\u00a0Joel Kostka at the Al\u00adex\u00adan\u00adder von Hum\u00adboldt Found\u00ada\u00adtion\u00a0annual meeting and reception in Germany this week.","file":{"fid":"261178","name":"Humboldt---Joel-Kostka---web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/26\/Humboldt---Joel-Kostka---web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/26\/Humboldt---Joel-Kostka---web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":801832,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/26\/Humboldt---Joel-Kostka---web.jpg?itok=7jfMRjYH"}}},"media_ids":["677294"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682660":{"#nid":"682660","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Volcano \u0027Hidden in Plain Sight\u0027 Could Help Date Mars \u2014 and its Habitability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech scientists have uncovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano. Called Jezero Mons,\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eit is nearly half the size of the crater itself and could add critical clues to the habitability and volcanism of Mars, transforming how we understand Mars\u2019 geologic history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-02329-7\u0022\u003EEvidence for a composite volcano on the rim of Jezero crater on Mars\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published this May in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E-family journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECommunications Earth \u0026amp; Environment,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eand\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eunderscores\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehow much we have left to learn about one of the most well-studied regions of Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/deeps.brown.edu\/people\/sara-cuevas-quinones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESara C. Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E completed the research as an undergraduate during a summer program at Georgia Tech; she is now a graduate student at Brown University. The team also included corresponding author Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wray.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames J. Wray\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E (\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/search.asu.edu\/profile\/2095063\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJacob Adler\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethen a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech and now an assistant research professor at Arizona State University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cVolcanism on Mars is intriguing for a number of reasons \u2014 from the implications it has on habitability, to better constraining the geologic history,\u201d Wray says. \u201cJezero Crater is one of the best studied sites on Mars. If we are just now identifying a volcano here, imagine how many more could be on Mars. Volcanoes may be even more widespread across Mars than we thought.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA mountain in the margins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWray\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efirst noticed\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethe mountain in 2007, while considering Jezero Crater as a graduate student.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI was looking at low-resolution photos of the area and noticed a mountain on the crater\u2019s rim,\u201d he recalls. \u201cTo me, it looked like a volcano, but it was difficult to get additional images.\u201d At the time, Jezero Crater was newly discovered, and imaging focused almost entirely on its intriguing water history, which is on the opposite side of the 28-mile-wide crater.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen, Jezero Crater, due to these lake-like sedimentary deposits, was selected as the landing spot for the 2020 Perseverance Rover \u2014 an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-2020-perseverance\/\u0022\u003Eongoing NASA mission seeking signs of ancient Martian life and collecting rock samples for possible return to Earth\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, after landing, some of the first rocks Perseverance encountered were not the sedimentary deposits one might expect from a previously-flooded area \u2014 they were volcanic. Wray suspected he might know the origin of these rocks, but to make a case for it, he would need to show that the mountain on the edge of Jezero Crater could indeed be a volcano.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new researcher \u2014 and old data\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe opportunity presented itself several months after Perseverance landed when Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones applied to a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/easreu.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESummer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program hosted by the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E to work with Wray.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0019103518306067?via%3Dihub\u0022\u003EA previous study\u003C\/a\u003E led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBriony Horgan\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(professor of planetary science at Purdue University) had also suggested that Jezero Mons could be volcanic,\u201d Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones says. \u201cI began wondering if there was a way to home in on these suspicions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team partnered with study coauthor Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, who specializes in characterizing the surface of planets and their habitability. They decided to use datasets gathered from spacecraft orbiting Mars to compare the properties of Jezero Mons to other, known, volcanoes. \u201cWe can\u2019t visit Mars and definitively prove that Jezero Mons is a volcano, but we can show that it shares the same properties with existing volcanoes \u2014 both here on Earth and Mars,\u201d Wray explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe used data from the Mars Odyssey Orbiter, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, and Perseverance Rover, all in combination to puzzle this out,\u201d he adds. \u201cI think this shows that these older spacecraft can be extremely valuable long after their initial missions end \u2014 these old spacecraft can still make important discoveries and help us answer tricky questions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones, it also underscores the importance of REU programs and opportunities for undergraduates. \u201cI was an undergraduate student at the time, and this was my first time conducting research,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was fascinating to learn how different data sets could be used to decode the origin of a landscape. After Jezero Mons, it became clear to me that I would continue to study Mars and other planetary bodies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe search for life \u2014 and determining Mars\u2019 age\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe discovery makes the crater even more intriguing in the search for past life on Mars. A volcano so close to watery Jezero Crater could add a critical source of heat on an otherwise cold planet, including the potential for hydrothermal activity \u2014 energy that life could use to thrive.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis type of system also holds interest for Mars as a whole. \u201cThe coalescence of these two types of systems makes Jezero more interesting than ever,\u201d shares Wray. \u201cWe have samples of incredible sedimentary rocks that could be from a habitable region alongside igneous rocks with important scientific value.\u201d If returned to Earth, igneous rocks can be radioisotope dated to know their age very precisely. Dating the Jezero Crater samples could be used to calibrate age estimates, providing an unprecedented window into the geologic history of the planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe take home message? \u201cMars is the best place we have to look in our solar system for signs of life, and thanks to the Perseverance Rover collecting samples in Jezero, the United States has samples from the best rocks in the best place on Mars,\u201d Wray says. \u201cIf these samples are returned to Earth, we can do incredible, groundbreaking science with them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-025-02329-7\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-025-02329-7\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones was supported by Georgia Tech\u2019s 2021 Research Experience for Undergraduates program sponsored by NSF and 3M corporation. Wray was supported by NASA funding for Co-Investigators on HiRISE and CaSSIS. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA\u2019s PRODEX program. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) (ASI-INAF agreement 2020-17-HH.0), INAF\/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Lab, and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operation support from the UK Space Agency is also acknowledged.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano. The research could add critical clues to the habitability and volcanism of Mars, transforming how we understand Mars\u2019 geologic history.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech scientists have uncovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-06-05 13:27:33","changed_gmt":"2025-06-06 14:10:08","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677188":{"id":"677188","type":"image","title":"A view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130319","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:31:59","changed":"1749130319","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:31:59","alt":"A view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.","file":{"fid":"261062","name":"JezeroMons.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":121995,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg?itok=shnhPfCc"}},"677189":{"id":"677189","type":"image","title":"An image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130628","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:37:08","changed":"1749130628","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:37:08","alt":"An image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x","file":{"fid":"261063","name":"JezeroMons2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":297855,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg?itok=GbDAiEfg"}},"677190":{"id":"677190","type":"image","title":"An illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130808","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:40:08","changed":"1749130808","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:40:08","alt":"An illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)","file":{"fid":"261064","name":"JezeroCrater3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":965001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg?itok=-IU8GxrG"}}},"media_ids":["677188","677189","677190"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/mars-stars-james-wray-wins-simons-fellowship-study-interstellar-objects","title":"From Mars to the Stars: James Wray Wins Simons Fellowship to Study Interstellar Objects"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681961":{"#nid":"681961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThroughout my Ph.D. and industry internships, I observed a gap in existing research: there is a strong need for practical tools for applying human-centered approaches when designing AI systems,\u201d said Wang, now a safety researcher at OpenAI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy work not only helps people understand AI and guide its behavior but also provides user-friendly tools that fit into existing workflows.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/chi-2025\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing Swarms to Yokohama, Japan, for CHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s dissertation presented techniques in visual explanation and interactive guidance to align AI models with user knowledge and values. The work culminated from years of research, fellowship support, and internships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s most influential projects formed the core of his dissertation. These included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/cnn-explainer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECNN Explainer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an open-source tool developed for deep-learning beginners. Since its release in July 2020, more than 436,000 global visitors have used the tool.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/diffusiondb\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffusionDB\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: a first-of-its-kind large-scale dataset that lays a foundation to help people better understand generative AI. This work could lead to new research in detecting deepfakes and designing human-AI interaction tools to help people more easily use these models.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/interpret.ml\/gam-changer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Changer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an interface that empowers users in healthcare, finance, or other domains to edit ML models to include knowledge and values specific to their domain, which improves reliability.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jennwv.com\/papers\/gamcoach.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Coach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an interactive ML tool that could help people who have been rejected for a loan by automatically letting an applicant know what is needed for them to receive loan approval. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-tool-teaches-responsible-ai-practices-when-using-large-language-models\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarsight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: a tool that alerts developers when they write prompts in large language models that could be harmful and misused. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI feel extremely honored and lucky to receive this award, and I am deeply grateful to many who have supported me along the way, including Polo, mentors, collaborators, and friends,\u201d said Wang, who was advised by School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/polochau\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolo Chau\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis recognition also inspired me to continue striving to design and develop easy-to-use tools that help everyone to easily interact with AI systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Wang, Chau advised Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fredhohman.com\/\u0022\u003EFred Hohman\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/alumnus-building-legacy-through-dissertation-and-mentorship\u0022\u003EHohman won the ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2022\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/\u0022\u003EChau\u2019s group\u003C\/a\u003E synthesizes machine learning (ML) and visualization techniques into scalable, interactive, and trustworthy tools. These tools increase understanding and interaction with large-scale data and ML models.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChau is the associate director of corporate relations for the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech. Wang called the School of CSE his home unit while a student in the ML program under Chau.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is one of five recipients of this year\u2019s award to be presented at the 2025 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chi2025.acm.org\/\u0022\u003ECHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E). The conference occurs April 25-May 1 in Yokohama, Japan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESIGCHI is the world\u2019s largest association of human-computer interaction professionals and practitioners. The group sponsors or co-sponsors 26 conferences, including CHI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s outstanding dissertation award is the latest recognition of a career decorated with achievement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonths after graduating from Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/research-ai-safety-lands-recent-graduate-forbes-30-under-30\u0022\u003EForbes named Wang to its 30 Under 30 in Science for 2025\u003C\/a\u003E for his dissertation. Wang was one of 15 Yellow Jackets included in nine different 30 Under 30 lists and the only Georgia Tech-affiliated individual on the 30 Under 30 in Science list.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile a Georgia Tech student, Wang earned recognition from big names in business and technology. He received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/student-named-apple-scholar-connecting-people-machine-learning\u0022\u003EApple Scholars in AI\/ML Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023\u003C\/a\u003E and was in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-machine-learning-students-earn-jp-morgan-ai-phd-fellowships\u0022\u003E2022 cohort of the J.P. Morgan AI Ph.D. Fellowships Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with the CHI award, Wang\u2019s dissertation earned him awards this year at banquets across campus. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com\/sites.gatech.edu\/dist\/0\/283\/files\/2025\/03\/2025-Sigma-Xi-Research-Award-Winners.pdf\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi presented Wang with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award\u003C\/a\u003E. He also received the College of Computing\u2019s Outstanding Dissertation Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech attracts many great minds, and I\u2019m glad that some, like Jay, chose to join our group,\u201d Chau said. \u201cIt has been a joy to work alongside them and witness the many wonderful things they have accomplished, and with many more to come in their careers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" Zijie (Jay) Wang (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:24:46","changed_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:29:07","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676903":{"id":"676903","type":"image","title":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","body":null,"created":"1745331896","gmt_created":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","changed":"1745331896","gmt_changed":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","alt":"Zijie (Jay) Wang CHI 2025","file":{"fid":"260750","name":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":99526,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg?itok=_QvwIP00"}},"673947":{"id":"673947","type":"image","title":"Farsight CHI.jpg","body":null,"created":"1714954253","gmt_created":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","changed":"1714954253","gmt_changed":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","alt":"CHI 2024 Farsight","file":{"fid":"257404","name":"Farsight CHI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":139358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg?itok=6genJVjw"}}},"media_ids":["676903","673947"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/thesis-human-centered-ai-earns-honors-international-computing-organization","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"155","name":"Congressional Testimony"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681221":{"#nid":"681221","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nature\u0027s Time Machine: How Long-Term Studies Unlock Evolution\u0027s Secrets","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech scientists are revealing how decades-long research programs have transformed our understanding of evolution, from laboratory petri dishes to tropical islands \u2014 along the way uncovering secrets that would remain hidden in shorter studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThrough a new review paper published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers underscore how long-term studies have captured evolution\u0027s most elusive processes, including the real-time formation of new species and the emergence of biological innovations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Evolution isn\u0027t just about change over millions of years in fossils \u2014 it\u0027s happening all around us, right now,\u0022 says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/james-stroud\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the paper\u2019s lead author and an Elizabeth Smithgall Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u0022However, to understand evolution, we need to watch it unfold in real time, often over many generations. Long-term studies allow us to do that by giving us a front-row seat to evolution in action.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-08597-9\u0022\u003ELong-term studies provide unique insights into evolution\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d is the first-ever comprehensive analysis of these types of long-term evolutionary studies, and examines some of the longest-running evolutionary experiments and field studies to date, highlighting how they provide new perspectives on evolution. For example, in the Gal\u00e1pagos, a 40-year field study of Darwin\u2019s finches \u2014 songbirds named after evolutionary biology\u2019s famous founder \u2014 documented the formation of a new species through hybridization. In the lab, a study spanning 75,000 generations of bacteria showed populations unexpectedly evolving completely new metabolic abilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThese remarkable evolutionary events were only caught because of the long-term nature of the research programs,\u201d Stroud says. \u201cEven if short-term studies captured similar events, their evolutionary significance would be hard to assess without the historical context that long-term research provides.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe most fascinating results from long-term evolution studies are often completely unexpected \u2014 they\u0027re serendipitous discoveries that couldn\u0027t have been predicted at the start,\u201d explains the paper\u2019s co-author,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/will-ratcliff\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWill Ratcliff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Sutherland Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and co-director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Ph.D. in Quantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhile we can accelerate many aspects of scientific research today, evolution still moves at its own pace,\u201d Ratcliff adds. \u201cThere\u0027s no technological shortcut for watching species adapt across generations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDecades of discovery \u2014 from labs to islands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new paper also highlights a growing challenge in modern science: the critical importance of supporting long-term research in an academic landscape that increasingly favors quick results and short-term funding. Yet, they say, some of biology\u0027s most profound insights emerge only through multi-decadal efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThose challenges and rewards are familiar to Stroud and Ratcliff, who operate their own long-term evolutionary research programs at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn South Florida, Stroud\u2019s \u2018Lizard Island\u2019 is helping document evolution in action across the football field-sized island\u2019s 1,000-lizard population. By studying a community of five species, his research is providing unique insights into\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2222071120\u0022\u003Ehow evolution maintains species\u2019 differences\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-54302-1\u0022\u003Ehow species evolve when new competitors arrive\u003C\/a\u003E. Now operating for a decade, it is one of the world\u2019s longest-running active evolutionary studies of its kind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn his lab at Georgia Tech, Ratcliff studies the origin of complex life \u2014 specifically,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06052-1\u0022\u003Ehow single-celled organisms become multicellular\u003C\/a\u003E. His\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-study-discovers-how-altered-protein-folding-drives-multicellular-evolution\u0022\u003EMulticellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment\u003C\/a\u003E (MuLTEE) on snowflake yeast has run for more than 9,000 generations, with aims to continue for the next 25 years. The work has shown how key steps in the evolutionary transition from single-celled organisms to multi-celled organisms occur far more easily than previously understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImportant work in a changing world\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud says that the insights from these types of studies, and this review paper, are arriving at a crucial moment. \u201cThe world is rapidly changing, which poses unprecedented challenges to Earth\u0027s biodiversity,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt has never been more important to understand how organisms adapt to changing environments over time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cLong-term studies provide our best window into achieving this,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe can document, in real time, both short-term and long-term evolutionary responses of species to changes in their environment like climate change and habitat modification.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy drawing together evolution\u0027s longest-running experiments and field studies for the first time, Stroud and Ratcliff offer key insights into studying this fundamental process, suggesting that understanding life\u0027s past \u2014 and predicting its future \u2014 requires not just advanced technology or new methods, but also the simple power of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The US National Institutes of Health and the NSF Division of Environmental Biology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-08597-9\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-025-08597-9\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough a new review paper published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, Georgia Tech scientists are revealing how decades-long research programs have transformed our understanding of evolution, uncovering secrets that would remain hidden in shorter studies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through a new review paper published in\u00a0Nature, Georgia Tech scientists are revealing how decades-long research programs have transformed our understanding of evolution, uncovering secrets that would remain hidden in shorter studies."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-03-19 13:26:28","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 19:06:08","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676594":{"id":"676594","type":"image","title":"A 40-year field study of Gal\u00e1pagos ground finches (Geospiza sp.) has provided unparalleled insights into how natural selection operates in the wild and how new species might form. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA 40-year field study of Gal\u00e1pagos ground finches (\u003Cem\u003EGeospiza\u003C\/em\u003E sp.) has provided unparalleled insights into\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1070315\u0022\u003Ehow natural selection operates in the wild\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aao4593\u0022\u003Ehow new species might form\u003C\/a\u003E. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1742392983","gmt_created":"2025-03-19 14:03:03","changed":"1742392983","gmt_changed":"2025-03-19 14:03:03","alt":"A 40-year field study of Gal\u00e1pagos ground finches (Geospiza sp.) has provided unparalleled insights into how natural selection operates in the wild and how new species might form. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","file":{"fid":"260401","name":"StroudRatcliff_Fig1-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig1-copy_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig1-copy_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":443498,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig1-copy_0.jpg?itok=_c3-8gIx"}},"676593":{"id":"676593","type":"image","title":"A long-term field study of Californian stick insects (Timema cristinae) reveals how competing selection pressures shape their evolution. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aap9125\u0022\u003EA long-term field study of Californian stick insects (\u003Cem\u003ETimema cristinae\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003C\/a\u003E reveals how competing selection pressures shape their evolution. While brown-colored stick insects experience lower predation rates from Californian scrub jays (\u003Cem\u003EAphelocoma californica\u003C\/em\u003E) than their green counterparts during hot, dry years when bright green leaves are scarce, they face higher mortality due to reduced heat tolerance. This trade-off demonstrates how climate and predation simultaneously drive evolutionary adaptation in natural populations, and this case study has been used to develop statistical models that predict future evolutionary outcomes. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1742392614","gmt_created":"2025-03-19 13:56:54","changed":"1742392614","gmt_changed":"2025-03-19 13:56:54","alt":"A long-term field study of Californian stick insects (Timema cristinae) reveals how competing selection pressures shape their evolution. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","file":{"fid":"260399","name":"StroudRatcliff_Fig2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":611105,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig2.jpg?itok=cmUnaXaz"}},"676595":{"id":"676595","type":"image","title":"Founded in 1988, the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) is the world\u2019s longest-running ongoing evolution experiment now spanning 75,000 generations. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1988,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00239-023-10095-3\u0022\u003Ethe Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE)\u003C\/a\u003E is the world\u2019s longest-running ongoing evolution experiment now spanning 75,000 generations. Twelve genetically identical populations of the bacterium\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEscherichia coli\u003C\/em\u003E have been allowed to evolve under constant conditions, and have uncovered\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nature24287\u0022\u003Egeneral principles of evolutionary dynamics\u003C\/a\u003E, such\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.0803151105\u0022\u003E as how evolutionary novelties arise\u003C\/a\u003E. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1742393278","gmt_created":"2025-03-19 14:07:58","changed":"1742393278","gmt_changed":"2025-03-19 14:07:58","alt":"Founded in 1988, the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) is the world\u2019s longest-running ongoing evolution experiment now spanning 75,000 generations. Twelve genetically identical populations of the bacterium Escherichia coli have been allowed to evolve under constant conditions, and have uncovered general principles of evolutionary dynamics, such as how evolutionary novelties arise. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","file":{"fid":"260402","name":"StroudRatcliff_Fig55.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig55.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig55.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":247886,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig55.jpg?itok=9VV-tQAF"}},"676596":{"id":"676596","type":"image","title":"Long-term studies at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, USA, reveal that Drummond\u2019s rockcress (Boechera stricta), a North American wildflower, bloom almost 4 days earlier each decade since the 1970s. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSci)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELong-term studies at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, USA, reveal that\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rspb.2012.1051\u0022\u003EDrummond\u2019s rockcress (\u003Cem\u003EBoechera stricta\u003C\/em\u003E), a North American wildflower, now bloom almost 4 days earlier each decade since the 1970s\u003C\/a\u003E, responding to earlier snowmelt in the region. Long-term field studies are the key to understanding how species in the wild are evolving in response to climate change. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1742393474","gmt_created":"2025-03-19 14:11:14","changed":"1742393474","gmt_changed":"2025-03-19 14:11:14","alt":"Long-term studies at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, USA, reveal that Drummond\u2019s rockcress (Boechera stricta), a North American wildflower, now bloom almost 4 days earlier each decade since the 1970s, responding to earlier snowmelt in the region. Long-term field studies are the key to understanding how species in the wild are evolving in response to climate change. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","file":{"fid":"260403","name":"StroudRatcliff_Fig44.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig44.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig44.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":273664,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/19\/StroudRatcliff_Fig44.jpg?itok=iuGEubZG"}},"676597":{"id":"676597","type":"image","title":"A series of experiment spanning 40 years on small islands in the Bahamas have revealed how prey species, like small brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei), evolve in response to predators. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1643\/CE-16-549\u0022\u003EA series of experiment spanning 40 years on small islands in the Bahamas\u003C\/a\u003E have revealed how prey species, like small brown anole lizards (\u003Cem\u003EAnolis sagrei\u003C\/em\u003E),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nature03039\u0022\u003Eevolve in response to predators\u003C\/a\u003E, like the larger curly-tailed lizard (\u003Cem\u003ELeiocepahlus carinatus\u003C\/em\u003E). Importantly, due to the long-term nature of this research,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1890\/0012-9615(2002)072[0383:POACAL]2.0.CO;2\u0022\u003Escientists were able to track ecosystem changes in response to this predator-driven rapid evolution\u003C\/a\u003E. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1742393920","gmt_created":"2025-03-19 14:18:40","changed":"1742393920","gmt_changed":"2025-03-19 14:18:40","alt":"A series of experiment spanning 40 years on small islands in the Bahamas have revealed how prey species, like small brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei), evolve in response to predators, like the larger curly-tailed lizard (Leiocepahlus carinatus). Importantly, due to the long-term nature of this research, scientists were able to track ecosystem changes in response to this predator-driven rapid evolution. (Illustration: Mark Belan\/ArtSciStudios)","file":{"fid":"260404","name":"JamesStroud_LizardImage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/JamesStroud_LizardImage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/19\/JamesStroud_LizardImage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":396641,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/19\/JamesStroud_LizardImage.jpg?itok=S7ODWT8q"}}},"media_ids":["676594","676593","676595","676596","676597"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/when-two-lizards-meet-first-time-scientists-witness-evolution-action","title":"When Two Lizards Meet for the First Time, Scientists Witness Evolution in Action"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/scientists-uncover-key-mechanism-evolution-whole-genome-duplication-drives-long-term-adaptation","title":"Scientists uncover key mechanism in evolution: Whole-genome duplication drives long-term adaptation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681164":{"#nid":"681164","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Machine Learning Encoder Improves Weather Forecasting and Tsunami Prediction","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESuccessful test results of a new machine learning (ML) technique developed at Georgia Tech could help communities prepare for extreme weather and coastal flooding. The approach could also be applied to other models that predict how natural systems impact society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ps789.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhillip Si\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~pchen402\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeng Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E developed Latent-EnSF, a technique that improves how ML models assimilate data to make predictions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn experiments predicting medium-range weather forecasting and shallow water wave propagation, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2409.00127\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELatent-EnSF\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E demonstrated higher accuracy, faster convergence, and greater efficiency than existing methods for sparse data assimilation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are currently involved in an NSF-funded project aimed at providing real-time information on extreme flooding events in Pinellas County, Florida,\u201d said Si, who studies computational science and engineering (CSE).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re actively working on integrating Latent-EnSF into the system, which will facilitate accurate and synchronized modeling of natural disasters. This initiative aims to enhance community preparedness and safety measures in response to flooding risks.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELatent-EnSF outperformed three comparable models in assimilation speed, accuracy, and efficiency in shallow water wave propagation experiments. These tests show models can make better and faster predictions of coastal flood waves, tides, and tsunamis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn experiments on medium-range weather forecasting, Latent-EnSF surpassed the same three control models in accuracy, convergence, and time. Additionally, this test demonstrated Latent-EnSF\u0027s scalability compared to other methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese promising results support using ML models to simulate climate, weather, and other complex systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditionally, such studies require employment of large, energy-intensive supercomputers. However, advances like Latent-EnSF are making smaller, more efficient ML models feasible for these purposes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team mentioned this comparison in its paper. It takes hours for the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts computer to run its simulations. Conversely, the ML model FourCastNet calculated the same forecast in seconds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResolution, complexity, and data-diversity will continue to increase into the future,\u201d said Chen, an assistant professor in the School of CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo keep pace with this trend, we believe that ML models and ML-based data assimilation methods will become indispensable for studying large-scale complex systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData assimilation is the process by which models continuously ingest new, real-world data to update predictions. This data is often sparse, meaning it is limited, incomplete, or unevenly distributed over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELatent-EnSF builds on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2309.00983\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnsemble Filter Scores (EnSF) model\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E developed by Florida State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnSF\u2019s strength is that it assimilates data with many features and unpredictable relationships between data points. However, integrating sparse data leads to lost information and knowledge gaps in the model. Also, such large models may stop learning entirely from small amounts of sparse data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech researchers employ two variational autoencoders (VAEs) in Latent-EnSF to help ML models integrate and use real-world data. The VAEs encode sparse data and predictive models together in the same space to assimilate data more accurately and efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntegrating models with new methods, like Latent-EnSF, accelerates data assimilation. Producing accurate predictions more quickly during real-world crises could save lives and property for communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.stpetersburg.usf.edu\/news\/2024\/flooding-cris-hazard-app-.aspx\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity of South Florida Researchers Track Flooding in Coastal Communities During Hurricanes Helene and Milton\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo share Latent-EnSF to the broader research community, Chen and Si presented their paper at the SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.siam.org\/conferences-events\/siam-conferences\/cse25\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECSE25\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E). The Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.siam.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESIAM\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) organized CSE25, held March 3-7 in Fort Worth, Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen was one of ten School of CSE faculty members who presented research at CSE25, representing one-third of the School\u2019s faculty body. Latent-EnSF was one of 15 papers by School of CSE authors and one of 23 Georgia Tech papers presented at the conference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pair will also present Latent-EnSF at the upcoming International Conference on Learning Representations (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iclr.cc\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EICLR 2025\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E). Occurring April 24-28 in Singapore, ICLR is one of the world\u2019s most prestigious conferences dedicated to artificial intelligence research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope to bring attention to experts and domain scientists the exciting area of ML-based data assimilation by presenting our paper,\u201d Chen said. \u201cOur work offers a new solution to address some of the key shortcomings in the area for broader applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESuccessful test results of a new machine learning (ML) technique developed at Georgia Tech could help communities prepare for extreme weather and coastal flooding. The approach could also be applied to other models that predict how natural systems impact society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ps789.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhillip Si\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~pchen402\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeng Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E developed Latent-EnSF, a technique that improves how ML models assimilate data to make predictions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn experiments predicting medium-range weather forecasting and shallow water wave propagation, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2409.00127\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELatent-EnSF\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E demonstrated higher accuracy, faster convergence, and greater efficiency than existing methods for sparse data assimilation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Phillip Si and Assistant Professor Peng Chen developed Latent-EnSF, a technique that improves how ML models assimilate data to make predictions."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-03-14 17:35:04","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 01:19:03","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676555":{"id":"676555","type":"image","title":"Latent-EnSF-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1741973802","gmt_created":"2025-03-14 17:36:42","changed":"1741973802","gmt_changed":"2025-03-14 17:36:42","alt":"Phillip Si and Peng Chen","file":{"fid":"260359","name":"Latent-EnSF-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":134191,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-2.jpg?itok=oOKjqW0A"}},"676556":{"id":"676556","type":"image","title":"Latent-EnSF-1.2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1741973828","gmt_created":"2025-03-14 17:37:08","changed":"1741973828","gmt_changed":"2025-03-14 17:37:08","alt":"Phillip Si and Peng Chen","file":{"fid":"260360","name":"Latent-EnSF-1.2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-1.2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-1.2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":46200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/14\/Latent-EnSF-1.2.jpg?itok=tepM_Qab"}}},"media_ids":["676555","676556"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/machine-learning-encoder-improves-weather-forecasting-and-tsunami-prediction","title":"Machine Learning Encoder Improves Weather Forecasting and Tsunami Prediction"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681151":{"#nid":"681151","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Organization Spotlight: ElectrifyGT","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectrifyGT is at the forefront of Georgia Tech\u2019s push for a cleaner future.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a student-led consulting organization, ElectrifyGT focuses on decarbonization strategies, aiming to replace fossil fuel or carbon-intensive campus infrastructure with electric alternatives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn alignment with Georgia Tech\u2019s ambitious goal to reach \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-climate-action-plan\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enet-zero emissions by 2050\u003C\/a\u003E, ElectrifyGT receives data from Institute departments and administrators, performing financial and carbon analyses to develop informed proposals.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re like a consulting group, but our only client is Georgia Tech,\u201d Khim Viravan, second-year electrical engineering major and president of ElectrifyGT, explained. \u201cOur mission is to raise the student body\u2019s awareness of electrification and work toward obtaining 100% campus electrification.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this, ElectrifyGT operates as a project-based organization, enabling members to work as consultants.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPast projects include securing two \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/03\/georgia-tech-police-department-energizes-patrol-fleet-electric-suvs-cloned\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFord Mustang Mach-E SUVs for the Georgia Tech Police D\u003C\/a\u003Eepartment as part of an ongoing effort to electrify campus fleets. In 2023, they submitted a Holland Plant electrification paper that won the Carbon Reduction Challenge for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business in the Scheller College of Business.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis semester, ElectrifyGT has five project teams focusing on fleet electrification analysis, regenerative elevators, building air conditioning efficiency, anaerobic digestion, and supercritical carbon dioxide mask sterilization.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe organization also engages its members by inviting guest speakers. In October, ElectrifyGT hosted Chad Bednar, Delta\u0027s senior global sustainability manager, to discuss the sustainability industry. This semester, they plan to host three speakers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen asked about the future of ElectrifyGT, Viravan discussed her hopes to scale their efforts beyond Georgia Tech\u2019s campus.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is our fourth year on campus, so we are a relatively new, smaller organization. I want to see member growth to expand the number of projects we do, but also to consult beyond campus to address the needs of the Atlanta metro area.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectrifyGT hosts its general body meetings every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 200, Scheller College of Business.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECheck out the organization on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/electrify-gt\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEngage\u003C\/a\u003E and at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/electrify_gt\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E@electrify_gt\u003C\/a\u003E on Instagram to learn more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElectrifyGT is at the forefront of Georgia Tech\u2019s push for a cleaner future.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ElectrifyGT is at the forefront of Georgia Tech\u2019s push for a cleaner future.  "}],"uid":"36652","created_gmt":"2025-03-13 16:37:03","changed_gmt":"2025-03-24 14:40:06","author":"erussell34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676543":{"id":"676543","type":"image","title":"thumbnail_IMG_2917.jpg","body":null,"created":"1741883845","gmt_created":"2025-03-13 16:37:25","changed":"1741883845","gmt_changed":"2025-03-13 16:37:25","alt":"Members of ElectrifyGT visiting Delta.","file":{"fid":"260345","name":"thumbnail_IMG_2917.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/13\/thumbnail_IMG_2917.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/13\/thumbnail_IMG_2917.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":491957,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/13\/thumbnail_IMG_2917.jpg?itok=uqVBcu0I"}}},"media_ids":["676543"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: stucomm@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Russell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680724":{"#nid":"680724","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Earth\u0027s Early Cycles Shaped the Chemistry of Life","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELed by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/loren-williams\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELoren Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (Georgia Institute of Technology) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mfp-lab.com\/copy-of-team\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoran Frenkel-Pinter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41557-025-01734-x\u0022\u003Epublished\u003C\/a\u003E in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Chemistry,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe team\u2019s paper investigates how chemical mixtures evolve over time, offering new insights into the origins of biological complexity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur research applies concepts from evolutionary biology to chemistry,\u201d explains Williams, a\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eprofessor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/loren-williams\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe know that everything in biology can be reduced to chemistry, but the idea of this paper is that in the right conditions, chemistry can evolve, too. We call this chemical evolution.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile much research has focused on individual chemical reactions that could lead to biological molecules, this study establishes an experimental model to explore how entire chemical systems evolve when exposed to environmental changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cChemical evolution is chemistry that keeps changing and doing new things,\u201d Williams explains. \u201cIt\u2019s unending chemical change, but with exploration of new chemical spaces. We wondered if we could set up a system that does that without introducing new molecules ourselves \u2014 instead we had the system oscillate between wet and dry conditions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn nature, these systems might look like a landscape where water condenses, and then dries out, over and over again \u2014 conditions that arise naturally from the day-night cycles of our planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom simple molecules to complex systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study identified three key findings \u2014 chemical systems can continuously evolve without reaching equilibrium, avoid uncontrolled complexity through selective chemical pathways, and exhibit synchronized population dynamics among different molecular species. This suggests that environmental factors played a key role in shaping the molecular complexity needed for life to emerge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis research offers a new perspective on how molecular evolution might have unfolded on early Earth,\u201d says Frenkel-Pinter, assistant professor in the Institute of Chemistry at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. \u201cBy demonstrating that chemical systems can self-organize and evolve in structured ways, we provide experimental evidence that may help bridge the gap between prebiotic chemistry and the emergence of biological molecules.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBeyond its relevance to origins-of-life research, the study\u2019s findings may have broader applications in synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Controlled chemical evolution could be harnessed to design new molecular systems with specific properties, potentially leading to innovations in materials science, drug development, and biotechnology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is shared jointly with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.huji.ac.il\/news\/how-earths-early-cycles-shaped-chemistry-life\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Enewsroom\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-02-25 20:40:13","changed_gmt":"2025-03-04 19:02:27","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676392":{"id":"676392","type":"image","title":"In the Painted Desert of Northern Arizona (shown here in a palette of purples), wet-dry cycling has contributed to the formation of the colorful layers visible in the landscape. (Credit: USGS)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the Painted Desert of Northern Arizona (shown here in a palette of purples), wet-dry cycling has contributed to the formation of the colorful layers visible in the landscape. (Credit: USGS)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740516020","gmt_created":"2025-02-25 20:40:20","changed":"1740516020","gmt_changed":"2025-02-25 20:40:20","alt":"In the Painted Desert of Northern Arizona (shown here in a palette of purples), wet-dry cycling has contributed to the formation of the colorful layers visible in the landscape. (Credit: USGS)","file":{"fid":"260176","name":"usgs-PqP_d9duxpk-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/25\/usgs-PqP_d9duxpk-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/25\/usgs-PqP_d9duxpk-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7061101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/25\/usgs-PqP_d9duxpk-unsplash.jpg?itok=TM5R0MHV"}}},"media_ids":["676392"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/en.huji.ac.il\/news\/how-earths-early-cycles-shaped-chemistry-life","title":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: How Earth\u0027s Early Cycles Shaped the Chemistry of Life"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680745":{"#nid":"680745","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Using Hemp in Building Insulation Could Make Structures Greener, Create Jobs, and Be a Profitable Industry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a fairly niche product now, but a new study from Georgia Tech engineers suggests insulation made from hemp fibers could be a viable industry in the U.S., creating jobs, a manufacturing base, and greener homes and buildings at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking the switch could slash the impact of one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: Buildings account for roughly 1\/5 of emissions globally. By some estimates, using hemp-based products would reduce the environmental impact of insulation by 90% or more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech researchers\u2019 work, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jclepro.2025.144952\u0022\u003Ereported this month in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Cleaner Production\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is one of the first studies to evaluate the potential for scaling up U.S. production and availability of hemp-based insulation products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/02\/using-hemp-building-insulation-could-make-structures-greener-create-jobs-and-be\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead about their findings on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECEE researchers\u2019 analysis outlines path to a U.S. construction market for hemp-based fibers, which are already used for clothing and biodegradable plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CEE researchers\u2019 analysis outlines path to a U.S. construction market for hemp-based fibers, which are already used for clothing and biodegradable plastics."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2025-02-26 17:43:27","changed_gmt":"2025-02-27 15:18:01","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676407":{"id":"676407","type":"image","title":"Hemp-Insulation-Analysis-Farmer-Menon-Bozeman-Ramshankar-9881-h.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left, Kelly Farmer, Akanksha Menon, Joe Bozeman, and Arjun Ramshankar with a package of traditional fiberglass insulation and a rack holding samples of potential hemp-based insulation materials created by graduate student Elyssa Ferguson in Menon\u0027s lab. The team has published an analysis outlining a path toward a viable hemp-based building insulation market in the U.S. Hemp insulation can be used in place of traditional fiberglass batt insulation and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, but hemp materials currently cost twice as much. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740591818","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 17:43:38","changed":"1740669465","gmt_changed":"2025-02-27 15:17:45","alt":"Four researchers standing in a lab with a large roll of fiberglass insulation and a wooden rack holding small bags of hemp fiber-based insulation materials. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)","file":{"fid":"260191","name":"Hemp-Insulation-Analysis-Farmer-Menon-Bozeman-Ramshankar-9881-h.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Hemp-Insulation-Analysis-Farmer-Menon-Bozeman-Ramshankar-9881-h.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Hemp-Insulation-Analysis-Farmer-Menon-Bozeman-Ramshankar-9881-h.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1324395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/Hemp-Insulation-Analysis-Farmer-Menon-Bozeman-Ramshankar-9881-h.jpg?itok=El674a7d"}}},"media_ids":["676407"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191939","name":"Joe Bozeman"},{"id":"193544","name":"Akanksha Menon"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680735":{"#nid":"680735","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Algorithms Developed at Georgia Tech are Lunar Bound","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the past five years, five lunar landers have launched into space, marking a series of first successful landings in decades. The future will see more of these type of missions, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/artemis\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENASA\u2019s Artemis program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and various private ventures. These missions need reliable and quick navigation abilities to successfully complete missions, especially if ground stations on Earth are overburdened or disconnected.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seal.ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Exploration and Analysis Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (SEAL) has developed new algorithms that are headed to the Moon, as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.intuitivemachines.com\/im-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntuitive Machine\u2019s\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E IM-2 mission. The mission is sending a Nova-C class lunar lander named Athena to the Moon\u2019s south pole region to test technologies and collect data that aim to enable future exploration. The mission is part of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/commercial-lunar-payload-services\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENASA\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CLPS) initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESEAL\u2019s Space Odyssey\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESEAL, led by AE professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-christian\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Christian\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, collaborated with Intuitive Machines to develop algorithms to guide Athena to the Shackleton crater: a region known for its limited sunlight and cold temperatures. In coordination with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.spacex.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpaceX\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, launch of the company\u2019s IM-2 mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than February 26 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAthena will transport NASA\u0027s\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/polar-resources-ice-mining-experiment-1-prime-1\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPRIME-1\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1) which includes two instruments: a drill and spectrometer. The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) is designed to drill up to three feet of lunar surface to extract soil, while the mass spectrometer (MSOLO) will measure the amount of ice in the soil samples.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter launch, Athena will separate from the rocket and begin a roughly five-to-four-day cruise to the Moon\u2019s orbit. The lander will orbit the Moon for approximately three to 1.5 days before its descent to the south pole.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Fall 2022, Research Engineer \u003Cstrong\u003EAva Thrasher\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(AE 2022, M.S. AE 2024)\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ebegan working on IM-2, developing new algorithms to guide Athena to the Shackleton crater using optical terrain relative navigation (TRN). Her approach looked at developing a crater detection algorithm (CDA) using image processing techniques that capture crater center locations on the Moon which are then used to determine Athena\u0027s position estimations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, she developed a crater identification algorithm (CIA) to match craters found in the image to a catalog of known lunar craters. By using CDA and CIA in tandem, Athena is able to estimate its location and orientation with a single photo, autonomously, and in real-time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to strike a balance between creating something that would be done quickly on board, but also something that was reliable,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe ended up using simple crater geometry and knowledge of the sun angle to render what we expect a crater to look like in the image.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CDA finds craters by calculating a similarity score between the image and the rendered crater at each image pixel point. This process, also known as template matching, marks crater centers at points of very high similarity. CIA then uses these crater center locations to match them with known craters in a catalog. By matching pixel locations in an image to known three-dimensional positions on the Moon, the spacecraft is able to produce an estimation of its position.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter two years of research and testing, Thrasher, Christian, and the Intuitive Machines team successfully demonstrated the CDA and CIA on synthetic imagery and Thrasher handed off the algorithms to Intuitive Machines to convert them into flight software for Athena.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe first got involved with optical navigation (OPNAV) research after she took AE 4342: Senior Design with Prof. Christian as an undergraduate student. \u201cI found optical navigation to be really interesting. I liked the idea of being able to figure out where you are and how you\u2019re moving in real-time based on a picture,\u201d she said. In Fall 2022, she started her first graduate semester at Tech and was a new member of SEAL, where she quickly began demonstrating the idea of detecting craters and prototyping the CDA and CIA programmed into Athena. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter she graduated with her master\u2019s degree in aerospace engineering in May 2024, \u0026nbsp;she loved what she did so much, that she decided to stay and work as a full-time research engineer in SEAL. Now, she\u2019s gearing up to see her work make its way to the Moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s been really exciting and humbling to contribute to the massive task of putting a lander on the Moon. I never really appreciated the scale of work and collaboration needed to make it happen until I was lucky enough to be a part of it. I\u0027ll certainly be watching the launch and tracking the mission with great anticipation of both the engineering and scientific results,\u201d said Thrasher.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIM-1 Makes History\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of a multi-year collaboration, Christian helped \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/02\/georgia-tech-algorithm-headed-moon\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Edevelop a key navigation algorithm for Intuitive Machines\u2019 first space mission (IM-1\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) which launched a Nova-C lunar lander named Odysseus to the Malapert A crater on the Moon\u2019s south pole region; about 11 miles away from IM-2\u2019s targeted Shackleton crater.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IM-1 mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 15, 2024 and soft-landed on the Moon on February 22, 2024---making Odysseus the first U.S. lunar landing since the Apollo program and the first-ever successful commercial lunar landing. Odysseus had a rougher-than-expected soft landing due to an anomaly with the altimeter that was supposed to provide insight into the lander\u2019s height above the lunar surface. In the absence of these altimeter measurements, Odysseus relied critically on the visual odometry technique that was jointly developed by Christian and Intuitive Machines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite these challenges, Odysseus captured images of the Moon during landing and operated on the lunar surface for 144 hours before entering standby mode.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Christian and SEAL have more projects on the horizon to develop new technologies for exploring our Moon, other planets, asteroids, and the solar system. These technologies will enable future scientific missions to safely explore challenging destinations and answer scientific questions that were impossible with yesterday\u2019s technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seal.ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Exploration and Analysis Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (SEAL) has developed new algorithms that are headed to the Moon, as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.intuitivemachines.com\/im-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntuitive Machine\u2019s\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E IM-2 mission. The mission is sending a Nova-C class lunar lander named Athena to the Moon\u2019s south pole region to test technologies and collect data that aim to enable future exploration. The mission is part of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/commercial-lunar-payload-services\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENASA\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CLPS) initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESEAL, led by Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Christian\u003C\/strong\u003E, collaborated with Intuitive Machines to develop algorithms to guide Athena to the Shackleton crater: a region known for its limited sunlight and cold temperatures. Research Engineer \u003Cstrong\u003EAva Thrasher\u003C\/strong\u003E (AE 2022, M.S. AE 2024) led Georgia Tech\u0027s SEAL team on developing the algorithms used for Athena\u0027s flight software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AE researchers have developed new algorithms to help Intuitive Machine\u2019s lunar lander find water ice on the Moon.  "}],"uid":"34736","created_gmt":"2025-02-26 16:19:31","changed_gmt":"2025-02-26 16:27:39","author":"Kelsey Gulledge","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676397":{"id":"676397","type":"image","title":"54284511327_9ca21c7337_o.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntuitive Machines\u0027 IM-2 mission lunar lander, Athena, in the company\u0027s Lunar Production and Operations Center. Credit: Intuitive Machines\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1740586783","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 16:19:43","changed":"1740586783","gmt_changed":"2025-02-26 16:19:43","alt":"Intuitive Machines\u0027 IM-2 mission lunar lander, Athena, in the company\u0027s Lunar Production and Operations Center. Credit: Intuitive Machines","file":{"fid":"260181","name":"54284511327_9ca21c7337_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/54284511327_9ca21c7337_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/54284511327_9ca21c7337_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5213520,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/54284511327_9ca21c7337_o.jpg?itok=-2RtZOQq"}},"676398":{"id":"676398","type":"image","title":"Christian-John.jpg","body":null,"created":"1740586840","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 16:20:40","changed":"1740586840","gmt_changed":"2025-02-26 16:20:40","alt":"Headshot of John Christian, AE School Professor","file":{"fid":"260182","name":"Christian-John.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Christian-John.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Christian-John.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1385478,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/Christian-John.jpg?itok=E0GH0VXB"}},"676399":{"id":"676399","type":"image","title":"HeadShotThrasher.JPG","body":null,"created":"1740586878","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 16:21:18","changed":"1740586878","gmt_changed":"2025-02-26 16:21:18","alt":"Headshot of Ava Thrasher, AE School alumna and research engineer","file":{"fid":"260183","name":"HeadShotThrasher.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/HeadShotThrasher.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/HeadShotThrasher.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":630760,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/HeadShotThrasher.JPG?itok=P_w4muA9"}},"676401":{"id":"676401","type":"image","title":"AAS_2024_CraterDetection_final-2.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIllustration of the steps used to detect and identify craters to ultimately determine the vehicles state estimation. Credit: Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1740587067","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 16:24:27","changed":"1740587067","gmt_changed":"2025-02-26 16:24:27","alt":"Illustration of the steps used to detect and identify craters to ultimately determine the vehicles state estimation. Credit: Georgia Tech ","file":{"fid":"260185","name":"AAS_2024_CraterDetection_final-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/AAS_2024_CraterDetection_final-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/AAS_2024_CraterDetection_final-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":201361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/AAS_2024_CraterDetection_final-2.png?itok=neltaeuF"}}},"media_ids":["676397","676398","676399","676401"],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelsey Gulledge\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kelsey.gulledge@aerospace.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680641":{"#nid":"680641","#data":{"type":"news","title":"LA Fires Trigger Temporary Spike in Airborne Lead Levels","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Los Angeles fires quickly spread starting Jan. 7, with wind gusts approaching 100 mph, scientists observed a 110-fold rise in airborne lead levels. This spike had receded by Jan. 11.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fires enabled the first real-time data on airborne lead, thanks to a pioneering air quality measurement network known as Atmospheric Science and Chemistry (ASCENT), a nationwide initiative funded by the National Science Foundation, operating in 12 sites across the U.S. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ascent.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EASCENT\u003C\/a\u003E measured tiny particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) \u2014 small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. Unlike typical wildfires that burn natural materials such as grass and trees, the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires burned through infrastructures like homes, including painted surfaces, pipes, vehicles, plastics, and electronic equipment. This raised concerns about the toxicity of these particles in the air, especially since many of the buildings were constructed before 1978, when lead paint was still commonly used.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELead is a toxic air contaminant that poses significant health risks, particularly for children, who are more vulnerable to its neurodevelopmental effects. While chronic lead exposure is well-documented, the effects of short-term spikes, like those recorded during these fires, are less understood.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur work through ASCENT,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ESally Ng\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s Love Family Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the network\u2019s principal investigator, \u201chas provided us with new insights into the air we breathe, with unprecedented levels of detail and time resolution. Beyond the mass concentration of PM2.5 that is typically measured, we are now able to detect a wide range of chemical components in the aerosols in real time, to better understand and evaluate to what extent one is exposed to harmful pollutants.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInvestigators used several instruments to obtain hourly measurements at the ASCENT monitoring site in Pico Rivera, approximately 14 miles south of the Eaton Canyon fire, to assess atmospheric lead during the wildfires.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings showcased the importance of having real-time measurements of the chemical species that comprise particulate matter,\u201d said California Institute of Technology Ph.D. candidate in atmospheric chemistry and ASPIRE researcher Haroula Baliaka. \u201cDuring the LA fires, we provided the public with timely information about what they were breathing and how air quality evolved in the days that followed.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research has been published in the CDC\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/74\/wr\/mm7405a4.htm?s_cid=mm7405a4_w\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the Los Angeles fires quickly spread starting Jan. 7 and wind gusts approached 100 mph, scientists observed a 110-fold rise in airborne lead levels. This spike had receded by Jan. 11.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The fires enabled the first real-time data on airborne lead, thanks to a pioneering air quality measurement network."}],"uid":"36573","created_gmt":"2025-02-20 19:46:27","changed_gmt":"2025-02-24 16:37:13","author":"aprendiville3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676361":{"id":"676361","type":"image","title":"The Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasurement NeTwork (ASCENT) site collects real-time data during the Los Angeles wildfires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasurement NeTwork (ASCENT) site collects real-time data during the Los Angeles wildfires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740151674","gmt_created":"2025-02-21 15:27:54","changed":"1740152990","gmt_changed":"2025-02-21 15:49:50","alt":"The Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasurement NeTwork (ASCENT) site collects real-time data during the Los Angeles wildfires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka","file":{"fid":"260134","name":"WhatsApp-Image-2025-02-06-at-08.56.50.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-02-06-at-08.56.50.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-02-06-at-08.56.50.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":146018,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-02-06-at-08.56.50.jpeg?itok=BFTgfKQ1"}},"676360":{"id":"676360","type":"image","title":"Investigators used measurements recorded hourly at the ASCENT monitoring site in Pico Rivera, approximately 14 miles south of the Eaton Canyon fire, to assess atmospheric lead during the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka","body":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestigators used measurements recorded hourly at the ASCENT monitoring site in Pico Rivera, approximately 14 miles south of the Eaton Canyon fire, to assess atmospheric lead during the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740151574","gmt_created":"2025-02-21 15:26:14","changed":"1740151574","gmt_changed":"2025-02-21 15:26:14","alt":"Investigators used measurements recorded hourly at the ASCENT monitoring site in Pico Rivera, approximately 14 miles south of the Eaton Canyon fire, to assess atmospheric lead during the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka","file":{"fid":"260133","name":"403755238_885266183265183_29513148794895043_n--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/403755238_885266183265183_29513148794895043_n--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/403755238_885266183265183_29513148794895043_n--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":138391,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/21\/403755238_885266183265183_29513148794895043_n--1-.jpg?itok=tcYL7Vsk"}},"676362":{"id":"676362","type":"image","title":"The ASCENT facility in Pico Rivera is equipped with a range of aerosol measurement instruments, including the Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for non-refractory aerosols, Xact for detecting trace metals, Aethalometer for assessing black\/brown c","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe ASCENT facility in Pico Rivera is equipped with a range of aerosol measurement instruments, including the Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for non-refractory aerosols, Xact for detecting trace metals, Aethalometer for assessing black\/brown carbon, and the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to analyze aerosol size distribution and concentration. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740151710","gmt_created":"2025-02-21 15:28:30","changed":"1740151710","gmt_changed":"2025-02-21 15:28:30","alt":"The ASCENT facility in Pico Rivera is equipped with a range of aerosol measurement instruments, including the Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for non-refractory aerosols, Xact for detecting trace metals, Aethalometer for assessing black\/brown carbon, and the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to analyze aerosol size distribution and concentration. Courtesy: Haroula Baliaka","file":{"fid":"260135","name":"WhatsApp-Image-2025-01-26-at-17.50.04.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-01-26-at-17.50.04.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-01-26-at-17.50.04.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":205519,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/21\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-01-26-at-17.50.04.jpeg?itok=rH_i0D2e"}}},"media_ids":["676361","676360","676362"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: aprendiville@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAngela Barajas Prendiville\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDirector, Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680524":{"#nid":"680524","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research Targets \u2018Forever Chemicals\u2019 in Drinking Water","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESomeday, your drinking water could be completely free of toxic \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese chemicals, called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are found in common household items like makeup, nonstick cookware, dental floss, batteries, and food packaging. PFAS permeate the soil, water, food, and air, and they can remain in the environment for millennia. Once inside the human body, PFAS can persist for years, suppressing the immune system and increasing cancer risk.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, armed with a cutting-edge machine learning (ML) model, are spearheading a multi-university initiative. Their goal? To design a better membrane that efficiently removes PFAS from drinking water, a significant source of human exposure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMore than \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/forever-chemicals-are-widespread-in-u-s-drinking-water\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E200 million Americans\u003C\/a\u003E in all 50 states are affected by PFAS in drinking water, with 1,400 communities having levels above health experts\u2019 safety thresholds,\u201d noted the study\u2019s principal investigator \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/yongsheng-chen\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman IV Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Chen also directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newcenter.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENutrients, Energy, and Water Center for Agriculture Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, or NEW Center. \u201cOur research aims to provide a scalable, efficient, and sustainable solution for mitigating these toxic chemicals\u2019 impact on human health and the environment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting work, funded with over $10 million in multiyear grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Science Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-55320-9\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Erecently published\u003C\/a\u003E in \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESewage Treatment Limitations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EConventional water treatment processes are ineffective at removing PFAS. Too often, traditional cleansing methods, such as using chlorine to kill pathogens in water, create harmful byproducts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSolving one problem creates another problem,\u201d said Chen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe has already used ML and artificial intelligence in precision agriculture to monitor nutrient levels in plants and insists that tackling PFAS removal similarly requires new approaches. Rather than treating an entire body of water, Chen\u2019s team first separated PFAS from the water stream. Success depended on finding the right membrane material to isolate the chemicals in the water.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChen relied on a team of 10 Ph.D. students and nine research scientists to perform the ML modeling. In addition to Georgia Tech, two other schools contributed people and laboratory expertise. The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM) validated the model with molecular simulations, while Arizona State University (ASU) trained it using data from scientific literature and their lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cApplying machine learning to membrane separation represents an exciting frontier for environmental engineering,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/search.asu.edu\/profile\/5134153\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETiezheng Tong\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor of environmental engineering in ASU\u2019s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is another step in tackling PFAS pollution, a widespread problem that has recently received significant public attention due to PFAS\u2019 toxic nature and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pfas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe recent EPA ruling on PFAS in drinking water\u003C\/a\u003E, he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy integrating with molecular simulation tools, we can better understand PFAS transport across nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes, pushing the boundary of fundamental science relating to membrane separation,\u201d Tong said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EML Accelerates Membrane-Material Discoveries\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUsing ML modeling significantly sped up the discovery process. For instance, one Ph.D. student in Chen\u2019s lab used trial and error over two years to pinpoint one promising membrane. Machine learning modeling allowed the team to find eight membrane candidates 10 to 20 times faster, reducing discovery time from years to a few months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur molecular dynamics simulations reveal that electrostatic interactions, size exclusion, and dehydration play critical roles in governing the transport of PFAS molecules across polyamide membranes,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/directory.engr.wisc.edu\/me\/Faculty\/Li_Ying\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EYing Li\u003C\/a\u003E explained. Li is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UWM. \u201cThese calculations indicate that electrostatic interactions dominate PFAS rejection, with charged functional groups significantly influencing transport behavior. The simulation results provide fundamental insights that align with ML predictions, highlighting the key molecular determinants of PFAS removal efficiency.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAddressing PFAS Exposure in Agriculture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBy addressing PFAS contamination, this research could also benefit the agriculture industry, which depends on fertilizer sourced from water treatment plants. Wastewater biosolids are processed into fertilizer, offering farmers and ranchers a cheaper alternative to chemical fertilizers. Unfortunately, PFAS-tainted fertilizers from sewage sludge have contaminated significant amounts of land and livestock. Industry groups \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/news-insights\/news\/2025\/01\/forever-chemicals-sludge-may-taint-nearly-70-million-farmland-acres\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eestimate\u003C\/a\u003E that almost 70 million acres of U.S. farmland could be contaminated by these forever chemicals.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy funding this research, the USDA hopes that an effective membrane will help the United States reclaim this crucial resource.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSynthesizing a very smart membrane to get rid of PFAS also allows us to recover the fertilizer from municipal wastewater treatment plants,\u201d Chen said. \u201cSuch a membrane could enable us to get rid of things we don\u2019t want and keep the things we need, so we can keep the water for irrigation or other applications.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEliminating PFAS in fertilizers also could help address the mismatch of food and water demand in urban versus rural areas since 80% of the demand resides in cities. PFAS removal could directly support urban area resource recovery and food production.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is achieving a circular economy where materials never become waste, and nature is regenerated,\u201d Chen said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe team will fine-tune the model and add more data to improve its training features. Chen will synthesize membranes in his lab to further test the model\u0027s PFAS removal predictions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, scientists have found ways to remove long chains of PFAS, but the shorter chains of these chemicals persist, explained Chen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we can better understand the mechanism, we\u2019ll be able to design a good material membrane to get rid of all PFAS. That could be game-changing.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u2014 By Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis work is partially supported by the NSF (Award Nos. 2112533, 2427299, 2345543, Y.C.; 2448130, T.T.; and 2345542, Y.L.).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EY.C. acknowledges the financial support by the USDA (Award No.2018\u221268011-28371), NSF-USDA (Award No. 2020-67021-31526), and EPA (Award No. 840080010).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ET.T. acknowledges the support of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch Project COL00799, accession 1022591).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EY.L. acknowledges the financial support by the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI), funded by the US DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Advanced Manufacturing Office, under Funding Opportunity announcement Number DE-FOA-0001905, through a subcontract to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Yongsheng Chen leads a multi-university team using machine learning to discover PFAS-removing membranes.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Yongsheng Chen leads a multi-university team using machine learning to discover PFAS-removing membranes."}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2025-02-17 00:52:24","changed_gmt":"2025-02-17 00:57:23","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676298":{"id":"676298","type":"image","title":"Yongsheng Chen","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYongsheng Chen, Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman IV Professor in environmental engineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739751941","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 00:25:41","changed":"1739752209","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 00:30:09","alt":"Yongsheng Chen","file":{"fid":"260055","name":"Yongsheng Chen 1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/Yongsheng%20Chen%201.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/Yongsheng%20Chen%201.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":174300,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/16\/Yongsheng%20Chen%201.jpg?itok=-sQvCwu-"}},"676297":{"id":"676297","type":"image","title":"Ying Li","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYing Li, associate professor of mechanical engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739751222","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 00:13:42","changed":"1739751397","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 00:16:37","alt":"Ying Li","file":{"fid":"260054","name":"Li-Ying_F6A9535.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/Li-Ying_F6A9535.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/Li-Ying_F6A9535.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1517044,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/16\/Li-Ying_F6A9535.jpg?itok=n18Gz3VA"}},"676296":{"id":"676296","type":"image","title":"Tiezheng Tong","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETiezheng Tong, associate professor of environmental engineering at Arizona State University\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1739750867","gmt_created":"2025-02-17 00:07:47","changed":"1739751036","gmt_changed":"2025-02-17 00:10:36","alt":"Tiezheng Tong","file":{"fid":"260053","name":"NewFacultyHeadshots-1200x1200-Tiezheng-Tong-1024x1024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/NewFacultyHeadshots-1200x1200-Tiezheng-Tong-1024x1024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/16\/NewFacultyHeadshots-1200x1200-Tiezheng-Tong-1024x1024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114014,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/16\/NewFacultyHeadshots-1200x1200-Tiezheng-Tong-1024x1024.jpg?itok=KPieisE_"}}},"media_ids":["676298","676297","676296"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith | Director of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["swundersmith3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"663693":{"#nid":"663693","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Department of Energy Awards Georgia Tech Grant for Energyshed Project","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, the U.S. energy generation, transmission, and distribution model has been developed and planned around large-scale power plants that combust fossil fuels to create power that is then transferred to population centers via a network of powerlines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the recent and rapid growth of distributed renewable technologies \u2014 wind, solar, and hydropower, and storage assets like batteries \u2014 a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology is reimagining the planning paradigm for electric power infrastructure. The hope is to help shape new models that are better suited to community needs and include input and decision-making at the local level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs envisioned, the Georgia Energyshed (G-SHED) will analyze the benefits, costs, and effects of various electricity generation, distribution, and usage-and-demand scenarios via use-case tests and modeling. That data will then be used to inform policy decisions at the local level and the implementation of new ideas for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaregional.org\/browse\/?browse=topic\u0026amp;topic=atlanta-region\u0026amp;subtopic=county-profiles\u0026amp;type=\u0026amp;\u0022\u003E11-county metro Atlanta area\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;as defined by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaregional.org\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Regional Commission (ARC)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s unique about this proposal is we\u2019re using this funding to explore a new planning mechanism that would really listen to the voices of these communities around their energy matrix,\u201d said Richard Simmons, director of research and studies at Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute.\u0026nbsp;Simmons is the project\u0027s principal investigator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnnounced\u0026nbsp;on November 2, the energyshed award is part of the federal agency\u2019s push to encourage a regional approach to understanding local energy demands and needs \u2014 and the best solutions to solve them tailored to those communities. Through its Office of Energy Efficiency \u0026amp; Renewable Energy, the DOE funding is part of a wider strategy to help communities understand the impacts and benefits of consuming energy that they generate locally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe idea is not only to better include these communities in the conversation, but demonstrate that they can realize more local benefits from their and input and decisions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading the initiative is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy, Policy, and Innovation Center (EPICenter)\u003C\/a\u003E. An arm of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, EPICenter is tasked with marrying innovation with energy technology and policy; contributing to sound recommendations for the Southeast through unbiased research and analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis grant is ideally suited for the mission of the EPICenter, which really tries to take leading energy technology and apply it in a local context that is mindful of the economic and social implications,\u201d Simmons said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team also includes researchers from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of City and Regional Planning\u003C\/a\u003E, and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo conduct the work, Georgia Tech is collaborating with key partners: the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), which has engaged in similar planning and modeling processes for regional water and transportation usage and trends; and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southface.org\/\u0022\u003ESouthface Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, a sustainability non-profit with extensive experience in outreach, and community engagement research. Another nonprofit, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psequity.org\/\u0022\u003EPartnership for Southern Equity\u003C\/a\u003E, has also provided a letter endorsing the initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Approach to Resource Management\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe G-SHED idea is modeled after the watershed concept, which takes a regional, solutions-based approach to address water demand and usage at the community level. Much like watersheds, where water collection, processing, distribution, use, and discharge is determined at the community level, Simmons said the idea is to explore how a similar approach can be valid for planning and infrastructure related to energy systems, such as electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere do appear to be some critical advantages by looking at local generation, consumption and even storage of renewable energy,\u201d said Simmons.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThat might help not only meet the needs of the local populace, but it could have conversion efficiency benefits and have more direct impact on both the economic and environmental wellness of the area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile individual people and organizations already make energy-related decisions \u2014 consumers buying electric vehicles or developers erecting green or sustainable office buildings, for example \u2014 there\u2019s greater impact when broadened to the community or regional level, said Joe Hagerman, EPICenter director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo, when decisions are made, they are being made at a community level and capture a more representative local understanding. That information can be shared both upstream and downstream to the utilities, planners, and policymakers,\u201d Hagerman said. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to create a tool that will help people make those decisions in a more holistic way, rather than making it all individually.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnsuring All Voices Are Heard\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA key component of the G-SHED effort is to ensure all communities are included in the regional energy planning and decision-making processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarilyn Brown, Regents\u2019 Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy, has conducted pioneering work on energy burdens in the Southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is balanced growth and shared prosperity in the Atlanta metropolitan area by helping local communities and neighborhoods,\u201d Brown said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Southface Institute and ARC will leverage novel socio-technical tools developed by Georgia Tech to assess ways metro Atlanta can ensure all residents benefit from the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy economy. The team will survey community groups about energy use and service options, access to rate plans, ease of understanding electric bills, and familiarity with community energy options. Then, they will build an online toolkit to address these needs and help them learn how to use it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFocusing on that aspect is critical to the overall project\u2019s success because rising energy and utility costs fall disproportionately on those who can least afford them and yet have limited influence in the decision making,\u201d said Chandra Farley, the city of Atlanta\u2019s chief sustainability officer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENationally, Atlanta is 4th\u0026nbsp;highest in median energy burden levels (behind Memphis, New Orleans, and Birmingham, respectively) and 3rd\u0026nbsp;highest among low-income household populations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvaluating energy needs at the local and metro area level with direct input from the communities who have typically had no voice in energy decision making is an important tool in energy planning,\u201d Farley said. \u201cThe work that Georgia Tech is leading on energysheds will support community-informed energy planning and reinforce our efforts in the city of Atlanta to address energy affordability and advance access to the benefits of renewable energy projects leading to healthier communities and economic empowerment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy award,\u0026nbsp;announced\u0026nbsp;on November 2, is part of the federal agency\u2019s push to encourage a regional approach to understanding local energy demands and needs.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy, Policy, and Innovation Center leads effort to develop new energy planning models for metro Atlanta"}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2022-12-07 15:58:52","changed_gmt":"2025-02-11 19:24:42","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"664250":{"id":"664250","type":"image","title":"Atlanta Energyshed","body":null,"created":"1672169152","gmt_created":"2022-12-27 19:25:52","changed":"1672169152","gmt_changed":"2022-12-27 19:25:52","alt":"Atlanta city skyline","file":{"fid":"251394","name":"thumbnail_PastedGraphic-22.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thumbnail_PastedGraphic-22.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thumbnail_PastedGraphic-22.png","mime":"image\/png","size":230938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thumbnail_PastedGraphic-22.png?itok=tyxHEGxS"}},"657795":{"id":"657795","type":"image","title":"Marilyn Brown headshot","body":null,"created":"1651240925","gmt_created":"2022-04-29 14:02:05","changed":"1651241034","gmt_changed":"2022-04-29 14:03:54","alt":"Marilyn Brown, Regents\u0027 and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy","file":{"fid":"249330","name":"Marilyn A Brown DSC_2963.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Marilyn%20A%20Brown%20DSC_2963.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Marilyn%20A%20Brown%20DSC_2963.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":341650,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Marilyn%20A%20Brown%20DSC_2963.jpg?itok=KqXX5hPQ"}},"664251":{"id":"664251","type":"image","title":"Clone of Rich Simmons Portrait","body":null,"created":"1672169500","gmt_created":"2022-12-27 19:31:40","changed":"1672169500","gmt_changed":"2022-12-27 19:31:40","alt":"Portrait of Rich Simmons","file":{"fid":"247014","name":"Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2669610,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015.jpg?itok=tCFgkujG"}},"664252":{"id":"664252","type":"image","title":"Clone of Joseph Hagerman Portrait","body":null,"created":"1672169764","gmt_created":"2022-12-27 19:36:04","changed":"1672169764","gmt_changed":"2022-12-27 19:36:04","alt":"Portrait of Joseph Hagerman,\u00a0Director of the Energy, Policy, and Innovation Institute (EPICenter).","file":{"fid":"249649","name":"Joe_Hagerman_cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Joe_Hagerman_cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Joe_Hagerman_cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":981391,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Joe_Hagerman_cropped.jpg?itok=Mo-tRulD"}}},"media_ids":["664250","657795","664251","664252"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191718","name":"energyshed"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"330","name":"Marilyn Brown"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"191719","name":"Joe Hagerman"},{"id":"188484","name":"Richard Simmons"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeralte C. Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003Eperalte.paul@comm.gatech.edu\u003Cbr\u003E404.316.1210\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679437":{"#nid":"679437","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI\u2019s Energy Demands Spark Nuclear Revival","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe demand for electricity to power AI data centers is skyrocketing, placing immense pressure on traditional energy sources.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we continue pursuing clean energy for AI and data centers, we will need to triple the energy supply for data centers by 2030,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/erickson\u0022\u003EWoodruff Professor Anna Erickson, a nuclear engineering expert from Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E. Nuclear power, with its high energy density and continuous operation, is well-suited to provide the steady base load of electricity required.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Erickson, the recent headlines of the restarting of Pennsylvania\u2019s Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor (TMI-1) could play a crucial role in meeting these demands sustainably.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis decision, supported by a 20-year agreement with Microsoft, aims to provide carbon-free energy to meet the escalating power demands of AI data centers. The company\u2019s goal to be carbon negative by 2030 aligns with the broader push for sustainable energy solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/nuclear\/us-nuclear-industry.php\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUnited States Energy Information Administration\u003C\/a\u003E, as of Aug. 1, 2023, the United States has 93 operating commercial nuclear reactors across 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states. The most recent reactor to begin commercial operation is Unit 4 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia, which started on April 29, 2024.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe commercial start of Unit 4 completes the 11-year expansion project at Plant Vogtle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Historic Site With a New Mission\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree Mile Island, infamous for the 1979 partial meltdown of its Unit 2 reactor, has remained a symbol of nuclear caution. However, the reopening of TMI-1, which operated safely for decades before its 2019 shutdown due to financial constraints, represents a potential renaissance for nuclear power. The plant\u2019s revival is seen as a strategic move to address the increasing strain on conventional electricity grids, exacerbated by the energy-intensive needs of AI technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpert Insights on Safety and Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErickson stresses the importance of rigorous safety measures and technological upgrades in the reopening process.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cReopening TMI-1 will require addressing several critical safety concerns, primarily focused on aging infrastructure and modern regulatory standards,\u201d she explains. Comprehensive inspections and upgrades to emergency cooling, radiation monitoring, and digital control systems will be essential to ensure structural integrity and operational reliability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErickson notes, \u201cWe can expect to see developments in advanced radiation detection, novel sensors, and AI-driven security systems.\u201d These technologies not only enhance safety but also improve the efficiency and reliability of nuclear power plants. She also highlights the potential for innovative advancements in reactor technology.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic and Environmental Implications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reopening of TMI-1 is expected to bring notable economic advantages. According to Erickson, upgrading existing infrastructure is likely to be more cost-effective than new construction and can be completed more quickly.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe implications of restarting are significant,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt supports clean energy goals and provides a reliable power source for the growing needs of data centers.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental considerations are also paramount. The plant\u2019s carbon-free energy production aligns with efforts to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNuclear energy is a clean and reliable power source that can help us achieve our climate goals while meeting the growing energy demands of AI,\u201d Erickson emphasizes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPublic Perception and Regulatory Oversight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the potential benefits, public perception of nuclear energy remains cautious, primarily due to historical incidents like the Three Mile Island accident. Erickson acknowledges these concerns and indicates the importance of transparent regulatory oversight and effective communication. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe says the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) \u201cdoes a lot to ensure safety and security, but as experts, we need to do a better job of explaining technological advances and the benefits of nuclear energy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reopening of TMI-1 is subject to approval from the NRC and other regulatory bodies, ensuring that all safety and environmental standards are met.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWoodruff Professor Anna Erickson from Georgia Tech emphasizes the increasing energy demands of AI data centers, which are putting pressure on traditional energy sources and prompting a shift towards nuclear power for its high energy density and continuous operation. The reopening of Pennsylvania\u2019s Three Mile Island Unit 1, supported by a 20-year agreement with Microsoft, aims to provide a steady, carbon-free energy supply to meet these demands. This move aligns with Microsoft\u0027s goal to be carbon negative by 2030 and represents a strategic effort to address the strain on conventional electricity grids. Despite public caution due to historical incidents, Erickson stresses the importance of safety measures and technological upgrades to ensure the plant\u0027s reliability and efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Anna Erickson highlights the reopening of Three Mile Island Unit 1 as a crucial step in meeting the growing energy demands of AI data centers with carbon-free nuclear power, aligning with Microsoft\u0027s sustainability goals."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2025-01-10 17:56:16","changed_gmt":"2025-01-17 15:10:54","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675990":{"id":"675990","type":"image","title":"Three Mile Island","body":null,"created":"1736531791","gmt_created":"2025-01-10 17:56:31","changed":"1736531791","gmt_changed":"2025-01-10 17:56:31","alt":"Image of Three Mile Island","file":{"fid":"259682","name":"AdobeStock_229927661 (1).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/10\/AdobeStock_229927661%20%281%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/10\/AdobeStock_229927661%20%281%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10774783,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/10\/AdobeStock_229927661%20%281%29.jpeg?itok=Xdmn2JcO"}}},"media_ids":["675990"],"groups":[{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193987","name":"Three Mile Island"},{"id":"194190","name":"AI data centers"},{"id":"194191","name":"electricity demand"},{"id":"194192","name":"traditional energy sources"},{"id":"8732","name":"clean energy"},{"id":"14003","name":"Nuclear Power"},{"id":"194193","name":"Three Mile Island Unit 1"},{"id":"194194","name":"Professor Anna Erickson"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"335","name":"Microsoft"},{"id":"194195","name":"carbon-free energy"},{"id":"194196","name":"sustainability goals"},{"id":"194197","name":"United States Energy Information Administration"},{"id":"194198","name":"commercial nuclear reactors"},{"id":"194199","name":"Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant"},{"id":"194200","name":"safety measures"},{"id":"194201","name":"technological upgrades"},{"id":"194202","name":"economic advantages"},{"id":"194203","name":"environmental implications"},{"id":"194204","name":"public perception"},{"id":"194205","name":"regulatory oversight"},{"id":"194206","name":"U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sar30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678852":{"#nid":"678852","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When Two Lizards Meet for the First Time, Scientists Witness Evolution in Action","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn South Florida, two Caribbean lizard species met for the first time. What followed provided some of the clearest evidence to date of evolution in action.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/join-the-lab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eassistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/james-stroud\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, was studying Cuban brown anoles (\u003Cem\u003EAnolis sagrei\u003C\/em\u003E) in South Florida when the Puerto Rican crested anole (\u003Cem\u003EAnolis cristatellus\u003C\/em\u003E), suddenly appeared in the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-54302-1.epdf?sharing_token=cCJvKIK6rVqpik19O88JwtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NwUorP476Y4jLsgGuqSAy15EWx6cY5SdIF2hXP_GmsRUYQro-0wMfbHCY1D8ONB1QWEQXaYt15UBeD7OpG167UviXAMCzzoBMrp53-BYvE3IoF1JS6UoKl6ekAt8Whmyk%3D\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the study documents what happens as the two\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAnolis\u003C\/em\u003E lizards adapted in response to the new competitor, while helping to resolve a longstanding challenge in evolutionary biology \u2014 directly observing the role of natural selection in character displacement: how similar animals adapt in response to competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Most of what we know about how animals change in response to this process comes from studying patterns that evolved long ago,\u201d Stroud says. \u201cThis was a rare opportunity where we could watch evolution as it happened.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompetition from coexistence\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile these two small, brown lizards diverged evolutionarily between 40-60 million years ago and evolved on completely separate Caribbean islands, the two species are nearly identical, and fill similar ecological niches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESo, when the Puerto Rican crested anole suddenly appeared in Cuban brown anole habitat at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in 2018, the two were competing for similar habitats and food sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen two similar species compete for the same resources, like food and territory, they often evolve differences that allow them to coexist,\u201d Stroud says. But, while scientists have found many examples of similar species developing different traits to ease this overlap, \u201cscientists have rarely been able to observe this process as it unfolds in nature.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud\u2019s team had already been studying Cuban brown anoles at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Miami, Florida, two years prior to when the crested anoles invaded. The team was able to quickly pivot to observe how the invasion changed both species, analyzing the lizards\u2019 changing diets, measuring if the lizards were moving through foliage or on the forest floor, and recording the different species\u2019 locations relative to each other. For over a thousand lizards, they also measured perch height \u2014 the distance from the ground that the lizard is perching \u2014 a primary marker of how\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAnolis\u003C\/em\u003E lizards divvy up habitat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe not only observed how these lizards changed their habitat use and behavior when they encountered each other,\u201d says Stroud, \u201cbut we also documented the natural selection pressures driving their physical evolution in real-time.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHuman-made habitats and natural experiments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe research team found that when these lizard species occur together, they divide up their habitat in predictable ways \u2014 the Cuban brown anole shifted to spend more time on the ground, and evolved longer legs to run faster in this habitat, while the slightly larger Cuban crested anole lived in vegetation above the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022We found that brown anoles with longer legs had higher survival after crested anoles showed up,\u0022 says Stroud. \u0022This matches perfectly with the physical differences we see in populations where these species have been living together for many generations.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud adds that while the research provides some of the strongest observations of evolution in action to date, it also demonstrates how human activities can create natural experiments that help us understand fundamental evolutionary processes \u2014 both species of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAnolis\u003C\/em\u003E lizard in the study were originally non-native to South Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAs species increasingly come into contact due to human-mediated introductions and climate change, these studies may be important for predicting how communities will respond,\u201d he says. \u0022By studying these non-native lizards who are meeting each other for the first time in their existence, we had a unique opportunity to see the actual process unfold and connect it to the patterns we observe in nature.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Georgia Tech-led study captures two lizard species adapting in response to competition. The study provides some of the clearest evidence to date of evolution in action.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech-led study captures two lizard species adapting in response to competition. The study provides some of the clearest evidence to date of evolution in action."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-12-12 17:18:34","changed_gmt":"2024-12-20 15:15:11","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675843":{"id":"675843","type":"image","title":"Two Cuban brown anoles, Anolis sagrei (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo Cuban brown anoles, \u003Cem\u003EAnolis sagrei \u003C\/em\u003E(Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1734023998","gmt_created":"2024-12-12 17:19:58","changed":"1734023998","gmt_changed":"2024-12-12 17:19:58","alt":"Two Cuban brown anoles, Anolis sagrei (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"259515","name":"Cuban brown anoles (Anolis sagrei).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":350467,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%29.jpeg?itok=v9AkCjMp"}},"675842":{"id":"675842","type":"image","title":"A Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei) in Miami (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Cuban brown anole (\u003Cem\u003EAnolis sagrei\u003C\/em\u003E) in Miami (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1734023998","gmt_created":"2024-12-12 17:19:58","changed":"1734023998","gmt_changed":"2024-12-12 17:19:58","alt":"A Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei) in Miami (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"259514","name":"Cuban brown anoles (Anolis sagrei 3) in miami.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%203%29%20in%20miami.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%203%29%20in%20miami.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":143809,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/12\/Cuban%20brown%20anoles%20%28Anolis%20sagrei%203%29%20in%20miami.jpeg?itok=nQ1x7isA"}},"675841":{"id":"675841","type":"image","title":"A Puerto Rican crested anole, Anolis cristatellus (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Puerto Rican crested anole, \u003Cem\u003EAnolis cristatellus\u003C\/em\u003E (Credit: Day\u0027s Edge Productions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1734023998","gmt_created":"2024-12-12 17:19:58","changed":"1734024620","gmt_changed":"2024-12-12 17:30:20","alt":"A Puerto Rican crested anole, Anolis cristatellus (Credit: Days Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"259513","name":"2Peurto Rican crested anole (Anolis cristatellus).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/2Peurto%20Rican%20crested%20anole%20%28Anolis%20cristatellus%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/12\/2Peurto%20Rican%20crested%20anole%20%28Anolis%20cristatellus%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":162707,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/12\/2Peurto%20Rican%20crested%20anole%20%28Anolis%20cristatellus%29.jpeg?itok=M_qLT6-n"}}},"media_ids":["675843","675842","675841"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/2024\/11\/30\/the-lizard-wars-of-south-florida-help-reveal-how-evolution-works\/?share=ptwandslsauw0r2peiaw","title":"The lizard wars of South Florida help reveal how evolution works"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-54302-1","title":"Observing character displacement from process to pattern in a novel vertebrate community"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.nbcmiami.com\/news\/local\/will-iguanas-fall-from-trees-in-south-florida-with-this-upcoming-cold-front\/3483732\/","title":"How cold does it need to get before frozen iguanas start falling from trees in South Florida?"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679012":{"#nid":"679012","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018Murder Hornet\u2019 Eradication is Relief to US Honeybees","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFive years after the headline-grabbing \u201cmurder hornet\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EVespa mandarinia\u003C\/em\u003E, renamed the northern giant hornet in 2022) was first spotted in Washington state, the U.S. has declared the invasive species eradicated. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Washington State Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture made the announcement Wednesday. It follows three years without a confirmed detection of the hornet. Four nests were destroyed in 2020 and 2021. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the number of nests was low, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.goodismanlab.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EProfessor Mike Goodisman\u003C\/a\u003E, whose lab \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/16\/genome-sequencing-could-unlock-answers-yellow-jacket-behavior\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudies social insects\u003C\/a\u003E and invasive species, explains that had the number grown, eradication would have been increasingly unlikely due to the potential exponential growth of the population. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Each nest is started by a new queen. One new queen can start a new nest, but the colony she produces can produce 100 new nests. Because of how they reproduce, it could grow from 100 to 10,000 the year after that, and then from 10,000 to one million.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoodisman says that social insects are more difficult to eradicate. However, traps and tracking methods allowed officials to contain the population in the Pacific Northwest. While the murder hornet is not the only invasive hornet species in North America, its threat to the already-declining honeybee population spurred action. Murder hornets can clear out a honeybee hive in 90 minutes, and Goodisman says the brutality of these attacks earned the northern giant hornet their nickname and is instantly recognizable. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When murder hornets attack a honeybee colony, you\u0027ll find hundreds to thousands of decapitated honeybees,\u0022 he said, adding that although murder hornets eat a variety of insects, they \u0022have a taste for honeybees.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the murder hornet\u0027s native Asia, the honeybee population has developed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/UNroEwFxh6I?feature=shared\u0026amp;t=169\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea defense mechanism\u003C\/a\u003E to swarm and surround the attacking hornet, but North American honeybees are defenseless. This elevates the threat of a possible invasion, with the potential for a widespread impact on our food supply. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A threat to the honeybee population would be a commercial disaster,\u0022 Goodisman said. \u0022Honeybees are critical in agriculture for pollinating a great variety of the foods we eat, and if we don\u0027t have these pollinators, then we wouldn\u0027t have many of the foods \u2014 fruits especially \u2014 that we are used to.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe eradication of the hornet is a significant achievement, but Goodisman says it\u0027s not a foregone conclusion that they will not reemerge. Because social insects, like murder hornets, can hibernate in various materials, cargo ships and other commercial transportation can unknowingly bring invasive species worldwide. He explains that officials will continue to set traps and employ additional tracking methods to ensure the population remains eradicated in the U.S.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf murder hornets come back, humans are not at immediate risk. Like the bald-faced hornet and the true hornet, which live in Georgia, murder hornets typically leave humans alone unless provoked, Goodisman says, but their larger-than-normal stingers cause more pain and are more harmful to small animals. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech professor says eradicating the \u201cmurder hornet\u201d will help the U.S. avoid a potential agricultural and commercial disaster.     "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech professor says eradicating the \u201cmurder hornet\u201d will help the U.S. avoid a potential agricultural and commercial disaster. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech professor says eradicating the \u201cmurder hornet\u201d will help the U.S. avoid a potential agricultural and commercial disaster.     "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-12-19 22:40:48","changed_gmt":"2024-12-20 14:01:12","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675901":{"id":"675901","type":"image","title":"Northern Giant Murder Hornet ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Northern Giant Hornet removed from a nest. Photo courtesy: Washington Department of Agriculture.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1734703193","gmt_created":"2024-12-20 13:59:53","changed":"1734703210","gmt_changed":"2024-12-20 14:00:10","alt":"Murder Hornet","file":{"fid":"259575","name":"AGHNestAndRemovalAug2021 (25 of 107).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/19\/AGHNestAndRemovalAug2021%20%2825%20of%20107%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/19\/AGHNestAndRemovalAug2021%20%2825%20of%20107%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4963104,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/19\/AGHNestAndRemovalAug2021%20%2825%20of%20107%29.jpg?itok=ejYRnuwO"}}},"media_ids":["675901"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.goodismanlab.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"Goodisman Research Group"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"173881","name":"Honeybee"},{"id":"1909","name":"Yellow Jacket"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678833":{"#nid":"678833","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF RAPID Grant to Analyze Plume Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOn September 29, 2024, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/experts\/scientists-atlanta-monitoring-air-conyers-chemical-plume\u0022\u003Echemical plume\u003C\/a\u003E of chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds spread across the Atlanta area. The result of a fire at the BioLab pool chemical manufacturing facility in Conyers, Georgia, the plume impacted communities for several weeks, prompting a stay-at-home order and the temporary evacuation of approximately 17,000 people for the surrounding county.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/huey.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGreg Huey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded an NSF RAPID grant to\u0026nbsp;unravel the chemical composition of the emission plumes.\u0026nbsp;The grant,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2509330\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E\u0022Identification and Measurement of Emissions from the Biolab Incident Impacting the Atlanta Urban Area\u0022\u003C\/a\u003E, will support the analysis of air chemistry data collected during a three-week span that the plume impacted the Atlanta area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDuring the incident, Huey\u2019s lab collected real-time air chemistry data in two locations \u2014 at Georgia Tech in Midtown Atlanta, and near the BioLab facility, in Conyers, GA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHuey, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/huey-dr-greg\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;has spent the last fifteen years measuring halogens \u2014 including chlorine and bromine \u2014\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ein remote locations like Barrow, Alaska. \u201cNormally, there are no halogens detectable in the Atlanta area,\u201d he says. \u201cBut spending the last 15 years making observations in other locations means that we were well-equipped to measure the halogens from the BioLab plume, and untangle some of the plume\u2019s chemistry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur goal is to understand and\u0026nbsp;report what was in the plume, then establish a website and make the data publicly available,\u201d Huey adds. \u201cWe aim to share valuable public knowledge about this incident.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA rapid response\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhen the plume first became visible, Huey recognized the ability to collect data in real-time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe decided to turn our high resolution mass spectrometer on and start sampling air,\u201d he says. This piece of scientific equipment is\u0026nbsp;capable of capturing and identifying chemical signatures, and is\u0026nbsp;sensitive to measuring levels of specific chemicals, such as chlorine and bromine. \u201cWe have a port measure on the roof of our building at Georgia Tech, which allowed us to start observing the first day,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, this kind of data collection also depends on wind direction blowing chemicals to different regions, Huey explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELeveraging the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u2019 mobile air quality trailer, the team deployed a second mass spectrometer near the BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia. \u201cThe City was very supportive,\u201d Huey shares. \u201cWe set up the mobile lab in the parking lot of Conyers City Hall with the goal of seeing what we could measure \u2014 and if we were seeing high levels of chlorine.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWith both sites established, Huey says the team was able to simultaneously measure in Conyers and in Midtown Atlanta \u2014 and began to see that the plume was more chemically complex than initially thought.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA proactive approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECollected data in tow, the NSF RAPID grant will support Huey and a graduate student in the analysis of those site readings, including calibration and publication of chemical data \u2014 to be archived to a publicly accessible site; analysis of mass spectra associated with the plumes and identification of chemical compounds; calibration of the species identified, prioritized based on toxicity; and publication of a report on all species detected in the plumes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EData from the project will help inform communities potentially impacted by the plume \u2014 while helping predict the impacts of similar chemical incidents, enabling a better understanding of how to address accidental chemical emissions in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWe want to have a better idea of what this type of incident can produce for future incidents, and we want to have a better idea of what people may have been exposed to,\u201d Huey says.\u0026nbsp; \u201cWhile we can\u2019t measure and identify everything, this project will help us become better informed for the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENSF AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2509330\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E#2509330\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELed by School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Greg Huey, the NSF RAPID grant is for analyzing air chemistry data collected during a three-week span when a chemical plume impacted the Atlanta area.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Led by School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Greg Huey, the NSF RAPID grant is for analyzing air chemistry data collected during a three-week span when a chemical plume impacted the Atlanta area."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-12-11 15:46:57","changed_gmt":"2024-12-18 15:26:40","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675829":{"id":"675829","type":"image","title":"Atlanta, GA","body":null,"created":"1733941920","gmt_created":"2024-12-11 18:32:00","changed":"1733941920","gmt_changed":"2024-12-11 18:32:00","alt":"Atlanta, GA","file":{"fid":"259500","name":"Image.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/Image.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/Image.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":219913,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/11\/Image.jpeg?itok=LWv7kpbQ"}},"675834":{"id":"675834","type":"image","title":"The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027 air quality trailer in Conyers, Georgia (Photo Credit: Greg Huey Research Group)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027 air quality trailer in Conyers, Georgia (\u003Cem\u003EPhoto Credit: Greg Huey Research Group\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733952206","gmt_created":"2024-12-11 21:23:26","changed":"1733952206","gmt_changed":"2024-12-11 21:23:26","alt":"The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027 air quality trailer in Conyers, Georgia (Photo Credit: Greg Huey Research Group)","file":{"fid":"259505","name":"eas-trailer - credit dr greg huey research group.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/eas-trailer%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/eas-trailer%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8767237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/11\/eas-trailer%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg?itok=eQtHLI1A"}},"675835":{"id":"675835","type":"image","title":"Mass spectrometry equipment (Photo Credit: Greg Huey Research Group)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMass spectrometry equipment (Photo Credit: Greg Huey Research Group)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733952206","gmt_created":"2024-12-11 21:23:26","changed":"1733952206","gmt_changed":"2024-12-11 21:23:26","alt":"Mass spectrometry equipment (Photo Credit: Greg Huey Research Group)","file":{"fid":"259506","name":"MS-equipment - credit dr greg huey research group.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/MS-equipment%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/MS-equipment%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6406692,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/11\/MS-equipment%20-%20credit%20dr%20greg%20huey%20research%20group.jpg?itok=TAlNJfv0"}}},"media_ids":["675829","675834","675835"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668607":{"#nid":"668607","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF RAPID Response to Earthquakes in Turkey","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn February, a\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/14\/georgia-tech-experts-weigh-massive-turkey-syria-earthquake\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emajor earthquake event\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E devastated the south-central region of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye (Turkey) and northwestern Syria\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E. Two earthquakes, one magnitude 7.8 and one magnitude 7.5, occurred nine hours apart, centered near the heavily populated city of Gaziantep. The total rupture lengths of both events were up to 250 miles\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe president of Turkey has called it the \u201cdisaster of the century,\u201d and the threat is still not over \u2014 aftershocks could still affect the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENow, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EZhigang Peng\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, a professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech and graduate students \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPhuc Mach\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChang Ding\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E alongside researchers at the Scientific and Technological Research Institution of T\u00fcrkiye (T\u00dcB\u0130TAK) and researchers at the University of Missouri, are using small seismic sensors to better understand just how, why, and when these earthquakes are occurring. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFunded by an NSF RAPID grant, the project is unique in that it aims to actively respond to the crisis while it\u2019s still happening. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/naturaldisasters\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENational Science Foundation (NSF) Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grants\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E are used when there is a severe urgency with regard to availability of or access to data,\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Efacilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and other similar unanticipated events.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn an effort to better map the aftershocks of the earthquake event \u2014 which can occur weeks or months after the main event \u2014 the team placed approximately 120 small sensors, called nodes, in the East Anatolian fault region this past May. Their deployment continues through the summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt\u2019s the first time sensors like this have been deployed in Turkey, says Peng. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThese sensors are unique in that they can be placed easily and efficiently,\u0022 he explains. \u0022With internal batteries that can work up to one month when fully charged, they\u2019re buried in the ground and can be deployed within minutes, while most other seismic sensors need solar panels or other power sources and take much longer time and space to deploy.\u201d Each node is about the size of a 2-liter soda bottle, and can measure ground movement in three directions.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe primary reason we\u2019re deploying these sensors quickly following the two mainshocks is to study the physical mechanisms of how earthquakes trigger each,\u201d Peng adds. Mainshocks are the largest earthquake in a sequence. \u201cWe\u2019ll use advanced techniques such as machine learning to detect and locate thousands of small aftershocks recorded by this network. These newly identified events can provide new important clues on how aftershocks evolve in space and time, and what drives foreshocks that occur before large events.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUnearthing fault mechanisms\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team will also use the detected aftershocks to illuminate active faults where three tectonic plates come together \u2014 a region known as the Mara\u015f Triple Junction. \u201cWe plan to use the aftershock locations and the seismic waves from recorded events to image subsurface structures where large damaging earthquakes occur,\u201d says Mach, the Georgia Tech graduate researcher. This will help scientists better understand why sometimes faults \u2018creep\u2019 without any large events, while in other cases faults lock and then violently release elastic energy, creating powerful earthquakes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGetting high-resolution data of the fault structures is another priority. \u201cThe fault line ruptured in the first magnitude 7.8 event has a bend in it, where earthquake activity typically terminates, but the earthquake rupture moved through this bend, which is highly unusual,\u201d Peng says. By deploying additional ultra-dense arrays of sensors in their upcoming trip this summer, the team hopes to help researchers \u2018see\u2019 the bend under the Earth\u2019s surface, allowing them to better understand how fault properties control earthquake rupture propagation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team also aims to learn more about the relationship between the two main shocks that recently rocked Turkey, sometimes called doublet events. Doublet events can happen when the initial earthquake triggers a secondary earthquake by adding extra stress loading. While in this instance, the doublet may have taken place only 9 hours after the initial event, these secondary earthquakes have been known to take place days, months, or even years after the initial one \u2014 a famous example being the sequence of earthquakes that spanned 60 years in the North Anatolian fault region in Northern Turkey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cClearly the two main shocks in 2023 are related, but it is still not clear how to explain the time delays,\u201d says Peng. The team plans to work with their collaborators at T\u00dcB\u0130TAK to re-analyze seismic and other types of geophysical data right before and after those two main shocks in order to better understand the triggering mechanisms.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIn our most recent trip in southern T\u00fcrkiye, we saw numerous buildings that were partially damaged during the mainshock, and many people will have to live in temporary shelters for years during the rebuilding process,\u201d Peng adds. \u201cWhile we cannot stop earthquakes from happening in tectonically active regions, we hope that our seismic deployment and subsequent research on earthquake triggering and fault imaging can improve our ability to predict what will happen next \u2014 before and after a big one \u2014 and could save countless lives.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech scientists gather new clues on how aftershocks evolve in space and time, and what drives foreshocks"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, a major earthquake event devastated the south-central region of the Turkey and northwestern Syria. Thanks to an NSF RAPID grant, a research team led by Georgia Tech has since placed over 100 small sensors in the East Anatolian fault region to help detect and understand future tectonic activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Zhigang Peng\u00a0and graduate students Phuc Mach and Chang Ding\u00a0are using small seismic sensors to better understand just how, why, and when certain earthquakes are occurring."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2023-07-26 14:50:17","changed_gmt":"2024-12-09 17:36:57","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671243":{"id":"671243","type":"image","title":"Grad student Phuc Mach places a node","body":null,"created":"1690383037","gmt_created":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","changed":"1690383037","gmt_changed":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","alt":"Grad student Phuc Mach places a node","file":{"fid":"254267","name":"Image[85].jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/Image%5B85%5D.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/Image%5B85%5D.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7363119,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/26\/Image%5B85%5D.jpeg?itok=siV9hrBp"}},"671244":{"id":"671244","type":"image","title":"Grad student Phuc Mach holds a node","body":null,"created":"1690383037","gmt_created":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","changed":"1690383037","gmt_changed":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","alt":"Grad student Phuc Mach holds a 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earthquake","file":{"fid":"254278","name":"Peng_Ekrem_072023.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/Peng_Ekrem_072023.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/Peng_Ekrem_072023.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":470237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/26\/Peng_Ekrem_072023.jpeg?itok=by7RueIi"}},"671245":{"id":"671245","type":"image","title":"Researchers from Georgia Tech, Univ. of Missouri and TUBITAK before heading to the field on May 1st, 2023","body":null,"created":"1690383037","gmt_created":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","changed":"1690383037","gmt_changed":"2023-07-26 14:50:37","alt":"Researchers from Georgia Tech, Univ. of Missouri and TUBITAK before heading to the field on May 1st, 2023","file":{"fid":"254269","name":"1 group_TUBITAK_042023.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/1%20group_TUBITAK_042023.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/26\/1%20group_TUBITAK_042023.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":782901,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/26\/1%20group_TUBITAK_042023.jpeg?itok=l59Ctgaj"}}},"media_ids":["671243","671244","671242","671248","671247","671249","671250","671251","671252","671245"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2088","name":"EAS"},{"id":"176170","name":"AMP-IT-UP School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric 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Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677897":{"#nid":"677897","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Cybersecurity Goes Green with $4.6 Million DOE Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Georgia Tech researchers a $4.6 million grant to develop improved cybersecurity protection for renewable energy technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/samanzonouz4n6\/saman-zonouz\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewill lead the project and leverage the latest artificial technology (AI) to create Phorensics. The new tool will anticipate cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and provide analysts with an accurate reading of what vulnerabilities were exploited.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis grant enables us to tackle one of the crucial challenges facing national security today: our critical infrastructure resilience and post-incident diagnostics to restore normal operations in a timely manner,\u201d said Zonouz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTogether with our amazing team, we will focus on cyber-physical data recovery and post-mortem forensics analysis after cybersecurity incidents in emerging renewable energy systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the integration of renewable energy technology into national power grids increases, so does their vulnerability to cyberattacks. These threats put energy infrastructure at risk and pose a significant danger to public safety and economic stability. The AI behind Phorensics will allow analysts and technicians to scale security efforts to keep up with a growing power grid that is becoming more complex.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis effort is part of the Security of Engineering Systems (SES) initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP). SES has three pillars: research, education, and testbeds, with multiple ongoing large, sponsored efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe had a successful hiring season for SES last year and will continue filling several open tenure-track faculty positions this upcoming cycle,\u201d said Zonouz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith top-notch cybersecurity and engineering schools at Georgia Tech, we have begun the SES journey with a dedicated passion to pursue building real-world solutions to protect our critical infrastructures, national security, and public safety.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZonouz\u0026nbsp;is the director of the Cyber-Physical Systems Security Laboratory (CPSec) and is jointly appointed by Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;(SCP) and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three Georgia Tech researchers joining him on this project are \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;associate\u0026nbsp;professor in SCP and ECE; \u003Cstrong\u003ETaesoo Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;jointly appointed professor in SCP and the School of Computer Science; and \u003Cstrong\u003EAnimesh Chhotaray\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;research\u0026nbsp;scientist in SCP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKatherine Davis\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;associate\u0026nbsp;professor at the Texas A\u0026amp;M University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has partnered with the team to develop Phorensics. The team will also collaborate with the NREL National Lab, and industry partners for technology transfer and commercialization initiatives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Department defines renewable energy as energy from unlimited, naturally replenished resources, such as the sun, tides, and wind. Renewable energy can be used for electricity generation, space and water heating and cooling, and transportation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers received a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to enhance cybersecurity for renewable energy technologies. Led by Associate Professor Saman Zonouz, the project will develop an AI-based tool called Phorensics to anticipate cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and analyze exploited vulnerabilities. The initiative is crucial as the growing integration of renewable energy into power grids increases their vulnerability to cyber threats. This project is part of the Security of Engineering Systems (SES) initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, aiming to improve national security and public safety. The team includes Georgia Tech faculty and industry partners for technology development and commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers received a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to enhance cybersecurity for renewable energy technologies."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2024-10-24 15:48:35","changed_gmt":"2024-10-30 15:24:42","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673306":{"id":"673306","type":"image","title":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","body":null,"created":"1709660104","gmt_created":"2024-03-05 17:35:04","changed":"1709660054","gmt_changed":"2024-03-05 17:34:14","alt":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","file":{"fid":"256679","name":"Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56998,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg?itok=qOSZDIrt"}}},"media_ids":["673306"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660373","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy (Do not use)"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"107031","name":"College of Engineering; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"168414","name":"College of Engineering; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; College of Computing"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"3245","name":"News"},{"id":"2634","name":"grant"},{"id":"194059","name":"million"},{"id":"364","name":"Funding"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"208","name":"computing"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"182941","name":"cc-research; ic-cybersecurity; ic-hcc"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Computing | School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677324":{"#nid":"677324","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Weather Radar Supports Research and Education, Helps Fill Coverage Gaps","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECollaboration among three Georgia institutions of higher education on the operation of a new weather radar system will enhance student learning, provide new opportunities for research, and help improve severe weather coverage in north Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstalled recently at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), an X-band weather radar purchased two years ago by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia (UGA) is now providing data for a section of north Georgia where information on severe storms such as tornados can be limited by terrain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe radar will also be used for research into weather and severe storms, and by students at the three institutions for learning about everything from physics and engineering to weather, rainfall, and the effects of changing climate on the migration patterns of birds and insects. The instrument will be one of just a handful of weather radars operated by universities in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are really excited about this partnership with Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the University of Georgia, and Georgia Gwinnett College,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geography.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/james-marshall-shepherd\u0022\u003EMarshall Shepherd\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Partnership at UGA\u2019s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Director of UGA\u2019s Atmospheric Sciences Program. \u201cThe radar will be a real-time component of classes, so it\u2019s creating new instructional and service capabilities. It will also enable researchers at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech to pursue new research opportunities in the areas of severe weather, frozen precipitation \u2013 and perhaps even studies of birds and insects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe radar will provide a new data source for UGA\u2019s WeatherDawgs service, which provides hyperlocal weather data not only for the Athens community, but also for residents of eastern and northeastern Georgia. The system will also provide a real-time component for the mesoscale meteorology course taught at the university.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Georgia Tech, the radar will support the work of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/severestorms.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESevere Storms Research Center (SSRC)\u003C\/a\u003E, a state-funded initiative that serves as a focal point for severe storms research in the state. The radar will also support research and education at Georgia Tech, including courses on weather radar systems and studies of lightning being done in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe new radar will help fill some low-level gaps in weather radar coverage in north Georgia, and give higher-resolution data for the Georgia Gwinnett campus, University of Georgia campus, Georgia Tech campus and areas in between,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/severestorms.gatech.edu\/contact-information\/\u0022\u003EJohn Trostel\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the SSRC. \u201cThis is an area where both UGA and Georgia Tech have interests because it goes from urban to suburban, then back to urban. We might see some very interesting weather phenomena going on in those transition areas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe National Weather Service has access to a feed from the radar and will use it to obtain information about low-altitude weather activity that can\u2019t be seen as well from sources such as the NEXRAD radar based in Peachtree City and the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Trostel added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ggc.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Gwinnett College\u003C\/a\u003E, the radar will provide real-world examples of how physics and engineering concepts are applied. Data from the radar system, which will be accessible to the college, would also provide students with a new research opportunity that is a required component of the science curriculum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Physics and Pre-Engineering courses already cover the concepts of electromagnetic waves and the Doppler effect, which are the main principles behind radar,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ggc.edu\/directory\/neelam-khan\u0022\u003ENeelam Khan\u003C\/a\u003E, the Chair of the Physics and Pre-Engineering Department at Georgia Gwinnett College. \u201cThrough this radar, students will learn about the applications of Doppler radar to track weather patterns and visualize the data it produces.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConnections with the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute will also help broaden the experience of students at Georgia Gwinnett College, a four-year public college that was founded in 2005 and now has more than 11,000 students, Khan said. All three collaborating institutions are part of the University System of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Furuno WR-2100 X-band weather radar was purchased in 2022 using funding from Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. It was initially placed atop a building on GTRI\u2019s Smyrna campus, where it underwent tests while Trostel and Shepherd searched for the best location for a more permanent installation. The researchers have used the device to look at storms, generate data, and practice data analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Gwinnett location was selected because the campus location enables coverage for both Atlanta and Athens. The Gwinnett County location also helps fill potential gaps in northeast Georgia and brings a unique resource for GGC\u2019s educational mission. The radar is now fully operational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOwning and operating a weather radar is unusual for colleges and universities, but not surprising given the impact of severe weather in Georgia, Shepherd noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWeather is a significant threat to our lives and property, particularly in Georgia,\u201d Shepherd said. \u201cWhile we have an adequate radar network from the National Weather Service and the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar, there are often gaps and needs for higher resolution, more detailed information. Our institutions have entered very rare air in owning and operating a weather radar that will benefit our students, the state, and our research enterprise in the University System of Georgia institutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause they\u2019ll be able to control the geographic areas covered by the radar and the level of detail in the information gathered, the new weather radar will be a useful tool not only for tracking storms, but also for conducting research, Trostel said. Its ability to provide highly detailed information even allows it to track the movement of insects and birds, for example.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can see things at higher resolution, and we have complete control over how we manipulate the radar beam to look at things,\u201d Trostel said. \u201cThe radar is much less expensive to purchase and operate than other weather radars, which makes it a budget-friendly tool for university research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe instrument cost approximately $150,000 to purchase and was acquired through donations and internal funding at UGA and Georgia Tech. Shepherd and Tom Mote, the founding director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at UGA, contributed funds from institutional research budgets. A significant financial gift was also acquired from Elaine Neal, an alumna of the UGA Department of Geography and longtime donor to the University of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, funds were provided by GTRI\u2019s Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory, and the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory, the Georgia Tech Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, and Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWriter: John Toon (john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003Cbr\u003EGTRI Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr\u003EAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInstalled recently at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), an X-band weather radar purchased two years ago by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia (UGA) is now providing data for a section of north Georgia where information on severe storms such as tornados can be limited by terrain. The radar will also be used for research into weather and severe storms and by students at the three institutions for learning about everything from physics and engineering to weather, rainfall, and the effects of changing climate on the migration patterns of birds and insects. The instrument will be one of just a handful of weather radars operated by universities in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Collaboration among three Georgia institutions of higher education on the operation of a new weather radar system will enhance student learning, provide new opportunities for research, and help improve severe weather coverage in north Georgia."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2024-10-04 12:09:19","changed_gmt":"2024-10-15 15:38:49","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675214":{"id":"675214","type":"image","title":"X-band weather radar","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERadar returns from the X-band weather radar shows storms over Northeast Georgia. (Credit: John Trostel, GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728043478","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 12:04:38","changed":"1728043617","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 12:06:57","alt":"X-band weather radar","file":{"fid":"258815","name":"X band weather radar screen.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/X%20band%20weather%20radar%20screen.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/X%20band%20weather%20radar%20screen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":929437,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/04\/X%20band%20weather%20radar%20screen.jpg?itok=GuxF8aes"}},"675213":{"id":"675213","type":"image","title":"GTRI\u0027s John Trostel and UGA\u0027s Marshall Shepherd","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Trostel, director of the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at Georgia Tech, and Marshall Shepherd, Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Partnership at UGA\u2019s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Director of UGA\u2019s Atmospheric Sciences Program, at the SSRC. (Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728043307","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 12:01:47","changed":"1728043467","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 12:04:27","alt":"GTRI\u0027s John Trostel and UGA\u0027s Marshall Shepherd","file":{"fid":"258814","name":"SSRC New Radar_01.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/SSRC%20New%20Radar_01.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/SSRC%20New%20Radar_01.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2957893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/04\/SSRC%20New%20Radar_01.jpg?itok=e9xhtOMO"}},"675212":{"id":"675212","type":"image","title":"X-band weather radar installation","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new X-band weather radar being installed on the roof of a building at Georgia Gwinnett College. (Credit: Christopher Moore, GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728042956","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 11:55:56","changed":"1728043236","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 12:00:36","alt":"X-band weather radar installation","file":{"fid":"258813","name":"GTRI_weather_radar_2024_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/GTRI_weather_radar_2024_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/GTRI_weather_radar_2024_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1548618,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/04\/GTRI_weather_radar_2024_1.jpg?itok=m1dM8NYm"}},"675215":{"id":"675215","type":"video","title":"Weather Radar","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWeather Radar Supports Research and Education, Helps Fill Coverage Gaps Collaboration among three Georgia institutions of higher education on the operation of a new weather radar system will enhance student learning, provide new opportunities for research, and help improve severe weather coverage in north Georgia. Installed recently at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), an X-band weather radar purchased two years ago by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia (UGA) is now providing data for a section of north Georgia where information on severe storms such as tornados can be limited by terrain. The radar will also be used for research into weather and severe storms and by students at the three institutions for learning about everything from physics and engineering to weather, rainfall, and the effects of changing climate on the migration patterns of birds and insects. The instrument will be one of just a handful of weather radars operated by universities in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728043990","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 12:13:10","changed":"1728044026","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 12:13:46","video":{"youtube_id":"eOsBIKfINRk","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eOsBIKfINRk"}}},"media_ids":["675214","675213","675212","675215"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"169457","name":"Severe Storms Research Center"},{"id":"4838","name":"University of Georgia"},{"id":"193994","name":"USG collaboration"},{"id":"193995","name":"Georgia Gwinnett College"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"},{"id":"193996","name":"X-radar"},{"id":"189447","name":"developing future technology leaders"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677477":{"#nid":"677477","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Soil-Powered Fuel Cell Makes List of Best Sustainability Designs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA newly designed soil-powered fuel cell that could provide a sustainable alternative to batteries was recognized as an honorable mention in the annual Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETerracell is roughly the size of a paperback book and uses microbes found in soil to generate energy for low-power applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrevious designs for soil microbial fuel cells required water submergence or saturated soil. Terracell can function in soil with a volumetric water content of 42%\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETerracell placed in Fast Company\u2019s list of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/91129811\/students-innovation-by-design-2024\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ebest sustainability-focused designs of 2024\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Northwestern University lead the multi-institution research team that designed Terracell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EHester\u003C\/strong\u003E, an associate professor in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E who previously worked at Northwestern, directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kamoamoa.com\/\u0022\u003EKa Moamoa Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, where the project was conceived.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team includes researchers from Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Stanford, the University of California-San Diego, and the University of California-Santa Cruz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir research was published in January in the Proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable, and Ubiquitous Technologies. The researchers will also present this work at the ACM international joint conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp), Oct. 5-9.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the Fast Company website, the Innovation by Design Awards recognize \u201cdesigners and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow.\u201d Winners are published in Fast Company Magazine and are honored at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in the fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTerracell could reduce e-waste and extend the useful lifetime of electronics deployed for agriculture, environmental monitoring, and smart cities,\u201d Hester said. \u201cWe were honored to be recognized for the design innovation award. It is a testament to the promise of sustainable computing and our hope for a more sustainable world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about Terracell, see the story featured on Northwestern Now, or visit the project\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.terracell.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor of Interactive Computing \u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EHester\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0027s lab is developing new technology that harvests energy from soil. Terracell placed in Fast Company\u2019s list of the best sustainability-focused designs of 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New technology being developed at Georgia Tech placed in Fast Company\u2019s list of the best sustainability-focused designs of 2024."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2024-10-11 14:16:38","changed_gmt":"2024-10-11 14:23:43","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675290":{"id":"675290","type":"image","title":"Lighted bulb in the dirt illustrates new technology that draws energy from dirt.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn Adobe stock conceptual image of a lighted bulb in the dirt illustrating new technology that draws energy from dirt.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728656208","gmt_created":"2024-10-11 14:16:48","changed":"1728656208","gmt_changed":"2024-10-11 14:16:48","alt":"An Adobe stock conceptual image of a lighted bulb in the dirt illustrating new technology that draws energy from dirt.","file":{"fid":"258897","name":"AdobeStock_241936979.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/11\/AdobeStock_241936979.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/11\/AdobeStock_241936979.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":105240,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/11\/AdobeStock_241936979.jpeg?itok=6MaZJidR"}},"671840":{"id":"671840","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Associate Professor of Interactive Computing Josiah Hester","body":null,"created":"1695750013","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 17:40:13","changed":"1695750013","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 17:40:13","alt":"Georgia Tech Associate Professor of Interactive Computing Josiah Hester","file":{"fid":"254978","name":"Josiah Hester_86A0504.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Josiah%20Hester_86A0504.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Josiah%20Hester_86A0504.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":598031,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Josiah%20Hester_86A0504.jpg?itok=9adMnFyo"}}},"media_ids":["675290","671840"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENathan Deen, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech School of Interactive Computing\u003Cbr\u003Enathan.deen@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676968":{"#nid":"676968","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joel Kostka Named AGU Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/kostkalab\/people\/joel-kostka\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel E. Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agu.org\/user-profile?cstkey=20e4119e-4554-4bbf-8b04-65cee0261307\u0022\u003Enamed a Union Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the American Geophysical Union, joining a slate of 53 international researchers selected as 2024 AGU Fellows for \u201csignificant contributions to the Earth and space sciences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka serves as Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and associate chair for Research in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E with a joint appointment in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEarth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEach year, AGU recognizes individuals and teams for their accomplishments in research, education, science communication and outreach. \u201cThese recipients have transformed our understanding of the world, impacted our everyday lives, improved our communities and contributed to solutions for a sustainable future,\u201d shared AGU President\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa J. Graumlich\u003C\/strong\u003E and the organization\u2019s Honors and Recognition Committee in a September 18\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agu.org\/honors-home\/announcement\u0022\u003Eannouncement\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka is an expert in ecosystem biogeoscience, which couples biogeochemistry with microbiology to uncover the role of microorganisms in ecosystem function \u2014 along with determining the mechanisms by which environmental perturbations (climate change) alter microbially-mediated biogeochemical cycles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTo be named as a fellow of the American Geophysical Union is very special to me, in particular because it signifies the trust and respect of my colleagues,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cI am honored to stand on the shoulders of such a great group of researchers that have moved this field forward.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOf course,\u201d he adds, \u201cI would not be in this position without amazing mentors, colleagues, students, and postdocs from whom I have learned so much.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI want to congratulate Dr. Kostka on this tremendous honor,\u201d adds Biological Sciences Professor and Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETodd Streelman\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cHis passion for ecology and understanding the impacts of environmental change on ecosystems is evident. I am delighted that his significant contributions have been recognized by his colleagues in the American Geophysical Union.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHonorees will be celebrated at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agu.org\/annual-meeting\u0022\u003EAGU24\u003C\/a\u003E, which will convene more than 25,000 attendees from over 100 countries in Washington, D.C. this December under the theme \u201cWhat\u2019s Next for Science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Joel E. Kostka has been named a Union Fellow by the American Geophysical Union, joining a slate of 53 international researchers selected as 2024 AGU Fellows for \u201csignificant contributions to the Earth and space sciences.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Joel E. Kostka has been named a Union Fellow by the American Geophysical Union, joining a slate of 53 international researchers selected as 2024 AGU Fellows for \u201csignificant contributions to the Earth and space sciences.\u201d  "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2024-09-18 20:59:30","changed_gmt":"2024-09-18 21:01:52","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675025":{"id":"675025","type":"image","title":"Joel Kostka ","body":null,"created":"1726693287","gmt_created":"2024-09-18 21:01:27","changed":"1726693287","gmt_changed":"2024-09-18 21:01:27","alt":"Joel Kostka","file":{"fid":"258612","name":"Joel Kostka.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/Joel%20Kostka.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/Joel%20Kostka.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":422897,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/18\/Joel%20Kostka.jpg?itok=zIPhfLUz"}}},"media_ids":["675025"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/roots-resilience-investigating-vital-role-microbes-coastal-plant-health","title":"From Roots to Resilience: Investigating the Vital Role of Microbes in Coastal Plant Health "},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/rising-temperatures-alter-missing-link-microbial-processes-putting-northern-peatlands-risk","title":"Rising Temperatures Alter \u2018Missing Link\u2019 of Microbial Processes, Putting Northern Peatlands at Risk "},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/joel-kostka-awarded-32-million-keep-digging-how-soils-and-plants-capture-carbon-and-keep-it-out","title":"Joel Kostka Awarded $3.2 Million to Keep Digging into How Soils and Plants Capture Carbon \u2014 And Keep It Out of Earth\u2019s Atmosphere "},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/salt-marsh-grass-georgias-coast-gets-nutrients-growth-helpful-bacteria-its-roots","title":"Salt Marsh Grass On Georgia\u2019s Coast Gets Nutrients for Growth From Helpful Bacteria in Its Roots "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"172458","name":"biological sciences"},{"id":"20131","name":"Joel Kostka"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"179951","name":"AGU"},{"id":"172013","name":"Faculty Awards and Honors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676918":{"#nid":"676918","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tim Lieuwen Honored by Royal Academy of Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Cstrong\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/strong\u003E has been elected to the status of International Fellow by the U.K.\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/raeng.org.uk\/news\/royal-academy-of-engineering-welcomes-71-new-fellows\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERoyal Academy of Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. He is one of three other US engineers to receive this prestigious fellowship, which emphasizes enhancing the role of engineering in society and developing an inclusive future through research, education initiatives, and industry collaborations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen is a Regents\u2019 Professor, the David S. Lewis, Jr. Chair in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE), a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, among several others. For 12 years, he served as executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; he is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/07\/30\/regents-professor-tim-lieuwen-serve-georgia-techs-interim-evpr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecurrently serving as Georgia Tech\u2019s interim executive vice president\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E for Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTim Lieuwen\u2019s groundbreaking research and leadership have been instrumental in advancing the AE School\u2019s mission,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EMitchell Walker\u003C\/strong\u003E, AE chair. \u201cHis work in combustion dynamics, propulsion, and clean energy systems not only enhances our academic reputation but also drives significant, real-world impact, as recognized by the Academy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen\u2019s research focuses on developing clean combustion technologies for power generation and propulsion. He works closely with industry and government professionals to address energy concerns and set the standard for clean tech manufacturing. The Georgia Tech alumnus will formally be admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on November 27, 2024.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2024 class includes 60 Fellows, six International Fellows, and five Honorary Fellows, each of whom has made exceptional contributions to their own field, pioneering new innovations, leading progress in business or academia, providing high-level advice to government, or promoting wider understanding of engineering and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe former interim chair for the AE School has been elected an International Fellow for his contributions to the aerospace and energy professions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The former interim chair for the AE School has been elected an International Fellow for his contributions to the aerospace and energy professions."}],"uid":"34736","created_gmt":"2024-09-18 14:29:31","changed_gmt":"2024-09-18 14:35:53","author":"Kelsey Gulledge","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675007":{"id":"675007","type":"image","title":"0A6A1348.jpg","body":null,"created":"1726669777","gmt_created":"2024-09-18 14:29:37","changed":"1726669777","gmt_changed":"2024-09-18 14:29:37","alt":"Tim Lieuwen standing above one of the Strategic Energy Institute\u0027s (SEI) research areas. ","file":{"fid":"258592","name":"0A6A1348.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/0A6A1348.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/0A6A1348.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12742305,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/18\/0A6A1348.jpg?itok=bV7OepTd"}}},"media_ids":["675007"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/tim-lieuwen-interim-evpr","title":"Tim Lieuwen: Shaping the Future of Research at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2018\/02\/profile-aes-newest-nae-member-prof-timothy-lieuwen","title":"A Profile of AE\u0027s Newest NAE Member: Prof. Timothy Lieuwen"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kelsey.gulledge@aerospace.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676591":{"#nid":"676591","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Fairbanks, Alaska, Researchers Unravel Frigid Air Pollution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew research shows that an effort to improve wintertime air quality in Fairbanks, Alaska \u2014 particularly in frigid conditions around 40 below zero Fahrenheit \u2014 may not be as effective as intended.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by a team of University of Alaska Fairbanks and Georgia Tech researchers that includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/weber-dr-rodney\u0022\u003ERodney Weber\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers\u0027 latest findings are published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.ado4373\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, the team leveraged state-of-the-art thermodynamic tools used in global air quality models, with an aim to better understand how reducing the amount of primary sulfate in the atmosphere might affect sub-zero air quality conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project stems from the 2022 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gi.alaska.edu\/news\/dozens-experts-arrive-fairbanks-air-quality-research\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis\u003C\/a\u003E project, or ALPACA, an international project funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and European sources. It is part of an international air quality effort called Pollution in the Arctic: Climate Environment and Societies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERead the full story in the University of Alaska Fairbanks \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uaf.edu\/news\/new-research-has-implications-for-fairbanks-winter-air-quality-improvement.php\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Enewsroom\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New research shows that an effort to improve wintertime air quality in Fairbanks, Alaska may not be as effective as intended. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows that an effort to improve wintertime air quality in Fairbanks, Alaska \u2014 particularly in frigid conditions around 40 below zero Fahrenheit \u2014 may not be as effective as intended, with findings published in Science Advances.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research shows that an effort to improve wintertime air quality in Fairbanks, Alaska may not be as effective as intended. "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2024-09-06 17:02:00","changed_gmt":"2024-09-06 17:03:33","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674858":{"id":"674858","type":"image","title":"Ice fog over Fairbanks as seen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Debbie Dean)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIce fog over Fairbanks as seen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Debbie Dean)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1725642170","gmt_created":"2024-09-06 17:02:50","changed":"1725642170","gmt_changed":"2024-09-06 17:02:50","alt":"Ice fog over Fairbanks as seen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Debbie Dean)","file":{"fid":"258422","name":"icefog2_DebbieDean.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/06\/icefog2_DebbieDean.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/06\/icefog2_DebbieDean.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":878828,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/06\/icefog2_DebbieDean.jpeg?itok=Uplc9onJ"}}},"media_ids":["674858"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rcboyce@alaska.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Email Rod Boyce\u0022\u003ERod Boyce\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676504":{"#nid":"676504","#data":{"type":"news","title":"James Stroud Awarded British Ecological Society Founder\u0027s Prize","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames T. Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Elizabeth Smithgall Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech, has been awarded the prestigious\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britishecologicalsociety.org\/bes-awards-2024-meet-the-winners\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounder\u0027s Prize\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britishecologicalsociety.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBritish Ecological Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (BES), the largest scientific society for ecologists in Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommemorating the enthusiasm and vision of the organization\u2019s founders, the Founder\u0027s Prize is awarded to an outstanding early career ecologist who is beginning to make a significant contribution to the science of ecology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud is being recognized for his groundbreaking research as an integrative evolutionary ecologist, investigating how ecological and evolutionary processes may underlie patterns of biological diversity at the macro-scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEarlier this year, Stroud was also named an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/30\/james-stroud-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america\u0022\u003EEarly Career Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America (ESA). He is the first person to win both seminal early career researcher awards from ESA and BES \u2014 the two largest and most influential ecological societies in the world \u2014 in the same year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe British Ecological Society could not have selected a more deserving recipient of this prestigious award,\u201d says David Collard, senior associate dean in the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u201cJames is a model of faculty excellence in his innovative research, commitment to education, and leadership in the field. We look forward to his continued impact in driving forward the field of ecology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud\u0027s highly multidisciplinary research combines field studies with macro-ecological and evolutionary comparative analyses, primarily studying lizards. His current interests focus on measuring natural selection in the wild, often leveraging non-native lizards as natural experiments in ecology and evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022I am completely overwhelmed and honored to receive this award,\u201d Stroud says, \u201cand especially from a society very close to my heart. My first ever scientific conference was a BES meeting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud will be presented with an honorarium prize during a ceremony at the BES Annual Meeting in Liverpool this December. The meeting brings together over 1,000 ecologists to discuss the latest advances in ecological research. For more than a century, the BES has been championing ecology through its journals, meetings, grants, education, and policy work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award really symbolizes the amazing support and guidance I have received throughout my career from an incredible network of mentors and colleagues,\u201d Stroud adds, \u201cand now, the amazing people I get to work with in my own\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/\u0022\u003Eresearch group\u003C\/a\u003E, as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E###\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the British Ecological Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.britishecologicalsociety.org\u0022\u003EBritish Ecological Society\u003C\/a\u003E (BES), founded in 1913, is the oldest ecological society in the world, championing the study of ecology for over a century. With over 7,000 members in more than 120 countries, the BES is the largest scientific society for ecologists in Europe and promotes the study of ecology through its six academic journals, conferences, grants, education initiatives and policy work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\/strong\u003Eor \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers\u202fbusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202f and\u202f sciences degrees. Its more than 47,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 143 countries. They study at the main campus in Atlanta, at instructional sites around the world, or through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJames Stroud has been awarded the British Ecological Society Founder\u0027s Prize. Commemorating the enthusiasm and vision of the Society\u2019s founders, the annual honor is bestowed upon \u201can outstanding early career ecologist who is starting to make a significant contribution to the science of ecology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Stroud is being recognized for his groundbreaking research as an integrative evolutionary ecologist."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2024-09-04 13:25:03","changed_gmt":"2024-09-04 13:29:25","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673890":{"id":"673890","type":"image","title":"James Stroud examines an anole (Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","body":null,"created":"1714494317","gmt_created":"2024-04-30 16:25:17","changed":"1714494317","gmt_changed":"2024-04-30 16:25:17","alt":"James Stroud examines an anole (Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"257341","name":"original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":494176,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg?itok=cfKU82J9"}}},"media_ids":["673890"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/30\/james-stroud-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america","title":"James Stroud Named Early Career Fellow by Ecological Society of America "},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/evolution-lizard-study","title":"Long-Term Lizard Study Challenges the Rules of Evolutionary Biology"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/winners-seed-grant-challenge-climate-solutions-announced","title":"Winners of the Seed Grant Challenge for Climate Solutions Announced"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/temperatures-climb-flying-insects-slower-migrate-cooler-elevations","title":"As Temperatures Climb, Flying Insects Slower to Migrate to Cooler Elevations"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/19932","title":"\u2018Living Fossil\u2019 Lizards Are Constantly Evolving\u2014You Just Can\u2019t See It"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/19858","title":"Evolution: Fast or Slow? Lizards Help Resolve a Paradox."}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"276","name":"Awards"},{"id":"12240","name":"faculty awards"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Davy@britishecologicalsociety.org\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavy Falkner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMedia Relations Officer\u003Cbr\u003EBritish Ecological Society\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674610":{"#nid":"674610","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tropical Revelations: Unearthing the Impacts of Hydrological Sensitivity on Global Rainfall","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/he-dr-jie\u0022\u003EJie He\u003C\/a\u003E set out to predict how rainfall will change as Earth\u2019s atmosphere continues to heat up. In the process, he made some unexpected discoveries that might explain how greenhouse gas emissions will impact tropical oceans, affecting climate on a global scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is not a story with just one punch line,\u201d said He, assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, whose most recent work appeared in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41558-024-01982-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Climate Change\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cI didn\u2019t really expect to find anything this interesting\u2014there were a few surprises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe is principal investigator of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/he.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EClimate Modeling and Dynamics Group\u003C\/a\u003E, which combines expertise in physics, mathematics, and computer science to study climate change. The team\u2019s latest study, a collaboration with Mississippi State University and Princeton University, examines hydrological sensitivity in the planet\u2019s three tropical basins: the central portions of both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and most of the Indian Ocean, an equatorial belt girding the Earth between the Tropic of Cancer (north) and Tropic of Capricorn (south).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHydrological sensitivity (HS) refers to the precipitation change per degree of surface warming. Hydrological sensitivity is a key metric researchers use in evaluating or predicting how rainfall will respond to future climate change. Positive HS indicates a wetter climate, while negative HS indicates a drier climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe projection of hydrological sensitivity and future precipitation has been widely investigated, but most studies look at global averages \u2014 nobody had yet looked closely at each individual basin,\u201d He said. \u201cAnd the real impact on global climate change will come from the regional scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, what happens in tropical waters has far-reaching effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELong Reach of the Tropics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe wanted to specifically examine the tropical basins because they already have a well-known influence on remote locations: El Ni\u00f1os and La Ni\u00f1as. These weather patterns that shift every couple of years are examples of tropical oceanic precipitation changes that have a global impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese precipitation changes create heating and cooling in the atmosphere that set off atmospheric waves affecting remote climates across the globe,\u201d He said. During El Ni\u00f1o winters, for example, the southeastern U.S. typically gets more precipitation than usual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut El Ni\u00f1os and La Ni\u00f1as are naturally occurring, whereas the tropical precipitation changes He identified are projected as outcomes of human-induced global warming \u2014 a simulation, part of a climate model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClimate models are an essential tool for He and other researchers, who use them to simulate possible future scenarios. These are computer programs that rely on complex math equations to project the atmospheric interactions of energy and matter likely to occur across the planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat surprised He was the substantial difference in HS between tropical basins. Essentially, in He\u2019s model the Pacific tropical basin has an HS more than twice as large as the Indian basin, with the Atlantic basin projected as a negative value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was surprising because these differences can\u2019t be explained by the mainstream theories on tropical precipitation changes,\u201d He said. \u201cIn other words, none of the theories we knew would have predicted it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling the Sensitive Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effects of such diverging hydrological sensitivity would be widespread, according to He. For example, his experiments suggest that the continental U.S. will get wetter, and the Amazon will become drier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf these model projections are true, these effects will materialize as the climate continues to warm,\u201d said He, who can\u2019t predict exactly how long it will be before these effects can be detected in actual observations of our three-dimensional world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s because they only have reliable observations of oceanic tropical precipitation since 1979. Precipitation changes over decades are strongly affected by internal climate variability \u2014 that is, climate change that isn\u2019t caused by humans. When human-induced precipitation changes are significantly greater than internal climate variability, we should be able to detect the wide-ranging effects of diverging hydrological sensitivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the challenges of continuing climate change do not allow the luxury of waiting until every aspect of climate projection becomes a reality, He noted, adding, \u201cWe are relying on climate projections to some extent to guide our adaptation and mitigation plans. Therefore, it is important to study and understand the climate projections.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on the scenario projected by climate models used in He\u2019s research, the effects of El Ni\u00f1os and La Ni\u00f1as on remote climates will become stronger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we can imply is that this strengthening would be partly due to the diverging HS among tropical basins,\u201d He concluded.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the future effects of HS on El Ni\u00f1os and La Ni\u00f1as weren\u2019t discussed in this study, He believes it would make a very interesting research subject going forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Jie He investigated how rainfall will change as Earth\u2019s atmosphere heats up, leading to unexpected discoveries about hydrological sensitivity in tropical basins.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researcher investigates how rainfall will change as Earth\u2019s atmosphere heats up."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-05-09 03:38:08","changed_gmt":"2024-08-30 16:55:02","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673964":{"id":"673964","type":"image","title":"Jie He","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJie He, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, wants to predict how rainfall will change in the presence of continuing climate change. \u0026nbsp;\u2014 Photo by Jerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1715224311","gmt_created":"2024-05-09 03:11:51","changed":"1715225596","gmt_changed":"2024-05-09 03:33:16","alt":"Jie He","file":{"fid":"257425","name":"JieHe.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/08\/JieHe.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/08\/JieHe.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4217463,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/08\/JieHe.jpg?itok=nbSrN8EX"}}},"media_ids":["673964"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"188259","name":"rainfall"},{"id":"182531","name":"Global Warming And The Environment"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"675712":{"#nid":"675712","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Yellow Jacket on Mars ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the door to the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA\u0027s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, closed behind the crew members of the first Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission, Georgia Tech graduate Ross Brockwell was transported 152 million simulated miles to the Red Planet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the next 378 days, Brockwell, a 1999 civil engineering graduate, and three other crew members participated in the study designed to gain insights into the challenges of deep space exploration and its effects on human health and performance. The crew performed robotic operations, habitat maintenance, agricultural activities, and simulated surface walks in the \u0022sandbox\u0022 with the assistance of virtual reality while enduring intentional resource limitations, isolation, and confinement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/inline-images\/beds1.jpg\u0022 data-align=\u0022center\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022d382a175-cdb9-4af6-bd3e-e50a6cbacb2e\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 alt=\u0022Mars habitat\u0022 width=\u00221280\u0022 height=\u0022856\u0022 data-caption=\u0022Mars habitat\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA structural engineer by day, he has always dreamed of space travel, and when a fellow Yellow Jacket alerted Brockwell to the application for the CHAPEA mission, he seized the opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Sometimes, you get chances in your lifetime, and if I don\u0027t get a chance to actually go to Mars, if I can take this chance to help us get there as a planet, I\u0027m honored,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce inside the 1,700-square-foot habitat, Brockwell\u0027s role as the CHAPEA mission\u0027s flight engineer focused on infrastructure, building design, and organizational leadership. As much as he learned from his tasks throughout the mission, like anticipating possible failure points and contingency planning, NASA learned even more through physical and cognitive monitoring. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There was a lot of science, but some of the science was focused on us as the participants \u2014 our physiology and our performance \u2014 to make the mission as realistic as possible,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunication is a key element in space travel. Getting a message from Mars back to family and friends or mission control on Earth took 20 minutes on average for the crew inside the habitat, testing their ability to isolate. Without constant communication with the outside world, the crew fostered camaraderie through team activities and celebrated birthdays and holidays together. Brockwell\u0027s ingenuity wasn\u0027t limited to official tasks; he used a 3D printer to create a bracket for mounting a mini-basketball hoop. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeals inside the habitat mirrored the shelf-stable food system of the International Space Station. While cultivated crops like tomatoes supplemented their main supply, Brockwell says there is a common misconception about astronaut food. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I say with all sincerity, it was delicious.\u0022 His favorite dish was a peanut chicken and wild rice mix, but the crew often got creative by mixing soups and proteins to create new dishes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther than the food, the biggest surprise to Brockwell was how quickly the mission was completed.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I hoped and thought it would be that way, but we proved that a well-comprised crew can have a good time while doing this. There were a lot of clich\u00e9d expectations that there would be issues that we just didn\u0027t have. I think we demonstrated that a mission like this can be a huge success and an enjoyable, positive experience, not just something to be endured,\u0022 he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrockwell says that his time at Georgia Tech allowed him to learn the fundamentals of engineering principles and taught him to keep an open mind when exploring how things work. After receiving a master\u0027s degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology and completing the CHAPEA mission, he believes systems engineering can aid deep space exploration efforts for the next generation. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Thinking about the effect of every component on every other component and the emergent properties from complex systems is crucial. I think that systems thinking is going to become increasingly important. Ecology and ecological thinking need to be part of it, especially for aerospace. If you\u0027re thinking about deep space exploration, an understanding of ecological principles and closed-loop systems will be key,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the mission, Brockwell savored the sights and smells of Earth for the first time in over a year, saying that\u0027s what he missed the most. But if the opportunity arose to take the 152-million-mile flight to Mars, he\u0027d be on the first ship out. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech alum has emerged after living in a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the past year. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum has emerged after living in a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the past year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech alum has emerged after living in a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the past year. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-07-31 21:03:35","changed_gmt":"2024-08-01 13:37:39","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674462":{"id":"674462","type":"image","title":"Ross Brockwell exiting the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA\u0027s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERoss Brockwell exiting the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA\u0027s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo credit: NASA\/CHAPEA\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1722460075","gmt_created":"2024-07-31 21:07:55","changed":"1722460075","gmt_changed":"2024-07-31 21:07:55","alt":"Ross Brockwell exiting the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA\u0027s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.","file":{"fid":"257984","name":"jsc2024e044182.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/31\/jsc2024e044182.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/31\/jsc2024e044182.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4829251,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/31\/jsc2024e044182.jpg?itok=CoEByvXI"}}},"media_ids":["674462"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1325","name":"aerospace"},{"id":"169176","name":"life on mars"},{"id":"167098","name":"space exploration"},{"id":"2479","name":"deep space mission"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674725":{"#nid":"674725","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Brewery to Biofilter: Making Yeast-Based Water Purification Possible","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen looking for an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to clean up contaminated water and soil, Georgia Tech researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/patritsia-stathatou\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPatricia Stathatou\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christos-e-athanasiou\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristos Athanasiou\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E turned to yeast. A cheap byproduct from fermentation processes \u2014 e.g., something your local brewery discards in mass quantities after making a batch of beer \u2014 yeast is widely known as an effective biosorbent. Biosorption is a mass transfer process by which an ion or molecule binds to inactive biological materials through physicochemical interactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen they \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-022-00463-0\u0022\u003Einitially studied this process\u003C\/a\u003E, Stathatou and Athanasiou found that yeast can effectively and rapidly remove trace lead \u2014 at challenging initial concentrations below one part per million \u2014 from drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods either fail to eliminate lead at these low levels or result in high financial and environmental costs to do so. In a paper published today in \u003Cem\u003ERSC Sustainability\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers show how this process can be scaled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you put yeast directly into water to clean it, you will need an additional treatment step to remove the yeast from the water afterward,\u201d said Stathatou, a research scientist at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/rbi\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and an incoming assistant professor at the \u003Ca href=\u0022chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cTo implement this process at scale without requiring additional separation steps, the yeast cells need a housing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAdditionally, because yeast is abundant\u2014 in some cases, brewers even pay companies to haul it away as a waste byproduct \u2014 this process gives the yeast a second life,\u201d said Athanasiou, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022ae.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s a plentiful low, or even negative, value resource, making this purification process inexpensive and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo develop a housing for the yeast, Stathatou and Athanasiou partnered with MIT chemical engineers Devashish Gokhale and Patrick S. Doyle. Gokhale and Stathatou are the lead authors of this new study that demonstrates the yeast water purification process\u2019s scalability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe decided to make these hollow capsules\u2014 analogous to a multivitamin pill \u2014 but instead of filling them up with vitamins, we fill them up with yeast cells,\u201d Gokhale said. \u201cThese capsules are porous, so the water can go into the capsules and the yeast are able to bind all of that lead, but the yeast themselves can\u2019t escape into the water.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe yeast-laden capsules are sufficiently large, about half a millimeter in diameter, for easy separation from water by gravity. This means they can be used to make packed-bed bioreactors or biofilters, with contaminated water flowing through these hydrogel-encased yeast cells and coming out clean.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStathatou and Athanasiou envision using these hydrogel yeast capsules in small biofilters consumers can put on their kitchen faucets, or biofilters large enough to fit municipal or industrial wastewater treatment systems. But to enable such scalability, the yeast-laden capsules\u2019 ability to withstand the force generated by water flowing inside such systems needed to be studied as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo determine this, Athanasiou tested the capsules\u2019 mechanical robustness, which is how strong and sturdy they are in the presence of waterflow forces. He found they can withstand forces like those generated by water running from a faucet, or even flows like those in water treatment plants that serve a few hundred homes. \u201cIn previous attempts to scale up biosorption with similar approaches, lack of mechanical robustness has been a common cause of failure,\u201d Athanasiou said. \u201cWe wanted to make sure our work addressed this issue from the very beginning to ensure scalability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAfter assessing the mechanical robustness of the yeast-laden capsules, we made a prototype biofilter using a 10-ml syringe,\u201d Stathatou explained. \u201cThe initial lead concentration of water entering the biofilter was 100 parts per billion; we demonstrated that the biofilter could treat the contaminated water, meeting EPA drinking water guidelines, while operating continuously for 12 days.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope to identify ways to isolate and collect specific contaminants left behind in the filtering yeast, so those too can be used for other purposes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cApart from lead, which is widely used in systems for energy generation and storage, this process could be used to remove and recover other metals and rare earth elements as well,\u201d Athanasiou said. \u201cThis process could even be useful in space mining or other space applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also would like to find a way to keep reusing the yeast. \u201cBut even if we can\u2019t reuse yeast indefinitely, it is biodegradable,\u201d Stathatou noted. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be put into an industrial composter or sent to a landfill. It can be left on the ground, and the yeast will naturally decompose over time, contributing to nutrient cycling.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis circular approach aims to reduce waste and environmental impact, while also creating economic opportunities in local communities. Despite numerous lead contamination incidents across the U.S., the team\u2019s successful biosorption method notably could benefit low-income areas historically burdened by pollution and limited access to clean water, offering a cost-effective remediation solution. \u201cWe think there\u2019s an interesting environmental justice aspect to this, especially when you start with something as low-cost and sustainable as yeast, which is essentially available anywhere,\u201d Gokhale says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoving forward, Stathatou and Athanasiou are exploring other uses for their hydrogel-yeast purification method. The researchers are optimistic that, with modifications, this process can be used to remove additional inorganic and organic contaminants of emerging concern, such as PFAS \u2014 or \u201cforever\u201d chemicals \u2014 from the water or the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECitation: Devashish Gokhale, Patritsia M. Stathatou, Christos E. Athanasiou, and Patrick S. Doyle, \u201cYeast-laden Hydrogel Capsules for Scalable Trace Lead Removal from Water,\u201d \u003Cem\u003ERSC Sustainability\u003C\/em\u003E. DOI:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding: Patricia Stathatou was supported by funding from the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech. Devashish Gokhale was supported by the Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellowship for Water Solutions and the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and MIT researchers have developed a novel water purification technique using hydrogel capsules filled with brewer\u2019s yeast, a cost-effective biosorbent, to remove trace lead from contaminated water. Their study demonstrates this purification method\u0027s potential for large-scale application.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team of Georgia Tech and MIT researchers found that discarded brewer\u2019s yeast, when encased in hydrogel capsules, becomes a viable and inexpensive method for purifying contaminated water."}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2024-05-15 00:33:33","changed_gmt":"2024-06-10 20:29:32","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674026":{"id":"674026","type":"image","title":"Patricia Stathatou\u00a0and Christos Athanasiou","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPatricia Stathatou\u0026nbsp;and Christos Athanasiou at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1715863722","gmt_created":"2024-05-16 12:48:42","changed":"1715863826","gmt_changed":"2024-05-16 12:50:26","alt":"Patricia Stathatou\u00a0and Christos Athanasiou","file":{"fid":"257490","name":"PatriciaStathatou-ChristosAthanasiou.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/16\/PatriciaStathatou-ChristosAthanasiou.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/16\/PatriciaStathatou-ChristosAthanasiou.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1016246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/16\/PatriciaStathatou-ChristosAthanasiou.png?itok=Dgeo8ADS"}},"674012":{"id":"674012","type":"image","title":"Patricia Stathatou","body":null,"created":"1715777548","gmt_created":"2024-05-15 12:52:28","changed":"1733765817","gmt_changed":"2024-12-09 17:36:57","alt":"Picture of Patricia Stathatou wearing a white lab coat and blue latex gloves, holding a syringe and test tube","file":{"fid":"257476","name":"Patricia.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Patricia.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Patricia.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":314192,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/15\/Patricia.jpeg?itok=LtOu_3RZ"}},"674013":{"id":"674013","type":"image","title":"Christos Athanasiou","body":null,"created":"1715777683","gmt_created":"2024-05-15 12:54:43","changed":"1715777776","gmt_changed":"2024-05-15 12:56:16","alt":"Headshot of Christos Athanasiou in his lab, wearing a white collared shirt and white lab coat","file":{"fid":"257477","name":"Christos.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Christos.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Christos.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":171087,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/15\/Christos.jpeg?itok=cIIhMaqr"}},"674014":{"id":"674014","type":"image","title":"Packed-bed biofilter filled with yeast-laden hydrogels","body":null,"created":"1715777827","gmt_created":"2024-05-15 12:57:07","changed":"1715777992","gmt_changed":"2024-05-15 12:59:52","alt":"Image of a kitchen faucet with a small filter that contains yeast-laden hydrogels. The filter is on the end of the faucet and there is water flowing through it into the sink.","file":{"fid":"257478","name":"Packed-bed filter with yeast-laden hydrogels.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Packed-bed%20filter%20with%20yeast-laden%20hydrogels.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/15\/Packed-bed%20filter%20with%20yeast-laden%20hydrogels.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5223782,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/15\/Packed-bed%20filter%20with%20yeast-laden%20hydrogels.png?itok=0jalW0dM"}}},"media_ids":["674026","674012","674013","674014"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jeffkart\/2022\/06\/13\/beer-byproduct-can-filter-lead-from-drinking-water\/?sh=1391bcc81f5e","title":"Beer Byproduct Can Filter Lead From Drinking Water"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674443":{"#nid":"674443","#data":{"type":"news","title":"James Stroud Named Early Career Fellow by Ecological Society of America ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames T. Stroud \u003C\/strong\u003Ehas been named an Early Career Fellow by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\u0022\u003EEcological Society of America\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\/blog\/2024\/04\/30\/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2024-fellows\/\u0022\u003Ejoins the ranks\u003C\/a\u003E of nine newly appointed ESA Fellows and ten 2024-2028 ESA Early Career Fellows, elected for \u0022advancing the science of ecology and showing promise for continuing contributions\u0022 and recently confirmed by the organization\u0027s Governing Board.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStroud, an Elizabeth Smithgall Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, is an integrative evolutionary ecologist who investigates how ecological and evolutionary processes may underlie patterns of biological diversity at the macro-scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe primarily \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/evolution-lizard-study\u0022\u003Estudies lizards\u003C\/a\u003E and his research is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/temperatures-climb-flying-insects-slower-migrate-cooler-elevations\u0022\u003Ehighly multidisciplinary\u003C\/a\u003E, combining field studies with macro-ecological and evolutionary comparative analyses. Stroud\u2019s current interests are particularly focused on measuring natural selection in the wild, often taking advantage of non-native lizards as natural experiments in ecology and evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this month, Stroud presented his recent work at the inaugural College of Sciences \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/2024-frontiers-science-climate-action\u0022\u003EFrontiers in Science: Climate Action Conference and Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E, joining more than \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-climate\u0022\u003E20 faculty experts and 100 stakeholders\u003C\/a\u003E from across all six colleges at Georgia Tech to discuss climate change, challenges, and solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStroud joined the Georgia Tech faculty in August 2023. He earned a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Florida International University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am thrilled to recognize the exceptional contributions of our newly selected Fellows and Early Career Fellows,\u201d says ESA President \u003Cstrong\u003EShahid Naeem\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cTheir groundbreaking research, unwavering commitment to mentoring and teaching and advocacy for sound science in management and policy decisions have not only advanced ecological science but also inspired positive change within our community and beyond. We celebrate their achievements and eagerly anticipate the profound impacts they will continue to make in their careers.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EESA will formally acknowledge and celebrate its new Fellows for their exceptional achievements during a ceremony at ESA\u2019s 2024 Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout ESA Fellowships\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EESA established its Fellows program in 2012 with the goal of honoring its members and supporting their competitiveness and advancement to leadership positions in the Society, at their institutions, and in broader society. Past ESA Fellows and Early Career Fellows are listed on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\/about\/esa-fellows-program\/esa-fellows\/\u0022 id=\u0022OWAb825d058-c243-bc8d-bb7d-cb7c1c41e5bb\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\/about\/esa-fellows-program\/esa-fellows\/\u0022\u003EESA Fellows page\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout ESA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world\u2019s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esix journals and a membership bulletin\u003C\/a\u003E and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach, and education initiatives. The Society\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\/longbeach2024\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAnnual Meeting\u003C\/a\u003E attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.org\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.esa.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStroud,\u0026nbsp;an Elizabeth Smithgall Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, joins nine newly appointed Fellows and ten Early Career Fellows, elected for \u0022advancing the science of ecology and showing promise for continuing contributions\u0022 in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Stroud joins nine newly appointed Fellows and ten ESA Early Career Fellows, elected for \u0022advancing the science of ecology and showing promise for continuing contributions\u0022 in the field. "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2024-04-30 16:24:17","changed_gmt":"2024-04-30 16:32:47","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673890":{"id":"673890","type":"image","title":"James Stroud examines an anole (Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","body":null,"created":"1714494317","gmt_created":"2024-04-30 16:25:17","changed":"1714494317","gmt_changed":"2024-04-30 16:25:17","alt":"James Stroud examines an anole (Day\u2019s Edge Productions)","file":{"fid":"257341","name":"original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":494176,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/30\/original_stroudresearchmiami_003_daysedgeprods.jpg?itok=cfKU82J9"}},"673891":{"id":"673891","type":"image","title":"James Stroud lassos a lizard.","body":null,"created":"1714494357","gmt_created":"2024-04-30 16:25:57","changed":"1714494357","gmt_changed":"2024-04-30 16:25:57","alt":"James Stroud lassos a lizard.","file":{"fid":"257342","name":"b-Original-StroudResearchMiami-009.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/b-Original-StroudResearchMiami-009.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/b-Original-StroudResearchMiami-009.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104826,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/30\/b-Original-StroudResearchMiami-009.jpg?itok=WVC6Y21e"}}},"media_ids":["673890","673891"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/evolution-lizard-study","title":"Long-Term Lizard Study Challenges the Rules of Evolutionary Biology"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.esa.org\/blog\/2024\/04\/30\/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2024-fellows\/","title":"Ecological Society of America announces 2024 Fellows"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/temperatures-climb-flying-insects-slower-migrate-cooler-elevations","title":"As Temperatures Climb, Flying Insects Slower to Migrate to Cooler Elevations "},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/2024-frontiers-science-climate-action","title":"2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.quantamagazine.org\/evolution-fast-or-slow-lizards-help-resolve-a-paradox-20240102","title":"Quanta Magazine | Evolution: Fast or Slow? Lizards Help Resolve a Paradox."},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/living-fossil-lizards-are-constantly-evolving-you-just-cant-see-it\/","title":"Scientific American | \u2018Living Fossil\u2019 Lizards Are Constantly Evolving \u2014 You Just Can\u2019t See It"},{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/climate-change-is-already-forcing-lizards-insects-and-other-species-to-evolve-and-most-cant-keep-up-215222","title":"The Conversation | Climate change is already forcing lizards, insects and other species to evolve \u2013 and most can\u2019t keep up "},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/","title":"The Stroud Lab at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"4320","name":"ecology"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mayda@esa.org\u0022\u003EMayda Nathan\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nEcological Society of America\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"673098":{"#nid":"673098","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Energy Materials: Driving the Clean Energy Transition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy is everywhere, affecting everything, all the time. And it can be manipulated and converted into the kind of energy that we depend on as a civilization. But transforming this ambient energy (the result of gyrating atoms and molecules) into something we can plug into and use when we need it requires specific materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese energy materials \u2014 some natural, some manufactured, some a combination \u2014 facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, how we reduce power consumption, and how we develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAdvanced materials and clean energy technologies are tightly connected, and at Georgia Tech we\u2019ve been making major investments in people and facilities in batteries, solar energy, and hydrogen, for several decades,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, the David S. Lewis Jr. Chair and professor of aerospace engineering, and executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003ESEI\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat research synergy is the underpinning of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energymaterials\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Energy Materials Day (March 27)\u003C\/a\u003E, a gathering of people from academia, government, and industry, co-hosted by SEI, the Institute for Materials (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/materials\u0022\u003EIMat\u003C\/a\u003E), and the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center. This event aims to build on the momentum created by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-battery-day-reveals-opportunities-energy-storage-research\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Battery Day\u003C\/a\u003E, held in March 2023, which drew more than 230 energy researchers and industry representatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe thought it would be a good idea to expand on the Battery Day idea and showcase a wide range of research and expertise in other areas, such as solar energy and clean fuels, in addition to what we\u2019re doing in batteries and energy storage,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-mcdowell\u0022\u003EMatt McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the George W. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)\u003C\/a\u003E, and co-director, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/gleb-yushin\u0022\u003EGleb Yushin\u003C\/a\u003E, of the Advanced Battery Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Materials Day will bring together experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss and accelerate research in three key areas: battery materials and technologies, photovoltaics and the grid, and materials for carbon-neutral fuel production, \u201call of which are crucial for driving the clean energy transition,\u201d noted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of IMat and the Hightower Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is leading the charge in research in these three areas,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re excited to unite so many experts to spark the important discussions that will help us advance our nation\u2019s path to net-zero emissions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EBuilding an Energy Hub\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Materials Day is part of an ongoing, long-range effort to position Georgia Tech, and Georgia, as a go-to location for modern energy companies. So far, the message seems to be landing. Georgia has had more than $28 billion invested or announced in electric vehicle-related projects since 2020. And Georgia Tech was recently ranked by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Etop public university for energy research\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has become a major player in solar energy, also, with the announcement last year of a $2.5 billion plant being developed by Korean solar company Hanwha Qcells, taking advantage of President Biden\u2019s climate policies. Qcells\u2019 global chief technology officer, Danielle Merfeld, a member of SEI\u2019s External Advisory Board, will be the keynote speaker for Energy Materials Day.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGrowing these industry relationships, building trust through collaborations with industry \u2014 these have been strong motivations in our efforts to create a hub here in Atlanta,\u201d said Yushin, professor in MSE and co-founder of Sila Nanotechnologies, a battery materials startup valued at more than $3 billion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell and Yushin are leading the battery initiative for Energy Materials Day and they\u2019ll be among 12 experts making presentations on battery materials and technologies, including six from Georgia Tech and four from industry. In addition to the formal sessions and presentations, there will also be an opportunity for networking.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think Georgia Tech has a responsibility to help grow a manufacturing ecosystem,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cWe have the research and educational experience and expertise that companies need, and we\u2019re working to coordinate our efforts with industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/marta-hatzell\u0022\u003EMarta Hatzell\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of mechanical engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering, is leading the carbon-neutral fuel production portion of the event, while \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/juan-pablo-correa-baena\u0022\u003EJuan-Pablo Correa-Baena\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in MSE, is leading the photovoltaics initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll be joined by a host of experts from Georgia Tech and institutes across the country, \u201csome of the top thought leaders in their fields,\u201d said Correa-Baena, whose lab has spent years optimizing a semiconductor material for solar energy conversion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the past decade, we have been working to achieve high efficiencies in solar panels based on a new, low-cost material called halide perovskites,\u201d he said. His lab recently discovered how to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/researchers-find-they-can-stop-degradation-promising-solar-cell-materials\u0022\u003Eprevent the chemical interactions that can degrade it\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a miracle material, and we want to increase its lifespan, make it more robust and commercially relevant.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Correa-Baena is working to revolutionize solar energy, Hatzell\u2019s lab is designing materials to clean up the manufacturing of clean fuels.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re interested in decarbonizing the industrial sector, through the production of carbon-neutral fuels,\u201d said Hatzell, whose lab is designing new materials to make clean ammonia and hydrogen, both of which have the potential to play a major role in a carbon-free fuel system, without using fossil fuels as the feedstock. \u201cWe\u2019re also working on a collaborative project focusing on assessing the economics of clean ammonia on a larger, global scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hope for Energy Materials Day is that other collaborations will be fostered as industry\u2019s needs and the research enterprise collide in one place \u2014 Georgia Tech\u2019s Exhibition Hall \u2014 over one day. The event is part of what Yushin called \u201cthe snowball effect.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou attract a new company to the region, and then another,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we want to boost domestic production and supply chains, we must roll like a snowball gathering momentum. Education is a significant part of that effect. To build this new technology and new facilities for a new industry, you need trained, talented engineers. And we\u2019ve got plenty of those. Georgia Tech can become the single point of contact, helping companies solve the technical challenges in a new age of clean energy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy materials facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, reduce power consumption, and develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy materials facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, reduce power consumption, and develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2024-02-21 16:55:41","changed_gmt":"2024-04-29 18:57:42","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673164":{"id":"673164","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Energy Materials Day 2024","body":null,"created":"1708534719","gmt_created":"2024-02-21 16:58:39","changed":"1708534718","gmt_changed":"2024-02-21 16:58:38","alt":"Images of a light bulb, solar panels, and batteries","file":{"fid":"256522","name":"GTEM_event_web (2).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":420152,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png?itok=HkvgnWJZ"}}},"media_ids":["673164"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674307":{"#nid":"674307","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis Earth Month more than 100 campus and community stakeholders gathered near the Georgia Tech EcoCommons for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-climate\u0022\u003E2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action Conference and Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn April 18, the College of Sciences hosted more than 20 speakers and panelists from across the Institute and Atlanta community presenting groundbreaking research and discussing innovations and ideas in climate change, challenges, and solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President \u003Cstrong\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera\u003C\/strong\u003E (M.S. PSY 1993, Ph.D. PSY 1995) kicked off the morning sessions by highlighting the Institute\u2019s new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/05\/climate-action-plan-provides-road-map-net-zero-emissions\u0022\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/a\u003E, which outlines the pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Cabrera\u2019s remarks focused on Georgia Tech\u2019s role on the frontlines of research and education informing how we respond to climate challenges \u2014 and noted that the Institute\u2019s work must extend beyond our laboratories and classrooms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is essential that we not only do the science, but that we also tell that science to the world,\u201d Cabrera says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInterdisciplinary inquiry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis year, Frontiers in Science featured an array of climate research and initiatives led by the College of Sciences, fellow colleges across Georgia Tech, and the wider Atlanta community.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing a three-year hiatus of the Frontiers series, the 2024 edition re-envisioned the signature annual event as a research conference and symposium to convene campus experts \u2014 and to incubate seed grant proposals to support the work of early career faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrontiers previously hosted Nobel laureates and invited thought leaders for individual talks across the College\u2019s six schools, and celebrated milestones like the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year, we wanted to showcase what we are doing right here in the College of Sciences and throughout the Institute,\u201d says \u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u201cOur faculty are at the forefront of broadening our knowledgebase and uncovering solutions in areas critical to the planet and our well-being. We wanted to uplift that work and see what sort of connections could be made.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConnections and collaboration were key themes of the day as faculty, staff, students, and alumni participants representing all six Georgia Tech colleges shared research results and ongoing work and discussed collaborative ideas for horizons ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScientists alone cannot [create accurate models],\u201d noted \u003Cstrong\u003EAnnalisa Bracco\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and associate chair for Research, who shared her own research alongside Lozier, who presented a version of her \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/susan_lozier_is_climate_change_slowing_down_the_ocean\u0022\u003E2024 TED Talk\u003C\/a\u003E on ocean overturning. \u201cEngineers alone cannot do it. We need social scientists, policy makers, communicators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe importance of an interdisciplinary approach was reinforced by the\u0026nbsp;Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech (SEI)\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E which announced an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/seibbissclimatechallenge\u0022\u003Einterdisciplinary seed grant funding\u003C\/a\u003E opportunity for assistant professors with ideas for new climate solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrontiers in focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross three themed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-climate\u0022\u003Esessions\u003C\/a\u003E, faculty and leadership from the Colleges of Sciences, Engineering, and Design spearheaded talks on the ocean and cryosphere, biodiversity, carbon cycling, coastal wetlands, biofuels production, and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPanels on climate challenges across community, technological, and policy initiatives were hosted by Georgia Tech Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research and Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry \u003Cstrong\u003EJulia Kubanek\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing a networking lunch with climate table topics, Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research and Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering \u003Cstrong\u003EChaouki T. Abdallah\u003C\/strong\u003E (M.S. ECE 1982, Ph.D. ECE 1988) kicked off the afternoon sessions \u2014 which also announced the scholarship recipients of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/climatevideocontest\u0022\u003Estudent video competition\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and featured videos with a pair of alumnae working in meteorology, climate research, and policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfternoon highlights also included discussions on the Georgia Tech Climate Action Plan and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E initiative, led by \u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/strong\u003E (B.S. MGMT 1997, Ph.D. PUBP 2011), associate vice president of Sustainability for Georgia Tech Infrastructure and Sustainability, and \u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Leavey\u003C\/strong\u003E (B.S. CHEM 1995), assistant dean for Faculty Mentoring in the College of Sciences and interim assistant director for Interdisciplinary Education in the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough many of the presentations provided a stern outlook of the state of our ecosystems, the conference concluded with a sense of hope. This optimism was grounded in the range of opportunities that exist to address climate challenges \u2014 thanks, in part, to the body of knowledge and solutions being tested and explored by Georgia Tech researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the day, \u003Cstrong\u003EKatie Griffin\u003C\/strong\u003E, a first year undergraduate student in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-georgia-tech-environmental-science-degree-launches\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Science\u003C\/a\u003E, read Amanda Gorman\u2019s poem \u003Cem\u003EEarthrise\u003C\/em\u003E and provided this reminder:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAll of us bring light to exciting solutions never tried before\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFor it is our hope that implores us, at our uncompromising core,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nTo keep rising up for an earth more than worth fighting for.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExperience the event in pictures with the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gtsciences\/albums\/72177720316401948\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Sciences\u2019 Flickr account\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, and discover the highlights through the day\u2019s live tweets on \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/GTSciences\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Sciences\u2019 X account\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis Earth Month more than 100 campus and community stakeholders gathered near the Georgia Tech EcoCommons for the 2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action Conference and Symposium. On April 18, the College of Sciences hosted more than 20 speakers and panelists from across the Institute and Atlanta community presenting groundbreaking research and discussing innovations and ideas in climate change, challenges, and solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Inaugural College of Sciences research conference and symposium showcases Georgia Tech\u2019s contributions to climate research and solutions."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2024-04-22 19:35:12","changed_gmt":"2024-04-23 16:23:40","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673802":{"id":"673802","type":"image","title":"Frontiers in Science Banner Outside at Sunrise","body":null,"created":"1713815897","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 19:58:17","changed":"1713821670","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 21:34:30","alt":"Frontiers in Science Banner Outside at Sunrise","file":{"fid":"257242","name":"frontiers in science banner outside main doors at sunrise.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/frontiers%20in%20science%20banner%20outside%20main%20doors%20at%20sunrise.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/frontiers%20in%20science%20banner%20outside%20main%20doors%20at%20sunrise.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7141885,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/frontiers%20in%20science%20banner%20outside%20main%20doors%20at%20sunrise.jpg?itok=vPgE5iia"}},"673809":{"id":"673809","type":"image","title":"Jenny McGuire","body":null,"created":"1713819926","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 21:05:26","changed":"1713821501","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 21:31:41","alt":"Jenny McGuire","file":{"fid":"257251","name":"Frontiers in Science Jenny McGuire Presents.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Jenny%20McGuire%20Presents.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Jenny%20McGuire%20Presents.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4795581,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Jenny%20McGuire%20Presents.jpg?itok=inkbtEFf"}},"673806":{"id":"673806","type":"image","title":"Frontiers in Science Policy Discussion Panelists: Michelle Midanier, Valerie Thomas and Joe F. Bozeman III","body":null,"created":"1713819458","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 20:57:38","changed":"1713821607","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 21:33:27","alt":"Frontiers in Science Policy Discussion Panelists: Michelle Midanier, Valerie Thomas and Joe F. Bozeman III","file":{"fid":"257247","name":"53671630866_a3c6f3a583_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/53671630866_a3c6f3a583_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/53671630866_a3c6f3a583_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8750938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/53671630866_a3c6f3a583_o.jpg?itok=N8o4cbZn"}},"673805":{"id":"673805","type":"image","title":"Frontiers in Science Participants","body":null,"created":"1713819380","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 20:56:20","changed":"1713821634","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 21:33:54","alt":"Frontiers in Science Participants","file":{"fid":"257246","name":"Frontiers in Science Participants Conversation2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Participants%20Conversation2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Participants%20Conversation2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6014932,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Participants%20Conversation2.jpg?itok=aOTXfKKE"}},"673808":{"id":"673808","type":"image","title":"President \u00c1ngel Cabrera","body":null,"created":"1713819780","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 21:03:00","changed":"1713821547","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 21:32:27","alt":"President \u00c1ngel Cabrera","file":{"fid":"257249","name":"Frontiers in Science President Cabrera.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20President%20Cabrera.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20President%20Cabrera.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8107933,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20President%20Cabrera.jpg?itok=HgeEV_zD"}},"673807":{"id":"673807","type":"image","title":"Susan Lozier, Julia Kubanek, L. Beril Toktay, and Tim Lieuwen","body":null,"created":"1713819617","gmt_created":"2024-04-22 21:00:17","changed":"1713826106","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 22:48:26","alt":"Susan Lozier, Julia Kubanek, L. Beril Toktay, and Tim Lieuwen","file":{"fid":"257248","name":"Frontiers in Science Step and Repeat.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Step%20and%20Repeat.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Step%20and%20Repeat.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8698953,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/22\/Frontiers%20in%20Science%20Step%20and%20Repeat.jpg?itok=9-IgmPRP"}}},"media_ids":["673802","673809","673806","673805","673808","673807"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-climate","title":"2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action - Program"},{"url":"https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-climate-action-plan\/#:~:text=Climate%20Action%20Plan-,Georgia%20Tech%20commits%20to%20reaching%20net%2Dzero%20emissions%20by%202050,of%20the%20Georgia%20Tech%20community.","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Climate Action Plan"},{"url":"https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan\/","title":"Sustainability Next: Georgia Tech\u2019s Sustainability Plan"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy: Lindsay Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"673986":{"#nid":"673986","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Good Dog: LASSIE Spirit Learns to Walk on the Moon ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis story by Landon Hall was first published in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/teaching-robots-to-walk-on-the-moon-and-maybe-rescue-one-another\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUSC Viterbi School of Engineering newsroom\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech alumna \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFeifei Qian\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (M.S. PHYS 2011, Ph.D. ECE 2015), an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing, leads the NASA LASSIE project alongside co-investigator \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESharissa Thompson\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, a graduate student at Georgia Tech, is a student intern on the NASA Curiosity Rover project. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Palmer Glacier on Oregon\u2019s Mount Hood isn\u2019t the Moon, but it\u2019s a good place to practice.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESome 6,000 feet up the snow-capped mountain, located about 70 miles east of Portland, a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Southern California, Texas A\u0026amp;M University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and NASA gathered to turn loose a four-legged robot named Spirit into the wild.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team that included engineers, cognitive scientists, geoscientists and planetary scientists field-tested Spirit as part of the LASSIE Project: Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analog Environments. Spirit covered a variety of challenging terrains, using his spindly metal legs to amble over, across and over around shifting dirt, slushy snow and boulders during five days of testing in summer 2023. Sometimes he expertly traversed the hillside, while at other moments he teetered and fell over. All part of the process to better understand the substrate properties and learn to better walk on these extreme terrains. The practice time Spirit logged produced data that will be used to train future robots for use on intergalactic surfaces, like Earth\u2019s moon and perhaps planets in our solar system.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cA legged robot needs to be able to detect what is happening when it interacts with the ground underneath, and rapidly adjust its locomotion strategies accordingly,\u201d says \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFeifei Qian\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing, which is leading the project funded by NASA. \u201cWhen the robot leg slips on ice or sinks into soft snow, it inspires us to look for new principles and strategies that can push the boundary of human knowledge and enable new technology. We learn and improve from the observed failures.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWatch this \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wBTyelFFE1A\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E5-minute video\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E produced for the team by documentary filmmaker Sean Grasso.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESpirit learns from every step.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cSimilar to the way that when we walk on uneven surfaces as humans, we can sort of detect how the ground is shifting beneath our feet, a legged robot is capable of the exact same thing,\u201d says \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECristina Wilson\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, a cognitive scientist at Oregon State University.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe more machines the merrier\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EQian\u2019s group doesn\u2019t intend to stop at just one robot, wandering the wilderness alone. She and her former colleagues at Penn, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECynthia Sung\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMark Yim\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDaniel Koditschek\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDouglas Jerolmack\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, received a two-year $2 million grant from NASA they\u2019re calling the TRUSSES Project: Temporarily, Robots Unite to Surmount Sandy Entrapments, Then Separate. They want to help the space agency put teams of robots on the Moon and have them work together on tasks. They would take the knowledge they came in with, and the data they collect on the mission, and communicate those details to each other.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThey would sense how the ground conditions are,\u201d Qian says, \u201cand then exchange that information with one another, and collectively form a map of locomotion risk estimation. The team of robots can then use this traversal risk map to inform their planetary explorations: \u2018There is an extremely soft sand patch that might be high-risk for wheeled rovers. Come over here, this might be a safer area.\u2019 \u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe robots in mind for this kind of work would be more than just Spirit: There would be a wheeled rover (great for payload and long distances), a Hexapedal robot (intermediate payload but better mobility than the wheeled), and dog-like ones like the rugged version of Spirit (highest mobility, shorter distances). And here\u2019s the coolest part of that research, the part that sounds like something the Transformers would do. Or at least a team of castaways on \u201cSurvivor\u201d: If one got in a jam, made immovable by loose dirt or a rock or a ravine, his bot-mates would arrive and link together and form a bridge, or a pyramid, to hoist their pal to safety. And then back to work.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWhen they plan for the strategy to pull the robot up, they\u2019ll decide what force to exert and what position the robot should go to, while also compiling the terrain information,\u201d Qian says. \u201cThat\u2019s the key idea of how to use these capabilities: to both prevent and recover from locomotion failures in extreme terrain.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBack to Mount Hood\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESpirit gets around a variety of natural environments, to learn how to better move on challenging terrains. Qian has let him off his leash on Southern California beaches, and the multi-university team has field-tested him in the soft granules of White Sands National Park in New Mexico. But \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/wBTyelFFE1A\u0022\u003Ethe video\u003C\/a\u003E shot at Mount Hood shows just how otherworldly that landscape can be in these planetary-analogue environments. This provides Spirit with plenty of opportunities to learn on earth, before potentially exploring other planets.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cYou look around us, it would be very hard to drive up this,\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERyan Ewing\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, a geologist from NASA Johnson Space Center, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/wBTyelFFE1A?feature=shared\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eshares\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u201cBut as a legged being, as humans, we can step around it easily. A dog could walk around it easily. So this project is the proving ground that we can enable new science and new mobility on environments that are like other planets.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn fact, a dog is indeed frisking about: Howard, Wilson\u2019s German shepherd, wandered about, with the kind of agility Spirit could only dream of.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe are going to observe how Howard moves in different types of snow and ice conditions,\u201d Qian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/wBTyelFFE1A?feature=shared\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Esays\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u201cWhat exactly, out of those combined motions, allows him to succeed on challenging terrain?\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe LASSIE Project calls for two more trips for Spirit: to Mount Hood this summer, and to White Sands next year. The TRUSSES team, from USC and Penn, also plans to visit White Sands next year with Spirit and the other, new, multi-tasking robots. Imagine WALL-E with friends.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2014\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe NASA PSTAR (Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research) number for this project is 80NSSC22K1313.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech have teamed up with NASA and five peer institutions to teach dog-like robots to navigate craters of the Moon and other challenging planetary surfaces."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EScientists at Georgia Tech have teamed up with the University of Southern California (USC), University of Pennsylvania, Texas A\u0026amp;M, Oregon State, Temple University, and NASA Johnson Space Center to teach dog-like robots to navigate craters of the Moon and other challenging planetary surfaces in research funded by NASA.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech have teamed up with NASA and five peer institutions to teach dog-like robots to navigate craters of the Moon and other challenging planetary surfaces."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2024-04-04 14:33:35","changed_gmt":"2024-04-04 16:23:52","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673614":{"id":"673614","type":"image","title":"The LASSIE Project\u2019s robot, dubbed Spirit, can \u201cfeel\u201d and interpret surface force responses via leg-terrain interactions, assisting planetary scientists with data collection at Oregon\u2019s Mount Hood, a lunar-analog site. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe LASSIE Project\u2019s robot, dubbed Spirit, can \u201cfeel\u201d and interpret surface force responses via leg-terrain interactions, assisting planetary scientists with data collection at Oregon\u2019s Mount Hood, a lunar-analog site. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1712241534","gmt_created":"2024-04-04 14:38:54","changed":"1712241534","gmt_changed":"2024-04-04 14:38:54","alt":"The LASSIE Project\u2019s robot, dubbed Spirit, can \u201cfeel\u201d and interpret surface force responses via leg-terrain interactions, assisting planetary scientists with data collection at Oregon\u2019s Mount Hood, a lunar-analog site. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)","file":{"fid":"257030","name":"1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114799,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/04\/1.jpg?itok=CWdND9ns"}},"673617":{"id":"673617","type":"image","title":"The LASSIE Project Team \u2014 humans and robots \u2014 pictured at Mount Hood in summer 2023. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe LASSIE Project Team \u2014 humans and robots \u2014 pictured at Mount Hood in summer 2023. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1712241799","gmt_created":"2024-04-04 14:43:19","changed":"1712241799","gmt_changed":"2024-04-04 14:43:19","alt":"The LASSIE Project Team \u2014 humans and robots \u2014 pictured at Mount Hood in summer 2023. (Justin Durner\/LASSIE Project)","file":{"fid":"257033","name":"4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":766427,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/04\/4.jpg?itok=YWcqxwXm"}},"673615":{"id":"673615","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech alumna Feifei Qian (M.S. PHYS 2011, Ph.D. ECE 2015), an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing, is leading the project funded by NASA.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech alumna Feifei Qian (M.S. PHYS 2011, Ph.D. ECE 2015), an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing, is leading the project funded by NASA.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1712241625","gmt_created":"2024-04-04 14:40:25","changed":"1712241625","gmt_changed":"2024-04-04 14:40:25","alt":"Georgia Tech alumna Feifei Qian (M.S. PHYS 2011, Ph.D. ECE 2015), an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing, is leading the project funded by NASA.","file":{"fid":"257031","name":"2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129835,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/04\/2.jpg?itok=vibJm4jd"}},"673616":{"id":"673616","type":"image","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, is helping develop a new generation of robots and rovers that can handle difficult terrain on the Moon, Mars, and other space destinations.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, is helping develop a new generation of robots and rovers that can handle difficult terrain on the Moon, Mars, and other space destinations.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1712241670","gmt_created":"2024-04-04 14:41:10","changed":"1712241670","gmt_changed":"2024-04-04 14:41:10","alt":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, is helping develop a new generation of robots and rovers that can handle difficult terrain on the Moon, Mars, and other space destinations.","file":{"fid":"257032","name":"3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/04\/3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1083043,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/04\/3.jpg?itok=ykyrp24H"}}},"media_ids":["673614","673617","673615","673616"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/frances-rivera-hernandez-lands-nasa-and-scialog-grants-planetary-research-signatures-life","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Lands NASA and Scialog Grants for Planetary Research, Signatures of Life"},{"url":"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/teaching-robots-to-walk-on-the-moon-and-maybe-rescue-one-another\/","title":"Teaching robots to walk on the moon, and maybe rescue one another"},{"url":"https:\/\/today.tamu.edu\/2024\/04\/03\/practice-makes-perfect-teaching-robots-to-walk-on-the-moon\/","title":"Practice Makes Perfect: Teaching Robots To Walk On The Moon"},{"url":"https:\/\/ntrs.nasa.gov\/citations\/20230000243","title":"NASA LASSIE: Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"},{"id":"187439","name":"Frances Rivera-Hernandez"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"671463":{"#nid":"671463","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Team iManhole Wins Fall 2023 EGHI\/GT Global Health Hackathon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudents tackled climate change in the Fall 2023 Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) \/Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) Global Health Hackathon, Nov. 11, at Tech Square ATL Social. Competing for cash prizes and a spot in GT Startup Launch, first place went to Team iManhole. The team created an integrated system that gathers real-time data from manholes and uses machine learning algorithms to predict flooding to manage traffic and evacuation routes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe effects of climate change are felt in every country with the brunt and burden of an unmanaged climate crises threatening to set back global health progress by eroding decades of poverty eradication and health equity efforts worldwide,\u201d said Dr. Rebecca Martin, EGHI director of Emory Global Health Institute.\u0026nbsp; \u201cStudents are an important partner in our work as a global community to mitigate the impacts of climate change on health, safety, and security.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe EGHI\/GT Global Health Hackathon is a partner event between EGHI and CREATE-X. It provides multidisciplinary student teams from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology an opportunity to create technology-based product solutions for global health problems. The target for this fall\u2019s event was creating solutions that address urban flooding, urban heat, or global sea level rise in densely populated, low-resource urban settings. Prizes included $4,000 and a golden ticket into CREATE-X Startup Launch for first place winners, $3,000 for second place winners, $2,000 for third place winners, and $500 each for two honorable mention winners. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis hackathon continues to be a wonderful partnership between our two institutions that gives these talented students the platform and support to put forward solutions to the most pressing issues we face today,\u201d Rahul Saxena, director of CREATE-X, said. \u201cEach hackathon, I\u2019m increasingly impressed with their ingenuity and their dedication to build something of impact.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECheck out the event program on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/globalhealth.emory.edu\/_includes\/documents\/sections\/hackathon\/fall2023_climatechange_health.pdf\u0022\u003EEGHI website\u003C\/a\u003E and see photos from the event on the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/flic.kr\/ps\/3XWk5b\u0022\u003ECREATE-X Flickr account\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The full list of the winners of this year\u2019s event includes:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E1st Place: iManhole\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAn integrated system that gathers real-time data from manholes and uses machine learning algorithms to predict flooding to manage traffic and evacuation routes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EImran Shah, Leonardo Molinari, and Jiaqi Yang\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E2nd Place: Canopy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA climate-tech software platform for democratizing climate analytics using machine learning for urban development planning. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;Deesha Panchal, Kruthik Ravikanti, Vaibhav Mishra, Nicholas Swanson, Jennifer Samuel, and Vaishnavi Sanjeev\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E3rd Place: Floodwise\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA package of effective simulations and an informed chatbot that help facilitate wise decisions during floods. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ansh Gupta, Dimi Deju, Mukund Chidambaram, and Sahit Mamidipaka\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHonorable Mention\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EConquering Heat Islands \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EProcess and hardware that uses excess solar power to mine crypto\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;Rida Akbar, DJ Louis, Edward Zheng, Dmitri Kalinin, and Jade Bondy\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EReal-Time Computational Modeling of Urban Flooding and Evacuation in Local Atlanta Communities \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIntegrated system to gather real-time data from manholes and use machine learning algorithms to predict flooding and optimize traffic\/evacuation. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;Imran Shah, Leonardo Molinari, and Jiaqi Yang\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudents tackled climate change in the Fall 2023 Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) \/Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) Global Health Hackathon, Nov. 11, at Tech Square ATL Social. Competing for cash prizes and a spot in GT Startup Launch, first place went to Team iManhole. The team created an integrated system that gathers real-time data from manholes and uses machine learning algorithms to predict flooding to manage traffic and evacuation routes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students tackled climate change in the Fall 2023 Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) \/Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) Global Health Hackathon, Nov. 11, at Tech Square ATL Social. "}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2023-12-07 14:05:29","changed_gmt":"2024-03-22 15:22:47","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672528":{"id":"672528","type":"image","title":"2023FallEGHIGTHackathonWinners","body":null,"created":"1701958011","gmt_created":"2023-12-07 14:06:51","changed":"1701959360","gmt_changed":"2023-12-07 14:29:20","alt":"Winners of the EGHI\/GT Hackathon stand together at Tech Square ATL Social","file":{"fid":"255780","name":"Screenshot 2023-12-07 at 9.18.06 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/12\/07\/Screenshot%202023-12-07%20at%209.18.06%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/12\/07\/Screenshot%202023-12-07%20at%209.18.06%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1450388,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/12\/07\/Screenshot%202023-12-07%20at%209.18.06%20AM.png?itok=1lzcsLBb"}}},"media_ids":["672528"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/globalhealth.emory.edu\/_includes\/documents\/sections\/hackathon\/fall2023_climatechange_health.pdf","title":"EGHI website"},{"url":"https:\/\/flic.kr\/ps\/3XWk5b","title":"CREATE-X Flickr account"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"61371","name":"Hackathon"},{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"},{"id":"166973","name":"startup"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"1072","name":"Business"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"2029","name":"Competition"},{"id":"192236","name":"EGHI"},{"id":"247","name":"Emory"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Ebreanna.durham@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"672802":{"#nid":"672802","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rajiv Shah Advocates \u0027Big Bets\u0027 Approach to Problem-Solving ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Rajiv Shah\u0027s book, \u003Cem\u003EBig Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens\u003C\/em\u003E, examines the inner workings of large-scale change from the perspective of the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and the former United States Agency for International Development ambassador. Shah shared his advice to Tech students and faculty during a conversation with President \u00c1ngel Cabrera Tuesday.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShah noted that too often, many people settle for \u0022good enough\u0022 in problem-solving and stop short of seeking comprehensive solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on his expertise after leading the U.S. response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and working to increase access to immunizations worldwide, Shah outlined the framework of a \u0022big bet.\u0022 It begins with identifying innovative solutions and building broad alliances to transform the lives of large numbers of people.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If there\u0027s one message I hope people take away from the book, it\u0027s that these problems are actually solvable,\u0022 he said. \u0022If 50% of the world\u0027s global birth cohort is not getting vaccinated and immunized from simple diseases, it may take 20 years and $30 billion, but we\u0027re going to solve the problem of universal childhood immunization. If an Ebola pandemic is ravaging West Africa and threatening the rest of the world, we\u0027re not going to settle for what we can do. We\u0027re going to really study the issue, invent new solutions, and engineer new solutions.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s mission to advance technology and improve the human condition was on display throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as testing infrastructure and contingency plans were created and implemented. Cabrera and Shah discussed how such crises give way to creativity in developing solutions and how the Institute can use the same ambition to lead the world through the next decade\u0027s problems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Coming to Georgia is so exciting because what\u0027s happening in the state is very much the epicenter of clean technology and jobs \u2014 power, manufacturing, science, and technology all coming together to shape the future. The question is, are you going to shape a future that solves the problems we face? Or are we going to shape a future that just serves the human desire for luxury and optimizing for those who have plenty? That\u0027s a set of judgments that\u0027s in your hands,\u0022 he said. \u0022To me, this is a great institution to be a part of because you have the position to be problem solvers.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the public conversation, Shah participated in a faculty roundtable discussion about combating climate change \u2014 a primary goal of the Rockefeller Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen thinking of their own \u0022big bets\u0022 or those that have a global impact, Shah encouraged students to simplify the problem they are trying to solve and apply what they\u0027ve learned at Georgia Tech to change the world for the better.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u0027m a big believer that you all, especially students, can be change agents within whatever institutions you go to when you leave this great one, and I hope the book offers a bit of a playbook for how to do that,\u0022 he said. \u0022Asking simple questions is a gift we all tend to lose as we grow up professionally, but I hope you will retain it.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kb4Dkh4AOkM\u0022\u003EWatch the full conversation.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah joined Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera for a discussion about his book \u0027Big Bets,\u0027 and students\u2019 pivotal role in finding solutions to global issues."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah joined Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera for a discussion about his book \u003Cem\u003EBig Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens\u003C\/em\u003E, and students\u2019 pivotal role in finding solutions to global issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah joined Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera for a discussion about his book \u0027Big Bets,\u0027 and students\u2019 pivotal role in finding solutions to global issues."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-02-06 22:25:58","changed_gmt":"2024-02-09 15:19:25","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672991":{"id":"672991","type":"image","title":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah joined Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera to discuss his book, \u0027Big Bets.\u0027 ","body":null,"created":"1707258682","gmt_created":"2024-02-06 22:31:22","changed":"1707258682","gmt_changed":"2024-02-06 22:31:22","alt":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah joined Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera to discuss his book, \u0027Big Bets.\u0027 ","file":{"fid":"256331","name":"24-R10400-P38-005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-005.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-005.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12912696,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-005.jpg?itok=PmGeKWOc"}},"672992":{"id":"672992","type":"image","title":"Rajiv Shah Faculty Roundtable ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah participates in a faculty roundtable discussion at Georgia Tech about combating climate change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1707258855","gmt_created":"2024-02-06 22:34:15","changed":"1707258855","gmt_changed":"2024-02-06 22:34:15","alt":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah participates in a faculty roundtable discussion about combating climate change. ","file":{"fid":"256332","name":"24-R10400-P38-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6250639,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-003.jpg?itok=_nM_Ug6F"}},"672993":{"id":"672993","type":"image","title":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah meets Shannon Yee touring the The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah meets Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;Shannon Yee while touring the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1707259460","gmt_created":"2024-02-06 22:44:20","changed":"1707259460","gmt_changed":"2024-02-06 22:44:20","alt":"Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah meets Associate Professor\u00a0Shannon Yee while touring the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.","file":{"fid":"256333","name":"24-R10400-P38-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5928528,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/06\/24-R10400-P38-001.jpg?itok=7oqW27yN"}}},"media_ids":["672991","672992","672993"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/president.gatech.edu\/publications-speeches\/conversations","title":"Conversations With Cabrera"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187373","name":"Conversations with Cabrera"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667463":{"#nid":"667463","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Physics to Host Climate Talk with Former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Nobel Laureate ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn April 26, 2023, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech will welcome Stanford University physicist \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESteven Chu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E to speak on climate change and innovative paths towards a more sustainable future. Chu is the 1997 co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, and in his former role as U.S. Secretary of Energy, became the first scientist to hold a U.S. Cabinet position. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAbout the Talk\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/26\/school-physics-public-lecture-professor-steven-chu-climate-change-and-innovative\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe event\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is part of the School of Physics \u201cInquiring Minds\u201d public lecture series, and will be held at the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arts.gatech.edu\/contact\/driving-directions\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFerst Center for the Arts\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003EThe talk is free and open to campus and the Atlanta community, and no RSVP is required. Refreshments begin at 4:30, and the lecture will start at 5 p.m. ET.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe multiple industrial and agricultural revolutions have transformed the world,\u201d Chu recently shared in an abstract for the lecture. \u201cHowever, an unintended consequence of this progress is that we are changing the climate of our planet. In addition to the climate risks, we will need to provide enough clean energy, water, and food for a more prosperous world that may grow to 11 billion by 2100.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe talk will discuss the significant technical challenges and potential solutions that could provide better paths to a more sustainable future. \u201cHow we transition from where we are now to where we need to be within 50 years is arguably the most pressing set of issues that science, innovation, and public policy have to address,\u201d Chu added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe event\u2019s faculty host is \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, Dunn Family Professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAbout Steven Chu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.stanford.edu\/people\/steven-chu\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESteven Chu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics and a professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology in the Medical School at Stanford University.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChu served as the 12\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eth\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E U.S. Secretary of Energy from January 2009 until the end of April 2013. As the first scientist to hold a U.S. Cabinet position and the longest serving Energy Secretary, Chu led several initiatives including ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency \u2013 Energy), the Energy Innovation Hubs, and was personally tasked by President Obama to assist in the Deepwater Horizon oil leak.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn the spring of 2010, Chu was the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/steven-chu-visits-ece-solar-power-research-center-georgia-tech\u0022\u003Ekeynote speaker\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Efor the Georgia Tech Ph.D. and Master\u0027s Commencement Ceremony.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPrior to his cabinet post, Chu was director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he was active in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies, and a professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford, where he helped launch Bio-X, a multi-disciplinary institute combining the physical and biological sciences with medicine and engineering. Previously he also served as head of the Quantum Electronics Research Department at AT\u0026amp;T Bell Laboratories.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHe is the co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to laser cooling and atom trapping. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Pontifical Academy Sciences, and of seven foreign academies. He formerly served as president, and then chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChu earned an A.B. degree in mathematics and a B.S. degree in physics from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as 35 honorary degrees.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHe has published over 280 papers in atomic and polymer physics, biophysics, biology, bio-imaging, batteries, and other energy technologies. He holds 15 patents, and an additional 15 patent disclosures or filings since 2015.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPhysicist Steven Chu was the first person appointed to the U.S. Cabinet after having won a Nobel Prize \u2014 and the first scientist to hold a Cabinet position. On April 26, he will deliver a public lecture at Georgia Tech on climate change and innovative paths towards a more sustainable future.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Physicist Steven Chu was the first person appointed to the U.S. Cabinet after having won a Nobel Prize. On April 26, he will deliver a public lecture at Georgia Tech on climate change and innovative paths towards a more sustainable future."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2023-04-20 22:46:44","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:50:42","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670596":{"id":"670596","type":"image","title":"Steven Chu (Credit: Imke Lass\/Redux)","body":null,"created":"1682031580","gmt_created":"2023-04-20 22:59:40","changed":"1682031580","gmt_changed":"2023-04-20 22:59:40","alt":"Steven Chu (Credit: Imke Lass\/Redux)","file":{"fid":"253482","name":"Steven Chu - credit Imke Lass - Redux.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20credit%20Imke%20Lass%20-%20Redux.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20credit%20Imke%20Lass%20-%20Redux.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":835401,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20credit%20Imke%20Lass%20-%20Redux.jpg?itok=e7sdDN_M"}},"670597":{"id":"670597","type":"image","title":"Steven Chu (Credit: Larry Downing\/Reuters)","body":null,"created":"1682031622","gmt_created":"2023-04-20 23:00:22","changed":"1682031622","gmt_changed":"2023-04-20 23:00:22","alt":"Steven Chu (Credit: Larry Downing\/Reuters)","file":{"fid":"253483","name":"Steven Chu - Photo by Larry Downing - Reuters.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20Photo%20by%20Larry%20Downing%20-%20Reuters.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20Photo%20by%20Larry%20Downing%20-%20Reuters.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":876097,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/20\/Steven%20Chu%20-%20Photo%20by%20Larry%20Downing%20-%20Reuters.jpg?itok=OXJDG-0S"}}},"media_ids":["670596","670597"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668138":{"#nid":"668138","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientists Unearth 20 Million Years of \u2018Hot Spot\u2019 Magmatism Under Cocos Plate","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETen years ago, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/naif-dr-samer\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESamer Naif\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E made an unexpected discovery in Earth\u2019s mantle: a narrow pocket, proposed to be filled with magma, hidden some 60 kilometers beneath the seafloor of the Cocos Plate. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMantle melts are buoyant and typically float toward the surface \u2014 think underwater volcanoes that erupt to form strings of islands. But Naif\u2019s imaging instead showed a clear slice of semi-molten rock: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Elow-degree partial melts\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, still sandwiched at the base of the plate some 37 miles beneath the ocean floor. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThen, the observation \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physicsworld.com\/a\/deep-sea-imaging-reveals-how-tectonic-plates-slide\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eprovided an explanation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E for how tectonic plates can gradually slide, lubricated by partial melting. The study also \u201craised several questions about \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ewhy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E magma is stored in a thin channel \u2014 and where the magma originated from,\u201d says Naif, an assistant professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFellow researchers went on to share competing interpretations for the cause of the channel \u2014 including studies that argued against magma being needed to explain the observation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESo Naif went straight to the source.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI basically went on a multiyear hunt, akin to a Sherlock Holmes detective story, looking for clues of mantle magmas that we first observed in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature11939\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E2013 \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENature \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Estudy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E,\u201d he says. \u201cThis involved piecing together evidence from several independent sources, including geophysical, geochemical, and geological (direct seafloor sampling) data.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENow, the results of that search are detailed in a new \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E article, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.add3761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cEpisodic intraplate magmatism fed by a long-lived melt channel of distal plume origin\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, authored by Naif and researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey at Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Northern Arizona University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and GNS Science of Lower Hutt, New Zealand.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EZeroing in\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA relatively young oceanic plate \u2014\u0026nbsp;some 23 million years old \u2014 the Cocos Plate traces down the western coast of Central America, veering west to the Pacific Plate, then north to meet the North American Plate off the Pacific coast of Mexico. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESliding between these two plates caused the devastating 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the 2017 Chiapas earthquake, while similar subduction between the Cocos and Caribbean plates resulted in the 1992 Nicaragua tsunami and earthquake, and the 2001 El Salvador earthquakes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EScientists study the edges of these oceanic plates to understand the history and formation of volcanic chains \u2014 and to help researchers and agencies better prepare for future earthquakes and volcanic activity.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt\u2019s in this active area that Naif and fellow researchers recently set out to document a series of magmatic intrusions just beneath the seafloor, in the same area that the team first detected the channel of magma back in 2013. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPlumbing the depths\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor the new study, the team combined geophysical, geochemical, and seafloor drilling results with seismic reflection data, a technique used to image layers of sediments and rocks below the surface. \u201cIt helps us to see the geology where we cannot see it with our own eyes,\u201d Naif explains.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFirst, the researchers observed an abundance of widespread intraplate magmatism. \u201cVolcanism where it is not expected,\u201d Naif says, \u201cbasically away from plate boundaries: subduction zones and mid-ocean ridges.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThink Hawaii, where \u201ca mantle plume of hot, rising material melts during its ascent, and then forms the Hawaii volcanic chain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,\u201d just as with the Cocos Plate, where the team imaged the volcanism fed by magma at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary \u2014 the base of the sliding tectonic plates. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cBelow it is the convecting mantle,\u201d Naif adds. \u201cThe tectonic plates are moving around on Earth\u0027s surface because they are sliding on the asthenosphere below them.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe researchers also found that this channel below the lithosphere is regionally extensive \u2014 over 100,000 square kilometers \u2014 and is a \u201clong-lived feature that originated from the Gal\u00e1pagos Plume,\u201d a mantle plume that formed the volcanic Gal\u00e1pagos islands, supplying melt for a series of volcanic events across the past 20 million years, and persisting today. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EImportantly, the new study also suggests that these plume-fed melt channels may be widespread and long-lived sources for intraplate magmatism itself \u2014 as well as for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emantle metasomatism\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, which happens when Earth\u2019s mantle reacts with fluids to form a suite of minerals from the original rocks.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EConnecting the (hot spot) dots\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis confirms that magma was there in the past \u2014 and some of it leaked through the mantle and erupted near the seafloor,\u201d Naif says, \u201cin the form of sill intrusions and seamounts: basically volcanoes located on the seafloor.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe work also provides compelling supporting evidence that magma could still be stored in the channel. \u201cMore surprising is that the erupted magma has a chemical fingerprint that links its source to the Gal\u00e1pagos mantle plume.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe learned that the magma channel has been around for at least 20 million years, and on occasion some of that magma leaks to the seafloor where it erupts volcanically,\u201d Naif adds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team\u2019s identified source of the magma, the Gal\u00e1pagos Plume, \u201cis more than 1,000 kilometers away from where we detected this volcanism. It is not clear how magma can stay around in the mantle for such a long time, only to leak out episodically.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPlume hunters wanted\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe evidence that the team compiled is \u201creally quite subtle and requires a detailed and careful study of a suite of seafloor observations to connect the dots,\u201d Naif says. \u201cBasically, the signs of such volcanism, while they are quite clear here, also require high resolution data and several different types of data to be able to detect such subtle seafloor features.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESo, \u201cif we can see such subtle clues of volcanism here,\u201d Naif explains, \u201cit means a similar, careful analysis of high resolution data in other parts of the seafloor may lead to similar discoveries of volcanism elsewhere, caused by other mantle plumes.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThere are numerous mantle plumes dotted across the planet. There are also numerous seamounts \u2014 at least 100,000 of them! \u2014 covering the seafloor, and it is anyone\u2019s guess how many of them formed in the middle of the tectonic plates because of magma sourced from distant mantle plumes that leaked to the surface.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENaif looks forward to continuing that search, from seafloor to asthenosphere. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E###\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFunding:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.13039\/100000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E: OCE-0625178, U.S. Science Support Program\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECitation: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.add3761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.add3761\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eor \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Institute offers\u202f\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ebusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202fand\u202fsciences \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Edegrees. Its more than 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students, representing 50 states and more than 148 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAs a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Situated 60 kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean floor, the magma channel covers more than 100,000 square kilometers, and originated from the Gal\u00e1pagos Plume more than 20 million years ago."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA team of scientists led by Georgia Tech have observed past \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eepisodic intraplate magmatism\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and corroborated the existence of a partial melt channel at the base of the Cocos Plate. Situated 60 kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean floor, the magma channel covers more than 100,000 square kilometers, and originated from the Gal\u00e1pagos Plume more than 20 million years ago, supplying melt for multiple magmatic events \u2014 and persisting today. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team of scientists led by Georgia Tech have observed past episodic intraplate magmatism and corroborated the existence of a partial melt channel at the base of the Cocos Plate. "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2023-06-16 19:53:40","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:47:21","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670990":{"id":"670990","type":"image","title":"Mantle plumes, shown in red, have been identified around the world. (Ingo W\u00f6lbern, via Wikimedia Commons)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMantle plumes, shown in red, have been identified around the world. (Ingo W\u00f6lbern, via Wikimedia Commons)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1686945795","gmt_created":"2023-06-16 20:03:15","changed":"1686945795","gmt_changed":"2023-06-16 20:03:15","alt":"A global map of mantle plumes.","file":{"fid":"253977","name":"Global-hotspots.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/Global-hotspots.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/Global-hotspots.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1698036,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/16\/Global-hotspots.jpg?itok=Z3YMo9JA"}},"670992":{"id":"670992","type":"image","title":"Samer Naif, left, with fellow researchers in the field (offshore New Zealand, for a separate research study). ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESamer Naif, left, with fellow researchers in the field (offshore New Zealand, for a separate research study).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1686946709","gmt_created":"2023-06-16 20:18:29","changed":"1686946709","gmt_changed":"2023-06-16 20:18:29","alt":"Researchers in the field","file":{"fid":"253979","name":"Naif.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/Naif.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/Naif.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":752084,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/16\/Naif.jpg?itok=E5NFWPi0"}},"670991":{"id":"670991","type":"image","title":"Regional topographic relief map. (Naif et al)","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrom the study: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Cocos and Nazca plates are formed at the EPR and the GSC. The Gal\u00e1pagos Triple Junction (GTJ) trace marks the boundary between EPR- and GSC-derived oceanic crusts. The Gal\u00e1pagos Plume is currently centered beneath the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands 200 km south of the GSC and generates two hot spot tracks, the Cocos Ridge and the Carnegie Ridge. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1686946437","gmt_created":"2023-06-16 20:13:57","changed":"1686946437","gmt_changed":"2023-06-16 20:13:57","alt":"Regional topographic relief map. ","file":{"fid":"253978","name":"sciadv.add3761-f1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/sciadv.add3761-f1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/sciadv.add3761-f1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3610537,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/16\/sciadv.add3761-f1.jpg?itok=uIYeHpG6"}},"670989":{"id":"670989","type":"image","title":"A figure showing the Earth relief around the Galapagos islands, which shows the effects of the mantle plume. (Wikimedia Commons)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA figure showing the Earth relief around the Galapagos islands, which shows the effects of the mantle plume. The data are from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and this figure was produced in PyGMT. (Wikimedia Commons)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1686945657","gmt_created":"2023-06-16 20:00:57","changed":"1686945657","gmt_changed":"2023-06-16 20:00:57","alt":"A figure showing the Earth relief around the Galapagos islands.","file":{"fid":"253976","name":"GP.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/GP_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/16\/GP_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1695259,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/16\/GP_1.jpg?itok=vzqqzoqg"}}},"media_ids":["670990","670992","670991","670989"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/plumes-hot-material-near-earths-core-grease-way-moving-slabs-earth","title":"Plumes of Hot Material Near Earth\u0027s Core Grease Way for Moving Slabs of Earth"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/surfacing-new-clues-waters-impact-undersea-earthquakes","title":"Surfacing New Clues: Water\u2019s Impact in Undersea Earthquakes"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188051","name":"Samer Naif"},{"id":"192769","name":"Cocos Plate"},{"id":"192770","name":"volcanoes"},{"id":"12120","name":"earthquakes"},{"id":"192771","name":"Galapagos Plume"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"669606":{"#nid":"669606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Temperatures Climb, Flying Insects Slower to Migrate to Cooler Elevations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story by Jennifer Woodruff is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.ucdenver.edu\/flying-insects-at-greater-risk-of-climate-change-extinction\/\u0022\u003Eshared jointly\u003C\/a\u003E with the University of Colorado Denver. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response to rising global temperatures, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations to survive in cooler temperatures. But a new study from the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Georgia Tech finds that for flying insects \u2014 including bees and moths \u2014 this escape route may have insurmountable issues that\u0026nbsp;could mean their doom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team examined more than 800 species of insects from around the world and discovered that many winged insects are moving to higher elevations much slower than their non-flying counterparts. This is because the thinner air at higher elevations provides less oxygen for species to use. Because flight requires more oxygen to generate energy for movement than other styles of movement, such as walking, these species are migrating\u0026nbsp;more slowly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41558-023-01794-2\u0022\u003Eteam\u2019s findings were published\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in this week\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Climate Change\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;journal. \u003Cstrong\u003EJesse Shaich\u003C\/strong\u003E, postbaccalaureate student at CU Denver, is also a member of the research team.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we think about where species will be able\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;live under climate change in the coming decades, we need to remember that animals are sensitive to more than just how hot or cold they are,\u201d said CU Denver Assistant Professor of Integrated Biology\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Michael Moore\u003C\/strong\u003E, who led the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeclining insect biodiversity has direct impact on humans\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf flying insects\u2019 native habitats get too warm too quickly, and they can\u2019t find a suitable alternative or adapt in time, that will likely lead to their extinction. Beyond just being bad for the bugs themselves, loss of insects is bad news for humans as well. Most crop pollinators are the flying species the researchers expect to be vulnerable, and their extinction would be catastrophic to global food supply. Not only would this have implications for agriculture and food supply chains, but similar challenges are likely true for other species that need a lot of oxygen to live.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur earth\u2019s biodiversity is rapidly declining, especially amongst insects. The global loss of insects will be ecologically catastrophic, so we urgently need to understand why and how this is happening,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EBroadening research on high elevation challenges\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo conserve as many species as possible, researchers need to grasp the full scope of challenges plants and animals face, whether they can overcome these challenges, and to predict the locations where they can survive. High elevation environments are also difficult for new species because of the scarcity of food, stronger winds, more extreme cold snaps, and increased ultraviolet radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMoore concludes, \u201cIf we want to design effective conservation strategies, we must consider a broader range of environmental factors that species need to live.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers\u202f\u003Cstrong\u003Ebusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202fand\u202fsciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Edegrees. Its more than 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students, representing 50 states and more than 148 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the University of Colorado Denver \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe \u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity of Colorado Denver\u003C\/strong\u003E is the state\u2019s premier public urban research university and equity-serving institution. Globally connected and locally invested, CU Denver partners with future-focused learners and communities to design accessible, relevant, and transformative educational experiences for every stage of life and career. Across seven schools and colleges in the heart of downtown Denver, our leading faculty inspires and works alongside students to solve complex challenges through boundary-breaking innovation, impactful research, and creative work. As part of the state\u2019s largest university system, CU Denver is a major contributor to the Colorado economy, with 2,000 employees and an annual economic impact of $800 million. For more information, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucdenver.edu%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C01%7Cjennifer.woodruff%40ucdenver.edu%7C37d2a0ff8abb4e8626f508dac74234ec%7C563337caa517421aaae01aa5b414fd7f%7C0%7C0%7C638041386042769074%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=Zno7bV5fmo7Mw5pDmEEfAjFPV4PVMFUSDyhj6ZIeRFA%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003Eucdenver.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41558-023-01794-2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAcknowledgments: Support was generously provided by the University of Colorado Denver (to M.P.M. and J.S.) and Washington University in St. Louis and the Georgia Institute of Technology (to J.T.S.). Conversations with J. de Mayo, J. Grady and A. Lenard and input from three reviewers improved this study.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Flying insects like bees and moths struggle with low oxygen and thin air at high elevations."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn response to changing climates, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations, seeking cooler temperatures. But a new study from Georgia Tech and the University of Colorado Denver finds that flying insects like bees and moths may struggle with insurmountable issues to this escape route.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In response to changing climates, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations, seeking cooler temperatures. But a new study finds that flying insects like bees and moths may struggle with insurmountable issues to this escape route."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2023-09-11 21:27:34","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:44:07","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671675":{"id":"671675","type":"image","title":"A close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1694467660","gmt_created":"2023-09-11 21:27:40","changed":"1694467660","gmt_changed":"2023-09-11 21:27:40","alt":"A close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.","file":{"fid":"254779","name":"CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":111550,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg?itok=btPjWZlE"}}},"media_ids":["671675"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"14946","name":"insects"},{"id":"193029","name":"pollinators"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193037","name":"James Stroud"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\njess@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Woodruff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Public Relations \u0026amp; Integrated Media\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nUniversity of Colorado Denver\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.woodruff@ucdenver.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer.Woodruff@ucdenver.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n+1 (303) 315-0283\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"671132":{"#nid":"671132","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Reveals Wintertime Formation of Large Pollution Particles in China\u2019s Skies ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPrevious \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acp.copernicus.org\/articles\/19\/14311\/2019\/#:~:text=Rapid%20sulfate%20formation%20is%20recognized%20as%20a%20key,to%20reduce%20gaps%20between%20observation%20and%20model%20simulation.\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Estudies\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E have found that the particles that float in the haze over the skies of Beijing include sulfate, a major source of outdoor air pollution that damages lungs and aggravates existing asthmatic symptoms, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ww2.arb.ca.gov\/resources\/sulfate-and-health#:~:text=Sulfate%20particles%20are%20part%20of,chronic%20heart%20or%20lung%20diseases.\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eaccording\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E to the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ww2.arb.ca.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECalifornia Air Resources Board\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESulfates usually are produced by atmospheric oxidation in the summer, when ample sunlight facilitates the oxidation that turns sulfur dioxide into dangerous aerosol particles. How is it that China can produce such extreme pollution loaded with sulfates in the winter, when there\u2019s not as much sunlight and atmospheric oxidation is slow?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/wang-dr-yuhang\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYuhang Wang\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech, and his research team have conducted a study that may have the answer: All the chemical reactions needed to turn sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide, and then quickly into sulfate, primarily happen within the smoke plumes causing the pollution. That process not only creates sulfates in the winter in China, but it also happens faster and results in larger sulfate particles in the atmosphere.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe call the source \u2018in-source formation,\u2019\u201d Wang says. \u201cInstead of having oxidants spread out in the atmosphere, slowly oxidizing sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide to produce sulfate, we have this concentrated production in the exhaust plumes that turns the sulfuric acid into large sulfate particles. And that\u0027s why we\u0027re seeing these large sulfate particles in China.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe findings of in-source formation of larger wintertime sulfate particles in China could help scientists accurately assess the impacts of aerosols on \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climate.mit.edu\/explainers\/radiative-forcing#:~:text=Radiative%20forcing%20is%20what%20happens,infrared%20radiation%20exiting%20as%20heat.\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eradiative forcing\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u2014 how climate change and global warming impact the Earth\u2019s energy and heat balances \u2014 and on health, where larger aerosols means larger deposits into human lungs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.3c05645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWintertime Formation of Large Sulfate Particles in China and Implications for Human Health,\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is published in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/journal\/esthag\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E an \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E publication. The co-authors include \u003Cstrong\u003EQianru Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E of Peking University and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/mingming-zhang\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMingming Zheng\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E of Wuhan Polytechnic University, two of Wang\u2019s former students who conducted the research while at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EExplaining a historic smog\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChina still burns a lot of coal in power plants because its costs are lower compared to natural gas, Wang says. It also makes for an easy comparison between China\u2019s hazy winters and a historic event that focused the United Kingdom\u2019s attention on dangerous environmental hazards \u2014 the Great London Smog.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe event, depicted in the Netflix show \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt5170842\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe Crown,\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E saw severe smog descend on London in December 1952. Unusually cold weather preceded the event, which brought the coal-produced haze down to ground level. UK officials later said the Great London Smog (also called the Great London Fog) was responsible for 4,000 deaths and 100,000 illnesses, although later studies estimated a higher death toll of 10,000 to 20,000.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cFrom the days of the London Fog to extreme winter pollution in China, it has been a challenge to explain how sulfate is produced in the winter,\u201d Wang says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWang and his team decided to take on that challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAerosol size and heavy metal influence?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe higher sulfate levels in China, notably in January 2013, defy conventional explanations that relied on standard photochemical oxidation. It was thought that nitrogen dioxide or other mild oxidants found in alkaline or neutral particles in the atmosphere were the cause. But measurements revealed the resulting sulfate particles were highly acidic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDuring Zheng\u2019s time at Georgia Tech, \u201cShe was just looking for interesting things to do,\u201d Wang says of the former student. \u201cAnd I said, maybe this is what we should do \u2014 I wanted her to look at aerosol size distributions, how large the aerosols are.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EZheng and Wang noticed that the size of the sulfate particles from China\u2019s winter were much larger than those that resulted from photochemically-produced aerosols. Usually measuring 0.3 to 0.5 microns, the sulfate was closer to 1 micron in size. (A human hair is about 70 microns.) Aerosols distributed over a wider area would normally be smaller.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe micron-sized aerosol observations imply that sulfate particles undergo substantial growth in a sulfur trioxide-rich environment,\u201d Wang says. Larger particles increase the risks to human health.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWhen aerosols are large, more is deposited in the front part of the respiratory system but less on the end part, such as alveoli,\u201d he adds. \u201cWhen accounting for the large size of particles, total aerosol deposition in the human respiratory system is estimated to increase by 10 to 30 percent.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESomething still needs to join the chemical mix, however, so the sulfur dioxide could turn into sulfur trioxide while enlarging the resulting sulfate particles. Wang says a potential pathway involves the catalytic oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid by \u201ctransition metals.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHigh temperatures, acidity, and water content in the exhaust can greatly accelerate catalytic sulfur dioxide oxidation \u201ccompared to that in the ambient atmosphere. It is possible that similar heterogeneous processes occurring on the hot surface of a smokestack coated with transition metals could explain the significant portion of sulfur trioxide observed in coal-fired power plant exhaust,\u201d Wang says.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cA significant amount of sulfur trioxide is produced, either during combustion or through metal-catalyzed oxidation at elevated temperatures.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAn opportunity for cleaner-burning coal power plants\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe impact of in-source formation of sulfate suggests that taking measures to cool off and remove sulfur trioxide, sulfuric acid, and particulates from the emissions of coal-combustion facilities could be a way to cut down on pollution that can cause serious health problems.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe development and implementation of such technology will benefit nations globally, particularly those heavily reliant on coal as a primary energy source,\u201d Wang says.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.3c05645\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.3c05645\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 41821005 and 41977311). Yuhang Wang was supported by the National Science Foundation Atmospheric Chemistry Program.\u0026nbsp;Qianru Zhang would also like to thank the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M720005) and China Scholarship Council for support. Mingming Zheng is also supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Peking University (7100604309).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers find dangerous sulfates are formed, and their particles get bigger, within the plumes of pollution belching from coal-fired power plants."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers find dangerous sulfates are formed, and their particles get bigger, within the plumes of pollution belching from coal-fired power plants.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers find dangerous sulfates are formed, and their particles get bigger, within the plumes of pollution belching from coal-fired power plants."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2023-11-16 21:24:21","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:29:13","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672402":{"id":"672402","type":"image","title":"Beijing pollution (Photo Kevin Dooley, Creative Commons)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeijing pollution (Photo Kevin Dooley, Creative Commons)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1700170529","gmt_created":"2023-11-16 21:35:29","changed":"1700170529","gmt_changed":"2023-11-16 21:35:29","alt":"Beijing pollution (Photo Kevin Dooley, Creative Commons)","file":{"fid":"255633","name":"Beijing pollution (Photo Kevin Dooley, Creative Commons).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/16\/Beijing%20pollution%20%28Photo%20Kevin%20Dooley%2C%20Creative%20Commons%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/16\/Beijing%20pollution%20%28Photo%20Kevin%20Dooley%2C%20Creative%20Commons%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":108120,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/16\/Beijing%20pollution%20%28Photo%20Kevin%20Dooley%2C%20Creative%20Commons%29.jpeg?itok=Blmdl5Q8"}},"672403":{"id":"672403","type":"image","title":"Yuhang Wang","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuhang Wang\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1700170645","gmt_created":"2023-11-16 21:37:25","changed":"1700170645","gmt_changed":"2023-11-16 21:37:25","alt":"Yuhang Wang","file":{"fid":"255634","name":"Yuhang Wang.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/16\/Yuhang%20Wang.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/16\/Yuhang%20Wang.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2476110,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/16\/Yuhang%20Wang.jpg?itok=ASb4ukar"}}},"media_ids":["672402","672403"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-study-sheds-light-toxicity-atmospheric-particulate-matter-pollution","title":"Georgia Tech Study Sheds Light on Toxicity of Atmospheric Particulate Matter Pollution"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/sea-spray-water-worlds-and-search-life","title":"Sea Spray, Water Worlds, and the Search for Life"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/canadian-wildfire-smoke-affects-atlanta","title":"Canadian Wildfire Smoke Affects Atlanta"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-5-clearing-air-about-aerosol-science","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 5 - Clearing the Air About Aerosol Science"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"169224","name":"Yuhang Wang"},{"id":"113111","name":"aerosols"},{"id":"173837","name":"China air pollution"},{"id":"169960","name":"sulfates"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEditor: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"670904":{"#nid":"670904","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Digging Into Greenland Ice: Unraveling Mysteries in Earth\u0027s Harshest Environments","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cYou\u0027re in the middle of an ice sheet, and it\u2019s one of the most desolate places on Earth. There are no living animals there. There are no plants there. The only animals you see are birds. They might be lost.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThat\u2019s how \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERachel Moore\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E describes the view from the top of the Greenland Ice Sheet. \u201cIt\u0027s a really challenging environment, but it was really, really interesting to be there. I was there for nearly 50 days.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMoore is an expert at collecting data in difficult research environments, traveling to some of the most extreme places on Earth in order to research microbes, and what hints they might give regarding astrobiology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIt all started in grad school, when I joined a microbial ecology lab,\u201d Moore recalls. \u201cI pretty quickly learned that I love to do really difficult, challenging projects. I got interested in working around fire, biomass burning and forests, and I started collecting bacteria from the air. That was a challenge in and of itself, just trying to collect these really tiny things while standing in the smoke from the forest fires. But from that I learned that I loved to go out into the environment and collect things and try to understand everything around me.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI have a lot of different projects, but they all connect through astrobiology,\u201d Moore says. \u201cI\u2019m interested in anything that hasn\u0027t been answered yet.\u201d Moore is also leading a project called EXO Methane, which is investigating if different Archaea could survive in Martian and Enceladus-like environments. She\u2019s also collaborating on a project that will send a probe to Venus next year.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMoore started her postdoctoral research at Georgia Tech, and is now continuing her work as a Research Scientist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pxl.earth\/\u0022\u003Ein the same laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThe first project I started in this lab focused around how microbes can survive a really, really dry environment,\u201d she adds. To study this, Moore traveled to the Atacama desert in Chile \u2014 the driest place on Earth, and also one of the best analogs to the surface of Mars. \u201cWhat we were interested in there is how organisms survive intense radiation and intense desiccation. And how does that change as you look at different sites in the Atacama?\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThen, this past summer, Moore traveled to another extreme environment \u2014 Greenland. \u201cInstead of being hot and dry, Greenland is extremely cold and dry,\u201d Moore explains. \u201cSo it was similar in some aspects, but completely different in terms of logistics and sampling methods. Because we were there in the summer, the sun never set. We were also at high elevation \u2014 10,530 feet above sea level.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBeneath the ice\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe project was started by \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dri.edu\/directory\/nathan-chellman\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENathan Chellman\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dri.edu\/directory\/joe-mcconnell\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJoe McConnell\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dri.edu\/\u0022\u003EDesert Research Institute (DRI)\u003C\/a\u003E, and Moore\u2019s role this year was to investigate the microbiology component of the research. \u201cThey had been seeing some anomalies in methane and carbon monoxide in ice samples,\u201d Moore says. \u201cWe were curious if microbes might be producing some of this, either in the ice core after it\u2019s been sampled, or while it\u2019s still in the glacier.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe microbes would not be swimming around or anything\u201d in the ice cores, Moore explains, \u201cbut it\u2019s possible that their metabolism is still active, and they\u2019re potentially able to make some of the gases, like methane, in this frozen environment. Our goal was to measure these things in the environment.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGathering samples wasn\u2019t easy. \u201cWe set up a lab on the glacier, and we set it up in a trench to try to keep any of the ice cores that we pulled out roughly at the same temperature as the glacier itself,\u201d Moore says. Because of that, \u201cweather was a huge, huge thing. Anytime it would get stormy, the wind would blow all of the snow around, and it would fill the entrance to our trench. We had to dig ourselves out several times. People would put out flags so that you could see your way back to the main house or back to your dorms.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team hopes that this research will give a more defined record of the past from the Greenland Ice Sheet, improving climate change predictions. Moore also notes applications in astrobiology, adding that \u201cthere are a lot of icy worlds like Mars, Enceladus, and Europa, with either an icy crust over the ocean or glaciers on the northern and southern poles.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMoore was also able to test new technology in the field, using a tool built by Georgia Tech undergraduates alongside her advisor \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cecarr.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChristopher Carr\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/carr-dr-christopher\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. An ice melter that can be used to take and clean ice samples, the tool is a miniaturized prototype that may be able to help take measurements on Mars, or in similar remote environments in the future.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cBeing able to take a tool that Georgia Tech undergraduates made to Greenland and test it on 600-year-old ice in the field was a really cool experience,\u201d Moore adds. \u201cWe brought Starlink with us, and so I was able to video call the undergraduate team while I was testing their tool, which was really special.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team is now lab-analyzing ice cores that they brought back from Greenland, unraveling which microbes might be present and potentially active. \u201cIt\u0027s really interesting to see: Is this all chemistry? Is it biology based? Or is there some intersection of the two?\u201d Moore says. \u201cMaybe there\u0027s some chemistry or photochemistry happening, plus some biology happening. Whatever it is, we\u0027ll have to wait and see.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERachel Moore is an expert at collecting data in difficult research environments, traveling to some of the most extreme places on Earth to research microbes and better understand astrobiology.\u0026nbsp;This summer, she traveled to Greenland to collect ice cores, spending nearly 50 days on top of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The research could improve climate change predictions, while also helping astrobiologists better search for signs of life on icy worlds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rachel Moore spent nearly 50 days in one of the most remote places on Earth, collecting ice cores; the research has implications for climate change predictions and searching for signs of life on icy worlds."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2023-11-06 16:09:29","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:21:54","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672274":{"id":"672274","type":"image","title":"The team snowmobiling to a remote field site.","body":null,"created":"1699287040","gmt_created":"2023-11-06 16:10:40","changed":"1699287040","gmt_changed":"2023-11-06 16:10:40","alt":"The team snowmobiling to a 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Throughout her residency, she\u0027ll conduct research into the pollinator\u0027s place in our ecosystem and how beekeeping may offer relief to veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while connecting with the bees through art.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDunlap had been gardening for over a decade, but in 2016, when she got the urge to find new ways to engage with nature, she recalled a powerful piece of imagery that shaped her childhood \u2014 Wu-Tang Clan\u0027s music video for \u201cTriumph\u201d and its depiction of the group\u0027s members as a powerful swarm of Africanized killer bees.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The political messaging and tying Africanized killer bees in with the stereotypes and the tropes of African Americans in the media, and the way that that was so poetically tied in, visually stuck with me,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was the first time I recognized a political message being articulated through art. For that reason, it stuck with me that bees were a form of strong symbolism tied to resilience.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiving in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dunlap became a certified beekeeper under the Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association in 2017. She continued practicing as she moved around the country, with stops in Chicago and Denver, eventually landing in Atlanta in 2021. Looking for a way to connect to the local beekeeping community, she attended an April presentation by UHBP Director Jennifer Leavey, who offered Dunlap a chance to get involved at Georgia Tech. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe now handles the inspection of the hives on The Kendeda Building roof, where she monitors for pests and ensures the bees have proper nutrition to sustain their population through the seasons. The UHBP began in 2012 with the goal of educating the Tech community on the importance of these pollinators within the Atlanta ecosystem and beyond \u2014 a charge that Dunlap carries on. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the next year, she will continue working on her sound art project that examines the frequency at which bees \u201cbuzz\u201d and how it, along with the responsibilities of beekeeping, is being used by VA hospitals and programs to ease the effects of PTSD. While the science behind the connection is still being explored, beekeeping was recommended more than a century ago \u2014 to soldiers returning home from World War I \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W6LcsuwS41I\u0026amp;t=138s\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a CNBC profile of Bees4Vets\u003C\/a\u003E, a nonprofit based in Nevada. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EFrom the Hive to the Canvas\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether it was baking sourdough bread or learning a new language, many people, including Dunlap, took the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic to pick up a new hobby. She began a master\u0027s program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with the goal of using beeswax in encaustic painting, which uses hot wax mixed with pigments. The use of natural materials collected through her beekeeping practice connects Dunlap to her work.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s a way of tapping into another level of consciousness. It\u0027s a way of articulating the noncommunicable relationship between me and the bees. When there\u0027s a language gap between people, we try to fill it in with translation, but without a direct way to translate the language or the sensation that I feel from the bees, this allows me to document my practice in an abstract form,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy layering the wax and applying heat throughout the process, Dunlap watches the pieces take shape, often with the unpredictability of an active hive, as she says the art \u201ccan create itself.\u201d She collects the wax in small amounts, knowing that she can only produce her art if the bees are healthy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s an eco-conscious practice, making sure I don\u0027t use more than I need,\u0022 she explained. \u201cI love the landscape it creates, and it\u0027s all about me creating a direct relationship with my medium and knowing that I earned it by developing a relationship with the bees.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Dunlap continues her year-long residency with the UHBP, she intends to help educate the community, both on campus and around the Atlanta area, in the hopes that more prospective beekeepers will explore their curiosity to unlock the full potential of the practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s been a practice that keeps unveiling itself to me,\u0022 she said. \u0022As you get more engaged, you learn there is so much more to it than just the day-to-day hive inspections. There is a lot of beauty to it as well.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents at Tech have several ways to get involved with research and beekeeping, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/applewebdata\/\/61F6008C-6B58-4DE2-B20A-C0D3358BE585\/Living%20Building%20Science%20VIP%20team\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELiving Building Science VIP team\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/bee-keeping\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe Beekeeping Club\u003C\/a\u003E, and various classes and workshops hosted by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bees.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUHBP\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Urban Honey Bee Project\u2019s new beekeeper in residence is creating art and educating the public with her practice.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Urban Honey Bee Project\u2019s new beekeeper in residence is creating art and educating the public with her practice.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Urban Honey Bee Project\u2019s new beekeeper in residence is creating art and educating the public with her practice.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-10-30 13:52:09","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:18:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672208":{"id":"672208","type":"video","title":"Janelle Dunlap Turns Beekeeping Into Art","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Urban Honey Bee Project\u2019s new beekeeper in residence is creating art and educating the public with her practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1698676668","gmt_created":"2023-10-30 14:37:48","changed":"1698676668","gmt_changed":"2023-10-30 14:37:48","video":{"youtube_id":"kmwY9k8zAzQ","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kmwY9k8zAzQ"}},"672210":{"id":"672210","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Janelle Dunlap conducts a hive inspection at the The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJanelle Dunlap conducts a hive inspection at The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Photo by Allison Carter.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1698676881","gmt_created":"2023-10-30 14:41:21","changed":"1698676881","gmt_changed":"2023-10-30 14:41:21","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Janelle Dunlap conducts a hive inspection at the The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. ","file":{"fid":"255411","name":"Janelle Dunlap and Bees-013.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-013.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-013.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2133539,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-013.JPG?itok=Bi3Ux2wb"}},"672212":{"id":"672212","type":"image","title":"Janelle Dunlap Profile","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJanelle Dunlap is the new beekeeper in residence for Georgia Tech\u0027s Urban Honey Bee Project. Photo by Allison Carter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1698677006","gmt_created":"2023-10-30 14:43:26","changed":"1698677006","gmt_changed":"2023-10-30 14:43:26","alt":"Janelle Dunlap is the new beekeeper in residence for Georgia Tech\u0027s Urban Honey Bee Project. ","file":{"fid":"255412","name":"Janelle Dunlap and Bees-001.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-001.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-001.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2610755,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/30\/Janelle%20Dunlap%20and%20Bees-001.JPG?itok=OJoczqk9"}}},"media_ids":["672208","672210","672212"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/bees.gatech.edu","title":"The Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"177012","name":"kendeda building for innovative sustainable design"},{"id":"70141","name":"Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project"},{"id":"8144","name":"Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.Gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.Gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667404":{"#nid":"667404","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Using Coral to Unravel the History of the Slave Trade on St. Croix","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECoral reefs are more than just a vital part of the ocean. They can also reveal clues about the past. Analyzing coral skeletons can paint a rich picture of the environmental history of an ecosystem, from temperature variability to land-use changes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix, the ruins of a Danish sugar plantation built from harvested coral bricks could be the key to understanding how and why the area was decimated by the 18th-century transatlantic slave trade.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith funding from the National Geographic Society, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will travel to St. Croix to analyze this coral. They hope to determine how coral mining, dredging, and reef erosion affected near-shore biodiversity, contemporary coral populations, and bathymetry or underwater depth. The project uniquely combines archeology and oceanography. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe can survey these corals to try and reconstruct the climate around St. Croix before, during, and after the slave trade \u2014 particularly with regard to sea surface temperature and trade wind strength,\u201d said \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/bolden-dr-isaiah\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIsaiah Bolden\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, a co-principal investigator and assistant professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u201cThis could give us an interesting, climatically informed perspective on the timing of the transatlantic slave trade and why and how St. Croix became a part of this history.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Coral Codex\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe first phases of the project involve collecting coral.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ioa.ucla.edu\/people\/justin-dunnavant\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJustin Dunnavant\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, co-PI, National Geographic Explorer, and assistant professor of archeology at UCLA, will use 3D photogrammetry, the process of combining photographs at different angles to create a 3D rendering, to determine which coral species were used in plantation construction. Then the researchers will collect live and historic coral samples with minimally invasive techniques so Bolden can analyze their composition. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECoral skeletons are a rich source of historical data. Like trees, living coral grows in annual rings and can be dated by counting these rings. For the dating of ancient samples, the team is also applying uranium-thorium dating, a type of radiometric dating that relies on a natural \u201cclock\u201d that forms as radioactive uranium locked inside of coral skeletons naturally decays into thorium. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDetermining the ages of the plantation structures will help reveal whether the coral was harvested from the sea floor alive or if these buildings were constructed from preexisting coral rubble. Additional analyses can uncover clues of how the ecosystem has responded to direct human impacts from the 18th century to present. To this end, the project will also sequence proteins trapped in the skeletons of fossilized and contemporary corals on St. Croix to investigate genetic differences. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe coral skeletons can reveal more than age and genetic differences, though. Mineral \u201cimpurities\u201d that get substituted into the growth bands of the limestone-like calcium carbonate skeleton of corals can be measured and used to infer sea surface temperature, salinity, pH, runoff, and many other environmental conditions during a coral\u2019s lifetime. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0022Corals try to build a pristine skeleton made of calcium and carbonate ions,\u201d Bolden said. \u201cThe problem is seawater isn\u2019t just a pure mixture of those two components, so some of this other stuff gets in the way. For example, the element strontium, which has a similar chemical behavior to calcium, is incorporated into the skeleton at a faster rate during cooler temperatures than warmer temperatures. This means we can use the ratio of strontium-to-calcium across growth bands in the coral skeleton as a clue toward past temperatures.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaking these measurements involves drilling and dissolving powders from the coral growth bands and then using a mass spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of the powders. The data, in turn, can be combined with instrumental records from the modern era to develop equations that translate the chemical changes into environmental changes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis is a really cool opportunity to study how local reefs have recorded and responded to climatic and anthropogenic changes during a definingly dark period of colonization and human civilization,\u201d Bolden said. \u201cHow can we interface these new ecological and climate records with the written historical record to further detail the story of colonization and the slave trade in St. Croix?\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe St. Croix Ecosystem \u2014 Then and Now\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe researchers will also collect contemporary data to build a better understanding of St. Croix\u2019s existing modern coral reef ecosystems. They will collect and analyze seawater samples and conduct coral species and coverage surveys to capture current seasonal conditions and trends in reef health. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThroughout the project, the researchers will collaborate with local St. Croix universities and high schools to ensure the research isn\u2019t just about the community, but also benefits it by giving students research opportunities. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201c\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EI\u0027m really interested in this opportunity to bring a climate context to the history often taught in schools to discover things we haven\u2019t learned,\u201d Bolden said. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about decolonizing geoscience and unearthing the stories that haven\u0027t been told.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix, the ruins of a Danish sugar plantation built from harvested coral bricks could be the key to understanding how and why the area was decimated by the 18th-century transatlantic slave trade.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith funding from the National Geographic Society, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will travel to St. Croix to analyze this coral. They hope to determine how coral mining, dredging, and reef erosion affected near-shore biodiversity, contemporary coral populations, and bathymetry or underwater depth. The project uniquely combines archeology and oceanography.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With funding from the National Geographic Society, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will travel to St. Croix to analyze coral."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2023-04-18 15:25:14","changed_gmt":"2024-02-01 15:11:18","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670574":{"id":"670574","type":"image","title":"Boldenwithcoral.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIsaiah Bolden holding a freshly collected core from a coral in Cura\u00e7ao this past February.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1681831877","gmt_created":"2023-04-18 15:31:17","changed":"1681831877","gmt_changed":"2023-04-18 15:31:17","alt":"Man holds coral on boat","file":{"fid":"253459","name":"Boldenwithcoral.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/18\/Boldenwithcoral.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/18\/Boldenwithcoral.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":202351,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/18\/Boldenwithcoral.jpeg?itok=1bM_sLEF"}}},"media_ids":["670574"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tess.malone@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668366":{"#nid":"668366","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Balancing Act of Hurricane Season Sways With Climate Change","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EHurricane season is underway and runs through Nov. 30. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a \u201cnear-normal\u201d 2023, experts say that climate change paints a more unpredictable picture for the future. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EBehind the 2023 projections is a balancing act of rising oceanic temperatures and the onset of the climate phenomenon El Ni\u00f1o, explains Susan Lozier, dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences. The waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean are currently 1 \u2013 3\u00b0C above average, which would typically signify the potential for more intense activity, but the wind shear associated with El Ni\u00f1o acts as a deterrent for hurricane formation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3 style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EIncreasing Intensity\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EBut what could happen when the shield of El Ni\u00f1o isn\u0027t present to counteract the rising temperatures in the tropical Atlantic? \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E\u0022Climate change is leading to warmer surface temperatures. We know that will lead to more intense hurricanes, but we don\u0027t know if it will necessarily lead to more hurricanes. As climate change progresses, we are interested in understanding how weather patterns will be disrupted, including those related to hurricane formation and pathways,\u0022 said Lozier, who recently served as president of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Ethe American Geophysical Union\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EShe further explained that the increased intensity is a result of the warm waters releasing additional energy into the storm as it forms. This consequence of climate change could present problems for the Tech campus and the city of Atlanta due to the risk of torrential rainfall. According to the National Weather Service, flooding \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003Ehas proven to be the deadliest hazard associated with hurricanes over the past decade. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E\u0022When people think about hurricanes, they generally think about damaging winds. Winds are damaging, but increasingly, the most damaging part of a hurricane is the immense amount of moisture they carry,\u0022 Lozier said, reflecting on the 2017 landfall of Hurricane Harvey. \u0022An area like Atlanta could be affected by heavy rainfall associated with the path of a hurricane. The winds will have mostly died down by the time a storm reaches Atlanta, but as the climate warms, warmer air holds more moisture, and because of that, the expectation is that there will be more rainfall associated with hurricanes and tropical storms.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3 style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EBeyond Reducing Carbon Emissions\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EFueling the rising temperatures in the world\u0027s oceans is an increase in carbon emissions, and simply curtailing them may not be a solution. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E\u0022The private and public sectors are increasingly looking at actively removing carbon from the atmosphere because we are unlikely to limit global warming simply by curtailing emissions. Active carbon drawdown from the atmosphere and the ocean are active areas of research right now,\u201d Lozier said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003ETech researchers are at the forefront of this effort, highlighted by a partnership between the Institute, the Georgia Aquarium, and Ocean Visions\u00ad\u00ad \u2014 \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/10\/12\/new-international-center-will-support-collaborative-solutions-improve-health-worlds\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003Ethe Center for Ocean-Climate Solutions\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E. Lozier represents the Institute as a partnership lead at the center, where the primary focus is the design and delivery of scalable and equitable ocean-based solutions to reduce the effects of climate change and build climate-resilient marine ecosystems and coastal communities.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EAssociate Professor \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/reinhard-dr-chris\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E is exploring how \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/mitigating-climate-change-through-restoration-coastal-ecosystems\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003Ecoastal ecosystem restoration\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E can permanently capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it becomes buried in sediments on the seafloor. The overall process of removing carbon from the air can be costly. To combat that, a team of researchers in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cb\u003E \u003C\/b\u003Eis \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/06\/inside-out-heating-and-ambient-wind-could-make-direct-air-capture-cheaper-and-more\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003Edeveloping\u003Cb\u003E \u003C\/b\u003Ea\u003Cb\u003E \u003C\/b\u003Etraditional direct air capture system\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E that is cheaper to operate and more efficient. Helping to craft policy and research climate solutions, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and the Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy, serves on the leadership council of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.drawdownga.org\/\u0022 style=\u0022color:#954f72; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EDrawdown Georgia\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp style=\u0022text-align:start\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:medium\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:Calibri, sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#000000\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-style:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-weight:400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022white-space:normal\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022text-decoration:none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022color:#262626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color:white\u0022\u003EA certain level of unpredictability will always exist when dealing with natural disasters, but understanding humans\u2019 role in controlling climate change could be a key factor in our ability to accurately assess the threat of developing storms.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Forecasts call for a near-normal hurricane season, but climate change could make future seasons more unpredictable than ever before. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EForecasts call for a near-normal hurricane season, but climate change could make future seasons more unpredictable than ever before. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"full_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Forecasts call for a near-normal hurricane season, but climate change could make future seasons more unpredictable than ever before. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-07-06 14:13:55","changed_gmt":"2024-01-04 14:39:22","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672670":{"id":"672670","type":"image","title":"3D Render of Category 4 Major Hurricane Fiona east of Florida. Getty Images.","body":null,"created":"1704379105","gmt_created":"2024-01-04 14:38:25","changed":"1704379105","gmt_changed":"2024-01-04 14:38:25","alt":"Hurricane Radar. ","file":{"fid":"255950","name":"Screenshot 2024-01-04 at 9.37.43 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/04\/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%209.37.43%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/04\/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%209.37.43%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4403816,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/04\/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%209.37.43%20AM.png?itok=arFFAyn4"}}},"media_ids":["672670"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175728","name":"hurricane season"},{"id":"189478","name":"Atlantic hurricane season"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Gagliano - Communications Officer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668253":{"#nid":"668253","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Gauging Glaciers: Alex Robel Awarded NSF CAREER Grant for New Ice Melt Modeling Tool","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/robel-dr-alexander\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is improving how computer models of melting ice sheets incorporate data from field expeditions and satellites by creating a new open-access software package \u2014 complete with state-of-the-art tools and paired with ice sheet models that anyone can use, even on a laptop or home computer.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EImproving these models is critical: while melting ice sheets and glaciers are top contributors to sea level rise, there are still large uncertainties in sea level projections at 2100 and beyond.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cPart of the problem is that the way that many models have been coded in the past has not been conducive to using these kinds of tools,\u201d Robel, an assistant professor in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, explains. \u201cIt\u0027s just very labor-intensive to set up these data assimilation tools \u2014 it usually involves someone refactoring the code over several years.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur goal is to provide a tool that anyone in the field can use very easily without a lot of labor at the front end,\u201d Robel says. \u201cThis project is really focused around developing the computational tools to make it easier for people who use ice sheet models to incorporate or inform them with the widest possible range of measurements from the ground, aircraft and satellites.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENow, a $780,000 NSF CAREER grant will help him to do so.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award is a five-year funding mechanism designed to help promising researchers establish a personal foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their field. Known as CAREER awards, the grants are NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for untenured assistant professors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cUltimately,\u201d Robel says, \u201cthis project will empower more people in the community to use these models and to use these models together with the observations that they\u0027re taking.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIce sheets remember\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cLargely, what models do right now is they look at one point in time, and they try their best \u2014 at that one point in time \u2014 to get the model to match some types of observations as closely as possible,\u201d Robel explains. \u201cFrom there, they let the computer model simulate what it thinks that ice sheet will do in the future.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn doing so, the models often assume that the ice sheet starts in a state of balance, and that it is neither gaining nor losing ice at the start of the simulation. The problem with this approach is that ice sheets dynamically change, responding to past events \u2014 even ones that have happened centuries ago. \u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EW\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ee know from models and from decades of theory that the natural response time scale of thick ice sheets is hundreds to thousands of years,\u201d Robel adds.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBy informing models with historical records, observations, and measurements, Robel hopes to improve their accuracy. \u201cWe have observations being made by satellites, aircraft, and field expeditions,\u201d says Robel. \u201cWe also have historical accounts, and can go even further back in time by looking at geological observations or ice cores. These can tell us about the long history of ice sheets and how they\u0027ve changed over hundreds or thousands of years.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERobel\u2019s team plans to use a set of techniques called data assimilation to adjust, or \u2018nudge\u2019, models. \u201cThese data assimilation techniques have been around for a really long time,\u201d Robel explains. \u201cFor example, they\u2019re critical to weather forecasting: every weather forecast that you see on your phone was ultimately the product of a weather model that used data assimilation to take many observations and apply them to a model simulation.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe next part of the project is going to be incorporating this data assimilation capability into a cloud-based computational ice sheet model,\u201d Robel says. \u201cWe are planning to build an open source software package in Python that can use this sort of data assimilation method with any kind of ice sheet model.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERobel hopes it will expand accessibility. \u201cCurrently, it\u0027s very labor-intensive to set up these data assimilation tools, and while groups have done it, it usually involves someone re-coding and refactoring the code over several years.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBuilding software for accessibility\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERobel\u2019s team will then apply their software package to a widely used model, which now has an online, browser-based version. \u201cThe reason why that is particularly useful is because the place where this model is running is also one of the largest community repositories for data in our field,\u201d Robel says.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECalled \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theghub.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGhub\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, this relatively new repository is designed to be a community-wide place for sharing data on glaciers and ice sheets. \u201cSince this is also a place where the model is living, by adding this capability to this cloud-based model, we\u0027ll be able to directly use the data that\u0027s already living in the same place that the model is,\u201d Robel explains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUsers won\u2019t need to download data, or have a high-speed computer to access and use the data or model. Researchers collecting data will be able to upload their data to the repository, and immediately see the impact of their observations on future ice sheet melt simulations. Field researchers could use the model to optimize their long-term research plans by seeing where collecting new data might be most critical for refining predictions.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe really think that it is critical for everyone who\u0027s doing modeling of ice sheets to be doing this transient data simulation to make sure that our simulations across the field are all doing the best possible job to reproduce and match observations,\u201d Robel says. While in the past, the time and labor involved in setting up the tools has been a barrier, \u201cdeveloping this particular tool will allow us to bring transient data assimilation to essentially the whole field.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBringing Real Data to Georgia\u2019s K-12 Classrooms\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe broad applications and user-base expands beyond the scientific community, and Robel is already developing a K-12 curriculum on sea level rise, in partnership with \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/jayma-koval\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech CEISMC Researcher Jayma Koval\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u201cThe students analyze data from real tide gauges and use them to learn about statistics, while also learning about sea level rise using real data,\u201d he explains.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBecause the curriculum matches with state standards, teachers can download the curriculum, which is available for free online in partnership with the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/secoora.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESoutheast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (SECOORA), and incorporate it into their preexisting lesson plans. \u201cWe worked with SECOORA to pilot a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/secoora.org\/education-outreach\/sea-level-rise-curriculum\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emiddle school curriculum\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E in Atlanta and Savannah, and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eo\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ene of the things that we saw was that there are a lot of teachers outside of middle school who are requesting and downloading the curriculum because they want to teach their students about sea level rise, in particular in coastal areas,\u201d Robel adds.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn Georgia, there is a data science class that exists in many high schools that is part of the computer science standards for the state. \u201cNow, we are partnering with a high school teacher to develop a second standards-aligned curriculum that is meant to be taught ideally in a data science class, computer class or statistics class,\u201d Robel says. \u201cIt can be taught as a module within that class and it will be the more advanced version of the middle school sea level curriculum.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe curriculum will guide students through using data analysis tools and coding in order to analyze real sea level data sets, while learning the science behind what causes variations and sea level, what causes sea level rise, and how to predict sea level changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThat gets students to think about computational modeling and how computational modeling is an important part of their lives, whether it\u0027s to get a weather forecast or play a computer game,\u201d Robel adds. \u201cOur goal is to get students to imagine how all these things are combined, while thinking about the way that we project future sea level rise.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eassistant professor in the \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;has been awarded a $780,000 NSF CAREER grant to improve how computer models of melting ice sheets incorporate data from field expeditions and satellites. Robel will create a new open-access software package \u2014 complete with state-of-the-art tools and paired with ice sheet models that anyone can use, even on a laptop or home computer.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Robel will create a new open-access software package \u2014 complete with state-of-the-art tools and paired with ice sheet models that anyone can use, even on a laptop or home computer."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2023-06-28 17:39:13","changed_gmt":"2023-12-14 17:07:17","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671064":{"id":"671064","type":"image","title":"Robel\u0027s open-access software package will pair state-of-the-art tools with ice sheet models that anyone can use","body":null,"created":"1687972518","gmt_created":"2023-06-28 17:15:18","changed":"1687974626","gmt_changed":"2023-06-28 17:50:26","alt":"A stylized glacier (Selena Langner)","file":{"fid":"254062","name":"Mosaic_Glacier_1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/28\/Mosaic_Glacier_1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/28\/Mosaic_Glacier_1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1737059,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/28\/Mosaic_Glacier_1.png?itok=o6bsiiqy"}},"658812":{"id":"658812","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel (Credit: Allison Carter)","body":null,"created":"1654895880","gmt_created":"2022-06-10 21:18:00","changed":"1687974677","gmt_changed":"2023-06-28 17:51:17","alt":"Alex Robel (Credit: Allison Carter)","file":{"fid":"249724","name":"robel headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robel%20headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robel%20headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":902540,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/robel%20headshot.jpg?itok=lS4Q4Wyj"}}},"media_ids":["671064","658812"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/chemistry-chaos-peptides-and-infinite-problems-georgia-tech-researchers-pioneer-new-frontiers","title":"Chemistry, Chaos, Peptides, and (Infinite) Problems: Georgia Tech Researchers Pioneer New Frontiers with NSF CAREER Grants"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"669810":{"#nid":"669810","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Sustainability Next Plan Transforms Vision Into Reality","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the one-year anniversary of the launch of Sustainability Next, a publicly available version of the plan is being released and several plan initiatives are coming to life.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the creation of Georgia Tech\u2019s 2020 \u2013 2030 strategic plan, the Institute\u2019s executive leadership team launched a task force to create a strategic sustainability roadmap \u2014 the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESustainability Next Plan\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 to help advance some of its most important goals. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSustainability Next is central to Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition,\u201d said President \u00c1ngel Cabrera. \u201cAs one of the largest technological universities in the world, we have the opportunity and responsibility to help find solutions to the biggest problems we face, achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and support a human population that will soon rise to 10 billion while reducing the stress we\u2019re causing on our planet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe plan calls on Georgia Tech to: \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EBe a global sustainability thought leader. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003ECatalyze innovation through education and research. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003ELead by example in the practice and culture of sustainability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the fall of 2022, Sustainability Next has begun to implement projects, including:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-climate-action-plan\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThe Climate Action Plan\u003C\/a\u003E to develop a roadmap for integrating climate action strategies across operations, research, and education focusing on climate justice and reducing emissions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainable-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESustainable X\u003C\/a\u003E, which supports students interested in and passionate about developing climate tech, sustainability, and social impact startups. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/undergraduate-sustainability-education-innovation-grants-will-transform-courses-all-six-colleges\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESustainability Education Innovation Grants\u003C\/a\u003E for faculty to expand Sustainable Development Goals concept and skill integration across the undergraduate curriculum.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/brook-byers-institute-sustainable-systems-announces-sustainability-next-seed-grant-winners-second\u0022\u003EResearch Seed Grants\u003C\/a\u003E to support interdisciplinary climate and sustainability research initiatives. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/living-laboratory\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELiving Campus\u003C\/a\u003E connecting Georgia Tech\u2019s built environment and surrounding landscape to serve as opportunities for collaborations between academics, research, industry, operations, and community partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese initiatives alone have created collaborations between several sustainability-focused departments on campus, including the Office of Sustainability, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, and the Center for Teaching and Learning. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating the Foundation for Successful Implementation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an outcome of the strategic plan to more intentionally integrate sustainability and lead by example with campus operations, Georgia Tech restructured its facilities management into Infrastructure and Sustainability (I\u0026amp;S) in 2021. The following year, the Office of Campus Sustainability was restructured into the Office of Sustainability within I\u0026amp;S to bridge sustainability efforts across research, education, and operations. It was later expanded to integrate the departments of utilities, sustainable building operations, and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, Sustainability Next has supported the Brook Byers Institute in becoming a transformative unit focused on climate and sustainability that integrates research and education. It has also strengthened ties in the sustainability cluster of the Vice President for Institutional Research, comprising the Byers Institute, the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, and the Strategic Energy Institute \u2014 including the permanent integration of Serve-Learn-Sustain into the newly established Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the next few months, the Sustainability Next Plan will be supported by a refreshed website, a schedule of sustainability-related events, and calls to action, reinvigorating the sustainability charge set forth in the Institute\u2019s strategic plan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Next co-chairs invite every member and unit of the Georgia Tech community to join in bringing the Sustainability Next Plan to life and expanding its ambitions over time so that we can build a just, equitable, and sustainable future \u2014 together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor continuous updates and to find out how you can get involved, visit the new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESustainability Next webpage.\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Next Plan, a strategic sustainability roadmap for the Institute, will position Georgia Tech as a global thought leader in the practice and culture of sustainability while also catalyzing innovation in sustainability through education and research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" On the one-year anniversary of the launch of Sustainability Next, a publicly available version of the plan is being released and several plan initiatives are coming to life. "}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2023-09-20 21:43:26","changed_gmt":"2023-09-25 13:30:52","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671777":{"id":"671777","type":"image","title":"Sustainability Next Plan document","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECover of the Sustainability Next Plan\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695304278","gmt_created":"2023-09-21 13:51:18","changed":"1695304423","gmt_changed":"2023-09-21 13:53:43","alt":"cover of the 2023-2030 Sustainability Next Plan","file":{"fid":"254901","name":"1695303836419-983e452a-cef1-4503-8103-5a098471d512_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/21\/1695303836419-983e452a-cef1-4503-8103-5a098471d512_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/21\/1695303836419-983e452a-cef1-4503-8103-5a098471d512_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":183429,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/21\/1695303836419-983e452a-cef1-4503-8103-5a098471d512_1.jpg?itok=K6f7VHG1"}}},"media_ids":["671777"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan","title":"Sustainability Next"}],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Infrastructure and Operations"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"477091","name":"Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education"},{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"184367","name":"Facilities-Management"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"87921","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"191831","name":"Sustainability Next Plan"},{"id":"93791","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"},{"id":"167358","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"168071","name":"serve-learn-sustain"},{"id":"193071","name":"Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education"},{"id":"192136","name":"climate action plan"},{"id":"192063","name":"Georgia Tech Climate Action Plan"},{"id":"191800","name":"Sustainable X"},{"id":"193072","name":"Sustainability Education Innovation Grants"},{"id":"193073","name":"Living Campus"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:eblandford3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmma Blandford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EProgram and Portfolio Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["eblandford3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668410":{"#nid":"668410","#data":{"type":"news","title":"East Campus Streetscape Improvements Begin This Week","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPhase 1 of the East Campus Streetscape improvement project will begin this week along Fourth Street, Brittain Drive, and areas adjacent to Peters Parking Deck. Project work will include paving, new curbing, sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, ADA improvements, lighting, and realigned access to the parking deck. These improvements will allow for increased pedestrian separation from vehicular traffic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make these improvements, 18 trees, primarily southern sugar maples and crape myrtles, will be removed. A portion of these trees are diseased and will be disposed of properly. New canopy trees will be planted at the appropriate time as part of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/landscaping\u0022\u003Etree care plan\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe project will occur in three phases, with expected completion by December. Improved pedestrian, cyclist, and micro-mobility access supports the Institute\u2019s safety, connectivity, and carbon neutrality goals. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWork will begin along Fourth Street, Brittain Drive, and areas adjacent to Peters Parking Deck.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Work will begin along Fourth Street, Brittain Drive, and areas adjacent to Peters Parking Deck."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2023-07-10 15:37:53","changed_gmt":"2023-07-12 17:45:27","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671137":{"id":"671137","type":"image","title":"East Campus Streetscape Improvements Phase I","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEast campus streetscape phase 1 areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1689018694","gmt_created":"2023-07-10 19:51:34","changed":"1689018925","gmt_changed":"2023-07-10 19:55:25","alt":"map of streetscape improvemtns along Fourth Street, Brittain Drive, Peters Parking Deck","file":{"fid":"254148","name":"East Campus Streetscape map phase 1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/10\/East%20Campus%20Streetscape%20map%20phase%201.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/10\/East%20Campus%20Streetscape%20map%20phase%201.png","mime":"image\/png","size":156415,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/10\/East%20Campus%20Streetscape%20map%20phase%201.png?itok=AP0JCVxu"}}},"media_ids":["671137"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/map.gatech.edu\/?id=82#!ce\/15646?ct\/56246?m\/762672?s\/","title":"View on campus map."}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"61411","name":"Campus Construction"},{"id":"35921","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"192184","name":"East Campus Streetscape"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Young\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELandscape Project Manager\/Planning, Design, and Construction\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.young@facilities.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667990":{"#nid":"667990","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building Community in Unexpected Ways","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEarlier this year, Sarah Kegley, international TA program manager in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), rescued a baby squirrel from an Atlanta street and brought it to a local squirrel rehabilitator. What happened next speaks to the sometimes surprising breadth of Tech students\u2019 commitment to problem-solving, collaboration, and community engagement. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKegley approached a CTL colleague, design assistant Lizzie Turac, ARCH 2023, remembering that Turac had an interest in woodworking and welding. Kegley told her she had a friend who built squirrel homes every year with her husband, \u201cfor the baby squirrels she nursed until they recovered.\u201d Now, though, the rehabilitator\u2019s husband had dementia and could no longer build the homes, even with the plans laid out in front of him. Kegley asked Turac if she could step in and lend her woodworking expertise.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETurac was also a student assistant in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\/cep\u0022\u003ECognitive Empowerment Program\u003C\/a\u003E within the SimTigrate Design Lab. \u201cAs part of my role, I work with those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment on their way to developing dementia, so I felt especially connected to her story, and immediately wanted to help,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew I could help her build houses, but I realized that if I reached out to my peers, I could gather a group of volunteers.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAs vice president of undergraduates for the student organization ECO at Georgia Tech, Turac had a receptive audience. Established in 2020, ECO works to bring awareness of responsible material choices to net-zero studio practices that promote environmental wellness within the design community in the School of Architecture and beyond. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShe asked ECO President \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EEmily Mosbaugh\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;for permission to advertise and organize a squirrel box-building event through the club. \u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEveryone who heard the cause felt connected and wanted to help,\u201d Turac said. \u003Cspan\u003EThey found 12 student volunteers, coordinated with the squirrel rehabilitator \u2014 who drove to the Tech campus with blueprints, a supply of wood, and a few baby squirrels \u2014 and spent the day in the \u003C\/span\u003ECollege of Design\u2019s woodworking space. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIt really was amazing how, by advertising a call to action through our club, we were able to find so many students willing to sacrifice their Sunday to help this cause,\u201d Turac said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe group plans to build more squirrel homes this summer, inspired by the work and the story behind it. For Turac, it\u2019s been meaningful on many levels. \u201cI am a very people-motivated person, and I\u2019m always happy to unite people to work together,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s the community of like-minded creative people that made this interaction so special.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Tech students lend their talents to helping a local animal rehabilitator. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETech students lend their talents to helping a local animal rehabilitator. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech students lend their talents to helping a local animal rehabilitator. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-06-05 19:58:51","changed_gmt":"2023-06-28 14:13:00","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670923":{"id":"670923","type":"image","title":"The team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.\u00a0","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685996000","gmt_created":"2023-06-05 20:13:20","changed":"1687895183","gmt_changed":"2023-06-27 19:46:23","alt":"The team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.\u00a0","file":{"fid":"253889","name":"Squirrel box2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/Squirrel%20box2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/Squirrel%20box2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4052076,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/05\/Squirrel%20box2.jpg?itok=p0iAGsMa"}},"670924":{"id":"670924","type":"image","title":"The baby squirrel rescued by Sarah Kegley. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe baby squirrel rescued by Sarah Kegley. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685996194","gmt_created":"2023-06-05 20:16:34","changed":"1687895029","gmt_changed":"2023-06-27 19:43:49","alt":"The baby squirrel rescued by Sarah Kegley. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022. ","file":{"fid":"253890","name":"baby squirrel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/baby%20squirrel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/baby%20squirrel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3519357,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/05\/baby%20squirrel.jpg?itok=7CZD3eC5"}},"670925":{"id":"670925","type":"image","title":" Lizzie Turac. Submitted photo. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Lizzie Turac.\u0026nbsp;Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685996297","gmt_created":"2023-06-05 20:18:17","changed":"1685996297","gmt_changed":"2023-06-05 20:18:17","alt":" Lizzie Turac","file":{"fid":"253891","name":"Turac photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/Turac%20photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/Turac%20photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":162892,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/05\/Turac%20photo.jpg?itok=ppgLobyk"}},"670927":{"id":"670927","type":"image","title":"The team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685996451","gmt_created":"2023-06-05 20:20:51","changed":"1685996451","gmt_changed":"2023-06-05 20:20:51","alt":"The team working in the College of Design\u2019s woodworking space during the squirrel box-building event. Photo credit: Thomas Bordeaux, ARCH 2022. ","file":{"fid":"253893","name":"squirrel box1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/squirrel%20box1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/05\/squirrel%20box1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6733354,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/05\/squirrel%20box1.jpg?itok=pW_HKfb9"}}},"media_ids":["670923","670924","670925","670927"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stacy.braukman@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStacy Braukman\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;Senior\u0026nbsp;Writer and\u0026nbsp;Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["stacy.braukman@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667224":{"#nid":"667224","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Looks to Use VOC Sensors to Prevent Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanut Plants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThere\u2019s more to peanuts than meets eye \u2013 or in this case, nostrils. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAll day long, peanut plants emit chemical scents in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can provide insight into potential stressors such as drought and disease that could reduce crop yield and lead to significant losses for farmers and distributors. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOne disease that is particularly worrisome is aflatoxin, a carcinogen generated by the fungus \u003Cem\u003EAspergillus flavus\u003C\/em\u003E. Aflatoxin is harmful to humans because it can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, and during storage, and is more likely develop in conditions where plant water supply is unpredictable. According to recent estimates, aflatoxin takes as much as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.farmprogress.com\/peanut\/aflatoxin-costs-peanut-industry-millions-annually\u0022\u003E$126 million\u003C\/a\u003E out of the U.S. peanut industry each year due, but current detection methods are costly and inefficient. Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and University of Florida (UF) are working to change that.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe aflatoxin detection process as a whole, from sample prep to analysis to developing a finalized data report, can be labor intensive, time intensive and expensive,\u201d said Christopher Heist, a GTRI research scientist who is supporting the project. \u201cBeing able to better predict and detect aflatoxin earlier in the peanut production process will be critical to breaking that cycle.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EVOCs can be likened to smells or fragrances that are distinct to each peanut plant. However, because the plants emit thousands of these smells, it can be difficult to pinpoint which scents indicate a potential aflatoxin infection. As a result, many farmers treat the entire field for infection, impacting both healthy and infected plants and losing money in the process. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESome farms also outsource detection to third-party laboratories, which collect plant samples and transport them to a lab for an analysis using a technique known as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC is an analytical chemistry technique used to separate, detect and quantify each component in a sample.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWith \u003Cspan\u003EHPLC, the labs have to get all the chemicals into a liquid state, run the liquid into a column, separate it, and then identify the chemicals using a detector,\u201d explained Daniel Sabo, a GTRI senior research scientist who is leading the project. \u201cFrom start to finish, that process can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI has developed a collection technique that utilized glass rods called Twisters\u00ae that are coated with gas-absorbent material to capture VOCs so that they can be tested for potential aflatoxin contamination. In recent field tests, GTRI successfully demonstrated the Twisters\u00ae could capture VOCs to be analyzed for the detection of mild to severe drought stress and aflatoxin contamination in peanut plants, as well as aflatoxin contamination in peanut pods and nuts post-harvest. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe research team\u2019s next steps are to standardize its VOC measurement process and develop low-cost sensor platforms that would allow farmers to test for aflatoxin in the field. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do is use the Twisters\u00ae to figure out what those key features or chemicals are that we need to be looking for in peanut plants,\u201d said Sabo. \u201cThen we could use that information to develop specialized sensors that test specifically for those chemicals.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI has partnered with the UF\u2019s Agronomy Department to experiment with VOC collection methods in its outdoor field site, environmental chamber and greenhouse on its campus in Gainesville, Florida. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWilliam Hammond, an assistant professor of plant ecophysiology in UF\u2019s Agronomy Department, said UF\u2019s expertise in plant ecophysiology, or the study of how plants interact with their environment, combined with GTRI\u2019s knowledge in collecting and analyzing VOCs, could allow for earlier detection of aflatoxin formation in peanut plants.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWorking towards early warning systems via VOC detection and\/or better understanding the plant-environment interactions, could allow the industry to identify the risk of aflatoxin formation earlier than is presently possible,\u201d Hammond said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELooking ahead, Heist and Sabo said they expect robots to play a role in conducting targeted, in-the-field testing for farmers, which could further reduce costs and minimize the environmental impact of aflatoxin treatment. GTRI envisions farmers would use robotic systems to geotag locations where aflatoxins are most concentrated and direct the robots to apply fungicide only in those specific areas. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s hard to put a timeline on when this might happen, but it\u2019s a very interesting area for us and we look forward to working with the many roboticists in our division to solve this challenge,\u201d Heist said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPhotos: Sean McNeil\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $800 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThere\u2019s more to peanuts than meets eye \u2013 or in this case, nostrils. One disease that is particularly worrisome is aflatoxin, a carcinogen generated by the fungus \u003Cem\u003EAspergillus flavus\u003C\/em\u003E. Aflatoxin is harmful to humans because it can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, and during storage, and is more likely develop in conditions where plant water supply is unpredictable. According to recent estimates, aflatoxin takes as much as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.farmprogress.com\/peanut\/aflatoxin-costs-peanut-industry-millions-annually\u0022\u003E$126 million\u003C\/a\u003E out of the U.S. peanut industry each year due, but current detection methods are costly and inefficient. Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and University of Florida (UF) are working to change that. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTRI researchers are working to collect and analyze volatile organic compounds (VOC), which could allow for earlier detection of contaminant formation in peanut plants.  "}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-04-11 13:51:19","changed_gmt":"2023-06-12 17:53:17","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670496":{"id":"670496","type":"image","title":"GTRI Team Leading AOC Sensors Project","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team that is leading this project includes, from left to right: Senior Research Scientist Daniel Sabo, Senior Research Engineer Judy Song, and Research Scientist Christopher Heist. (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1681220360","gmt_created":"2023-04-11 13:39:20","changed":"1681221046","gmt_changed":"2023-04-11 13:50:46","alt":"The GTRI team that is leading this project includes, from left to right: Senior Research Scientist Daniel Sabo, Senior Research Engineer Judy Song, and Research Scientist Christopher Heist. (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).","file":{"fid":"253362","name":"2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13060117,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG?itok=KQFpjxmN"}},"670497":{"id":"670497","type":"image","title":"GTRI\u0027s Judy Song Loading VOC Samples ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u0027s Song loads VOC samples into an instrument that tests for the presence of aflatoxin (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1681222084","gmt_created":"2023-04-11 14:08:04","changed":"1681222246","gmt_changed":"2023-04-11 14:10:46","alt":"GTRI\u0027s Song loads VOC samples into an instrument that tests for the presence of aflatoxin (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI). ","file":{"fid":"253363","name":"2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13559630,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG?itok=6d9lXa-H"}}},"media_ids":["670496","670497"],"related_files":{"253362":{"fid":null,"name":"GTRI Team Leading AOC Sensors Project","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_011.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13060117,"description":"\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team that is leading this project includes, from left to right: Senior Research Scientist Daniel Sabo, Senior Research Engineer Judy Song, and Research Scientist Christopher Heist. (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n"},"253363":{"fid":null,"name":"GTRI\u0027s Judy Song Loading VOC Samples ","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/11\/2023_0327_image_FPTD_peanut_research_007.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13559630,"description":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u0027s Song loads VOC samples into an instrument that tests for the presence of aflatoxin (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n"}},"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"7512","name":"VOC"},{"id":"7656","name":"contamination"},{"id":"181760","name":"peanuts"},{"id":"31201","name":"university of florida"},{"id":"177577","name":"volatile organic compounds"},{"id":"290","name":"Economy"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"},{"id":"73091","name":"Farms"},{"id":"2985","name":"plants"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667844":{"#nid":"667844","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Approaches, Including Artificial Intelligence, Could Boost Tornado Prediction","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EResearch using data from a pair of geostationary satellites and a ground-based lightning mapping array could lead to more accurate forecasting of devastating tornadoes spinning off from severe storms. By analyzing dozens of factors, such as the electrical charge patterns within the storms and variations in lightning frequency, researchers are working to identify a \u201cgenetic profile\u201d of the thunderstorms likely to produce tornadoes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIf they\u2019re successful in using an artificial intelligence technique known as machine learning to associate potentially dozens of factors with the formation of tornadoes, the work could dramatically improve the detection of severe storms \u2013 and reduce false alarms. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis is a great opportunity to apply machine learning to take advantage of the severe storm reports available for the past several years,\u201d said Levi Boggs, a research scientist at the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u201cWe can feed all of this information, potentially 30 or 40 different predictors, into the machine learning models and train them to identify patterns that we could potentially use to predict when tornadoes will form. Using AI, we can take on tasks that would be too challenging for humans alone.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUsing data from their ground-based lightning mapping array, the researchers also are studying \u201cjumps\u201d and \u201cdives\u201d in lightning activity to see how they may help predict the formation of tornadoes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOvercoming the Challenges of Radar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EForecasters now rely on weather radar to identify tornadoes and predict which storms may spin them off. But in areas such as North Georgia, topographical features such as mountains can limit the ability to see lower portions of potentially-dangerous storms, while the time required for radars to update their views can cut into warning times. Electromagnetic interference also can create confusing radar results, and during large severe weather outbreaks stretching across hundreds of miles, there can be multiple storms that must be watched for signs of tornadic activity.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAs a result, the development of tornadoes can be missed, while false alarms may lead citizens to disregard warnings \u2013 or wait too long to seek shelter. Based on research conducted so far, Boggs believes warnings based on machine learning techniques could be significantly faster and more accurate \u2013 and offer the potential to automate the tracking of the storms.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWith radar-based methods, there can be a high false alarm rate, as much as 60 or 70 percent,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the same time, the probability of detection can be as low as 50 or 60 percent, which means a lot of tornadoes are missed. With these machine-learning techniques, we expect to improve on both detection and false alarm rates.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETraining Machine Learning with Detailed Storm Reports\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESo far, researchers have trained their machine learning system on data from 62 tornadoes resulting from 40 different storms in Georgia. In the Peach State, tornadoes commonly pop up from squall lines of storms, though supercells \u2013 larger rotating behemoths more often seen in the Midwest \u2013 also bring tornadoes into the state. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESupercells can spawn more powerful tornadoes \u2013 EF3, EF4, and EF5 \u2013 which are more dangerous to humans and destructive to property. But squall line tornadoes can also be deadly, even if they create less powerful EF0, EF1, and EF2 tornadoes, and lines of storms capable of producing them may extend across multiple states.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOne of the main benefits of this machine learning technique is that by using data from the geostationary lightning mapper on the GOES satellite, you would be able to avoid the limitations of radar,\u201d he said. \u201cUsing satellite data, you have a huge field of view without the terrain blockages, and you can detect tornadoes over a huge distance \u2013 potentially the entire continental United States.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUsing the technique, Boggs and his colleagues are evaluating as many as 40 different parameters to see which ones may be relevant to predicting tornado formation. Among them is the pattern of electrical charge within the storms, which he compares to a genetic profile. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cA typical thunderstorm may have two or three charge regions, but the supercells could have a dozen or more separate regions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s really complicated to see what\u2019s going on with the lightning because those complex charge structures will create different types of discharges. The flash rate can be just noisy.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDespite the potential advantages of satellite tornado prediction, Boggs believes forecasters will likely continue to use existing radar techniques, supplementing them with new technology as it develops. GTRI has submitted proposals to funding organizations to continue testing the machine learning tool, which also could be useful to countries that lack the weather radar network available to forecasters in the United States.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnalyzing Lightning \u2018Jumps\u2019 and \u2018Dives\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESatellite data and machine learning aren\u2019t the only approaches SSRC researchers are using to identify where tornadoes and other severe weather will pop up.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor several years, GTRI has operated the ground-based North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (NGLMA) that tracks lightning bursts in North Georgia, centered on the Atlanta metropolitan area. Researchers are using radio-frequency emissions recorded by the array to study lightning flashes in an effort to correlate \u201cjumps\u201d \u2013 increases in lightning occurrence \u2013 and \u201cdives\u201d \u2013 reductions in frequency \u2013 with the development of severe storms.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe ground-based array \u2013 one of several operating in the United States \u2013 provides information not available from satellites, so the two sources are complementary, providing both optical and radio-frequency data.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe array was deployed by John Trostel, director of the SSRC, and correlates data on electromagnetic energy produced by the lightning bursts with precise timing and location information. The network of 12 ground stations tracks both lightning that interacts with the ground as well as bursts that stay in the clouds \u2013 which account for 75 percent of all lightning \u2013 providing a detailed map of electrical charge in the atmosphere.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWhat we are looking for is a rapid increase in how many flashes there are over a brief period of time, on the order of a couple of minutes,\u201d said Jessica Losego, an SSRC research meteorologist who is using a NASA-developed algorithm to study the phenomena. \u201cIf you see a jump, you can feel somewhat confident that you\u2019re going to soon have some type of severe weather that may include damaging wind, hail, or a tornado. Analyzing this can help with all modes of severe weather, not just tornadoes.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELosego is among the weather researchers worldwide who are also studying dives, sudden declines in lightning rates, though it\u2019s not yet clear how \u2013 and if \u2013 they may help forecasters. The dives in lightning activity may serve as yet another indicator of the strength of a storm and how it may be changing. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Georgia\u2019s Severe Weather Is Different\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAfter a tornado killed a dozen people in North Georgia in 1998, the SSRC was created by the state of Georgia to develop improved means of providing early warning of tornadoes and severe storms. Beyond topographical issues, Georgia\u2019s tornadoes can differ from those of neighboring states in other ways, Losego noted. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cA lot of our storms come through later in the day, which means there\u2019s less sunlight to provide energy to the storms,\u201d she said. \u201cThe storms may start in Mississippi early in the day and may fall apart by the time they get there, but they are still dangerous. Storms that arrive late in the day or evening can make it more difficult to warn citizens who may be asleep when tornadoes are detected.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EData gathered by the NGLMA is shared with National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters in Peachtree City, providing an additional source of information for its forecasts.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur goal is to provide another tool that the NWS can use to provide more warning and have more confidence in that warning,\u201d Losego said. \u201cData from our lightning mapping array goes directly into their systems, and we will share what we learn about using information from jumps and dives that could improve warnings to Georgia citizens.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe NGLMA now covers North Georgia. Because the southern part of Georgia is out of the range of the NGLMA network and can have a different set of weather conditions, the researchers would like to establish a second array to track severe storms there.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Supports SSRC Goals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe SSRC was created through funding from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the state of Georgia to serve as a focal point for severe storm research in Georgia.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe SSRC serves the state of Georgia by actively developing alternative methods for detecting and forecasting severe local storms and exploring improvements to existing storm prediction and sensor technology,\u201d said Trostel. \u201cWe are utilizing the latest in machine learning, data analysis, and other technologies to support the goals of keeping Georgians safe from severe storms.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: John Toon (john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $800 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EResearch using data from a pair of geostationary satellites and a ground-based lightning mapping array could lead to more accurate forecasting of devastating tornadoes spinning off from severe storms. By analyzing dozens of factors, such as the electrical charge patterns within the storms and variations in lightning frequency, GTRI researchers are working to identify a \u201cgenetic profile\u201d of the thunderstorms likely to produce tornadoes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTRI researchers are working to utilize an artificial intelligence technique, known as machine learning, that could dramatically improve the detection of severe storms \u2013 and reduce false alarms. "}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-05-23 15:03:21","changed_gmt":"2023-06-12 15:02:29","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670855":{"id":"670855","type":"image","title":"Map of Lightning Jumps in Alabama and Georgia","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearchers studied lightning jumps and dives in long-track tornadoes that occurred in Alabama and Georgia in March 2021. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1684849577","gmt_created":"2023-05-23 13:46:17","changed":"1684849742","gmt_changed":"2023-05-23 13:49:02","alt":"Map of Lightning Jumps in Alabama and Georgia","file":{"fid":"253795","name":"supercells-map_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/23\/supercells-map_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/23\/supercells-map_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":844025,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/23\/supercells-map_0.jpg?itok=Sch7_BaD"}}},"media_ids":["670855"],"related_files":{"253794":{"fid":null,"name":"Map of Lightning Jumps in Alabama and Georgia","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/23\/supercells-map.jpg","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/23\/supercells-map.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":844025,"description":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearchers studied lightning jumps and dives in long-track tornadoes that occurred in Alabama and Georgia in March 2021. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n"}},"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"170862","name":"storm"},{"id":"1233","name":"tornado"},{"id":"192657","name":"tornado prediction"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"1564","name":"community"},{"id":"171151","name":"State of Georgia"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"177742","name":"SSRC"},{"id":"169457","name":"Severe Storms Research Center"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"},{"id":"192658","name":"supercells"},{"id":"192659","name":"North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array"},{"id":"192660","name":"lightning jumps"},{"id":"171162","name":"severe storms"},{"id":"191027","name":"thunderstorm"},{"id":"192661","name":"NGLMA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"668019":{"#nid":"668019","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Works to Enhance EV Battery Reuse and Recycling in Georgia ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAmid the surge in demand for lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs), there is a greater need to properly recycle them. The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is working to optimize Georgia\u2019s EV battery supply chain by developing cost- and energy-efficient methods to recover materials from spent batteries so that more of them can be reused \u2013 and pose fewer environmental risks. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia is quickly emerging as a hub for the electronic transportation industry. According to \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgia.org\/EV#\/analyze?show_map=true\u0026amp;region=US-GA\u0022\u003Edata\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, since 2018, 35 EV-related projects have contributed $23 billion in investments in the state.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESouth Korea-based Hyundai Motor Group recently broke ground on its first fully dedicated EV manufacturing facility in Savannah\u2019s Bryan County. The company has also teamed up with LG Energy Solution to invest $4.3 billion in building an EV battery cell manufacturing plant at the same location. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEV manufacturer and automotive technology company Rivian, which is based on Irvine, Calif., has announced a $5 billion investment in its second U.S. plant located east of Atlanta in Morgan and Walton Counties. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHyundai\u2019s new facility is expected to reach full production capacity at the end of 2025, with 30 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy anticipated to support the production of 300,000 EVs. Rivian, meanwhile, anticipates its Georgia plant will employ over 7,500 workers while producing up to 400,000 vehicles each year. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis level of industry engagement in Georgia is unprecedented,\u201d said Kevin Caravati, a GTRI principal research scientist, who is supporting this project. \u201cThe Hyundai plant, for example, could create tens of thousands of jobs in a very rural part of Georgia, which would be a step in the right direction for the entire state.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe lithium-ion batteries that power EVs are seen as desirable over other battery technologies because of their high energy density, which allows electric cars to travel longer distances on a single charge. These types of batteries also have a low self-discharge rate, which means that the stored energy remains available for an extended period of time even when the vehicle is not in use.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHowever, these batteries \u003C\/span\u003Ecan easily turn into fire hazards \u2013 especially at the end of their life cycle. Very few batteries ever end up being recycled and those that do get recycled are often mishandled. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cCurrently, there are no recycling standards in place, which poses challenges for the entire supply chain,\u201d said Milad Navaei, a GTRI senior research engineer, who is leading this project. \u201c\u003Cspan\u003EOur goal is to create circular economy for batteries in Georgia where we can reduce our dependence on raw materials that often come from overseas and can be very expensive.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELithium-ion batteries use metals including lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt that are mined in locations such as Africa\u2019s Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chile and Argentina. During the production process, the metals are combined with other materials to form the two key components of a battery cell \u2013 the cathode and the anode. Inside a battery, the cathode, which has a negative charge, and anode, which has a positive charge, interact to generate electrons that power the electronic device. Most lithium-ion batteries are currently made in China. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENavaei noted that geopolitical sensitivities and lingering supply chain challenges in many of these regions makes GTRI\u2019s work all the more crucial. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI\u2019s research consists of two parts: One, develop more advanced analytics capabilities for fleet management companies to monitor the health and performance of EV batteries, and two, optimize the recovery of raw materials from batteries at the end of their useful life. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe battery is the most important part of an EV, and it\u2019s critical to know the battery\u2019s state of health (SoH), which is the ratio of the present capacity to the initial capacity,\u201d said Navaei. \u201cOur goal is to utilize technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor the SoH of these batteries and estimate the life cycle, which heavily depends on the usage and the type of battery for its safe and reliable implementation in the next life application.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI aims to integrate these technologies into companies\u2019 existing inventory management systems to streamline process management and reporting.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor the second part of the research, GTRI is utilizing a statistical technique known as parametric modeling to aggregate data about known behaviors and characteristics of EV batteries to help companies make more informed decisions about properly depowering them and repurposing their raw materials with minimal environmental impact. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cDeveloping a robust system-modeling approach to support our energy research is a primary focus of ours,\u201d said GTRI Principal Research Scientist Ilan Stern, who is also supporting the project. \u201cSince our ultimate goal is to utilize domestic sources in our supply chain, really the only way to do that is by building out strong recycling models to account for the fact that these companies are working with finite materials and many of them are coming from conflict zones.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI is working with a number of industry partners on this project, including many companies that participated in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-battery-day-reveals-opportunities-energy-storage-research\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Battery Day\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E earlier this year. At the event, over 230 energy researchers and industry participants convened to discuss emerging opportunities in energy storage research. Some of the companies represented at the event included Hyundai Kia, Delta Airlines, Cox Automotive and Panasonic. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPhoto Credit: iStock\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $800 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is working to optimize Georgia\u2019s EV battery supply chain by developing cost- and energy-efficient methods to recover materials from spent batteries so that more of them can be reused \u2013 and pose fewer environmental risks. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is working to optimize Georgia\u2019s EV battery supply chain by developing cost-and energy-efficient methods that pose fewer environmental risks."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-06-07 15:23:18","changed_gmt":"2023-06-12 14:29:33","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670938":{"id":"670938","type":"image","title":"GTRI\u0027s EV battery recycling efforts","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGTRI\u0027s EV battery recycling efforts are crucial because many of the key minerals found in lithium-ion batteries are sourced from geopolitically sensitive regions across the globe (Photo Credit: iStock).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1686150352","gmt_created":"2023-06-07 15:05:52","changed":"1686150650","gmt_changed":"2023-06-07 15:10:50","alt":"GTRI\u0027s EV battery recycling efforts","file":{"fid":"253911","name":"iStock-1399959531_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/07\/iStock-1399959531_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/07\/iStock-1399959531_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":328491,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/06\/07\/iStock-1399959531_0.jpg?itok=-uWhD60G"}}},"media_ids":["670938"],"related_files":{"253911":{"fid":null,"name":"GTRI\u0027s EV battery recycling efforts","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/07\/iStock-1399959531_0.jpg","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/06\/07\/iStock-1399959531_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":328491,"description":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGTRI\u0027s EV battery recycling efforts are crucial because many of the key minerals found in lithium-ion batteries are sourced from geopolitically sensitive regions across the globe (Photo Credit: iStock).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n"}},"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1292","name":"battery"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"1153","name":"recycling"},{"id":"11426","name":"Georgia Economy"},{"id":"192728","name":"EV battery supply chain"},{"id":"192729","name":"EV battery"},{"id":"192730","name":"Hyundai"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667337":{"#nid":"667337","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hitting the Brakes or the Accelerator on Electrified Semitrucks","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElectrical cables have been suspended over trams and trolley tracks for more than 140 years. They\u2019ve electrified bullet trains in Japan and Amtrak railways that connect Washington D.C and Boston. Now the United States, Germany, and Sweden are testing the technology on highways, hoping to eliminate emissions from tractor-trailers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new study from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Engineering looks closer at using overhead cable line (OCL) technology to power trucks, evaluating if they are wise environmental and economical choices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some countries, including the United States as a whole, Sweden and Germany, the team suggests OCL technology is ideal. It\u2019s also beneficial at the state level for New York, Washington, and Georgia. But for other areas, it shouldn\u2019t be implemented until the region\u2019s electric grid is cleaner.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/04\/hitting-brakes-or-accelerator-electrified-semitrucks\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudy looks at the environmental and economic benefits of overhead cable-line technology for nation\u2019s highways.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"  Study looks at the environmental and economic benefits of overhead cable-line technology for nation\u2019s highways"}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2023-04-13 21:01:19","changed_gmt":"2023-04-13 21:05:17","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670538":{"id":"670538","type":"image","title":"Siemens OCL Electric Truck","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESiemens Mobility built an overhead contact line for electric trucks on a 6.2-mile stretch of Germany\u2019s autobahn. (Photo courtesy: Siemens)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1681419690","gmt_created":"2023-04-13 21:01:30","changed":"1681419690","gmt_changed":"2023-04-13 21:01:30","alt":"An electric truck using overhead contact lines on Germany\u0027s autobahn (photo courtesy: Siemens)","file":{"fid":"253419","name":"Siemens-Mobility-Electric-Truck-Autobahn.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Siemens-Mobility-Electric-Truck-Autobahn.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Siemens-Mobility-Electric-Truck-Autobahn.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1703612,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/13\/Siemens-Mobility-Electric-Truck-Autobahn.jpeg?itok=f1R0Y7Ug"}}},"media_ids":["670538"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191939","name":"Joe Bozeman"},{"id":"1897","name":"Civil Engineering"},{"id":"4776","name":"civil and environmental engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJason Maderer\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"667327":{"#nid":"667327","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tool Helps Coastal Areas Find Ideal Spots for Water Level Sensors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAs climate change leads to rising sea levels and more powerful storms, coastal communities increasingly are turning to networks of sensors to track water levels. The sensors \u2014 which are progressively getting cheaper and more capable \u2014 can help officials anticipate flood risks and respond in emergencies.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA tool developed by Georgia Tech researchers can help make the most of those networks, pinpointing the ideal locations for water level sensors to maximize the real-time data available to emergency managers. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn a test case in Chatham County, Georgia, the approach developed by civil engineer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/iris-tien\u0022\u003EIris Tien\u003C\/a\u003E reduced 29,000 potential sensor locations to just 381. The idea, then, is that officials can use their local expertise and historical knowledge to pick where to install sensors among those spots.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/04\/tool-helps-coastal-areas-find-ideal-spots-water-level-sensors\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERead the full story on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIris Tien\u2019s method reduces the possible locations for sensors by nearly 99% and accounts for flood risk, population vulnerability, and more.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Iris Tien\u2019s method reduces the possible locations for sensors by nearly 99% and accounts for flood risk, population vulnerability, and more."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2023-04-13 18:34:26","changed_gmt":"2023-04-13 20:58:17","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670529":{"id":"670529","type":"image","title":"Tybee-Is-Marina-iStock-1277625074-t.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn aerial view of the Tybee Island marina in Chatham County, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1681410879","gmt_created":"2023-04-13 18:34:39","changed":"1681420030","gmt_changed":"2023-04-13 21:07:10","alt":"Aerial view of Tybee Island marina in Chatham County, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"253409","name":"Tybee-Is-Marina-iStock-1277625074-t.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Tybee-Is-Marina-iStock-1277625074-t.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Tybee-Is-Marina-iStock-1277625074-t.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1620004,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/13\/Tybee-Is-Marina-iStock-1277625074-t.jpg?itok=VW9y6Yxw"}}},"media_ids":["670529"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180267","name":"iris tien"},{"id":"137311","name":"rising sea levels"},{"id":"181247","name":"Smart Sea Level Sensors"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"665836":{"#nid":"665836","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Puerto Rico, Georgia Tech Researchers Team Up to Build \u2018Landslide-Ready\u2019 Communities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor three Georgia Tech researchers, a trip last fall to Puerto Rico to study how Hurricane Fiona changed the island was also personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn October 2022, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/a\u003E headed to the island. On this trip, she was joined by research partners, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/lang-dr-karl\u0022\u003EKarl Lang\u003C\/a\u003E, a fellow assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/bras-dr-rafael-0\u0022\u003ERafael Bras\u003C\/a\u003E, also of Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBras is the K. Harrison Brown Family Chair and a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CEE) with a joint appointment in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences \u2014 and, like Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, a native of Puerto Rico. For a decade, he served as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech, and today he continues to research ways to protect communities from disasters.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn October, the research team\u2019s mission was to learn more about how Hurricane Fiona, which hit in September 2022, had devastated the island\u2019s landscape \u2014\u0026nbsp;and how it had potentially created other long-term geohazards like unstable hill slopes, debris and rock falls, and landslides.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E (NSF) funding, the researchers\u2019 ultimate goal is to one day create a national center for the study of geohazards, \u201cwith Georgia Tech as the lead institution,\u201d Bras said. \u201cWe surmise there will be several \u2018hubs\u2019, one of which would be Puerto Rico.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile it was still a major, deadly storm, Fiona turned out to be less damaging than Hurricane Maria, the 2017 storm that was one of the worst to strike Puerto Rico. After Maria, both Rivera-Hern\u00e0ndez and Bras had to deal with long-term power outages affecting cell phones before they could check in on loved ones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFiona did give the researchers a chance to gather more data on surface hazards in the wake of a natural disaster. \u201cWe can use that information to better prepare communities,\u201d Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cThat\u0027s another thing that we\u0027re working on with the geohazards, developing something called \u2018Landslide Ready,\u2019 which would be able to educate the public on if a landslide does happen, you know what you should do. But before that, we need to know. Where are they more frequently occurring? What\u0027s the cause? How much rain is needed to induce a landslide? We need science so we can better educate communities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2018Anything that has to do with Puerto Rico is personal\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez and Bras lived through hurricanes as they were growing up on the island, and both have seen the wide-reaching impact of major storms\u2019 wind gusts, flooding, and landslides on friends and families.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Maria hit the island, Bras\u2019 niece, who runs a farm growing culinary mushrooms, had to deal with a months-long power outage that affected refrigeration and distribution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaria was so catastrophic. I cannot begin to describe how catastrophic it was. It was equal opportunity that way.\u201d Bras also had a friend on the island who worked as an executive for a major business in Puerto Rico. \u201cAnd for a month, he didn\u0027t do anything but get up in the morning and drive around looking for water and food. At least he still had some money here, and he still had a car. He still could get gas for it, but he had to wait in lines for half a day to get gas. Everybody had to do it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBasic communications are always a problem during hurricanes, especially Maria, Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cFiona wasn\u0027t as bad. Hurricane Maria was really, really bad. People didn\u0027t have power for six months to a year. The magnitude and how many people it impacted was greater, compared to Fiona.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo power means no cellphones, no gas for cars, and no way to use credit cards, an aftereffect of major hurricanes that has left its impact on island residents. \u201cYes, have a stash of cash,\u201d said Rivera-Hern\u00e0ndez. \u201cI think Puerto Ricans are generally using more cash than on the mainland. That\u2019s another example of something that was big at the time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think it took like a week or two just to communicate to people and Puerto Rico because the whole power system was out, which means the cell networks are completely out \u2014 it took a long time for people outside of Puerto Rico to even learn what\u2019s going on because nothing was getting out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a planetary geologist, Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s primary research interests are astrobiology and planetary science \u2014 think Mars rovers and ancient lake beds in Antarctica. Before this effort with Bras and Lang, she had never studied landslides before the two hurricanes hit the island. \u201cMost of my work is focused on trying to better understand other planetary bodies. But when Rafael and I started talking about this, we decided this is something that\u0027s really important to us. It was a no-brainer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd as Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, Bras, and Lang work together with students and a network of researchers to unlock remaining mysteries of landslides, the people their research could help the most in Puerto Rico are those living in the island\u2019s interior, with its steep hillsides.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think that\u0027s an important point to make because those are often parts of the community that are very easily isolated,\u201d Lang said, \u201cand it\u0027s often the isolation that is deadly \u2014 for example, when power isn\u0027t restored to a hospital that\u0027s remote.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERural and remote risks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe effort to study Hurricane Maria\u2019s geohazards has already earned the wider team \u2014 which includes researchers from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayag\u00fcez (UPRM) and the University of Colorado, Boulder \u2014 a National Science Foundation Track One Center Catalyst grant for their proposal: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2224973\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E\u201cCollaborative Center for Landslides and Ground Failure Geohazards.\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E \u201cUPRM is instrumental in this effort,\u201d Lang said. \u201cThe work would not be possible without them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMore recently, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geerassociation.org\/\u0022\u003EGEER (Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance)\u003C\/a\u003E expedition associated with Hurricane Fiona has helped Bras, Lang, and two CEE students, Paola Vargas Vargas and Jorge Lozano Ramirez, remain on the island to continue their research and study evidence left by the storms. Sponsored by the NSF, GEER is an initiative developed by geotechnical earthquake engineering community members to study infrastructure damage from natural disasters, and it can be rapidly awarded after those disasters strike.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter Fiona, the trio of researchers were able to quickly apply for two more grants, one from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hsfoundation.org\/\u0022\u003EHeising-Simons Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/pubs\/2020\/nsf20052\/nsf20052.jsp\u0022\u003ENSF Rapid Response Research (RAPID) Award\u003C\/a\u003E. That allowed them to revisit the island in November 2022 to gather more data. \u201cThey (NSF) try to be quick in responding to situations that were not foreseen,\u201d Lang said. \u201cWe got the RAPID funded because landslides, as they happen, are being removed by people on the ground who need to clear the road. The RAPID supports us to collect information before it is lost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sources of funding target various needs for the team. \u201cWhat we\u0027ve been doing is cobbling together different sources of money to be able to do both the scientific side, and then also setting up this broader community geohazards center.\u201d Bras is currently working on an NSF Track II funding grant that would help establish that center.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF Track I geohazard proposal and the RAPID Award \u201chave clear societal relevance,\u201d Lang added. \u201cBy mapping the location, volume and mechanism of landslide failure after a storm event we can better predict where and how landslides may occur after future storm events. Similarly, by recording how floods transport landslide-derived sediment, we can predict the area and volume of flood inundation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, Karl Lang, and Rafael Bras are leading an effort to gather data about landslides caused by hurricanes hitting the island. Joined by students, the researchers share an ultimate goal of creating a national geohazards center."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, Karl Lang, and Rafael Bras are leading an effort to gather data about landslides caused by hurricanes hitting the island. Joined by students, the researchers share an ultimate goal of creating a national geohazards center.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, Karl Lang, and Rafael Bras are leading an effort to gather data about landslides caused by hurricanes hitting the island. Joined by students, the researchers share an ultimate goal of creating a national geohazards center."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2023-02-15 16:40:33","changed_gmt":"2023-03-31 20:32:20","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"665829":{"id":"665829","type":"image","title":"From October \u002722 Puerto Rico trip: CEE grad student Paola Vargas-Vargas (left) and Stephen Hughes of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez calibrate an instrument in front of a landslide. (Photo Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez)","body":null,"created":"1676476700","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 15:58:20","changed":"1676476700","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 15:58:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251787","name":"IMG_0546.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0546.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0546.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1537318,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_0546.jpg?itok=ykfPktYj"}},"665821":{"id":"665821","type":"image","title":"(From L to R) EAS students and faculty during a November \u002722 Puerto Rico research trip: graduate students Sharissa Thompson, Dru Ann Harris, Tatiana Gibson, and assistant professors Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez and Karl Lang. (Photo Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez )","body":null,"created":"1676474474","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 15:21:14","changed":"1676474603","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 15:23:23","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251782","name":"IMG_8099.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_8099.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_8099.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":549410,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_8099.jpg?itok=Wy9ntrS5"}},"665822":{"id":"665822","type":"image","title":"EAS graduate students sample water during a November trip to Puerto Rico: (From L to R) Sharissa Thompson, Tatiana Gibson, Dru Ann Harris. (Photo Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez.)","body":null,"created":"1676474851","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 15:27:31","changed":"1676474851","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 15:27:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251783","name":"IMG_0989.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0989.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0989.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1237701,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_0989.jpg?itok=PC5wBHNE"}},"665830":{"id":"665830","type":"image","title":"From October \u002722 Puerto Rico trip: CEE graduate students Paola Vargas-Vargas (left) and Jorge Lozano Ramirez fly a drone to take pictures of a landslide. (Photo Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez) ","body":null,"created":"1676476959","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 16:02:39","changed":"1676476959","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 16:02:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251788","name":"IMG_0537.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0537.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0537.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1825348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_0537.jpg?itok=fYsIcxiC"}},"665837":{"id":"665837","type":"image","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez","body":null,"created":"1676479627","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 16:47:07","changed":"1676479627","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 16:47:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251793","name":"Frances Rivera Hernandez.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Frances%20Rivera%20Hernandez_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Frances%20Rivera%20Hernandez_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":714834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Frances%20Rivera%20Hernandez_0.png?itok=0Rfby-PG"}},"665831":{"id":"665831","type":"image","title":"Rafael Bras ","body":null,"created":"1676477203","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 16:06:43","changed":"1676477203","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 16:06:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251789","name":"Rafael Bras headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rafael%20Bras%20headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rafael%20Bras%20headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":276934,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rafael%20Bras%20headshot.jpg?itok=Oapk1gEd"}},"665838":{"id":"665838","type":"image","title":"Karl Lang","body":null,"created":"1676479748","gmt_created":"2023-02-15 16:49:08","changed":"1676479748","gmt_changed":"2023-02-15 16:49:08","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251794","name":"Karl Lang headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Karl%20Lang%20headshot.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Karl%20Lang%20headshot.png","mime":"image\/png","size":354488,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Karl%20Lang%20headshot.png?itok=Rl_eJi-D"}}},"media_ids":["665829","665821","665822","665830","665837","665831","665838"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/14\/georgia-tech-experts-weigh-massive-turkey-syria-earthquake","title":"Georgia Tech Experts Weigh In on Massive Turkey-Syria Earthquake "},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/frances-rivera-hernandez-lands-nasa-and-scialog-grants-planetary-research-signatures-life","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Lands NASA and Scialog Grants for Planetary Research, Signatures of Life"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/moon-back-and-beyond","title":"To the Moon, Back, and Beyond"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/rivera-hernandez-wins-nasa-grant-aid-current-mars-rover-missions-and-find-martian-lakes-future","title":"Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Wins NASA Grant to Aid Current Mars Rover Missions \u2014 and Find \u2018Martian Lakes\u2019 for Future Rovers and Crews"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/hispanic-and-latinx-heritage-month-faculty-perspectives-representation-mentoring-leadership","title":"Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month: Faculty Perspectives on Representation, Mentoring, Leadership in STEM"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-launches-global-change-program","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Global Change Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"551651","name":"Center for Engineering Education and Diversity (CEED)"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"167864","name":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"},{"id":"187439","name":"Frances Rivera-Hernandez"},{"id":"10243","name":"rafael bras"},{"id":"192078","name":"Karl Lang"},{"id":"24921","name":"Puerto Rico"},{"id":"82","name":"hurricanes"},{"id":"174095","name":"landslides"},{"id":"192146","name":"geohazards"},{"id":"192152","name":"University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez"},{"id":"192147","name":"Sharissa Thompson"},{"id":"192148","name":"Dru Ann Harris"},{"id":"192149","name":"Tatiana Gibson"},{"id":"192150","name":"Paola Vargas-Vargas"},{"id":"192154","name":"Jorge Lozano Ramirez"},{"id":"192151","name":"Stephen Hughes"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"185777","name":"Heising-Simons Foundation"},{"id":"61951","name":"CEE"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nContributor: Laurie E. Smith\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"666970":{"#nid":"666970","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Earth Month Events to Mark on Your Calendar ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn April 22, communities across the U.S. and countries around the globe will come together in observance of Earth Day. Georgia Tech takes the opportunity to educate and celebrate the importance of protecting the environment a step further with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/earth-month\u0022\u003EEarth Month\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEvents throughout the month allow students, faculty, and staff to familiarize themselves with sustainability efforts being put forward by the Institute and practices they can incorporate into their daily routines. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe global theme for Earth Day 2023 \u2014 the 53rd iteration of the event \u2014 and Tech\u2019s month-long rendition is \u201cinvest in our planet.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe Earth Month lineup highlights the numerous ways that community members can embrace this theme,\u2019\u201d said Abby Bower, sustainability program support coordinator. \u201cToday, the planet faces daunting challenges, but we all have the opportunity to pitch in to solve them. Georgia Tech has many great organizations, departments, and individuals dedicating their time and resources to making a better world, and we are excited to highlight them all month long.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDuring Earth Month, you can participate in service opportunities, attend educational events, weigh in on ways Georgia Tech can meet our climate goals, and more. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/01\/tech-beautification-day\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETech Beautification Day\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 1, 8:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m., The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe kickoff event for Earth Month, organized by the undergraduate Student Government Association and Georgia Tech Greek Week, will see hundreds of volunteers completing projects all over campus. After a welcome breakfast, groups of eight to 10 will be assigned a task with the goal of keeping the Georgia Tech campus as picturesque as ever. With assistance from Georgia Tech Landscaping, projects include planting flowers, trees, and shrubs; pulling weeds; and spreading pine straw. A primary goal of this year\u2019s event is to plant 200 native azaleas.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor registration and additional information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/03\/27\/tech-beautification-day-kicks-earth-month?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Full%20Story%0A\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20March%2028%2C%202023\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/03\/earth-day-clothing-swap\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Day Clothing Swap at The Kendeda Revolving Closet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 3 -7, 9 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m., Basement of The \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKendeda Building \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESustainable fashion is a pillar of this year\u2019s global event. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.earthday.org\/campaign\/sustainable-fashion\/\u0022\u003EAccording to earthday.org\u003C\/a\u003E, 87% of the 150 billion garments produced by the fashion industry each year eventually end up in landfills, and just 1% of discarded clothing is recycled. This weeklong event is a chance to donate gently used, clean clothes and recycle torn clothes and textiles. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/earth-day-bird-walk-tickets-540857377977\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Day Bird Walk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 5, 8:30 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m., The Kendeda Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe 400-acre Tech campus is home to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2021\/10\/wildlife-home-campus\u0022\u003Ediverse wildlife populations\u003C\/a\u003E, including many species of birds. Learn more about the region\u2019s birds from an expert guide during the Bird Walk organized by The Kendeda Building and Georgia Audubon Society. The reintroduction of native plants around Kendeda has created a habitat for birds, and the adjoining EcoCommons is part of a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiaaudubon.org\/wildlife-sanctuary-requirements.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ewildlife sanctuary\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;certified by the Georgia Audubon, making Tech the first main campus in the state to receive the designation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor registration and additional information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/earth-day-bird-walk-tickets-540857377977\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/energy-club\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESouthern Energy Conference\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 7, 9:30 a.m. \u2013 2 p.m., Bill Moore Student Success Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith the theme of \u201cbuilding blocks for a zero-carbon future,\u201d the Energy Club will host the conference featuring keynote speakers, company demos, and panels discussing the technology and economics behind the future of the energy sector. Students are invited to compete in the Energy Research Poster Competition with cash prizes on the line. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor registration and additional information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/energy-club\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/11\/ecoreps-earth-month-celebration\u0022\u003EEcoReps Earth Month Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EApril 11, 1 \u2013 3 p.m., \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWest Village Dining Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHosted by the 2022-23 EcoReps, this event is a celebration of all things sustainability in Housing and Residence Life, highlighting recent successes such as the Energy Competition, the ECGO app, and its growing composting program.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/11\/ecoreps-earth-month-celebration\u0022\u003E, click here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/666859\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Month Bike Ride\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 11, 4:30 \u2013 6 p.m., Meet on the Front Lawn of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHosted by the CRC, the leisurely 7-mile, no-drop ride promotes an alternate form of transportation and a healthy lifestyle. The ride will begin with a welcome from noted bike enthusiast President \u00c1ngel Cabrera and provide an overview of infrastructure projects that are making campus increasingly rider-friendly from Institute Landscape Architect Jason Gregory. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERegistration and completion of a waiver are required\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E. Riders are strongly encouraged to wear a helmet. Tech students, faculty, and staff can get a free helmet by completing the online\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/commute\/commute-options\/bicycling-pmds\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/commute\/commute-options\/bicycling-pmds\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERide Smart Bike\/Scooter Safety class.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor registration information, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mycrc.gatech.edu\/Program\/GetProgramDetails?courseId=92e2dfce-9aee-4d36-916c-b1fab44eec5f\u0026amp;semesterId=e047d80d-7b9b-4a3a-a058-e3d94fab4b09\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eclick here\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/cc_gatech_2023_03_30\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPropel ATL City Cycling Class - Georgia Tech Community\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 13, 4 \u2013 5 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPropel Atlanta invites the Georgia Tech community to learn the rules of cycling during this instructional group ride. Participants will practice skills in a safe and supportive environment. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAfter getting the hang of the basics with a few drills, the 45-minute ride of 3 to 4 gentle miles will begin. Riders will experience Atlanta\u2019s existing bicycle facilities, such as two-directional protected and single-directional bike lanes and sharrows, and learn to ride safely on streets without bike lanes by exercising their legal right to \u201ctake the lane.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor registration information, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/cc_gatech_2023_03_30\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eclick here\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bbiss-seminar-series-anjali-thomas\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Seminar Series: Anjali Thomas\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 13, 3 \u2013 4 p.m., Economic Development Building (BBISS Suite 118)\/Online\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn the first of two seminars in this series, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/anjali-thomas\u0022\u003EAnjali Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and director of the Nunn School Program in Global Development, explores how \u201cbureaucratic hurdles and identity\u0026nbsp;politics shape water access in urban India.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bbiss-seminar-series-anjali-thomas\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/18\/earth-day-org-fair-and-celebration\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Day Org Fair and Celebration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 18, 11 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m., The Kendeda Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudent organizations, academic departments, and groups around Atlanta will have tables set up \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ein The Kendeda Building atrium and patio to promote a sustainable and environmentally conscious community. Enjoy free King of Pops, and bring a t-shirt, tote bag, or other item to be screen-printed with Earth Day designs. The \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOffice of Sustainability will also have recovered shirts that can be used. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/18\/earth-day-org-fair-and-celebration\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eclick here\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/13\/climate-action-plan-student-engagement-workshop\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan Student Engagement Workshop\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 20, 5 \u2013 6 p.m., Room 102, Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, Georgia Tech is developing and implementing a comprehensive, cross-cutting \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-climate-action-plan\u0022\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/a\u003E. Students are invited to learn more about the plan and offer their thoughts on how the Institute can meet its climate goals during this engaging workshop hosted by the Office of\u0026nbsp;Sustainability.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_5mqZYVXwcbmoyHk\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/21\/georgia-tech-community-garden-reopening-celebration\u0022\u003ECommunity Garden Ribbon Cutting\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EApril 21, 2 \u2013 3 p.m., Community Garden (Instructional Center Lawn)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELocated along \u003C\/span\u003Ethe Experiential Walkway, this event invites the Georgia Tech community to check out the newly renovated Community Garden and learn how to get involved. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2023\/04\/21\/georgia-tech-community-garden-reopening-celebration\u0022\u003Eclick\u003C\/a\u003E here.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/film-screening-making-pandemices-at-the-global-media-fest-gmf-tickets-565537647327\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilm Screening: \u003Cem\u003EMaking Pandemics\u003C\/em\u003E at the Global Media Fest\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 23, 2 \u2013 5 p.m., John Lewis Student Center \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe French department in the School of Modern Languages will host a screening of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VViJxk1rCF4\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaking Pandemics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a film that \u201cseeks to understand the causes of this epidemic of pandemics\u201d over the past four decades. The screening is free and open to the public. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFollowing the film, a panel of guest speakers will discuss its findings. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor more information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/film-screening-making-pandemices-at-the-global-media-fest-gmf-tickets-565537647327\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable-X Hangout\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 26, 3 \u2013 4 p.m., \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECenter for Sustainable Business Suite\/Online \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA partnership between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERay C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESustainable-X \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003Eis a\u0026nbsp;Sustainability Next\u0026nbsp;Institute Strategic Plan\u0026nbsp;project. With events occurring on the fourth Wednesday of every month, this session will examine social and environmental entrepreneurship and how to access resources for projects. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bbiss-seminar-series-jenny-mcguire-42723\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems: Jenny McGuire\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EApril 27, 3 \u2013 4 p.m., Economic Development Building (BBISS Suite 118)\/Online\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EContinuing the series hosted by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/mcguire-dr-jenny-l\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJenny McGuire\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, will host a seminar focused on \u201cc\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Eonserving the fabric of life given the complexities of global change.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor additional information, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bbiss-seminar-series-jenny-mcguire-42723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eclick here\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EExplore the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/earth-month-2023-event-calendar\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEarth Month calendar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E for a comprehensive event lineup and updates. Campus groups, departments, and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003Eorganizations interested in adding their sustainability-focused event to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/node\/962\u0022\u003EEarth Month Calendar\u003C\/a\u003E can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/node\/962\u0022\u003Esubmit \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca\u003Ethis form\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/node\/962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003Eor email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby.bower@sustain.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAbby Bower\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEarth Day is April 22, but Georgia Tech is celebrating Earth Month with events throughout April highlighting sustainability efforts across campus.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Earth Day is April 22, but Georgia Tech is celebrating Earth Month with events throughout April highlighting sustainability efforts across campus."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-03-31 13:18:24","changed_gmt":"2023-03-31 17:01:20","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670383":{"id":"670383","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech community celebrates Earth Day 2018 ","body":null,"created":"1680269031","gmt_created":"2023-03-31 13:23:51","changed":"1680269031","gmt_changed":"2023-03-31 13:23:51","alt":"Georgia Tech community celebrates Earth Day 2018 ","file":{"fid":"253223","name":"N18C10302-P68-010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/31\/N18C10302-P68-010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/31\/N18C10302-P68-010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2655752,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/03\/31\/N18C10302-P68-010.jpg?itok=n6KEdPxX"}}},"media_ids":["670383"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Communications Officer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"666702":{"#nid":"666702","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Driving Change: Georgia Tech Experts Lead in Electrification of America\u2019s Roads","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIdling at a crossroads no longer, the automotive industry is embracing electrification like never before. With more electric vehicles purchased in 2022 than any year prior, consumers are beginning to follow their lead. Yet, while opportunity abounds, new challenges will require an innovative approach to ensure a sustainable and accessible electric future for all.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith historic investments from major players in the EV space, including\u0026nbsp;Rivian, Kia, and Hyundai, the state of Georgia is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader in this effort. As the state\u0027s leading research institute, Georgia Tech is on the cutting edge of the movement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe transportation sector is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. at nearly 30%, with\u0026nbsp;passenger vehicles accounting for around 80% of the sector\u0027s total output1\u0026nbsp;as of 2019. Electric vehicles are widely regarded as a budding solution to reduce emissions, but even as both demand and production continue to increase, EVs currently account for around 1% of the cars on America\u0027s roadways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom the supply chain to the infrastructure needed to support alternative-fuel vehicles alongside consumer hesitancy, achieving the goals set by both the public and private sectors \u2014 including the Biden Administration\u0027s target of EVs making up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030 \u2014 will not be easy. Through research and development, policy, and collaboration, Tech experts are working toward finding solutions that will serve as catalysts during this transitionary period for the environment and the way Americans drive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2023\/03\/driving-change\u0022\u003ECheck out the full story.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElectric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and with economic and environmental impacts colliding, Georgia Tech experts are leading the way in the development of next-generation solutions. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and with economic and environmental impacts colliding, Georgia Tech experts are leading the way in the development of next-generation solutions.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-03-21 13:55:33","changed_gmt":"2023-03-27 16:45:27","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670207":{"id":"670207","type":"image","title":"Driving Change: Georgia Tech experts are leading the way in EV innovation ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETop: Rich Simmons, Marilyn Brown, Gleb Yushin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBottom: Valerie Thomas, Hailong Chen, Tim Lieuwen\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1679407608","gmt_created":"2023-03-21 14:06:48","changed":"1679408518","gmt_changed":"2023-03-21 14:21:58","alt":"Driving Change: Georgia Tech experts are leading the way in EV innovation ","file":{"fid":"253035","name":"DRIVINGCHANGE-tn_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/21\/DRIVINGCHANGE-tn_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/21\/DRIVINGCHANGE-tn_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":105099,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/03\/21\/DRIVINGCHANGE-tn_0.jpg?itok=MEsl7m_T"}}},"media_ids":["670207"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2023\/03\/driving-change","title":"Full Feature"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Gagliano - Communications Officer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"661672":{"#nid":"661672","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joel Kostka Awarded $3.2 Million to Keep Digging into How Soils and Plants Capture Carbon \u2014 And Keep It Out of Earth\u2019s Atmosphere","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/a\u003E will soon receive $3.2 million from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy (DOE)\u003C\/a\u003E to build upon research that has ranged from northern Minnesota peat bogs to coastal Georgia wetlands, all to learn how climate change impacts soils and plants that trap greenhouse gasses \u0026mdash; and whether some of those plants could end up as eco-friendly biofuels.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EKostka\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor and associate chair of research in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E with a joint appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, will receive funding as part of a wider \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/articles\/doe-announces-178-million-advance-bioenergy-technology\u0022\u003E$178 million dollar DOE effort\u003C\/a\u003E to advance sustainable technology breakthroughs that can improve public health, help address climate change, improve food and agricultural production, and create more resilient supply chains. The 37 new projects also include efforts to engineer plants and microbes into bioenergy and improve carbon storage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKostka\u0026rsquo;s wetlands research will continue in the salt marshes off Georgia\u0026rsquo;s coast, where his team has already conducted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/salt-marsh-grass-georgias-coast-gets-nutrients-growth-helpful-bacteria-its-roots\u0022\u003Estudies\u003C\/a\u003E on the microbial life that benefits \u003Cem\u003ESpartina\u003C\/em\u003E cordgrass in those areas, helping to strengthen resilience of the plant to sea level rise and catastrophic storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE\u0026rsquo;s funding initiative is split into four groups. Kostka\u0026rsquo;s studies will focus on the role of microbiomes \u0026mdash; all the microorganisms living in a particular environment \u0026mdash; in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in terrestrial soils and wetlands by using genomics-based and systems biology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther research areas involve renewable bioenergy and biomaterials production; quantum-enabled bioimaging and sensing for bioenergy, and research to characterize gene function in bioenergy crop plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our project seeks to understand the controls of soil organic matter degradation and the release of greenhouse gasses, both of which are largely mediated by microbes\u0026rdquo; Kostka said. \u0026ldquo;And then also, as we\u0026#39;ve been studying for many years now, how climate drivers \u0026mdash; principally the warming of ecosystems and carbon dioxide enrichment in the atmosphere \u0026mdash; limit greenhouse gas release to the atmosphere. How might changes in plant and microbial communities lead to climate feedbacks, thereby accelerating the release of greenhouse gasses from soil carbon stores?\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat question has driven much of Kostka\u0026rsquo;s research team in the past as they focused on how soil microbes break down biomasses like woody plants and peat mosses, at an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E facility in northern Minnesota called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mnspruce.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESpruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE)\u003C\/a\u003E. Kostka\u0026rsquo;s team is using genomics to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/temperate-glimpse-warming-world\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E all the genes that code for microbial enzymes that decompose biomass in soil and how plants, which are also changing with climate, impact microbiomes by providing carbon sources that fuel microbial activities. In particular, the work is focused on lignocellulose or lignin, which gives plants their rigidity or structure and arguably comprises the most abundant renewable carbon source on the planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026#39;re just at the point now where we finally have the tools to unlock the black box of soil microbiology and chemistry,\u0026rdquo; Kostka said. \u0026ldquo;Recent advances in sophisticated analytical chemistry methods used to quantify microbial metabolites along with improved metagenome sequencing approaches enable us to better uncover metabolic pathways.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKostka will serve as principal investigator of the research team for the grant. That team includes School of Biological Sciences researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Caitlin-Petro\u0022\u003ECaitlin Petro\u003C\/a\u003E, research scientist, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/microdynamics.gatech.edu\/katherine-duchesneau-november-2021\u0022\u003EKatherine Duchesneau\u003C\/a\u003E, a third-year Ph.D. student; co-principal investigator \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/kostas-t-konstantinidis\u0022\u003EKostas Konstantinidis\u003C\/a\u003E, Richard C. Tucker Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Rachel-Wilson-24\u0022\u003ERachel Wilson\u003C\/a\u003E, research scientist, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EFlorida State University\u003C\/a\u003E; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/environmentalscience.cals.arizona.edu\/person\/malak-tfaily\u0022\u003EMalak Tfaily\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.arizona.edu\/admissions?utm_source=google\u0026amp;utm_medium=cpc\u0026amp;utm_term=university%20of%20arizona\u0026amp;utm_campaign=brand_us_search\u0026amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwsrWZBhC4ARIsAGGUJup3f5BvUVgRulXVHdA1rOkV5SIJvGvouA_q6z1htik6BXQwP2euFNwaAoqlEALw_wcB\u0022\u003EUniversity of Arizona\u003C\/a\u003E; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/staff-profile\/christopher-w-schadt\u0022\u003EChris Schadt\u003C\/a\u003E, senior staff scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnlocking the \u0026ldquo;enzyme latch\u0026rdquo; hypothesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of his new research, Kostka will revisit what scientists call the \u0026ldquo;enzyme latch\u0026rdquo; hypothesis. This could help uncover the mechanisms by which soils and plants capture harmful greenhouse gasses, and what prompts their release into the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea behind this hypothesis is that when soils are wet, they lack oxygen, which suppresses a specific class of enzymes, oxidases, that catalyze the beginning steps in the microbial breakdown of organic compounds produced by plants in soil. When oxidases are suppressed, the breakdown products of lignin, phenolic compounds, accumulate and poison the rest of the microbial carbon cycle.\u0026nbsp; Thus a single class of enzymes may be responsible for keeping greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane captured within the soil.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The climate linkage here is that it\u0026#39;s thought that as the climate warms, we\u0026#39;ll get more greenhouse gas production, because simply it\u0026#39;ll be warmer, and microbial enzymes work faster at higher temperature. But then also, in wetlands in particular, the hypothesis is that as wetlands warm, they\u0026#39;re going to dry out. And so when a wetland dries out, you\u0026#39;re going to get more injection of oxygen-rich air into the soil, which would then accelerate the breakdown of organic matter.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen that happens, it could also mean different plants having an impact on carbon storage and the breakdown of biomass. \u0026ldquo;As wetlands dry out, plant communities in northern peatlands where most of Earth\u0026rsquo;s soil carbon is stored, are expected to shift from a dominance of mosses, which do better when it\u0026#39;s wet \u0026mdash; to woody plants, shrubs, and trees that do better with less water, when it\u0026#39;s drier. That would in turn potentially spark the release of more reactive carbon compounds from plant roots \u0026mdash; mosses don\u0026rsquo;t have roots \u0026mdash; which would likely accelerate organic matter decomposition and the production of more greenhouse gas in a feedback loop with climate.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKostka\u0026rsquo;s research may also help to develop new approaches for converting woody biomass into potential alternative energy sources. \u0026ldquo;To make our society more sustainable, we have to basically recycle everything, or reuse as much as we can. And that includes the biomass from plants that can be grown on more arid lands that are less suitable for food crops,\u0026rdquo; he said, referring to plant-based materials that can be used to produce biofuels and bioenergy. \u0026ldquo;And so the DOE is leading research efforts to understand the controls of biomass degradation in plants such as switchgrass and poplar.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKostka and Konstantinidis will develop a database of genes that code for the breakdown of lignocellulose and lignin, compounds that largely make up plant biomass and for which metabolic pathways of degradation have been elusive. Kostka and his colleagues will also have access to the extensive resources of the DOE Genomic Sciences program, including a collaboration with the agency\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jgi.doe.gov\/\u0022\u003EJoint Genome Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We hope that information generated from our project can be used to improve methods for breaking down woody biomass so that it can be used in a sustainable way to produce biofuels,\u0026rdquo; Kostka said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pamspublic.science.energy.gov\/WebPAMSExternal\/Interface\/Common\/ViewPublicAbstract.aspx?rv=ce74057a-efb9-4824-98c1-138ac76643a3\u0026amp;rtc=24\u0022\u003EPublic abstract of Department of Energy grant DE-SC0023297\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"School of Biological Sciences Professor Joel Kostka\u2019s decade of research in Minnesota peatlands has received a boost from a new Department of Energy grant, set to explore how science can address climate change with emphasis on carbon storage."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences Professor Joel Kostka\u0026rsquo;s decade of research in Minnesota peatlands has received a boost from a new Department of Energy grant, set to explore how science can address climate change with emphasis on the breakdown of lignin, plant-derived compounds that store much of Earth\u0026rsquo;s soil carbon, and may be used as sustainable energy sources\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Biological Sciences Professor Joel Kostka\u2019s decade of research in Minnesota peatlands has received a boost from a new Department of Energy grant, set to explore how science can address climate change with emphasis on carbon storage."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-09-29 17:38:53","changed_gmt":"2023-03-02 20:01:11","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"661683":{"id":"661683","type":"image","title":"A research enclosure at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory\u0027s SPRUCE facility in northern Minnesota. (Photo Joel Kostka)","body":null,"created":"1664480926","gmt_created":"2022-09-29 19:48:46","changed":"1664480926","gmt_changed":"2022-09-29 19:48:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250630","name":"SPRUCE enclosure.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SPRUCE%20enclosure.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SPRUCE%20enclosure.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":958014,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SPRUCE%20enclosure.jpeg?itok=7CC463kc"}},"661682":{"id":"661682","type":"image","title":"Joel Kostka takes soil samples at the SPRUCE facility in Minnesota. ","body":null,"created":"1664480465","gmt_created":"2022-09-29 19:41:05","changed":"1664480744","gmt_changed":"2022-09-29 19:45:44","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250629","name":"Kostka coring 2 - Edited.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kostka%20coring%202%20-%20Edited.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kostka%20coring%202%20-%20Edited.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3230586,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kostka%20coring%202%20-%20Edited.png?itok=pcNf4brn"}},"661685":{"id":"661685","type":"image","title":"A soil core sample from the SPRUCE facility. (Photo Joel Kostka)","body":null,"created":"1664481583","gmt_created":"2022-09-29 19:59:43","changed":"1664481583","gmt_changed":"2022-09-29 19:59:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250631","name":"Coring sample.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Coring%20sample.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Coring%20sample.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1167232,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Coring%20sample.jpeg?itok=O7DdLGor"}},"661686":{"id":"661686","type":"image","title":"The entrance to Marcell Experimental Forest, part of the SPRUCE facility shared by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Forest Service. (Photo Joel Kostka)","body":null,"created":"1664482302","gmt_created":"2022-09-29 20:11:42","changed":"1664482302","gmt_changed":"2022-09-29 20:11:42","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250633","name":"Marcell Experimental Forest - Edited.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Marcell%20Experimental%20Forest%20-%20Edited.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Marcell%20Experimental%20Forest%20-%20Edited.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3275626,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Marcell%20Experimental%20Forest%20-%20Edited.png?itok=lpgwYiOM"}},"661706":{"id":"661706","type":"image","title":"Plants in the SPRUCE experimental area are dominated by peat mosses of the genus Sphagnum, which is an ecosystem engineer that produces much of the degrading biomass or \u201cpeat\u201d in soils of northern peatlands. (Photo Joel Kostka)","body":null,"created":"1664548370","gmt_created":"2022-09-30 14:32:50","changed":"1664548370","gmt_changed":"2022-09-30 14:32:50","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250641","name":"Watery peat.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Watery%20peat.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Watery%20peat.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1442187,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Watery%20peat.jpeg?itok=_SZb2OXy"}},"661707":{"id":"661707","type":"image","title":"Ph.D. student Tianze Song from the School of Biological Sciences prepares soil samples for metagenomics investigations during the annual soil core collection of the SPRUCE experiment. (Photo Joel Kostka)","body":null,"created":"1664548595","gmt_created":"2022-09-30 14:36:35","changed":"1664548595","gmt_changed":"2022-09-30 14:36:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250642","name":"Researcher bagging samples.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Researcher%20bagging%20samples.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Researcher%20bagging%20samples.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1237746,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Researcher%20bagging%20samples.jpeg?itok=guvoZUhN"}},"661810":{"id":"661810","type":"image","title":"The Kostka Lab research group.","body":null,"created":"1664897950","gmt_created":"2022-10-04 15:39:10","changed":"1664897950","gmt_changed":"2022-10-04 15:39:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250684","name":"Kostka Lab lineup.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kostka%20Lab%20lineup.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kostka%20Lab%20lineup.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3072702,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kostka%20Lab%20lineup.JPG?itok=3SAIoNrr"}}},"media_ids":["661683","661682","661685","661686","661706","661707","661810"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/salt-marsh-grass-georgias-coast-gets-nutrients-growth-helpful-bacteria-its-roots","title":"Salt Marsh Grass On Georgia\u2019s Coast Gets Nutrients for Growth From Helpful Bacteria in Its Roots"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/temperate-glimpse-warming-world","title":"Temperate Glimpse Into a Warming World"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-8-digging-climate-clues-peat-moss","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 8 - Digging Up Climate Clues in Peat Moss"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/microbial-research-may-be-key-salt-marsh-restoration","title":"Microbial Research may be the Key to Salt Marsh Restoration"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/getting-root-plant-soil-interactions-optical-instrument-give-clearest-3d-images-yet-rhizosphere","title":"Getting to the Root of Plant-Soil Interactions: Optical Instrument to Give Clearest 3D Images Yet of Rhizosphere"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/deepwater-horizon-and-rise-omics-decade-breakthroughs-microbial-science","title":"Deepwater Horizon and the Rise of the Omics: A Decade of Breakthroughs in Microbial Science"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/cmdi-mighty-microbial-dynamics-healthier-people-and-planet","title":"CMDI: Mighty Microbial Dynamics for a Healthier People and Planet"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"20131","name":"Joel Kostka"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"139331","name":"greenhouse gasses"},{"id":"191346","name":"greenhouse gas capture"},{"id":"172961","name":"soil carbon"},{"id":"1702","name":"carbon capture"},{"id":"3023","name":"biomass"},{"id":"191347","name":"sustainable fuels"},{"id":"2342","name":"biofuels"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEditor: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"665272":{"#nid":"665272","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Study Finds Unexpected Interactions in Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosol in Atmosphere","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESecondary organic aerosol (SOA) consists\u0026nbsp;of extremely small particles generated in the atmosphere from natural and human-made emissions.\u0026nbsp;It is a major constituent of\u0026nbsp;PM2.5\u0026nbsp;(particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers) worldwide that is known to affect climate and human health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ENga Lee \u0026ldquo;Sally\u0026rdquo; Ng\u003C\/a\u003E, Love Family Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, led a study to investigate the formation and properties of SOA from the nitrate radical oxidation of two common monoterpenes,\u0026nbsp;compounds found in many plants.\u0026nbsp;Monoterpenes represent an important class of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation by nitrate radicals is a substantial source of SOA globally.\u0026nbsp;Specifically, her research team examined the monoterpenes\u0026nbsp;\u0026alpha;-pinene and limonene, which are both emitted in large quantities from trees.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn findings published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-022-35546-1\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026ldquo;Non-linear effects of secondary organic aerosol formation and properties in multi-precursor systems,\u0026rdquo; Ng\u0026rsquo;s team found that oxidizing mixtures of monoterpenes simultaneously produced different results than observed through oxidizing them separately in laboratory chamber experiments. Given the chemical complexity of VOC reactions and SOA formation, previous experiments have mostly only studied one VOC compound at a time. In this study, Ng\u0026rsquo;s team used advanced mass spectrometry techniques to probe chemistry of multi-VOC reactions from the bulk to\u0026nbsp;molecular level.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our results highlight that unlike what is currently assumed in atmospheric models, the interaction of products formed from individual VOCs should be accounted for accurately to describe SOA formation and its climate and health impacts,\u0026quot; Ng said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg explained that one might have expected\u0026nbsp;\u0026alpha;-pinene and limonene to have the same potential to form SOA when they are oxidized as mixtures simultaneously compared to when they are oxidized separately. But what the researchers found was approximately a 50% percent enhancement in the formation of SOA from \u0026alpha;-pinene and about a 20% reduction in limonene SOA formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In this case, one plus one does not equal two,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;We do not get a linear reaction in the simultaneous oxidation experiment like we do in the sequential experiment. New products are being made by the interaction of the two monoterpenes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg\u0026rsquo;s study examined \u0026alpha;-pinene and limonene in a nighttime setting when nitrate radical chemistry prominently happens. Nitrate radicals are produced by traffic emissions and ozone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Aerosol chemistry does not stop at night,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. After sunset, the nitrogen oxide compounds and ozone can react with the emissions from trees to produce organic aerosols. \u0026ldquo;At night, oxidation still takes place, but nighttime interactions have not been well studied.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg said she hopes this research will lead to further studies to examine VOCs in the atmosphere and how they interact together. \u0026ldquo;Studying the interaction of two VOCs is really just the beginning,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a big step froward, but there\u0026rsquo;s still a long way to go to understand the complexity of the atmosphere, where hundreds of VOCs are emitted and reacting at the same time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER AGS-1555034 (N.L.N), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NA18OAR4310112 (N.L.N), and the Eckert Postdoctoral Fellowship from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology (T.B.). The FIGAERO-HR-ToF- CIMS has been purchased through the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Grant 1428738 (N.L.N).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Masayuki Takeuchi, Thomas Berkemeier, Gamze Eris, Nga Lee Ng, \u0026quot;Non-linear effects of secondary organic aerosol formation and properties in multi-precursor systems,\u0026quot; Nature Communications, December 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-022-35546-1\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-022-35546-1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENga Lee \u0026ldquo;Sally\u0026rdquo; Ng, Love Family Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, leads a new study investigating the formation and properties of\u0026nbsp;secondary organic aerosol from the nitrate radical oxidation of two common monoterpenes, compounds found in many plants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nga Lee \u201cSally\u201d Ng leads a new study investigating the formation and properties of\u00a0secondary organic aerosol from the nitrate radical oxidation of two common monoterpenes, compounds found in many plants. "}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2023-01-30 23:08:13","changed_gmt":"2023-03-02 19:28:26","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"665271":{"id":"665271","type":"image","title":"Environmental Chamber Facility","body":null,"created":"1675119795","gmt_created":"2023-01-30 23:03:15","changed":"1675119795","gmt_changed":"2023-01-30 23:03:15","alt":"Laboratory experiments were conducted in the Georgia Tech Environmental Chamber (GTEC) facility to study oxidation chemistry and secondary organic aerosol formation in multi-precursor systems.","file":{"fid":"251620","name":"sallylab2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sallylab2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sallylab2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":230000,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sallylab2.jpg?itok=hvfM35JM"}},"648772":{"id":"648772","type":"image","title":"Nga Lee \u0022Sally\u0022 Ng","body":null,"created":"1626303622","gmt_created":"2021-07-14 23:00:22","changed":"1626303622","gmt_changed":"2021-07-14 23:00:22","alt":"Dr. Nga Lee \u0022Sally\u0022 Ng","file":{"fid":"246264","name":"ng2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ng2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ng2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":110365,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ng2.jpg?itok=Jp3hnBO7"}}},"media_ids":["665271","648772"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1183","name":"Home"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192022","name":"secondary organic aerosol"},{"id":"2868","name":"atmosphere"},{"id":"177577","name":"volatile organic compounds"},{"id":"192023","name":"monoterpenes"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"398","name":"health"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"664530":{"#nid":"664530","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Weather Radar Could be a Game-Changer for the State","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA weather radar system purchased by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia could lead to improved weather forecasting in North Georgia \u0026ndash; and provide both expanded educational opportunities for students and enhanced research capabilities for the two institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The radar would be used collaboratively to provide enhanced warning for people in North Georgia, to provide educational opportunities to students at both institutions, and to provide research opportunities for UGA\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geography.uga.edu\/atsc\/atmospheric-sciences-program\u0022\u003EAtmospheric Sciences Program\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech Research Institute\u0026rsquo;s (GTRI) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/severestorms.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESevere Storms Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E (SSRC), and Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; said John Trostel, the SSRC\u0026rsquo;s director.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESevere weather is a consistent threat to North Georgia that can lead to loss of life and property. The new radar system will fill a well-known gap in radar coverage over northeastern Georgia caused by the existing NEXRAD network coverage and terrain. A large landfill also causes blockage of the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) beam located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/6Tgv4cKFQ-4\u0022\u003EWatch a video about this project on YouTube\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA feed from the commercial Furuno WR-2100 radar, which will be located in Gwinnett County, will be shared with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Peachtree City, Georgia, and with other interested organizations. Beyond tornadoes and other severe storms, the radar could help forecasters predict winter precipitation and provide better rainfall estimates for flood warnings.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The acquisition of this radar is a game-changer for our state,\u0026rdquo; said Marshall Shepherd, director of UGA\u0026rsquo;s Atmospheric Sciences Program. \u0026ldquo;Not only does it provide a potentially lifesaving service for Georgians, but it is also a unique teaching and research tool for students at both institutions.\u0026rdquo; The radar will enable new research opportunities related to severe weather observations, winter weather forecasting, urban flood assessment, birds, and even insects, Shepherd said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJohn Knox, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the UGA Department of Geography, also envisions the radar information serving the public in another way. The student-run digital meteorology program at UGA, \u0026ldquo;WeatherDawgs,\u0026rdquo; serves over 70,000 followers across north Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The radar would allow UGA students to learn how to view, interpret, and use X-band radar data as well as how best to communicate it to the public,\u0026rdquo; Knox said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJessica Losego, a research scientist at the SSRC, said the new device will support the long-term goals of the Center and expand weather-forecasting collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a unique opportunity for collaboration, and we look forward to working with UGA and the NWS to maximize this radar\u0026rsquo;s utility for research, education, and operations,\u0026rdquo; Losego said. \u0026ldquo;This equipment will support our efforts to understand the evolution and dynamics of severe storms in Georgia and lead to better capabilities for tracking these storms.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETrostel and colleagues at GTRI became aware of the radar\u0026rsquo;s availability and reached out to UGA colleagues about collaborating on the acquisition. The three-year-old device, which operates in the X-band, had been used at the manufacturer\u0026rsquo;s research facility.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe weather radar cost approximately $150,000 and was acquired through donations and internal funding at UGA and Georgia Tech. Shepherd and Tom Mote, the founding director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia and an associate dean in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, contributed funds from institutional research budgets. A significant financial gift was also acquired from Elaine Neil, a longtime donor in the UGA Department of Geography, which houses the Atmospheric Sciences Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, funds were provided by GTRI\u0026rsquo;s Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory and the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory, the Georgia Tech Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, and Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s College of Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA 1998 tornado that stuck Gainesville led to the appointment of a task force to study steps that could be taken to protect citizens from future severe weather. Among its recommendations were the addition of a \u0026ldquo;gap-filling\u0026rdquo; radar for northeastern Georgia. Once it is placed in Gwinnett County after testing at GTRI, the new Georgia Tech-UGA radar will help to address that decades-old recommendation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout GTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E: The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, the state, and industry. For more information, please visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ewww.gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A weather radar system purchased by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia could lead to improved weather forecasting in North Georgia \u2013 and provide expanded educational opportunities."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-01-09 18:00:15","changed_gmt":"2023-01-23 19:15:45","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"664524":{"id":"664524","type":"image","title":"John Trostel, director of GTRI\u0027s Severe Storms Research Center","body":null,"created":"1673286688","gmt_created":"2023-01-09 17:51:28","changed":"1673286688","gmt_changed":"2023-01-09 17:51:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251438","name":"weather-radar_03.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weather-radar_03.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weather-radar_03.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":394177,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weather-radar_03.jpg?itok=tfVhR9lK"}},"664523":{"id":"664523","type":"image","title":"Researchers John Trostel (GTRI) and Marshall Shepherd (University of Georgia)","body":null,"created":"1673286597","gmt_created":"2023-01-09 17:49:57","changed":"1673286717","gmt_changed":"2023-01-09 17:51:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251437","name":"weather-radar_01.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weather-radar_01.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weather-radar_01.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":427936,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weather-radar_01.jpg?itok=3k-1JxEW"}}},"media_ids":["664524","664523"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"191845","name":"weather radar"},{"id":"167441","name":"student research"},{"id":"25311","name":"weather forecasting"},{"id":"4838","name":"University of Georgia"},{"id":"171162","name":"severe storms"},{"id":"191846","name":"weather warnings"},{"id":"51591","name":"flooding"},{"id":"2868","name":"atmosphere"},{"id":"171151","name":"State of Georgia"},{"id":"11426","name":"Georgia Economy"},{"id":"23261","name":"John Trostel"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"},{"id":"1823","name":"UGA"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"662637":{"#nid":"662637","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rebuilding After a Natural Disaster","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHurricane season may be coming to an end soon, but it\u0026rsquo;s not without significant impact and devastation. Two Georgia Tech experts offer their perspective on infrastructure and how to rebuild after severe weather events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/hermann-m-fritz\u0022\u003EHermann Fritz\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026ldquo;There have been significant improvements in Florida and Gulf Coast building codes over the past three decades.\u0026nbsp;Hurricane\u0026nbsp;Ian\u0026rsquo;s impact was mostly storm surge and storm wave-driven, while the amount of wind damage was limited and highlights the success of advancing building codes since\u0026nbsp;Hurricane\u0026nbsp;Andrew.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/iris-tien\u0022\u003EIris Tien\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, points to hurricanes increasing in frequency and severity and says it\u0026rsquo;s not enough to build based solely on what\u0026rsquo;s happened in the past. \u0026ldquo;We need to transform our thinking from reacting to events to becoming anticipatory and forward-looking. We don\u0026rsquo;t want to build just to need to rebuild again when the next\u0026nbsp;hurricane\u0026nbsp;occurs. In creating resilient infrastructure, we need to anticipate what future events, loadings, shocks, and stressors our infrastructure is going to need to withstand, and build to those levels.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFritz shares other experts\u0026rsquo; belief that storms are likely to become more frequent, and potentially larger, with higher wind speeds, storm surge, and other hazards. Even in basins where storms have been rare, such as the Arabian Sea, there has been an increase in the frequency of storms, which may be linked to increasing sea surface temperature.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach city, state, and region has its own risk exposure, environmental conditions, and population characteristics. It is critical that builders, city planners, and infrastructure operators look to the future to anticipate what conditions are likely to look like and implement solutions that consider the range of possible storm impacts, as well as environment- and population-specific factors to create and tailor solutions for their specific community.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Locations and types of infrastructure are both important to consider,\u0026rdquo; Tien said. \u0026ldquo;We need to invest in infrastructure that is adaptive to varying levels of demands anticipated for these systems. We also need to invest in infrastructure where success is evaluated by community and population impacts. This will ensure infrastructure that is resilient, sustainable, and equitable in serving communities moving into the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asce.org\/publications-and-news\/civil-engineering-source\/article\/2022\/06\/13\/investing-in-infrastructure-with-resilience-sustainability-and-equity-in-mind\u0022\u003Efuture\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech professors share their expertise on disaster recovery and smart infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech professors share their expertise on disaster recovery and smart infrastructure."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2022-10-27 14:32:01","changed_gmt":"2023-01-06 21:28:07","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"662636":{"id":"662636","type":"image","title":"Hurricane Damage","body":null,"created":"1666880902","gmt_created":"2022-10-27 14:28:22","changed":"1666880902","gmt_changed":"2022-10-27 14:28:22","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250916","name":"GettyImages-847369112.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-847369112.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-847369112.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":693942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-847369112.jpg?itok=AyTSox6Z"}}},"media_ids":["662636"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191543","name":"hurricane relief"},{"id":"191544","name":"smart infrastructure"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMedia Relations\u0026nbsp;Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"662298":{"#nid":"662298","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Gigantic Jets: New Resaerch Will Study Mysterious Effects of Gigantic Jet Lightning","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost lightning travels between clouds and the ground, or within and between clouds. But a curious phenomenon known as \u0026ldquo;gigantic jets\u0026rdquo; fires powerful bursts of electrical charge \u0026ndash; as much as 10 times larger than ordinary lightning \u0026ndash; out the tops of clouds and into the lower portion of the ionosphere where the Earth\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere transitions into space.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe massive transfer of energy from the Earth\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere to space could affect satellites in low earth orbit, communications that bounce off the ionosphere, and radars that look over the horizon. A new three-year study funded by the National Science Foundation will attempt to understand how gigantic jets affect the ionosphere and what that could mean for these critical technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a systematic data analysis approach, machine learning techniques, and correlation with other observations, a research team headed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) hopes to boost into the thousands the number of gigantic jets studied each year, going well beyond the handful of observations now reported annually.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re hoping to get thousands of detections per year or more, and then we\u0026rsquo;ll correlate those detections with ground-based sensing instruments that remotely sense the ionosphere,\u0026rdquo; said Levi Boggs, a GTRI research scientist and the project\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ll compare those detections with the ionospheric measurements to try to understand how these gigantic jets perturb and affect the ionosphere.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGigantic Jets have mostly been observed by happenstance, such as when airline passengers spot them or ground-based cameras looking for something else catch the colorful bursts of light above cloud tops. Boggs and collaborators recently reported a detailed 3D study of a massive gigantic jet that rose 50 miles into space above an Oklahoma thunderstorm. The discharge, reported Aug. 3 in the journal Science Advances, was the most powerful gigantic jet studied so far, carrying 10 times as much electrical charge as a typical thunderstorm lightning bolt.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBoggs and the NSF-funded team will start by analyzing optical satellite data recorded since 2018 by geostationary lightning mapping satellites. They will use machine learning techniques to separate data on gigantic jets \u0026ndash; which have a unique signature \u0026ndash; from that of other lightning emissions, and will correlate those observations with information from very low frequency (VLF) radio networks that remotely sense what is happening in the ionosphere 80 to 100 kilometers above the Earth. The research will create a database containing thousands of gigantic jet observations to which data on new observations will be added as they become available.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the Georgia Tech researchers, the ream will include scientists from the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Duke University, Texas Tech University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). In addition to the VLF data, the project will use information from the Atmospheric Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) and the Duke ELF Network.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBombarded by radiation from the sun, the lower part of the ionosphere is difficult to observe by either high-altitude balloons or satellites. Morris Cohen, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, studies this highly-ionized region using very low frequency (VLF) radio waves produced by lightning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We can use VLF sort of like a radar,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;VLF is extremely difficult to generate, but luckily lightning gives us a little pulse of VLF called a sferic that we can pick up from many thousands of miles away. Sferics are difficult signals to deal with, but we\u0026rsquo;ve recently pushed the envelope on the information we can extract from the ionosphere by detecting these signals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESignals from sferics are detected by a network of VLF receivers across North America. \u0026ldquo;Since lightning happens millions of times per day, we have a lot of opportunities to diagnose the ionosphere between where the lightning was and where the receiver was,\u0026rdquo; added Cohen, who is the co-principal investigator for the project. \u0026ldquo;With a network of VLF receivers, we can use tomographic techniques to reconstruct a \u0026lsquo;map\u0026rsquo; of what the lower ionosphere is doing at a given moment over a decently-sized region.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there is a catch. The researchers will only be able to use VLF to observe the effects of gigantic jets that occur along a path between lightning and one of the receivers. Until the data is analyzed and correlated, researchers won\u0026rsquo;t know how often that will provide useful information.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBetter understanding gigantic jets will be useful for fundamental physics, understanding space weather, and assessing the potential impact of the charge transfer on technology that transmits data through the ionosphere or uses it as a giant reflector from which to bounce signals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom a fundamental physics perspective, researchers want to know how gigantic jets propagate 50 miles into space from the tops of storms. They\u0026rsquo;d like to know whether these bursts of energy produce high-energy photon emissions such as gamma rays. There are also questions about how the emissions affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit, and whether the incidence of gigantic jets might be correlated to hurricane intensity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also want to understand whether the current flowing into space might damage satellites in low earth orbit or affect their ability to send and receive data. This issue could be become more critical as CubeSats and other small satellites play an increasingly important role in space-based operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The lower ionosphere is very important for different types of communications that depend upon the Earth-ionosphere waveguide effect, which can bend certain frequencies of radio waves back toward the Earth\u0026rsquo;s surface,\u0026rdquo; Boggs said. \u0026ldquo;To accurately communicate that way requires understanding the height and the electron density of the ionosphere. Because gigantic jets inject electric charge into that region, they more than likely affect the ionosphere.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout GTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E: The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, the state, and industry. For more information, please visit www.gtri.gatech.edu.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout USRA\u003C\/strong\u003E: Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new three-year study funded by the National Science Foundation will attempt to understand how gigantic jets affect the ionosphere and what that could mean for these critical technologies."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2022-10-19 00:26:39","changed_gmt":"2022-10-19 00:26:39","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"662296":{"id":"662296","type":"image","title":"GTRI Researcher Levi Boggs","body":null,"created":"1666138605","gmt_created":"2022-10-19 00:16:45","changed":"1666138605","gmt_changed":"2022-10-19 00:16:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250831","name":"gigantic-jets-approved-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gigantic-jets-approved-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gigantic-jets-approved-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1021067,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gigantic-jets-approved-001.jpg?itok=JC8bQ6Tb"}}},"media_ids":["662296"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"191472","name":"gigantic jets"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"1396","name":"lightning"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"174854","name":"ionosphere"},{"id":"191027","name":"thunderstorm"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"1925","name":"Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"191473","name":"VLF"},{"id":"191474","name":"low frequency radio waves"},{"id":"191030","name":"USRA"},{"id":"169297","name":"severe weather"},{"id":"191475","name":"severe thunderstorms"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"661449":{"#nid":"661449","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Study Methods for Assessing Classroom Air Quality during COVID-19 Pandemic","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the importance of assessing indoor air quality and ventilation in public spaces such as universities, Georgia Tech researchers have identified that \u003Cem\u003Ein-situ\u003C\/em\u003E measurements of either carbon dioxide (CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) or particulate matter (PM) by low-cost sensors can be used to perform such calculations in classrooms \u0026ndash; an insight that could be useful for schools with limited resources or access to only one type of air quality monitor.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeasuring indoor pollutant levels provides initial insight into indoor air quality, but a more comprehensive metric to understand indoor air quality and pollutant exposure is the air change rate, or air changes per hour (ACH) \u0026ndash; the number of times that the total air volume in a room or space is removed and replaced in an hour, explained \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ENga Lee \u0026ldquo;Sally\u0026rdquo; Ng\u003C\/a\u003E, Love Family Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHer research team monitored a large lecture hall at Georgia Tech over extended periods of time in Spring and Fall 2021, measuring the levels of CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and aerosols, also known as PM, using low-cost sensors. Exposure to PM with a diameter smaller than 2.5 mm (PM2.5) has been associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and millions of deaths per year. Over the course of the pandemic, it is also becoming clear that aerosols can spread the Covid-19 virus through the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and PM levels can vary substantially in the classroom depending on the time of day. Student breathing during class times increases CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, while their movements can resuspend PM that had deposited to surfaces into the air. Periodic cleaning (fogging) of the classroom during 2021 also generated aerosols.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.buildenv.2022.109559\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E published in the journal Building and Environment, the researchers reported that measuring CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E levels alone over extended time periods should be sufficient to predict the decay rate of aerosols in a room. Both CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and PM provide comparable estimates of air change rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E monitors are low cost and more accessible to institutions with limited resources than advanced techniques involving the release of chemicals into the air to measure air change rates, Ng said. PM monitors are also relatively inexpensive and could provide an even better picture of aerosol dynamics, she added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In reality, there are many situations in which someone wishing to use a PM or CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E sensor to evaluate the risk of a virus transmission will only have access to a single sensor and limited other resources,\u0026rdquo; said PhD student Sabrina Westgate, the lead author of the paper. \u0026ldquo;The analysis provided in this work presents a case for the feasibility of using either a low-cost CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E or PM sensor to do just this.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the key is continuous measurement over a long period of time to characterize the air change rates, Westgate said. If the calculated air change rate of a room regularly falls below recommended values, it indicates that room ventilation or particle removal methods (such as installing portable air cleaners) should be improved, or that breaks between classroom use should be increased.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Ng said, \u0026ldquo;To our knowledge, this is the first study that comprehensively\u0026nbsp;evaluates and compares the decay rates of occupant-emitted CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and particles of different sizes (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) in a mechanically ventilated, university classroom using \u003Cem\u003Ein-situ\u003C\/em\u003E measurements. Our results provide new, data-driven insights into the practicality of using \u003Cem\u003Ein-situ\u003C\/em\u003E air quality monitoring to evaluate ventilation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team employed a technique commonly used to quantity ventilation \u0026ndash; analyzing the decay rate of tracer gases \u0026ndash; to determine and compare occupancy-based CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and PM decay rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis specific study focused on a single classroom, but it is part of a larger project by Ng\u0026rsquo;s team to continuously monitor air quality in more than 30 classrooms across the Georgia Tech campus since 2020. The team has worked with the company QuantAQ to install sensors in these classrooms. The sensors are providing real-time air quality data that will help guide future measures to improve air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg credits Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Departments of Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management for their efforts to improve air quality on campus, including installing air purifiers, during the pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Indoor air quality is an important topic, and a pandemic makes it even more so,\u0026rdquo; says Ng, whose research focuses on aerosol chemistry, air quality, and health effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Westgate, S., and Ng, N. L.: Using in-situ CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 measurements to assess air change rates and indoor aerosol dynamics, Building and Environment, 109559, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.buildenv.2022.109559\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.buildenv.2022.109559\u003C\/a\u003E, 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFUNDING\u003C\/strong\u003E: This work is supported by the GT Covid-19 Rapid Response fund and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-2039655.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the sponsoring agency.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have identified that in-situ measurements of either carbon dioxide (CO2) or particulate matter (PM) by low-cost sensors can be used to perform such calculations in classrooms."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2022-09-22 14:08:32","changed_gmt":"2022-09-22 15:42:50","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"661447":{"id":"661447","type":"image","title":"Classroom Air Sensor","body":null,"created":"1663855222","gmt_created":"2022-09-22 14:00:22","changed":"1663855222","gmt_changed":"2022-09-22 14:00:22","alt":"ChBE PhD student Sabrina Westgate installs an air sensor to monitor classroom air quality.","file":{"fid":"250537","name":"airsensor1_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/airsensor1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/airsensor1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":99037,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/airsensor1_0.jpg?itok=loeww-3j"}},"661448":{"id":"661448","type":"image","title":"Sabrina Westgate","body":null,"created":"1663855295","gmt_created":"2022-09-22 14:01:35","changed":"1663855295","gmt_changed":"2022-09-22 14:01:35","alt":"ChBE PhD student Sabrina Westgate","file":{"fid":"250538","name":"westgate.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/westgate.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/westgate.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":109529,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/westgate.jpg?itok=AIdxRQVq"}},"620540":{"id":"620540","type":"image","title":"Sally Ng","body":null,"created":"1555509970","gmt_created":"2019-04-17 14:06:10","changed":"1555509970","gmt_changed":"2019-04-17 14:06:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"236280","name":"Sally Ng.4x5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sally%20Ng.4x5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sally%20Ng.4x5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sally%20Ng.4x5.jpg?itok=PxFMBNtm"}}},"media_ids":["661447","661448","620540"],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9410","name":"classroom"},{"id":"745","name":"air quality"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"},{"id":"174681","name":"particulate matter"},{"id":"113111","name":"aerosols"},{"id":"191322","name":"air purification"},{"id":"184289","name":"covid-19"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"660700":{"#nid":"660700","#data":{"type":"news","title":"DOE Renews Funding of Energy Frontier Research Center with $13.2 Million Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has been renewed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a third round of funding ($13.2 million over four years) for its Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) to study materials used in clean energy technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis multi-institution EFRC, known as the Center for Understanding \u0026amp; Controlling Accelerated and Gradual Evolution of Materials for Energy (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/efrc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUNCAGE-ME\u003C\/a\u003E), has advanced understanding of how acid gases interact with energy-related materials since its inception in 2014. The Center, with Georgia Tech as the lead participating institution, was first renewed for four years of funding in 2018.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The selection for a third phase of funding is unusual, and speaks to the impact of the research already reported by the center in its first two phases,\u0026rdquo; said Christopher Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;I believe this is attributable to the strong leadership provided by our current and former directors, Ryan Lively and Krista Walton. An additional constant throughout all three phases of the center has been strong collaboration between Georgia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lehigh University, and the University of Alabama.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the next four-year phase, UNCAGE-ME will leverage capabilities developed over the last eight years to address basic science questions associated with the evolution of materials to be used in clean energy technologies, including systems designed to capture and convert\u0026nbsp;CO2\u0026nbsp;from the air into useful chemicals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Two of the most basic commodity chemicals in the clean energy economy will be\u0026nbsp;H2\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;CO2. A special emphasis has been given to these two molecules with DOE\u0026rsquo;s Energy Earthshots that were announced in November 2021 \u0026ndash; the Hydrogen Shot and the Carbon Negative Shot\u0026rdquo; said Ryan Lively, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the director of UNCAGE-ME.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These are all-hands-on-deck calls for innovations in technologies and approaches that will reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kg in one decade and remove\u0026nbsp;CO2\u0026nbsp;from the atmosphere and durably store it at meaningful scales for less than $100\/net metric ton of\u0026nbsp;CO2-equivalent,\u0026rdquo; said Krista Walton, professor in ChBE as well as the inaugural director of UNCAGE-ME.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help reach these goals, UNCAGE-ME will employ an interdisciplinary, matrixed research structure that combines novel materials synthesis, in situ characterization techniques, molecular modeling, and data science approaches to achieve an unprecedented level of design, prediction, and control over (electro)catalysts, sorbents, and membranes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom 2014 to 2022, the UNCAGE-ME\u0026rsquo;s research accomplishments (appearing in more than 200 publications) provided detailed descriptions of the impact of acid gas exposure on metal-oxides, metal-organic frameworks, carbons, supported amines, porous organic cages, and other materials. This fundamental knowledge base directly supports the mission of the DOE\u0026rsquo;s Basic Energy Sciences program to provide the foundational science to guide the development of new energy technologies under realistic process environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The College of Engineering is proud to continue leading this important initiative for an additional four years,\u0026rdquo; said Raheem Beyah, dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. \u0026ldquo;This second renewal from DOE is a testament to Krista and Ryan\u0026rsquo;s leadership, as well as the vision and innovation of a science team comprised of Georgia Tech researchers and our collaborators around the nation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Georgia Tech, the partner institutions for UNCAGE-ME include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Alabama, University of Florida, University of California Riverside, Lehigh University, Sandia National Laboratory, and the University of Michigan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJulia Kubanek, professor and vice president for interdisciplinary research at Georgia tech, said it takes partnership across the Institute to support faculty in developing complex centers such as UNCAGE-ME.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Research centers like this one benefit from collaborations among faculty experts and grants administrator staff in our schools and colleges, contracting officials in Research Administration, plus two other sets of critical partners: the Office of Research Development, which supports complex proposal preparation, and the interdisciplinary research institutes IRIs,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The IRIs gather information from our Office of Federal Relations and host workshops to help faculty prepare and form teams. In this case, the Strategic Energy Institute, Institute for Materials, and Renewable Bioproducts Institute were all involved in ensuring that faculty had advance notice of this competition and could make the most of expert advice,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has been renewed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a third round of funding ($13.2 million over four years) for its Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) to study materials used in c"}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2022-08-30 18:27:55","changed_gmt":"2022-08-30 19:21:29","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-08-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-08-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660702":{"id":"660702","type":"image","title":"Ryan Lively","body":null,"created":"1661884184","gmt_created":"2022-08-30 18:29:44","changed":"1661884184","gmt_changed":"2022-08-30 18:29:44","alt":"Professor Ryan Lively","file":{"fid":"250332","name":"lively2019.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lively2019.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lively2019.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":74401,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lively2019.jpg?itok=43N09WtQ"}},"660701":{"id":"660701","type":"image","title":"Krista Walton","body":null,"created":"1661884147","gmt_created":"2022-08-30 18:29:07","changed":"1661884147","gmt_changed":"2022-08-30 18:29:07","alt":"Professor Krista Walton","file":{"fid":"250331","name":"walton-inside.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/walton-inside_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/walton-inside_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76471,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/walton-inside_0.jpg?itok=juB_FKZV"}}},"media_ids":["660702","660701"],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191188","name":"Clean Energy Technology"},{"id":"191189","name":"Acid Gases"},{"id":"96221","name":"Energy Frontier Research Center"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"657031":{"#nid":"657031","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Warmer Summers and Meltwater Lakes are Threatening the Fringes of the World\u2019s Largest Ice Sheet","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis news story was first published by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.newswise.com\/articles\/warmer-summers-and-meltwater-lakes-are-threatening-the-fringes-of-the-world-s-largest-ice-sheet\u0022\u003EDurham University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn unprecedented study looking at surface meltwater lakes around the East Antarctic Ice Sheet across a seven-year period has found that the area and volume of these lakes is highly variable year-to-year \u0026mdash; and offers new insights into the potential impact of recent climatic change on Antarctica. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, led by Durham University (UK), used more than 2,000 satellite images from around the edge of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to determine the size and volume of lakes on the ice surface. These supraglacial lakes were tracked between 2014 and 2020. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-29385-3\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E, published in \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E with co-authors from Durham, Newcastle, and Lancaster universities and Georgia Institute of Technology, shows that lake volume varied year-to-year by as much as 200% on individual ice shelves (floating extensions of the main Antarctic ice sheet), and by around 72% overall.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELakes were also found to be deeper and larger in warmer melt seasons and formed on some potentially vulnerable ice shelves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s the first time meltwater lakes have been studied over consecutive melt seasons across the whole ice sheet, enabling the controls on their development to be explored. The work provides vital insight into why and where lakes grow and will help experts understand which ice shelves may be most at risk of breaking up as a consequence of surface melting.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work shows that year-to-year variability of supraglacial lakes is important on the East-Antarctic ice shelves. It demonstrates that we need to further improve our models to represent the critical factors leading to such spatio-temporal variability,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/group\/\u0022\u003EVincent Verjans\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E and member of the Institute\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIce \u0026amp; Climate Group\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Capturing the correct sensitivity of lake formation to a multitude of factors such as temperature, snowfall, and wind patterns is challenging. Yet, it is necessary because supraglacial lake formation plays a critical role on the stability of ice shelves, and thus on the dynamics of ice sheets.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We knew that supraglacial lakes were more extensive than previously thought around the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but until now only had snapshots of these in some years,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.durham.ac.uk\/staff\/jennifer-arthur\/\u0022\u003EJennifer Arthur\u003C\/a\u003E, principal investigator and Ph.D. student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.durham.ac.uk\/departments\/academic\/geography\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Geography, Durham University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Our study reveals these lakes change in scale far more than we originally suspected. We were surprised at how much lakes can change year-to-year between ice shelves. We explored the potential reasons for this and found that warmer summer air temperatures in Antarctica correlated with more extensive lakes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to helping experts understand supraglacial lake formation and climatic impacts, the research seeks to predict which ice shelves may be most at risk of collapse.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Due to climate change, air temperatures in Antarctica will continue to rise and our study suggests that this will lead to an increase in the number and volume of supraglacial lakes, which will in turn put some East Antarctic ice shelves at risk of meltwater-driven collapse,\u0026rdquo; Arthur added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the climatic conditions controlling meltwater lake variability will also improve the accuracy of regional climate models used to replicate observations and predict future ice sheet change in Antarctica.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study used images from the Landsat 8 satellite. Work on this study was funded through a UKRI Natural Environment Research Council doctoral studentship and individual author grants from the Natural Environment Research Council.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECITATION;\u0026nbsp; Large interannual variability in supraglacial lakes around East Antarctica,\u003C\/em\u003E Jennifer F Arthur, Chris R. Stokes, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, J. Rachel Carr, Amber A. Leeson and Vincent Verjans, published in the journal Nature Communications, DOI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-29385-3\u0022\u003E10.1038\/s41467-022-29385-3\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAntarctic supraglacial lakes have been linked to ice-shelf collapse and acceleration of inland ice flow. A new study shows lake area and volume vary substantially from year-to-year around the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and between ice shelves.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Antarctic supraglacial lakes have been linked to ice-shelf collapse and acceleration of inland ice flow. A new study shows lake area and volume vary substantially from year-to-year around the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and between ice shelves."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2022-04-06 16:47:38","changed_gmt":"2022-08-25 21:07:54","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"657033":{"id":"657033","type":"image","title":"Meltwater lake on the S\u00f8rsdal Glacier. (Photo: Dave Lomas)","body":null,"created":"1649265180","gmt_created":"2022-04-06 17:13:00","changed":"1649265180","gmt_changed":"2022-04-06 17:13:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249036","name":"Meltwater lake on the S\u00f8rsdal Glacier. (Photo Dave Lomas).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier.%20%28Photo%20Dave%20Lomas%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier.%20%28Photo%20Dave%20Lomas%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":275139,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier.%20%28Photo%20Dave%20Lomas%29.jpg?itok=35SsI70s"}},"657034":{"id":"657034","type":"image","title":"Meltwater lake on the S\u00f8rsdal Glacier East Antarctica (Photo: Sue Cook, UTAS)","body":null,"created":"1649265264","gmt_created":"2022-04-06 17:14:24","changed":"1649265264","gmt_changed":"2022-04-06 17:14:24","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249037","name":"Meltwater lake on the S\u00f8rsdal Glacier East Antarctica (Photo Sue Cook, UTAS).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier%20East%20Antarctica%20%28Photo%20Sue%20Cook%2C%20UTAS%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier%20East%20Antarctica%20%28Photo%20Sue%20Cook%2C%20UTAS%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":144804,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20on%20the%20S%C3%B8rsdal%20Glacier%20East%20Antarctica%20%28Photo%20Sue%20Cook%2C%20UTAS%29.jpg?itok=BMfokX8s"}},"657035":{"id":"657035","type":"image","title":" Meltwater lake in East Antarctica observed from the Landsat 8 satellite (Photo: USGS)","body":null,"created":"1649265323","gmt_created":"2022-04-06 17:15:23","changed":"1649265323","gmt_changed":"2022-04-06 17:15:23","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249038","name":"Meltwater lake in East Antarctica observed from the Landsat 8 satellite (Photo USGS).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20in%20East%20Antarctica%20observed%20from%20the%20Landsat%208%20satellite%20%28Photo%20USGS%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20in%20East%20Antarctica%20observed%20from%20the%20Landsat%208%20satellite%20%28Photo%20USGS%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1192101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20in%20East%20Antarctica%20observed%20from%20the%20Landsat%208%20satellite%20%28Photo%20USGS%29.png?itok=W5ZaTIIV"}},"657036":{"id":"657036","type":"image","title":"Meltwater lake near Shackleton Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. (Photo: David Small, Durham University)","body":null,"created":"1649265432","gmt_created":"2022-04-06 17:17:12","changed":"1649265432","gmt_changed":"2022-04-06 17:17:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249039","name":"Meltwater lake near Shackleton Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. (Photo David Small, Durham Uni) - small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20near%20Shackleton%20Ice%20Shelf%2C%20East%20Antarctica.%20%28Photo%20David%20Small%2C%20Durham%20Uni%29%20-%20small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20near%20Shackleton%20Ice%20Shelf%2C%20East%20Antarctica.%20%28Photo%20David%20Small%2C%20Durham%20Uni%29%20-%20small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2224940,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meltwater%20lake%20near%20Shackleton%20Ice%20Shelf%2C%20East%20Antarctica.%20%28Photo%20David%20Small%2C%20Durham%20Uni%29%20-%20small.jpg?itok=0_MLzpEm"}}},"media_ids":["657033","657034","657035","657036"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:georgia.parmelee@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Robert Parmelee\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Research Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"660029":{"#nid":"660029","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Search for Relief Against Extreme Heat ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETemperatures are climbing around the globe, leaving parts of the world sweltering under extreme heat, with record-breaking temperatures fueling wildfires and severe drought in some areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHeat waves around the world have dashed records, threatened public health, and buckled infrastructure, in what Georgia Tech researchers say are signs of the climate crisis\u0026#39; impact on day-to-day weather.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a stronger heat wave than it used to be,\u0026rdquo; says Georgia Tech heat expert Zachary Handlos in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;But, really, the concern is that these are expected to happen more frequently as the globe warms and atmosphere warms. So, that means everything is warmer in general.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to data from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers, more than 700 people nationwide died from heat-related causes annually from 2004 to 2018. Some research suggests that the death toll will rise in the coming years as climate change makes extreme heat more common, Handlos adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like the frog in a boiling pot analogy,\u0026rdquo; said School of Economics Assistant Professor Casey Wichman. \u0026ldquo;It may have been cooler five to 10 years ago, but since those temperature fluctuations changed, it seems each year we seem to break new records and have more extreme records.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile everyone is susceptible to the health effects of heat, some people are at much greater risk than others. Experts at Tech explain that there\u0026rsquo;s a clear divide broken up differentially along socio-economic lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Climate change is the greatest threat in human history, and underserved populations are the most at dire risk when it comes to the calamities of the climate crisis,\u0026rdquo; said Tarek Rakha, assistant professor and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/high-performance-building-lab\u0022\u003EHigh Performance Building Lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;More than a quarter percent of the disabled community live below the poverty line,\u0026rdquo; said Senior Research Engineer Maureen Linden from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation. \u0026ldquo;So there are more people with disabilities who are living in less resourced environments who wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be able to afford air conditioning, which makes them more susceptible to extreme heat.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn crowded areas such as downtown cities and underserved communities, the buildings tend to be older and not equipped to effectively provide the temporary relief the residents need on high temperature days, Rakha adds. This also leads to many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/feature\/city-solutions-heat-blackouts\u0022\u003Eblackouts and brownouts in such areas.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERolling blackouts and brownouts have affected major cities in many states including Texas and California, leaving many vulnerable to high temperatures over 100 degrees.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELinden points out that such heat-related emergencies also cause problems for the most vulnerable. Those who are unable to regulate their body temperature or rely on specialized equipment are at a critical risk due to the inability to access power and lifesaving power-dependent equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople with mobility issues face their own difficulty reaching cooling centers either due to distance or the struggle to access areas for relief. This is also something that affects members of the homeless community who may be unable to find adequate shelter, says Wichman.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose on land are not the only ones vulnerable to the heat. Handlos notes that sea creatures in the ocean are also highly vulnerable to the extreme heat affecting the temperatures and acidity of the water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The prime examples of this are in the Great Barrier Reefs,\u0026rdquo; Handlos said. \u0026ldquo;The high levels of CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E concentration in the water affects the shells of creatures and gradually erodes them over time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what steps are there to prepare for extreme heat or to find relief from sweltering temperatures? Although it may seem daunting to find a solution, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s experts say small changes can lead to immediate relief for now. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECertain mitigating measures such as spending more time indoors and altering times engaging in recreational activities, including running and cycling, can help people avoid the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, says Wichman. Wearing lightweight clothing, taking cool showers or baths, and staying hydrated are also helpful tips for day-to-day activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, accessible communication and services geared toward the disabled community are vital for relief efforts, Linden said. Making sure communications from the National Weather Service are accessible to all, allowing for proper disaster preparation, could help ease the high mortality rates in natural disasters. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Tech experts stress that policies need to be put in place to ensure the population can survive extreme temperatures in the foreseeable future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a long-term project, but the outcomes of policies for climate change and extreme heat have shown to be positive in these cases,\u0026rdquo; said Wichman.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExperts in This Story\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/handlos-dr-zachary\u0022\u003EZachary Handlos\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cacp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/maureen-linden\u0022\u003EMaureen Linden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/tarek-rakha\u0022\u003ETarek Rakha\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/casey-wichman\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts weigh in on the extreme heat crisis "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETemperatures are rising and many are trying to find solutions to the heat crisis, Georgia Tech experts weigh in on risk factors and possible solutions to extreme heat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Temperatures are rising and many are trying to find solutions to the heat crisis, Georgia Tech experts weigh in on risk factors and possible solutions to extreme heat."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2022-08-09 17:49:47","changed_gmt":"2022-08-12 13:30:44","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660028":{"id":"660028","type":"image","title":"The Search for Relief Against Extreme Heat ","body":null,"created":"1660067359","gmt_created":"2022-08-09 17:49:19","changed":"1660067359","gmt_changed":"2022-08-09 17:49:19","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250164","name":"gettyimages-1397483660-170667a.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gettyimages-1397483660-170667a.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gettyimages-1397483660-170667a.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":97458,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gettyimages-1397483660-170667a.jpg?itok=e4mP5Ej-"}}},"media_ids":["660028"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"141141","name":"extreme heat"},{"id":"3071","name":"relief"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"191045","name":"extreme temperatures"},{"id":"172260","name":"hot"},{"id":"435","name":"heat"},{"id":"3940","name":"experts"},{"id":"27801","name":"faculty experts"},{"id":"27521","name":"underserved populations"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sar30@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esar30@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sar30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"659964":{"#nid":"659964","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3D Study of \u201cGigantic Jet\u201d Provides New Insights into Upward Lightning Bursts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA detailed 3D study of a massive electrical discharge that rose 50 miles into space above an Oklahoma thunderstorm has provided new information about an elusive atmospheric phenomenon known as gigantic jets. The Oklahoma discharge was the most powerful gigantic jet studied so far, carrying 100 times as much electrical charge as a typical thunderstorm lightning bolt.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gigantic jet moved an estimated 300 coulombs of electrical charge into the ionosphere \u0026ndash; the lower edge of space \u0026ndash; from the thunderstorm. Typical lightning bolts carry less than five coulombs between the cloud and ground or within clouds. The upward discharge included relatively cool (approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit) streamers of plasma, as well as structures called leaders that are very hot \u0026ndash; more than 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were able to map this gigantic jet in three dimensions with really high-quality data,\u0026rdquo; said Levi Boggs, a research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the paper\u0026rsquo;s corresponding author. \u0026ldquo;We were able to see very high frequency (VHF) sources above the cloud top, which had not been seen before with this level of detail. Using satellite and radar data, we were able to learn where the very hot leader portion of the discharge was located above the cloud.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBoggs worked with a multi-organization research team, including the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Texas Tech University, the University of New Hampshire, Politecnica de Catalunya, Duke University, the University of Oklahoma, NOAA\u0026rsquo;s National Severe Storms Laboratory, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The research is reported Aug. 3 in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E, a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, open-access scientific journal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESteve Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke, uses the electromagnetic waves that lightning emits to study the powerful phenomenon. He operates a research site where sensors resembling conventional antennas are arrayed in an otherwise empty field, waiting to pick up signals from locally occurring storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The VHF and optical signals definitively confirmed what researchers had suspected but not yet proven: that the VHF radio from lightning is emitted by small structures called streamers that are at the very tip of the developing lightning, while the strongest electric current flows significantly behind this tip in an electrically conducting channel called a leader,\u0026rdquo; Cummer said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDoug Mach, a co-author of the paper at Universities Space Research Association (USRA), said the study was unique in determining that the 3D locations for the lightning\u0026rsquo;s optical emissions were well above the cloud tops.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The fact that the gigantic jet was detected by several systems, including the Lightning Mapping Array and two geostationary optical lightning instruments, was a unique event and gives us a lot more information on gigantic jets,\u0026rdquo; Mach said. \u0026ldquo;More importantly, this is probably the first time that a gigantic jet has been three-dimensionally mapped above the clouds with the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument set.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGigantic jets have been observed and studied over the past two decades, but because there\u0026rsquo;s no specific observing system to look for them, detections have been rare. Boggs learned about the Oklahoma event from a colleague, who told him about a gigantic jet that had been photographed by a citizen-scientist who had a low-light camera in operation on May 14, 2018.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFortuitously, the event took place in a location with a nearby VHF lightning mapping system, within range of two Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) locations and accessible to instruments on satellites from NOAA\u0026rsquo;s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) network. Boggs determined that the data from those systems were available and worked with colleagues to bring it together for analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The detailed data showed that those cold streamers start their propagation right above the cloud top,\u0026rdquo; Boggs explained. \u0026ldquo;They propagate all the way to the lower ionosphere to an altitude of 50-60 miles, making a direct electrical connection between the cloud top and the lower ionosphere, which is the lower edge of space.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat connection transfers thousands of amperes of current in about a second. The upward discharge transferred negative charge from the cloud to the ionosphere, typical of gigantic jets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe data showed that as the discharge ascended from the cloud top, VHF radio sources were detected at altitudes of 22 to 45 kilometers (13 to 28 miles), while optical emissions from the lightning leaders remained near the cloud top at an altitude of 15 to 20 kilometers (9 to 12 miles). The simultaneous 3D radio and optical data indicate that VHF lightning networks detect emissions from streamer corona rather than the leader channel, which has broad implications to lightning physics beyond that of gigantic jets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy do the gigantic jets shoot charge into space? Researchers speculate that something may be blocking the flow of charge downward \u0026ndash; or toward other clouds. Records of the Oklahoma event show little lightning activity from the storm before it fired the record gigantic jet.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For whatever reason, there is usually a suppression of cloud-to-ground discharges,\u0026rdquo; Boggs said. \u0026ldquo;There is a buildup of negative charge, and then we think that the conditions in the storm top weaken the uppermost charge layer, which is usually positive. In the absence of the lightning discharges we normally see, the gigantic jet may relieve the buildup of excess negative charge in the cloud.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor now, there are a lot of unanswered questions about gigantic jets, which are part of a class of mysterious transient luminous events. That\u0026rsquo;s because observations of them are rare and happen by chance \u0026ndash; from pilots or aircraft passengers happening to see them or ground observers operating night-scanning cameras.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEstimates for the frequency of gigantic jets range from 1,000 per year up to 50,000 per year. They\u0026rsquo;ve been reported more often in tropical regions of the globe. However, the Oklahoma gigantic jet \u0026ndash; which was twice as powerful as the next strongest one \u0026ndash; wasn\u0026rsquo;t part of a tropical storm system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond their novelty, gigantic jets could have an impact on the operation of satellites in low-earth orbit, Boggs said. As more of those space vehicles are launched, signal degradation and performance issues could become more significant. The gigantic jets could also affect technologies such as over-the-horizon radars that bounce radio waves off the ionosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBoggs is affiliated with the Severe Storms Research Center, which was established at GTRI to develop improved technologies for warning of severe storms, such as tornadoes, that are common in Georgia. The work on gigantic jets and other atmospheric phenomena is part of that effort.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: John Toon (John.Toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout GTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E: The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, the state, and industry. For more information, please visit www.gtri.gatech.edu.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout USRA\u003C\/strong\u003E: Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A detailed 3D study of a massive electrical discharge that rose 50 miles into space above an Oklahoma thunderstorm has provided new information about an elusive atmospheric phenomenon known as gigantic jets."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2022-08-05 15:15:15","changed_gmt":"2022-08-05 15:15:15","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"659963":{"id":"659963","type":"image","title":"GTRI researcher Levi Boggs","body":null,"created":"1659712112","gmt_created":"2022-08-05 15:08:32","changed":"1659712112","gmt_changed":"2022-08-05 15:08:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250143","name":"gigantic-jets-006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gigantic-jets-006.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gigantic-jets-006.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":568287,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gigantic-jets-006.jpg?itok=jii0t8Hk"}},"659961":{"id":"659961","type":"image","title":"Gigantic jet over Oklahoma","body":null,"created":"1659712007","gmt_created":"2022-08-05 15:06:47","changed":"1659712007","gmt_changed":"2022-08-05 15:06:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250142","name":"GJ_image_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GJ_image_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GJ_image_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":67621,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GJ_image_1.jpg?itok=0p6jfTTB"}}},"media_ids":["659963","659961"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"169418","name":"storms"},{"id":"169457","name":"Severe Storms Research Center"},{"id":"191026","name":"atmospheric phenomenon"},{"id":"191027","name":"thunderstorm"},{"id":"191028","name":"gigantic jet"},{"id":"170879","name":"seal"},{"id":"191030","name":"USRA"},{"id":"191029","name":"Lightning Mapping Array"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"658887":{"#nid":"658887","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Receive ARPA-E Funding to Develop Eco-Friendly High-Voltage Circuit Breaker ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EReplacing the potent greenhouse gas SF\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Csub\u003E6 \u003C\/sub\u003Ein high-voltage circuit breakers with a clean alternative is critical as the U.S. looks to upgrade its aging electrical infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough\u0026nbsp;well-known greenhouse gases\u0026nbsp;like carbon dioxide (CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) and methane\u0026nbsp;contribute the most emissions,\u0026nbsp;it is a lesser-known greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E), that owns the title\u0026nbsp;as the\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;most\u0026nbsp;potent.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;man-made\u0026nbsp;gas\u0026nbsp;has\u0026nbsp;a global warming potential 23,900\u202ftimes than\u0026nbsp;that of CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;an atmospheric lifetime persistence\u0026nbsp;of up to\u202f3,200 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike other greenhouse gases, SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E, plays a significant, albeit indirect, role in everyday life, as it is a key component in high-voltage circuit breakers and switchgear for electric power systems. For the U.S. to effectively decrease carbon emissions to goals set at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the country\u0026rsquo;s electrical power grid will need substantial updating, which includes finding an alternative to SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E electrical equipment\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;High-voltage alternating current (AC) SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E-insulated circuit breakers can be found in most electrical substations in the U.S. and around the world. They are vital mechanisms for a reliable and resilient power grid,\u0026rdquo; said Lukas Graber, associate professor in the Georgia Tech School for Electrical and Computer Engineering. \u0026ldquo;But any leaks of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;extremely bad for the environment due to its greenhouse gas effect.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers from Georgia Tech, led by Graber and in collaboration with Mississippi State University, has recently been awarded nearly $4 million from the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a three-phase SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E-free AC high-voltage circuit breaker. Fittingly, the proposed design is called TESLA (Tough and Ecological Supercritical Line Breaker for AC), acknowledging AC electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Impact of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom 2008 to 2018, the annual emissions rate of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E rose from about 7,300 tons to approximately 9,040 tons, an increase of 24%, according to a 2020 study published by the European Geosciences Union. That\u202famount of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E equates to greenhouse gas emissions of approximately\u202f44 million passenger vehicles\u202fdriven for one year, or\u202f226 billion pounds of coal being burned.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to ARPA-E, equipment leaks are a major source of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E emissions from the electrical transport and distribution sector. This is particularly true for aging equipment which, due to natural deterioration, is more prone to gas leaks. Ironically, as the U.S. strives to supplant fossil fuel-derived electricity generation with cleaner wind and solar power, the power grid will become increasingly decentralized, which will require more SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E gas-insulated equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The electrical infrastructure in the US is in desperate need of upgrades to accommodate an increasing share of renewable energy, the electrification of the transportation sector, and improved resiliency against cyberattacks,\u0026rdquo; said Graber. \u0026ldquo;Existing electrical substations will require new equipment, and as part of these upgrades, a new eco-friendly generation of circuit breakers should be implemented.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking to Supercritical Fluids\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReplacing SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E is no easy task. While SF\u003Csub\u003E6 \u003C\/sub\u003Ehas exceedingly high global warming potential, the synthetic gas is an excellent electrical insulator \u0026mdash; a material in which electric current does not flow freely. The gas is known for its effectiveness, stability, and intrinsic non-toxic, non-corrosive, and non-flammable nature, and while non-SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E equipment has long been available for low to medium-voltage applications, there are no alternatives for high-voltage equipment ready for market.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u0026rsquo;s research has shown that the key to success may be utilizing recent breakthroughs in the dielectric (or electrical insulating)\u0026nbsp;properties\u0026nbsp;of supercritical fluid. A supercritical fluid is a highly compressed fluid that combines the properties of gases and liquids, and is most frequently used for power generation. The team is currently experimenting with supercritical CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, which has ecologically friendly attributes that could be utilized in high-voltage\u0026nbsp;equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our preliminary results show that the supercritical fluid is a better dielectric than SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E,\u0026rdquo; said Zhiyang Jin, research engineer in Graber\u0026rsquo;s Plasma and Dielectrics Lab at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;The breakdown voltage of supercritical CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E is at least three times that of SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E, and since CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E is everywhere, so a man-made gas will no longer be needed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E circuit breakers, the design pressure needed for supercritical fluid in TESLA is significant \u0026mdash; about ten times higher than SF\u003Csub\u003E6\u003C\/sub\u003E counterparts. Achieving this design means developing a different circuit breaker chamber to maintain structural integrity during and after the fault current interrupting event. Computational fluid dynamics models have already been developed to study the pressure and temperature changes, and the velocity distribution of supercritical fluids for designs of the chamber, nozzle, and contact system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the engineering challenge of connection compatibility with existing high-voltage electrical equipment\/infrastructure, and the subsequent workforce training that will entail, market adoption is critical hurdle to clear.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;To replace existing circuit breakers, we cannot just show that TESLA passed all required tests,\u0026rdquo; said Jonathan Goldman, principal at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Venturelab. \u0026ldquo;Gaining trust from large utility companies is also one of our crucial tasks. We will seek opinions from experts from various backgrounds.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGoldman and electrical engineering professor Santiago Grijalva will work with several industry partners to guide the design process, explore additional application segments, and advise on the commercialization of TESLA.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting to Work\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe interdisciplinary team will design and build the proposed circuit breaker at a high voltage rating (245 kV, 4 kA) and validate the design and functionality using a synthetic test circuit. The testbed will be modular in design and enable both high-current and high-voltage testing without needing access to a high-power source or generator. According to Graber, the development of such experimental capability is not only important for the TESLA project, but also for the power and energy industry of the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three-year ARPA-E-funded project will culminate in the development of a TESLA\u0026nbsp;prototype tested at the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory at Mississippi State University \u0026mdash; the largest university-operated high voltage facility in North America. The lab is directed by\u0026nbsp;Chanyeop\u0026nbsp;Park, who received his Ph.D. at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team also includes Juergen Rauleder, assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, and Lauren Garten, assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERaulder will investigate the fluid dynamics inside the circuit breaker and\u0026nbsp;provide\u0026nbsp;guidance for mechanical designs of\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;high-pressure tank, contact system,\u0026nbsp;and arc quenching mechanism, while Garten will research metal oxide varistor\u0026nbsp;characteristics for\u0026nbsp;direct current circuit\u0026nbsp;breaker applications. Garten\u0026rsquo;s research\u0026nbsp;would have an impact on another\u0026nbsp;ARPA-E-funded project at\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u0026nbsp;Tech called EDISON led by Graber.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Edison and Tesla as people never got along with each other, but through advancements in high-voltage circuit breakers, we\u0026rsquo;re trying to make them good friends,\u0026rdquo; said Graber. \u0026ldquo;There is no win or lose for choosing AC or DC nowadays, together they can both make our world a better place to live.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Replacing the potent greenhouse gas SF6 in high-voltage circuit breakers with a clean alternative is critical as the U.S. looks to upgrade its aging electrical infrastructure. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2022-06-14 20:13:19","changed_gmt":"2022-06-27 14:08:12","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"658879":{"id":"658879","type":"image","title":"The TESLA (Tough and Ecological Supercritical Line Breaker for AC) team in front of high-voltage circuit breakers. ","body":null,"created":"1655236353","gmt_created":"2022-06-14 19:52:33","changed":"1655301303","gmt_changed":"2022-06-15 13:55:03","alt":"The TESLA (Tough and Ecological Supercritical Line Breaker for AC) team in front of high-voltage circuit breakers. ","file":{"fid":"249745","name":"DSC01852.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01852.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01852.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1905122,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01852.jpg?itok=sAnFCQqF"}},"658881":{"id":"658881","type":"image","title":"TESLA team examining a high-voltage circuit breaker","body":null,"created":"1655236521","gmt_created":"2022-06-14 19:55:21","changed":"1655236521","gmt_changed":"2022-06-14 19:55:21","alt":"The team examining a high-voltage circuit breaker at an electrical substation. The greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), is found in the large horizontal tubes mounted to the platform. The TESLA team will develop a different circuit breaker chamber that will utilize supercritical CO2 instead of SF6.","file":{"fid":"249747","name":"DSC01900.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01900.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01900.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1695794,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01900.jpg?itok=taTdJK0Y"}},"658880":{"id":"658880","type":"image","title":"TESLA High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Team","body":null,"created":"1655236429","gmt_created":"2022-06-14 19:53:49","changed":"1655236429","gmt_changed":"2022-06-14 19:53:49","alt":"L-R: Zhiyang Jin (research engineer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering), Lauren Garten (assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering), Chanyeop Park (director of the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory at Mississippi State University), Lukas Graber (associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering), Juergen Rauleder (assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering), Kevin Whitmore (research engineer in the Sch","file":{"fid":"249746","name":"DSC01981.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01981.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01981.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1556248,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01981.jpg?itok=c-e2wk9n"}},"658882":{"id":"658882","type":"image","title":"TESLA High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Warning Sign","body":null,"created":"1655236623","gmt_created":"2022-06-14 19:57:03","changed":"1655236623","gmt_changed":"2022-06-14 19:57:03","alt":"A warning sign on a high-voltage circuit breaker mentioning\u00a0sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). SF6\u00a0has\u00a0a global warming potential 23,900\u202ftimes than\u00a0that of CO2.","file":{"fid":"249748","name":"DSC01965.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01965.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01965.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1035492,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01965.jpg?itok=a7V--zqN"}}},"media_ids":["658879","658881","658880","658882"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/arpa-e.energy.gov","title":"ARPA-E "},{"url":"https:\/\/graber.ece.gatech.edu","title":"Plasma and Dielectrics Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/lukas-graber","title":"Lukas Graber "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.msstate.edu\/high-voltage-lab\/","title":"Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory"},{"url":"https:\/\/graber.ece.gatech.edu\/research\/edison\/","title":"Efficient DC Interrupter with Surge Protection (EDISON) "}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190785","name":"Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy"},{"id":"57041","name":"ARPA-E"},{"id":"190786","name":"High-Voltage Circuit Breaker"},{"id":"179312","name":"Lukas Graber"},{"id":"190787","name":"Supercritical Fluids"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"},{"id":"190788","name":"Juergen Rauleder"},{"id":"190789","name":"Lauren Garten"},{"id":"171153","name":"Santiago Grijalva"},{"id":"190790","name":"Jonathan Goldman"},{"id":"4193","name":"venturelab"},{"id":"190791","name":"Zhiyang Jin"},{"id":"190792","name":"Chanyeop Park"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"658761":{"#nid":"658761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Describes Radar Impacts, Potential Mitigation, from Offshore Wind Turbines","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of this decade, offshore wind turbine generators (WTG) could provide enough energy to power 10 million homes in the United States. But producing all that new energy carries a surprising downside for large cargo ships, fishing boats, and other vessels that use radar to help navigate congested coastal waters.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent study led by a Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) specialist in sensors and intelligent systems documented the effects of wind turbines in creating potential confusion among ship operators using marine vessel radar (MVR) as a critical navigation tool. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nap.nationalacademies.org\/catalog\/26430\/wind-turbine-generator-impacts-to-marine-vessel-radar\u0022\u003Eexpert study\u003C\/a\u003E, done for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/\u0022\u003ENational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)\u003C\/a\u003E, also identified potential ways to address the challenges of ensuring safe maritime navigation as wind farm operations expand in the coming years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EStudy Describes Radar Impacts, Potential Mitigation, from Offshore Wind Turbines\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E06.08.2022\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of this decade, offshore wind turbine generators (WTG) could provide enough energy to power 10 million homes in the United States. But producing all that new energy carries a surprising downside for large cargo ships, fishing boats, and other vessels that use radar to help navigate congested coastal waters.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent study led by a Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) specialist in sensors and intelligent systems documented the effects of wind turbines in creating potential confusion among ship operators using marine vessel radar (MVR) as a critical navigation tool. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nap.nationalacademies.org\/catalog\/26430\/wind-turbine-generator-impacts-to-marine-vessel-radar\u0022\u003Eexpert study\u003C\/a\u003E, done for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/\u0022\u003ENational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)\u003C\/a\u003E, also identified potential ways to address the challenges of ensuring safe maritime navigation as wind farm operations expand in the coming years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFive wind turbines located off the coast of Block Island, RI. (Credit: John Toon, GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work informs decision-makers, helping them balance the nation\u0026rsquo;s energy needs against maritime commerce and safety,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/people\/bill-melvin\u0022\u003EWilliam Melvin\u003C\/a\u003E, GTRI Deputy Director for Research, who chaired the six-member committee that conducted the study. \u0026ldquo;Understanding the ways wind turbines interfere with marine vessel radar and engineering mitigating solutions is an important undertaking to support the needs of a diverse maritime stakeholder community.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Goals Call for Dramatic Expansion of Offshore Wind\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn conducting the study, the committee gathered and organized information from open-source literature reviews and information-gathering sessions to make their conclusions and recommendations. The 10-month study was commissioned by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to help address concerns raised by the maritime commerce community about the potential impacts of WTGs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA January 2021 executive order from the Biden Administration set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of U.S. offshore wind energy by 2030. Meeting that goal could add more than 5,000 wind turbines to the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. But the towering steel wind turbine structures and their spinning blades produce radar returns that can clutter the displays used by ship operators \u0026ndash; and potentially make small vessels more difficult to detect.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELarge Structures and Spinning Blades Create Radar Clutter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are a number of factors that impact the display,\u0026rdquo; Melvin explained in a webinar held to highlight findings and recommendations in the report. \u0026ldquo;There are strong returns from the wind turbine towers themselves, and different opportunities for multipath energy bouncing in angles other than the true angle to the target. And because these are large objects, radar returns can also enter through the side lobes of the radar receiver and create a confusing picture to the operator.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting clutter can make it difficult for operators to understand what\u0026rsquo;s actually ahead of them, a critical challenge in bad weather or at night, especially when transiting busy shipping lanes. \u0026ldquo;The dominant effect is a strong increase in reflected energy that clutters the operator\u0026rsquo;s display and complicates decision-making related to navigation,\u0026rdquo; Melvin added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the radar cross-section (RCS) reflectivity of the wind turbine structures themselves \u0026ndash; which can be nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) high \u0026ndash; the spinning blades of the turbines create an additional source of interference. Doppler shift is a change in frequency caused by the interaction of electromagnetic energy with a moving object, in this case, blades that can be over 330 feet (100 meters) long.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The rotating blades themselves, depending on the radar class, can also lead to Doppler-shifted returns,\u0026rdquo; Melvin said. \u0026ldquo;The Doppler returns would be suggestive of other moving targets within that range and angle. And, of course, the situation is complicated when we have ambiguous returns, as well.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Radar Phenomena, Operator Response Create Challenges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, multipath signals are created when radar signals bounce off other objects, such as components of the ship sending out the electromagnetic energy. Reflections created by multipath can suggest the presence of objects that do not really exist, creating additional issues for the radar system operator to sort out. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConfronted with interference and large returns from the wind turbines, MVR operators using older systems based on magnetron technology may respond by reducing the gain \u0026ndash; essentially the sensitivity \u0026ndash; of their systems. But doing so is equivalent to raising the detection threshold, which can make smaller vessels invisible to the radar. That could increase the risk of collisions and make search-and-rescue operations in wind farm areas more challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudy Identified Potential Approaches to Addressing Concerns\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address these concerns, the committee identified both passive and active steps that should be evaluated for their potential to help make marine traffic and WTGs more compatible. Among them are:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ETraining MVR operators to better understand how returns from WTGs affect displays and how to interpret information containing the large returns.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EExpanding the use of solid-state MVR systems that can better adjust to large structures such as WTGs and could be programmed to reduce the effects of interference. But replacing older magnetron-based radars ahead of normal cycles would be costly.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EPlacing standard buoys near wind farms to provide reference RCS returns to help operators adjust MVR control settings.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EStandardizing radar mounting procedures on vessels to reduce the potential effects of multipath interference.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EApplying radar-absorbing materials to WTGs to reduce their overall signatures and standardizing tower shapes to make their radar appearance more consistent.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ERequiring small vessels to carry radar reflectors intended to make them more visible to MVR systems and stand out from the large returns of WTGs.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe committee report recommends additional research to help resolve the possible conflict between wind turbines and marine vessel radar. Steps could include more detailed data collection and modeling to understand the various ways that WTGs interfere with MVR, and a methodological approach to pursuing solutions from near-term actions to longer-term investments in both MVR and WTG technology, Melvin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA substantial body of research already exists regarding the operation of European offshore wind farms, but U.S. wind farms are wider, larger, and laid out in different configurations. In addition, new WTG configurations in development, such as vertical-axis turbines and floating turbine generators, could create different types of radar interference.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Melvin, committee members included Jennifer Bernhard from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Benjamin Karlson from Sandia National Laboratories, Andrew McGovern from the New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association (Ret.), Hao Ling from The University of Texas at Austin (Ret.), and John Stone from the U.S. Coast Guard.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENASEM Studies Provide Thought Leadership Opportunities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike other members of the committee, Melvin was nominated to participate in the study. He said leading the committee effort was an honor, and a way to both serve the nation and advance GTRI and Georgia Tech as thought leaders in key technology areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Involvement in NASEM studies and panels is a great way to impact the national dialogue on important technology issues,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It requires an added commitment of time, but the payoff to the institute, the research community, and personal reputation make it all very worthwhile.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his role as Deputy Director for Research at GTRI, Melvin is an adjunct professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and holds the title of Regents\u0026rsquo; Researcher in the University System of Georgia. His research interests include all aspects of sensor technology development, electronic warfare, applied electromagnetics, signatures, systems engineering\/developmental planning, autonomous\/intelligent systems and machine learning, and threat systems analysis. He has authored numerous papers in his areas of expertise and holds three U.S. patents on adaptive sensor technology. He is the co-editor of two of the three volumes of the popular \u0026ldquo;Principles of Modern Radar\u0026rdquo; book series.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMelvin received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, as well as MSEE and BSEE degrees (with high honors) from Lehigh University. He is also a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force ROTC Program, and a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School and the U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter: John Toon (John.Toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent study led by a Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) specialist documented the effects of wind turbines in creating potential confusion among ship operators using marine vessel radar (MVR) as a critical navigation tool."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2022-06-09 14:52:47","changed_gmt":"2022-06-09 14:52:47","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"658760":{"id":"658760","type":"image","title":"Wind Turbines at Block Island","body":null,"created":"1654786030","gmt_created":"2022-06-09 14:47:10","changed":"1654786030","gmt_changed":"2022-06-09 14:47:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249697","name":"block-island.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/block-island.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/block-island.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":712669,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/block-island.jpg?itok=jvK-gmgR"}},"658759":{"id":"658759","type":"image","title":"GTRI Bill Melvin","body":null,"created":"1654785934","gmt_created":"2022-06-09 14:45:34","changed":"1654785934","gmt_changed":"2022-06-09 14:45:34","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249696","name":"bill-melvin_6328.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bill-melvin_6328.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bill-melvin_6328.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":670597,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bill-melvin_6328.jpg?itok=6bT79IX2"}}},"media_ids":["658760","658759"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179348","name":"electromagnetics"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"10583","name":"wind turbine"},{"id":"190760","name":"wind turbine generators"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"190761","name":"maritime"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"190762","name":"National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine"},{"id":"187577","name":"NASEM"},{"id":"6535","name":"wind energy"},{"id":"1564","name":"community"},{"id":"174658","name":"thought leadership"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"658088":{"#nid":"658088","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Kim Cobb to Lead Institute at Brown for Environment and Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis press release by\u0026nbsp;Kristy dosReis is shared jointly across \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brown.edu\/news\/2022-05-11\/cobb\u0022\u003EBrown University\u003C\/a\u003E newsrooms.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPROVIDENCE, R.I.\u003C\/strong\u003E [Brown University] \u0026mdash; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/cobb-dr-kim\u0022\u003EKim Cobb\u003C\/a\u003E, an award-winning climate scientist whose research focuses on building capacity for climate solutions, has been appointed director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ibes.brown.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute at Brown for Environment and Society\u003C\/a\u003E, effective Friday, July 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs director, Cobb \u0026mdash; currently a professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Georgia Tech \u0026mdash; will work closely with IBES faculty to advance the institute\u0026rsquo;s commitment to studying the interactions between natural, human, and social systems, and preparing future leaders to envision and build a just and sustainable world.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBrown Provost Richard M. Locke shared news of Cobb\u0026rsquo;s appointment in a letter to the University community.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;IBES faculty and students are leaders in the global conversation about environmental issues \u0026mdash; on campus, at the State House, in boardrooms and at the United Nations,\u0026rdquo; Locke wrote. \u0026ldquo;Kim Cobb\u0026rsquo;s devotion to the clear and frequent communication of climate change to the public through media appearances, public speaking engagements and social media will continue the institute\u0026rsquo;s commitment to translating research into policy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn her research, Cobb seeks to advance understanding of future climate change impacts, with a focus on climate extremes and coastal flood hazards. For nearly two decades, her research has focused on unraveling the mystery of El Ni\u0026ntilde;o and La Ni\u0026ntilde;a events and how they have changed over time. By applying oxygen isotopes and radiometric dating techniques to the skeletons of living and ancient corals, Cobb and her colleagues have created a record of El Ni\u0026ntilde;o and La Ni\u0026ntilde;a events going back 7,000 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECobb also serves as the faculty director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/globalchange.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGlobal Change Program\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, and the ADVANCE professor for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the College of Sciences. Before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech in 2004, she spent two years at California Institute of Technology in the Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In joining the Brown community, I\u0026rsquo;m excited at the opportunity to advance climate and sustainability solutions in higher ed, making sure that it\u0026rsquo;s an accelerant for solutions in this critical moment,\u0026rdquo; Cobb said. \u0026ldquo;Brown has so much capacity to be part of the solution \u0026mdash; from public health expertise to Earth sciences to policy and economics and social sciences. It\u0026rsquo;s becoming clear that the wholesale changes we really need to see are going to be grounded in collaborative work, across disciplines, across sectors, and across generations. This is a \u0026lsquo;systems\u0026rsquo; challenge that\u0026rsquo;s going to take systems solutions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECobb has received numerous awards for her research, most notably a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2007 and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2008. In 2019, she was named the Hans Oeschger Medalist by the European Geoscience Union. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report published in 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECobb earned her Ph.D. in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2002 and a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University in 1996. She succeeds \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vivo.brown.edu\/display\/dsax\u0022\u003EDov Sax\u003C\/a\u003E, a Brown professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, and of environment and society, who has served as interim director of IBES for two years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Cobb will depart Georgia Tech to lead IBES, an academic hub for scholars exploring the interactions between natural, human, and social systems."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn award-winning climate scientist and professor whose research focuses on building capacity for climate solutions, Cobb will depart Georgia Tech to lead IBES, an academic hub for scholars exploring the interactions between natural, human, and social systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A climate scientist and professor, Cobb will depart Georgia Tech to lead IBES, an academic hub for scholars exploring the interactions between natural, human, and social systems."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2022-05-11 14:10:52","changed_gmt":"2022-05-11 14:23:16","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"658094":{"id":"658094","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Power Chair, ADVANCE Professor, and director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Global Change Program","body":null,"created":"1652278955","gmt_created":"2022-05-11 14:22:35","changed":"1652278955","gmt_changed":"2022-05-11 14:22:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249464","name":"Kim Cobb headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":207896,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20headshot.jpg?itok=Bvgc6A4a"}},"629311":{"id":"629311","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb drills corals underwater in the tropical Pacific","body":null,"created":"1574694827","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","changed":"1574694827","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239664","name":"Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":554867,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG?itok=HnmCnhge"}}},"media_ids":["658094","629311"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cobblab.eas.gatech.edu\/","title":"Kim Cobb\u0027s Lab: Paleoclimate and Climate Change"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"33791","name":"kim cobb"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"2926","name":"brown university"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"190253","name":"climate research"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"190577","name":"Institute at Brown for Environment and Society"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristy_dosreis@brown.edu\u0022\u003EKristy dosReis\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nBrown University\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"657493":{"#nid":"657493","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Plumes of Hot Material Near Earth\u0027s Core Grease Way for Moving Slabs of Earth","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis news by Steve Koppes first appeared in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\u0022\u003EUniversity of California\u0026nbsp;San Diego\u0026nbsp;Scripps Institution of Oceanography\u003C\/a\u003E newsroom.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way long, thin streams of hot semi-molten rocks move far below the Earth\u0026rsquo;s surface may partially solve a major, decades-long mystery of geology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat is one of the findings in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-022-04483-w\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E published\u0026nbsp;in the April 20 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature. \u003C\/em\u003EStreams of heated rocks called mantle plumes probably play a role in creating a slippery base for tectonic plates. The study suggests that the plumes could be putting into place long-lived, water-rich melt in a network of thin channels at the base of Earth\u0026rsquo;s rigid outer shell. This melt would help plates slide by reducing viscosity at the base of the tectonic plates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;This study demonstrates how we can advance our knowledge of Earth processes by combining different scientific disciplines,\u0026quot; says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/naif-dr-samer\u0022\u003ESamer Naif\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and co-author of the study. \u0026quot;Essentially, we developed computer codes that integrate thermodynamic modeling software (the physics of mantle melting) with geophysical imaging software using a modern statistics-based approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;We decided to test this new tool on an older data set, which was originally used to discover a layer of magma beneath the Cocos tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean. However, it was not clear where this magma came from. Our updated analysis using this new tool helped us decipher the origin of this magma, which turns out to be a mantle plume, possibly the G\u0026aacute;lapagos hotspot.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERethinking plate tectonics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA scientific revolution in the mid-1960s installed plate tectonics as the central organizing concept of geology. Plate tectonics describes Earth\u0026rsquo;s surface as a mosaic of 15 or more giant slabs of rock in slow, perpetual motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Plate tectonics is unique to Earth as far as we know and was crucial to the evolution of life on our planet, but we still don\u0026rsquo;t know how it works,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/igpp.ucsd.edu\/person\/dblatter\u0022\u003EDaniel Blatter,\u003C\/a\u003E a geophysicist at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\u0022\u003EUC San Diego\u0026rsquo;s Scripps Institution of Oceanography\u003C\/a\u003E. For plate tectonics to work, a low viscosity layer must exist at the base of the plates, much like a thin layer of butter on a tabletop. Yet the cause of the low viscosity is still unclear, decades after the discovery of plate tectonics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeophysicists conceived of mantle plumes as spouts of heated material rising from deep below Earth\u0026rsquo;s crust. Forming on a regional scale, plumes create volcanoes if they break the surface, giving birth to island chains such as Hawaii.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;study is based on a surprise discovery in geophysical imaging data collected along the Cocos Plate off the coast of Nicaragua in Central America. The study\u0026rsquo;s conclusions would require a nearby but undiscovered plume to bring in a low viscosity layer. Or perhaps, the Gal\u0026aacute;pagos plume 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) to the south is the source.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Cocos Plate data were collected about 12 years ago for a different purpose, but that data yielded a surprise discovery that led to the current research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENaif\u0026nbsp;originally used the data for his Ph.D. research at the Scripps Institution of\u0026nbsp;Oceanography. The magnetotelluric (MT) imaging method used on the Cocos Plate measures electrical conductivity beneath Earth\u0026rsquo;s surface. A mantle with partially melted rocks shows more conductivity than would the same portion of solid mantle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe surprise discovery was a section at the base of the Cocos Plate displaying unusually high conductivity. This was a likely sign of melted rocks, as Naif and his co-authors reported\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature11939\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a 2013 issue\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut recently, along with co-author and fellow Scripps Oceanography alumnus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bayesr.us\u0022\u003EAnandaroop Ray\u003C\/a\u003E of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ga.gov.au\u0022\u003EGeoscience Australia\u003C\/a\u003E, Blatter developed computer code that allowed them to analyze the MT data in a new way.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA focus on volatiles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new code explores a large family of models that could satisfy the data in accord with various assumptions about subsurface conditions. In doing so they would be able to identify the most likely results even with incomplete knowledge of the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBlatter and Naif also wrote codes that would simulate the physics of subsurface melt processes for the study. But even with several days of modeling on Columbia University\u0026rsquo;s Habanero supercomputer, the results produced a trade-off.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists could explain some of their data as indicating a mantle segment consisting of more melt but fewer dissolved volatiles \u0026mdash; in this case, water and carbon dioxide. Or they could explain the same portion of the mantle as containing less melt but more dissolved volatiles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You can\u0026rsquo;t just explain it with a normal mantle composition,\u0026rdquo; Naif says. \u0026ldquo;You need something else that is anomalous and that\u0026rsquo;s where the volatiles come in.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA lack of volatiles would indicate the presence of so much melt that it would be unable to remain in the mantle for long. The melt would rise and erupt at the surface. But the simulations indicate that a water-rich melt would remain in the mantle and greatly reduce its viscosity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It becomes much more like honey and much less like rock,\u0026rdquo; says\u0026nbsp;Blatter, the John W. Miles Postdoctoral Fellow at Scripps Oceanography.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese melt channels could be a byproduct of mantle plumes globally. If an oceanic plate creeps past a plume, it could inherit melt channels and the unusually high volatile concentration needed to sustain its existence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re not claiming that this is the entire answer, but plumes could be part of it,\u0026rdquo; Blatter said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Blatter, Naif, and Ray, the research team included Scripps Oceanography alumnus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emlab.ldeo.columbia.edu\/index.php\/team\/kerry-key\/\u0022\u003EKerry Key\u003C\/a\u003E of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.columbia.edu\u0022\u003EColumbia University\u003C\/a\u003E. The team received support from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E and Columbia University\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emrc.ldeo.columbia.edu\u0022\u003EElectromagnetic Methods Research Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Samer Naif co-authors study showing streams of heated rocks called mantle plumes probably play a role in creating a slippery base for tectonic plates."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESamer Naif, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences,\u0026nbsp;co-authors a Scripps Institution of Oceanography\u0026nbsp;study showing streams of heated rocks called mantle plumes probably play a role in creating a slippery base for tectonic plates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Samer Naif co-authors study showing streams of heated rocks called mantle plumes probably play a role in creating a slippery base for tectonic plates."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-04-21 17:49:53","changed_gmt":"2022-04-21 23:11:07","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"657495":{"id":"657495","type":"image","title":"Researchers deploy an electromagnetic transmitter to study plate tectonics during a 2010 research expedition off the coast of Nicaragua.( Photo: Steven Constable, Scripps Institution of Oceanography) ","body":null,"created":"1650570226","gmt_created":"2022-04-21 19:43:46","changed":"1650570295","gmt_changed":"2022-04-21 19:44:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249200","name":"Scripps Plume Research.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Scripps%20Plume%20Research.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Scripps%20Plume%20Research.png","mime":"image\/png","size":892784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Scripps%20Plume%20Research.png?itok=7qx8oCxF"}},"648122":{"id":"648122","type":"image","title":"Samer Naif","body":null,"created":"1623767040","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:24:00","changed":"1623767040","gmt_changed":"2021-06-15 14:24:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246039","name":"Samer Naif.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png","mime":"image\/png","size":387972,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png?itok=6zF2BWa5"}}},"media_ids":["657495","648122"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/surfacing-new-clues-waters-impact-undersea-earthquakes","title":"Surfacing New Clues: Water\u2019s Impact in Undersea Earthquakes"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/september-sciences-celebration-college-welcomes-new-faculty-honors-faculty-award-recipients-and","title":"September Sciences Celebration: College Welcomes New Faculty, Honors Faculty Award Recipients and Math Scholarship Winner"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"190411","name":"University of San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography"},{"id":"188051","name":"Samer Naif"},{"id":"190412","name":"plate tectonics"},{"id":"190413","name":"mantle plumes"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"7588","name":"geophysics"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"657151":{"#nid":"657151","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Virtual Reality to Ice Slurries: How ATRP is Impacting Georgia, the Nation, and World","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EIn the age of Covid-19, the need for industries to adopt advanced technologies, incorporate more health and safety standards into their daily operations, and maintain a robust workforce is more important than ever.\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is leading efforts to equip Georgia\u0026#39;s agribusiness and food processing industries with the technology and skills to remain competitive and at the forefront of the global transformation that has been accelerated by the pandemic. ATRP works in collaboration with university and industry partners, especially within Georgia\u0026#39;s poultry industry \u0026ndash; which has a \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agr.georgia.gov\/poultry-emergency-rule-notice.aspx#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20Georgia\u2019s%20poultry%20industry%20has%20a%20%2428%20billion,major%20and%20real%20threat%20to%20Georgia\u2019s%20public%20welfare.\u0022\u003E$28 billion\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E annual impact on the Georgia economy \u0026ndash; on projects involving robotics, advanced sensors, environmental treatment, and worker and food safety technologies. ATRP\u0026#39;s ultimate goal is to transition technologies from concept to commercialization as quickly and economically as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Our role is to support the agriculture industry in the state of Georgia and the world \u0026ndash; we are Georgia-focused first, but what we do in Georgia is going to impact the world,\u0026quot; said Doug Britton, a GTRI principal research engineer and ATRP program manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EProblem Solved\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ATRP\u0026#39;s origins date back to 1973, when the Georgia Poultry Federation requested engineering support from GTRI and Georgia Tech on issues troubling the poultry industry. The Georgia Poultry Federation represents the Georgia poultry industry\u0026#39;s interests at the state and federal levels on legislative and regulatory issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;They received concerns from neighbors and friends about all of the noise coming out of mills used to make animal feeds,\u0026quot; Britton said. \u0026quot;So, they asked Georgia Tech to do acoustics analysis to see if there was some way to reduce those noise levels.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom there, ATRP was born.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP conducts state-sponsored and contract research for industry and government agencies. For FY 21, ATRP received roughly $2 million in funding from the state of Georgia. ATRP\u0026#39;s Automation and Robotics Research received the majority of that funding, at 41%, followed by Technology Transfer\/Outreach\/Technical Assistance, which received 16%. Environmental and Biological Systems Research came in third at 14%; followed by Food Safety Research at 13%; Program Support with 9%; and Imaging and Sensor Research at 7%.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP benefits from significant industry support, with 15 companies and associations actively participating in research projects. In addition, over 35 individuals sit on the ATRP industry advisory committee, representing 28 different companies and organizations. For FY 2021, ATRP had nine research prototypes in various stages of development; five exploratory research projects; three provisional patent applications; five invention disclosures; 33 published articles, papers, and presentations; 18 participating industry and academic partners; and 21 technical assistance service requests fulfilled.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EVR to the Rescue\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of ATRP\u0026#39;s provisional patents relates to its work around incorporating automation solutions, specifically virtual reality (VR), into poultry processing to boost efficiency and enhance worker safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking in a poultry processing plant can be challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFood processing environments are often kept quite cold by design to prevent pathogen growth. Low temperatures, combined with the physical demands of the job, have contributed to the industry\u0026rsquo;s high turnover rates that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. According to recent \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ncfh.org\/poultry-workers.html\u0022\u003Eestimates\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, poultry worker turnover ranges from 40% to 100% annually, and amid Covid-19, increased risks for disease transmission and cross-contamination pose even more obstacles for the sector.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address these issues, ATRP is exploring ways to combine VR with factory-based robotics in certain poultry processing operations, such as cone loading, which could allow workers to perform their jobs in safer environments \u0026ndash; or even from home. Cone loading is when chicken carcasses that have had their legs and thighs removed are placed onto a cone for further processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Cone loading sounds like a really easy task, and it is,\u0026quot; said Konrad Ahlin, a GTRI research engineer who has expertise in robotics. \u0026quot;But the problem is having a dedicated person doing that for extended periods \u0026ndash; it\u0026#39;s physically demanding on the person, and it\u0026#39;s a menial, trivial task that\u0026#39;s unfortunately just necessary.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP\u0026#39;s \u0026quot;expert-in-the-loop\u0026quot; robotics solution would allow human workers to provide key information to robot systems performing the operation \u0026ndash; all from a virtual reality environment. So far, attempts to fully automate common poultry processing operations have not been successful due to chickens\u0026#39; irregular and malleable shapes. But VR could solve that challenge, Ahlin noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Virtual reality is creating this bridge where information can intuitively pass between human operators and robotic devices in a way that hasn\u0026#39;t been possible before,\u0026quot; Ahlin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP has filed a provisional patent for its VR research and is also working with the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) to develop a commercialization roadmap for the technology. The GRA is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that expands research capacity at Georgia universities, then seeds and shapes startup companies around inventions and discoveries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGary McMurray, a GTRI principal research engineer and division chief of GTRI\u0026#39;s Intelligent Sustainable Technologies Division, said VR\u0026#39;s potential to defy geographic limitations could be transformative for the manufacturing industry at large.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;There are lots of reasons that this technology could have a big impact on manufacturing, which is struggling with finding people to do jobs,\u0026quot; McMurray said. \u0026quot;With this technology, you could be sitting in West Virginia, put on a VR headset, and work from the comfort of your home. You\u0026#39;re no longer tied to geography, and that\u0026#39;s really powerful.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EConcept to Commercialization\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMany ATRP projects are already having an impact outside the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EInterferometric Biosensing\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of those is an interferometric biosensor that can be configured to rapidly detect a variety of pathogens and chemicals across multiple industries. The technology has been licensed exclusively to Valdosta, Ga.-based Salvus\u0026trade;, which is a part of the CJB\u0026reg; family of companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESalvus, which develops and manufactures chemical contaminant and pathogen detection technologies for the food and agriculture, life sciences, water quality, and specialty chemical industries, has said it expects to begin clinical and market trials for the biosensor sometime in 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have been able to apply our commercialization and manufacturing experience to the breakthrough work that Dr. Xu and the ATRP team have accomplished,\u0026quot; said Ron Levin, director of strategy for Salvus. \u0026quot;It is rewarding to discuss this technology with potential commercial partners and to hear their excitement for the technology in so many potential applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJie Xu, a GTRI principal research scientist who is leading the Salvus project, said her team is currently working with Salvus to ensure the technology\u0026#39;s core electrical, mechanical, and chemical functions perform seamlessly ahead of deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;In a controlled environment, such as a lab, the technology works beautifully,\u0026quot; Xu said. \u0026quot;But when you move it outside of the lab, you have to account for a lot of unknown factors.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe science behind the Salvus detection system is called interferometry, which exploits the interference of light waves to precisely determine the rate at which target particles attach to the sensor\u0026#39;s surface. The sensor contains two separate channels \u0026ndash; a sensing channel and a reference channel.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensing channel detects the specific target of interest, such as a virus or chemical. This signal is then compared to the reference channel, which allows the sensor to quantify the level or amount of the specific target and provide an accurate reading. A major benefit of the technology is its ability to complete tests in a matter of minutes or seconds. In a medical setting, a device utilizing this technology would allow clinicians to process a patient sample and have results ready before the patient leaves the premises \u0026ndash; eliminating the need to send patients home to await lab testing results. Meanwhile, at a water processing facility, workers would be able to use this device to test the water and immediately know how much treatment is required.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology has been tested in more than 50 diverse applications, including the detection of Covid-19, Salmonella, avian influenza, and many different chemicals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Salvus came to us and asked if we could research ways to speed up in-the-field testing of pathogens and chemical contaminants,\u0026quot; Xu said. \u0026quot; So, instead of a company sending a sample to the lab and waiting weeks to get the lab results, our proprietary technology would produce results right on the spot.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EDynamic Filtration\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother project making headway in the commercial space is ATRP\u0026#39;s Dynamic Filtration System. ATRP conducted in-plant trials of the patented filtration technology in FY 2021. During the trials, the system was licensed for poultry processing by Watson Agriculture and Food, a subsidiary of venture capital firm Watson Holdings that invests in technologies to solve major world problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology consists of a unique filtration system that is designed to separate various levels of solids, fats, and other materials from wastewater used in poultry processing. The process keeps the filtered materials from clogging the system, allowing for greater throughput. In addition, it captures the filtered materials that have additional value as a byproduct. Current work is focused on screening smaller particles to further improve water recyclability and wastewater treatment in poultry processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Universities are excellent at finding problems to solve, and I chose to partner with Georgia Tech for its reputation as being a leading research institute that has some of the best engineers in the world,\u0026quot; said Trey Watson, founder and CEO of Watson Holdings. \u0026quot;Even though water filtration is just one component of the poultry production process, it greatly enhances consumer safety and is both cost- and energy-efficient for the poultry industry, and I am excited to continue working with Georgia Tech and GTRI as we create additional solutions for tomorrow\u0026#39;s problems.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EIce in Motion\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENearly everyone remembers the Slurpee slushies found at their local 7-Elevens.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP researchers are applying a similar concept, along with rotational kinematics, to poultry processing to ensure product quality and safety. A distinction between ATRP\u0026#39;s ice slurry mixture and Slurpee slushies is that the ice particles ATRP uses are finer, and its ice slurry blend is more homogenous.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring processing, chicken carcasses are typically immersed in screw augers of chilled water to lower their temperature to a degree that prevents pathogen growth. A screw auger is a mechanism used in bulk handling that utilizes a rotating helical screw blade to move liquid or granular materials through a shaft. However, this process requires carcasses to be removed from a shackle line before immersion, which can result in lost traceability; increased cross-contamination risks due to direct contact between carcasses; and additional labor to rehang the carcasses onto processing line shackles after chilling.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EATRP is working to solve these challenges by keeping carcasses shackled during the immersive chilling process. For the chilling medium, ATRP is using either conventional chilled water or ice slurry, which is a mix of tiny ice crystals and liquid water. Compared to conventional liquid water, ice slurry provides the additional chilling effects of ice while retaining a liquid-like form that is easily transportable and could result in higher cooling rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;One thing about ice slurry is that you can pump it like a liquid instead of trying to load it and carry it around like traditional ice,\u0026quot; said Comas Haynes, a GTRI principal research engineer who is leading the project. \u0026quot;And because of its liquid nature, it can really go around the contour of the carcasses, which results in faster chilling times.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team has built a new carousel-type test rig that better mimics real-world conditions, wherein the carcasses remain shackled during immersive chilling to alleviate the aforementioned screw conveyor issues. The addition of passive, or non-motorized, rotational effects along with conventional \u0026ldquo;line speed\u0026rdquo; translation is producing promising reductions in chill time. This has already been shown for chilled water, and there is a near-term plan to test this enhancement in ice slurry as well, Haynes said. Georgia Tech has also filed a patent on its rotational chilling enhancement research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EFailing Forward\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhatever the project, ATRP continuously seeks to translate novel research concepts into commercially viable products for poultry, agribusiness, and food manufacturing industries in Georgia, the nation, and the world, that maximize productivity and efficiency, advance safety and health, and minimize environmental impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;We want to be viewed as thinking outside the box \u0026ndash; that\u0026#39;s part of our role, and we embrace it,\u0026quot; Britton said. Britton added that GTRI provides industry partners with a safe environment to take risks and the cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum success.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;I always tell my industry stakeholders that GTRI is a great place to fail,\u0026quot; Britton said. \u0026quot;If we fail here, it means we don\u0026#39;t fail out there.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWriter: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAnna Akins\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPhotos: Christopher Moore\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is leading efforts to equip Georgia\u0027s agribusiness and food processing industries to remain competitive and at the forefront of the global transformation."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2022-04-11 14:48:15","changed_gmt":"2022-04-11 14:56:51","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"657149":{"id":"657149","type":"image","title":"GTRI Researcher Comas Haynes","body":null,"created":"1649688070","gmt_created":"2022-04-11 14:41:10","changed":"1649688070","gmt_changed":"2022-04-11 14:41:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249067","name":"Comas Haynes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Comas%20Haynes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Comas%20Haynes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":900815,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Comas%20Haynes.jpg?itok=tx-2bnRn"}},"657145":{"id":"657145","type":"image","title":"GTRI Research Engineer Konrad Ahlin","body":null,"created":"1649687732","gmt_created":"2022-04-11 14:35:32","changed":"1649687732","gmt_changed":"2022-04-11 14:35:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249066","name":"GTRI Research Engineer Konrad Ahlin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI%20Research%20Engineer%20Konrad%20Ahlin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI%20Research%20Engineer%20Konrad%20Ahlin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":507926,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GTRI%20Research%20Engineer%20Konrad%20Ahlin.jpg?itok=u36Oh4uw"}}},"media_ids":["657149","657145"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"145251","name":"virtual reality"},{"id":"670","name":"atrp"},{"id":"13059","name":"Agricultural Technology Research Program"},{"id":"667","name":"robotics"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"},{"id":"190338","name":"impacting the state"},{"id":"190339","name":"Georgia impact"},{"id":"57811","name":"food processing"},{"id":"1464","name":"Georgia Research Alliance"},{"id":"10677","name":"biosensing"},{"id":"668","name":"poultry"},{"id":"148381","name":"vr"},{"id":"342","name":"Georgia"},{"id":"57801","name":"poultry processing"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"655491":{"#nid":"655491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Agribusiness and Forest Product Innovations Among Projects Emphasized In NIFA Director Tour of Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn January, Georgia Tech hosted Carrie Castille, director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nifa.usda.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)\u003C\/a\u003E, on campus to show Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s impact on food processing, agricultural, and forestry research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENIFA, which operates within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was created in 2008 to further enhance the nation\u0026rsquo;s agricultural research and education. The\u0026nbsp;agency\u0026nbsp;works to address the agricultural issues affecting people\u0026rsquo;s daily lives and the nation\u0026rsquo;s future by partnering with other federal agencies, universities, and nonprofits. NIFA funds research and educational initiatives in order ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAgriculture and forestry are serious business here in the state of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;According to the\u0026nbsp;University of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Georgia\u0026rsquo;s forest industry accounts for a total economic contribution to the state of $17.7 billion and supports more than 73,300 jobs in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;Agriculture contributes approximately $73.3 billion annually to Georgia\u0026#39;s economy and ranks No. 1 in the U.S. for broilers, hatching eggs, and peanuts. One in seven Georgians works in agriculture, forestry, or related fields. While Georgia Tech is not a land-grant university, Georgia Tech researchers work alongside\u0026nbsp;university partners across the state, merging engineering and technology expertise with partners in traditional agricultural sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECastille and her staff met with researchers at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/rbi\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;along with GTRI\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atrp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAgricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP)\u003C\/a\u003E. RBI creates a competitive edge and insight into the future of forest products. Their professional scientists and engineers work together to provide information and offer solutions required by a rapidly changing market. GTRI\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atrp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EATRP\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a state-funded research program meant to help Georgia\u0026rsquo;s agriculture economy and poultry industry. ATRP drives transformational innovation, developing new methods and systems specifically designed for poultry, agribusiness, and food manufacturing applications. These innovations are created to maximize productivity and efficiency, advance safety and health, and minimize environmental impacts. Their goal is to transition technologies from concept to commercialization, as quickly and economically as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech hosted director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)"}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2022-02-15 15:44:59","changed_gmt":"2022-02-15 17:23:10","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"655492":{"id":"655492","type":"image","title":"NIFA Director tour Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1644940434","gmt_created":"2022-02-15 15:53:54","changed":"1644942200","gmt_changed":"2022-02-15 16:23:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248507","name":"Untitled (3000 \u00d7 3000 px)-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20%283000%20%C3%97%203000%20px%29-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20%283000%20%C3%97%203000%20px%29-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":990942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Untitled%20%283000%20%C3%97%203000%20px%29-2.jpg?itok=wcu6BODC"}}},"media_ids":["655492"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"},{"id":"11677","name":"agribusiness"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlair\u0026nbsp;Meeks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nwmeeks7@gatech.edu\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAssistant Vice President External Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["wmeeks7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"654892":{"#nid":"654892","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Seawater Seep May Be Speeding Glacier Melt, Sea Level Rise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe melting of ice sheets at the points where they float on and along the world\u0026rsquo;s oceans is a major climate culprit when it comes to sea level rise. But less is understood about the extent of melting that is due to warm, salty seawater that seeps underneath \u0026ldquo;grounded\u0026rdquo; portions of ice sheets along land, as well as what happens when that mix intrudes deep under glacier interiors. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tc.copernicus.org\/articles\/16\/451\/2022\/\u0022\u003Enew study\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.the-cryosphere.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Cryosphere\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/robel-dr-alexander\u0022\u003EAlexander Robel\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, may provide some clarity. Robel, who leads the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIce \u0026amp; Climate Group\u003C\/a\u003E at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, and his team of researchers have developed a theory that finds glacial melt may be happening faster out of sight than previous estimates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The paper shows warm seawater can intrude underneath glaciers, and if it causes melting at the glacier bottom, can cause predictions of future sea level rise to be up to two times higher than current estimates,\u0026rdquo; Robel says. \u0026ldquo;Put another way, our research showed that the grounding line (where glacial ice meets water) is not the sort of impenetrable barrier between the glacier and the ocean that has previously been assumed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing predictions based on mathematical and computational models, the study shows that seawater intrusion over flat or reverse-sloping impermeable beds may feasibly occur up to tens of kilometers upstream of a glacier\u0026rsquo;s end or grounding line.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFresh meltwater stays close to the temperature of the ice it came from, but salty seawater that intrudes under glaciers may also bring heat from the ocean, which researchers say has the potential to cause much higher rates of melting at the glacier bottom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERobel\u0026rsquo;s co-authors for the study are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/earlew.com\/\u0022\u003EEarle Wilson\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral scholar at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caltech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECalifornia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.dartmouth.edu\/community\/faculty\/helene-seroussi\u0022\u003EHelene Seroussi\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/home.dartmouth.edu\/\u0022\u003EDartmouth College\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new study uses basic mathematical theory of fluid flow and large computer models run on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPartnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) high performance computing cluster\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech to make its predictions, and builds on a 2020 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.maths.ox.ac.uk\/hewitt\/publications\/Wilson%20et%20al%202020.pdf\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E led by Wilson which showed how such intrusions could occur through laboratory experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Past measurement from field expeditions and satellites have hinted that seawater may intrude subglacial meltwater channels,\u0026rdquo; Wilson notes, \u0026ldquo;much like how the ocean may flow upstream and mix with river water in a typical estuary. Our study shows subglacial estuaries are not just possible but likely over a wide range of realistic scenarios, and their existence has profound implications for future sea level rise.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Simulations show that even just a few hundred meters of basal melt caused by seawater intrusion upstream of marine ice sheet grounding lines can cause projections of marine ice sheet volume loss to be 10-50 percent higher,\u0026rdquo; Robel explains. \u0026ldquo;Kilometers of intrusion-induced basal melt can cause projected ice sheet volume loss to more than double over the next century.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERobel adds that these results suggest that further observational, experimental, and numerical investigations are needed to determine the conditions under which seawater intrusion occurs \u0026mdash; and whether it will indeed drive rapid marine ice sheet retreat and sea level rise in the future. The research team will start to look at measurements from past field expeditions to confirm if their theory is true, and are working to secure funding in the next year to go to Antarctica and look for such intrusion in a targeted expedition.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Overall, this contributes to an important body of current work that tries to estimate how fast ice sheets melt in a changing climate,\u0026rdquo; Robel adds, \u0026ldquo;and what physical processes are relevant in driving these rapid changes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: This work was funded in part by faculty startup support from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University System of Georgia.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5194\/tc-16-451-2022\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.5194\/tc-16-451-2022\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E###\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Alexander Robel leads a new study projecting that warm seawater \u2014 seeping under certain glaciers \u2014 could eventually lead to future sea level rise that\u2019s double that of existing estimates, with new findings published in The Cryosphere."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlexander Robel leads a new study projecting that warm seawater \u0026mdash; seeping under certain glaciers \u0026mdash; could eventually lead to future sea level rise that\u0026rsquo;s double that of existing estimates, with new findings published in \u003Cem\u003EThe Cryosphere\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alexander Robel leads a new study projecting that warm seawater \u2014 seeping under certain glaciers \u2014 could eventually lead to future sea level rise that\u2019s double that of existing estimates, with new findings published in The Cryosphere."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-01-27 19:28:47","changed_gmt":"2022-02-08 17:04:47","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"655054":{"id":"655054","type":"image","title":"Alexander Robel holds ice used in glacial melt research. 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(404) 894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\njess@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia\u003C\/strong\u003E: Siobhan McBean-Swan\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMedia Relations Representative\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nsar30@gatech.edu\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n+1 (404) 660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"652396":{"#nid":"652396","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Modeling Water-cleansing Wetlands in Extreme Weather","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe cycle of rising temperatures leads to increases in precipitation as well as droughts. \u0026nbsp;But what impact will these weather extremes, especially heavier precipitation, have on the earth\u0026rsquo;s most effective water cleansers \u0026ndash; wetland sediments? \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat question is driving a new $1 million, three-year grant awarded to a Georgia Institute of Technology interdisciplinary research team of geochemistry, biology and applied mechanics experts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award is part of the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/articles\/department-energy-announces-77-million-earth-environmental-systems-modeling\u0022\u003E$7.7 million funding \u003C\/a\u003Eof 11 studies to improve the understanding of Earth system predictability and the Department\u0026rsquo;s Energy Exascale Earth System Model, a state-of the-science climate model. The researchers intend to develop a new scalable model that can analyze and ultimately predict where and when sediment disruptions are most likely to occur.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWetlands \u0026ndash; Where Water and Land Meet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFound at the boundary between land and water, wetlands function as natural sponges that trap, cleanse, and slowly release surface water \u0026ndash; they also serve as a natural climate change buffer, since they act as carbon \u0026ldquo;sinks,\u0026rdquo; storing vast amounts of carbon and methane in the ground. Swamps, marshes, and bogs are all examples of wetlands. What isn\u0026rsquo;t known is if wetlands that become damaged or degraded from excess water will still absorb carbon at the same level. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy better understanding how wetlands work, Georgia Tech hopes to shed light on how wetlands will function with more frequent and more intense rainstorms. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of work has been done in polar regions where there has been melting because of global warming, which has been shown to release a lot of methane. That\u0026rsquo;s the main motivation behind the work we\u0026rsquo;re going to do,\u0026rdquo; said the project\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator, Martial Taillefert, a geochemist and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs water levels rise, below ground oxygen is consumed very quickly, he explained. Then microbial processes take over, leading to methane forming as well as carbon dioxide, that can escape to the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this project Taillefert will characterize the physical and chemical processes taking place in a wetland, mainly using electrochemical sensors deployed at different locations in the wetland. Taillefert will be able to follow the chemical response to microbial processes and study how perturbations of the water cycle affect the release of greenhouse gases. This data will then be used to fine tune the models that will predict greenhouse gas emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicro to Macro Scale\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nInitial studies will involve samples on the scale of a few grains of soil, but the researchers hope to eventually run simulations on the scale of a riverbed or watershed (where surface water drains into a common stream channel or other body of water).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The goal is twofold \u0026ndash; first, to satisfy our scientific curiosity and understand how those microbial processes can actually change the level of oxygen and trigger greenhouse gas emissions, and second, to develop a model that can predict what processes will be in the next cycle to better prepare and perhaps reduce carbon emissions in some cases,\u0026rdquo; said project collaborator Chlo\u0026eacute; Arson, associate professor of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/academics\/groups\/geosystems\u0022\u003EGeosystems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Taillefert focuses on the chemistry component and Arson on the mathematical modeling, collaborator Thomas DiChristina serves as the microbe expert.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;My lab looks at what kind of hidden microbial processes are going on that we can\u0026#39;t detect with the sensors because the methane is getting recycled so fast in the ground,\u0026rdquo; said DiChristina, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDiChristina will be looking at multiple gene expressions without having to grow the bacteria in a laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Genomics allows you to deduce expression of metabolic potential. For example, which gene is producing methane, and which gene is inhibiting methane production,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince methane won\u0026rsquo;t release into the atmosphere unless a certain condition occurs, the model will enable researchers to predict under what conditions methane would pour out of the sediments versus being retained and recycled, DiChristina explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe calculations that predict how much methane and carbon dioxide go into the atmosphere depend on an accurate description of what\u0026#39;s happening in the subsurface -- in the sediment and in groundwater, Taillefert added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We cannot yet quantify that really well. We think using our approach will enable us to get more data and a better understanding of how the process works and translate that knowledge into the models,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETaillefert and DiChristina have been working on improving Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s models for predicting these processes for over three decades. \u0026nbsp;With this latest award, they hope to better understand and model the processes of oxidation and reduction that change the microstructure of sediments during cycles of flood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Research Thrust \u0026ndash; AI and Machine Learning \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArson is most interested in predicting the changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the grains of soil to understand how the porous space between the grains is affected by bio-chemical reactions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Understanding the evolution of the porous space will help predict transport properties within the sediments, and the expected emissions of greenhouse gases,\u0026rdquo; said Arson.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn expert in applied mechanics, she will use AI to build a model that can single out dominant reactions within the soil microstructure and disregard those that have minimal impact. Such insight will help simplify the model and allow it to more quickly correlate certain criteria that leads to spikes in greenhouse gases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you have a predictive model that actually attempts to explain the processes, as well as predicting them, then you have a more versatile approach that can be transferred to many other sites or environments,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;I also could envision using this model and the machine learning algorithm to map locations where you expect higher emissions, and identify sites as risky, moderately risky or safe.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is partnering with two Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/srnl.doe.gov\/\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (SRNL) in Aiken, SC, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/\u0022\u003EArgonne National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E in Chicago, IL.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech has a unique capability here that we don\u0026#39;t have, and that capability is this combination of using state-of-the-art genomics capabilities, along with state-of-the-art electrochemistry, two attributes that Georgia Tech is internationally known for,\u0026rdquo; said Daniel Kaplan, senior research fellow with SRNL, which will serve as the study site.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKaplan noted that Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s research fits perfectly with the DOE\u0026rsquo;s goal to better understand how wetlands function, enabling scientists to better understand their role in controlling water quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Wetlands do a great job of cleaning out all the impurities and getting rid of a lot of the contaminants to clean the water up as it moves through a watershed,\u0026rdquo; said Kaplan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtomic-scale Analysis \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArgonne National Laboratory plans to take Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s sediment samples and examine them at the atomic scale of individual atoms and electrons using the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a football-field-sized synchrotron that produces x-rays 10 billion times clearer than what is produced at a doctor\u0026rsquo;s office.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The fundamental reactions that are controlling the quality of the water happen at the microorganism or nano scale,\u0026rdquo; said Kenneth Kemner, senior physicist and group leader of the Molecular Environmental Science Group at the Argonne National Lab. \u0026ldquo;By bringing all the different ways of looking at wetlands together, we\u0026#39;ll actually have a much deeper understanding of how they function.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom one of several x-ray ports operated 24x7, the APS can capture images of single microorganisms about 100 times smaller than the diameter of the human hair. In fact, when the APS first came online, it successfully analyzed hair strands of Ludwig van Beethoven, with the analysis deducing that the great German composer suffered from lead poisoning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKemner acknowledged that Georgia Tech brings unique capabilities to the wetlands research effort. He explained that answering the hard questions such as those posed by climate change will require this transdisciplinary and integrated problem-solving approach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAdditional unfunded collaborators for this study include\u0026nbsp;Christa Pennacchio, PMO Lead with the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (JGI), and Stephen Callister, scientist with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a U.S. DOE national scientific user facility managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Part of a $1 million grant, Georgia Tech will analyze wetlands to better predict disruptions that could intensify greenhouse gas releases"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFound at the boundary between land and water, wetlands function as natural sponges that trap, cleanse, and slowly release surface water \u0026ndash; they also serve as a natural climate change buffer, since they act as carbon \u0026ldquo;sinks,\u0026rdquo; storing vast amounts of carbon and methane in the ground. Swamps, marshes, and bogs are all examples of wetlands. What isn\u0026rsquo;t known is if wetlands that become damaged or degraded from excess water will still absorb carbon at the same level.\u0026nbsp;By better understanding how wetlands work, Georgia Tech hopes to shed light on how wetlands will function with more frequent and more intense rainstorms. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is partnering with two Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories to better understand how wetlands function, enabling scientists to better understand their role in controlling water quality."}],"uid":"35692","created_gmt":"2021-11-03 12:47:04","changed_gmt":"2022-02-04 17:10:50","author":"Anne Sargent","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"652394":{"id":"652394","type":"image","title":"Researchers by campus wetlands","body":null,"created":"1635941730","gmt_created":"2021-11-03 12:15:30","changed":"1635941730","gmt_changed":"2021-11-03 12:15:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247516","name":"Photo 1 - Researchers.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Researchers.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Researchers.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4554806,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Researchers.png?itok=Wd4c93Yj"}},"652395":{"id":"652395","type":"image","title":"SRNL environments","body":null,"created":"1635941852","gmt_created":"2021-11-03 12:17:32","changed":"1635941852","gmt_changed":"2021-11-03 12:17:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247517","name":"Photo 2 - wetlands in the Savannah River Nat\u0027l Laboratory.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20wetlands%20in%20the%20Savannah%20River%20Nat%27l%20Laboratory.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20wetlands%20in%20the%20Savannah%20River%20Nat%27l%20Laboratory.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":342955,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20wetlands%20in%20the%20Savannah%20River%20Nat%27l%20Laboratory.jpg?itok=KPdt6U0d"}},"652398":{"id":"652398","type":"image","title":"Sediment sample","body":null,"created":"1635947683","gmt_created":"2021-11-03 13:54:43","changed":"1635947683","gmt_changed":"2021-11-03 13:54:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247518","name":"Photo 3 - Martial with sediment sample.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%203%20-%20Martial%20with%20sediment%20sample.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%203%20-%20Martial%20with%20sediment%20sample.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1442214,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%203%20-%20Martial%20with%20sediment%20sample.jpg?itok=88VM4fLQ"}}},"media_ids":["652394","652395","652398"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179077","name":"wetlands"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"105821","name":"extreme weather"},{"id":"189257","name":"climate model"},{"id":"189258","name":"sediments"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact and Writer: \u003C\/strong\u003EAnne Wainscott-Sargent (404-435-5784)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["asargent7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"654811":{"#nid":"654811","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tonga Volcanic Blast Sent Pressure Waves Across Georgia, Instruments Show","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEleven hours after a massive volcanic explosion rocked the Pacific Island nation of Tonga, sound waves from the blast rolled over the state of Georgia \u0026ndash; though not many people beyond John Trostel may have noticed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDirector of the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Trostel saw the rumbling sound waves that began with the Tonga blast on instruments at the research center, which is developing new ways to detect severe storms such as tornadoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECarried through the atmosphere at the speed of sound, the waves \u0026ndash; known as infrasound \u0026ndash; can\u0026rsquo;t be heard by human ears because of their very low frequency. Nevertheless, the first signals from Tonga were detected by an array of sensors located atop a GTRI building as they passed from west to east across the United States. A second wave of signals, originating from the blast and circling the globe in the other direction \u0026ndash; crossing Georgia from east to west \u0026ndash; failed to register on Trostel\u0026rsquo;s infrasound instruments for a simple reason: It was drowned out by the sound of rain from Sunday\u0026rsquo;s storms in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It was a very, very strong infrasound event and likely the strongest volcanic explosion we\u0026rsquo;ve seen in the past 30 years,\u0026rdquo; said Trostel. \u0026ldquo;Because it was an explosion, spherical waves came out from it crossing the globe in different directions. This was an amazing event to measure.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SSRC monitors infrasound continuously as part of a research program designed to develop new ways to protect Georgia citizens from severe storms such as tornadoes, which also produce very low-frequency sound. There\u0026rsquo;s reason to believe that by analyzing the infrasound produced by tornadoes, forecasters can tell, for instance, how large the violent storms are and if they have touched down or remain in the clouds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The reason we are interested in infrasound is that because it is such low frequency, it can travel a very long distance, hundreds or thousands of kilometers,\u0026rdquo; Trostel explained. \u0026ldquo;Big things make low-frequency sounds, and some of the biggest things around are storms like tornadoes, hurricanes, and storm fronts. We are hoping to detect and follow severe storms using infrasound.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Tonga explosion, estimated to have an explosive yield of 10 megatons \u0026ndash; roughly 500 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb \u0026ndash; was the first volcanic eruption detected at the SSRC, which began infrasound measurements in 2018 using the GTRI Atmospheric Infrasound Array (GAIA). The array has also detected tornadoes, ocean waves, earthquakes, the movement of trains, rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida \u0026ndash; and the implosion of the Georgia Dome stadium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe infrasound is detected by four sensors located on top of a GTRI research building. The GAIA sensors work together to detect the faint pressure waves that are produced by storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes. The resulting data is analyzed using computer systems at the SSRC to determine the frequency content of the signals as well as the direction from which the signals originated. The research is supported by the state of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the challenges of infrasound measurement is separating the pressure waves that scientists are interested in from simple wind noise. To counter that, researchers typically have been gathering infrasound using an array of soaker hoses, like those used in a garden. Over lengths of perhaps 50 feet, the empty hoses average the wind noise, allowing the infrasound to stand out. But these arrays require large amounts of space, and the hoses often fill with rainwater and insects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETrostel\u0026rsquo;s array uses small tents placed over its sensors to reduce the wind noise. Other GTRI researchers are working on mathematical techniques known as wavelets to remove the wind noise during analysis, allowing them to use smaller and more portable measuring devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our array is getting better and better all the time as we characterize the environment that we are listening to,\u0026rdquo; Trostel said. \u0026ldquo;A lot of infrasound arrays are out in very quiet locations, so they see only natural infrasound, but we are interested in more than natural infrasound, so we have to learn to work around things that are creating infrasound.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETrostel has estimated that the sound waves from Tonga traveled at around 300 meters per second (or 670 mph) on their way to Georgia. The velocity of infrasound waves depends on many factors, including the temperature of the air and the speed of the air mass through which the waves move. Infrasound waves are also bent as they move through different layers of the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose factors make getting useful data from the infrasound measurements challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;People are looking at the frequency, content, and signals from severe storms, trying to get information from them,\u0026rdquo; Trostel said. \u0026ldquo;At this point, we haven\u0026rsquo;t figured it out yet. There is information there, but we still have to learn how to get it out.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWriter:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELearn more at\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewww.gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand follow us on\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/3557?trk=EML_cp-admin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E,\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTRI\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETwitter\u003C\/a\u003E,\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GTRIFan\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/georgiatechresearchinstitute\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstagram\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eleven hours after a massive volcanic explosion rocked the Pacific Island nation of Tonga, sound waves from the blast rolled over the state of Georgia."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2022-01-26 20:38:12","changed_gmt":"2022-01-26 20:38:12","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"654809":{"id":"654809","type":"image","title":"Tent Protecting Infrasound Sensors ","body":null,"created":"1643229038","gmt_created":"2022-01-26 20:30:38","changed":"1643229038","gmt_changed":"2022-01-26 20:30:38","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248306","name":"infrasound-tent.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infrasound-tent.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infrasound-tent.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1711820,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/infrasound-tent.jpg?itok=u5HAQji2"}}},"media_ids":["654809"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"3432","name":"weather"},{"id":"189809","name":"Tonga"},{"id":"27001","name":"Volcano"},{"id":"169457","name":"Severe Storms Research Center"},{"id":"177742","name":"SSRC"},{"id":"189810","name":"infrasound waves"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"654771":{"#nid":"654771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cobb, Jo, Sa de Melo Honored as Lifetime AAAS Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected three faculty from Georgia Tech and Emory University to the newest class of AAAS Fellows, one of the highest distinctions in the scientific community:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKim M. Cobb\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Power Chair, director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.globalchange.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGlobal Change Program\u003C\/a\u003E, and ADVANCE Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHanjoong Jo\u003C\/strong\u003E, Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical Engineering and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003ECoulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rsquo;s associate chair for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.emory.edu\/home\/index.html\u0022\u003EEmory University\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarlos A. R. Sa de Melo\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 2021 class of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/aaas-honors-outstanding-scientific-contributors-2021-aaas-fellows\u0022\u003EAAAS Fellows\u003C\/a\u003E includes 564 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. AAAS is the world\u0026rsquo;s largest general scientific society and publisher of the \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E family of journals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETech\u0026rsquo;s trio of honorees lead a spectrum of global research spanning climate variability and trends to theoretical physics to atherosclerosis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKim M. Cobb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeology \u0026amp; Geography | For distinguished service to the field of paleoclimatology and in outreach and education to foster a new generation of earth scientists who are engaged with the real world.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As a climate scientist,\u0026rdquo; Cobb shares, \u0026ldquo;it\u0026rsquo;s thrilling to uncover some of Earth\u0026rsquo;s longest held secrets. In that way, our research has always been its own reward to me. But this honor is special, and a true testament to the outsized contributions of our team\u0026rsquo;s research faculty, students, and staff.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mission of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cobblab.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECobb\u0026rsquo;s research\u003C\/a\u003E is to uncover the mechanisms of global climate change \u0026mdash; both natural and anthropogenic \u0026mdash; to inform regional projections of future climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMore recently, her research has included the study of climate extremes in Georgia, with the aim of bolstering community resilience to climate change impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs historically marginalized communities are most vulnerable to such impacts, Cobb explains, she works with a large team of colleagues and students that includes social scientists, as well as local officials and community organizations. Her AAAS Fellow citation recognizes her sustained efforts in communicating climate science to policymakers and the general public.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHanjoong Jo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBiological Science | For distinguished contributions to atherosclerosis research, especially in discovering the role of blood flow on endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis using novel animal models and cultured cells.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJo\u0026rsquo;s research focuses on better understanding atherosclerosis, a buildup of artery-clogging fats and cholesterol that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I am deeply honored and humbled to be elected as an AAAS Fellow,\u0026rdquo; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/news\/jo-elevated-aaas-fellow\u0022\u003Eshares Jo\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;This election recognizes my lifetime contribution to vascular mechanobiology and atherosclerosis by a distinguished group of AAAS Fellows, who are themselves accomplished leaders in broad [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] fields.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarlos A. R. Sa de Melo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhysics | For seminal contributions to superconductivity and superfluidity, particularly the crossover from BCS (Bardeen\u0026ndash;Cooper\u0026ndash;Schrieffer) superconductivity to Bose-Einstein condensation in ultra-cold atoms, and for communicating these advances to students and the public.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESa de Melo\u0026rsquo;s work focuses on theoretical condensed matter and ultra-cold atomic and molecular physics: superconductors, quantum magnets, superfluids, and Bose-Einstein condensates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I strongly encourage my students to be broad, deep and creative,\u0026rdquo; he shares. \u0026ldquo;Breadth of knowledge is very important in today\u0026#39;s physics job market, as is expert (deep) knowledge in a particular area.\u0026rdquo; But most of all, he adds, it\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;the development of new directions, never explored before\u0026rdquo; comprising the dominant component of his research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I am very thankful to the colleagues that have nominated me for such a recognition \u0026mdash; to my students and postdocs for their collaboration,\u0026rdquo; Sa de Melo says, \u0026ldquo;and to the AAAS Council for electing me to the rank of Fellow for contributions to theoretical physics in the fields of superconductivity and superfluidity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA tradition since 1874\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;AAAS is proud to bestow the honor of AAAS Fellow to some of today\u0026rsquo;s brightest minds who are integral to forging our path into the future,\u0026rdquo; says Dr. Sudip Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E executive publisher. \u0026ldquo;We celebrate these distinguished individuals for their invaluable contributions to the scientific enterprise.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis tradition stretches back to 1874. AAAS Fellows are a \u0026ldquo;distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been recognized for their achievements across disciplines ranging from research, teaching, and technology, to administration in academia, industry, and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAAAS members achieve the rank of Fellow through a rigorous annual nomination and selection process. Cobb, Jo, and Sa de Melo join \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/fellows\/historic?field_last_name_value=All\u0026amp;field_institutional_affiliation_value=%22georgia%20institute%20of%20technology%22\u0026amp;field_address_city=All\u0026amp;field_address_when_elected_administrative_area=All\u0026amp;field_address_when_elected_country_code=All\u0026amp;field_primary_aaas_section=All\u0026amp;field_status_value=All\u0026amp;order=field_year_elected\u0026amp;sort=desc\u0026amp;name_combine=\u0026amp;field_year_elected\u0022\u003Emore than 90 faculty\u003C\/a\u003E from Georgia Tech faculty elected as Fellows since 1954, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/kaye-husbands-fealing\u0022\u003EKaye Husbands Fealing\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, who also serves on the AAAS Executive Board \u0026mdash; along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/lozier-elected-american-academy-arts-and-sciences\u0022\u003Eseveral fellow Georgia Tech faculty\u003C\/a\u003E inducted as AAAS members, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/about\/meet-susan-lozier\u0022\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new class of Fellows will receive an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin to commemorate their election (representing science and engineering, respectively) and will be celebrated at an AAAS commemoration later this year. The cohort is also featured in the AAAS News \u0026amp; Notes section of \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E for January 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E***\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003EAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science\u003C\/strong\u003E (AAAS) is the world\u0026rsquo;s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal\u003Cem\u003E Science\u003C\/em\u003E, as well as \u003Cem\u003EScience Translational Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E; \u003Cem\u003EScience Signaling\u003C\/em\u003E; a digital, open-access journal, \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E; \u003Cem\u003EScience Immunology; \u003C\/em\u003Eand \u003Cem\u003EScience Robotics\u003C\/em\u003E. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to \u0026ldquo;advance science and serve society\u0026rdquo; through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For additional information about AAAS, visit\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.aaas.org\u0022\u003E www.aaas.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Kim M. Cobb, Hanjoong Jo, and Carlos A. R. Sa de Melo are among AAAS scientists, engineers, and innovators being recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERepresenting a trio of disciplines across Georgia Tech and Emory, Kim M. Cobb, Hanjoong Jo, and Carlos A. R. Sa de Melo are among 564 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines being recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Kim M. Cobb, Hanjoong Jo, and Carlos A. R. Sa de Melo are among AAAS scientists, engineers, and innovators being recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2022-01-25 22:49:41","changed_gmt":"2022-01-26 15:33:00","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"654770":{"id":"654770","type":"image","title":"The AAAS Fellowship Rosette (Photo: AAAS)","body":null,"created":"1643150935","gmt_created":"2022-01-25 22:48:55","changed":"1643150935","gmt_changed":"2022-01-25 22:48:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248294","name":"MEMB_FellowsSurveyEmail_HeroImage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MEMB_FellowsSurveyEmail_HeroImage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MEMB_FellowsSurveyEmail_HeroImage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":38949,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MEMB_FellowsSurveyEmail_HeroImage.jpg?itok=CBCstb0b"}},"622315":{"id":"622315","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb","body":null,"created":"1559915999","gmt_created":"2019-06-07 13:59:59","changed":"1643205600","gmt_changed":"2022-01-26 14:00:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237029","name":"Kim Cobb by GT.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20by%20GT.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20by%20GT.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9532,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim%20Cobb%20by%20GT.jpg?itok=gXzEYsCM"}},"391651":{"id":"391651","type":"image","title":"Hanjoong Jo","body":null,"created":"1449246312","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:25:12","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Hanjoong Jo","file":{"fid":"75562","name":"hjoemory-300x235.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hjoemory-300x235.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hjoemory-300x235.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":84070,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hjoemory-300x235.jpg?itok=ldIKPpoh"}},"654772":{"id":"654772","type":"image","title":"Carlos A. R. Sa de Melo","body":null,"created":"1643151888","gmt_created":"2022-01-25 23:04:48","changed":"1643151910","gmt_changed":"2022-01-25 23:05:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248295","name":"sademelo-large.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sademelo-large.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sademelo-large.png","mime":"image\/png","size":81062,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sademelo-large.png?itok=xX6N2mJ-"}}},"media_ids":["654770","622315","391651","654772"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/aaas-honors-outstanding-scientific-contributors-2021-aaas-fellows","title":"AAAS Honors Outstanding Scientific Contributors as 2021 AAAS Fellows"},{"url":"https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/news\/jo-elevated-aaas-fellow","title":"Jo Elevated to AAAS Fellow"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/ladies-and-gentlemen-academies","title":"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Academies"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/lozier-elected-american-academy-arts-and-sciences","title":"Lozier Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences"},{"url":"https:\/\/cobblab.eas.gatech.edu\/","title":"Kim Cobb\u0027s Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/carlos-sa-de-melo","title":"Carlos Sa de Melo"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.jolabwebpage.com\/","title":"Jo Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"565971","name":"Ocean Science and Engineering (OSE)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"33791","name":"kim cobb"},{"id":"189801","name":"carlos sa de melo"},{"id":"10287","name":"Hanjoong Jo"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1629","name":"AAAS"},{"id":"11718","name":"AAAS Fellow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\njess@cos.gatech.edu\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n+1 (404) 385-5207\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology \u0026amp; Emory University\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\njstewart@gatech.edu\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n+1 (404) 385-2416\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"654179":{"#nid":"654179","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dipping a Toe in Jupiter\u2019s Atmospheric \u2018Oceans\u2019 and Polar Cyclones","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPress release led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\/news\/ocean-physics-explain-cyclones-jupiter-0\u0022\u003EScripps Institution of Oceanography\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHurtling around Jupiter and its 79 moons is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/juno\/main\/index.html\u0022\u003EJuno spacecraft\u003C\/a\u003E, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u003C\/a\u003E-funded satellite that sends images from the largest planet in our solar system back to researchers on Earth. These photographs have given oceanographers \u0026mdash; including a professor with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; the raw materials for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41567-021-01458-y\u0022\u003Ea new study published today\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethat describes the rich turbulence at Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s poles and the physical forces that drive the large cyclones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026#39;s really the first modern mission to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter,\u0026rdquo; says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/bracco-dr-annalisa\u0022\u003EAnnalisa Bracco\u003C\/a\u003E, who studies ocean and climate dynamics and is one of 11 scientists who contributed to the study. \u0026ldquo;Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s poles were never observed before with this clarity. We had no idea that there were cyclones organized in structures, with a central one and five or seven around it. I think so far some key discoveries are related to the structure of Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s lead author,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lsiegelman.com\/\u0022\u003ELia Siegelman\u003C\/a\u003E, a physical oceanographer and postdoctoral scholar at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\/\u0022\u003EScripps Institution of Oceanography\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ucsd.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of California San Diego\u003C\/a\u003E, decided to pursue the research after noticing that the cyclones at Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s pole seem to share similarities with ocean vortices she studied during her time as a Ph.D. student. Using an array of these images and principles used in geophysical fluid dynamics, Siegelman, Bracco, and their colleagues provided evidence for a longtime hypothesis that moist convection \u0026mdash; when hotter, less dense air rises \u0026mdash; drives these cyclones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When I saw the richness of the turbulence around the Jovian cyclones with all the filaments and smaller eddies, it reminded me of the turbulence you see in the ocean around eddies,\u0026rdquo; Siegelman says. \u0026ldquo;These are especially evident on high-resolution satellite images of plankton blooms, for example.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Siegelman and Bracco, the study\u0026rsquo;s collaborators include scientists from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ucsd.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of California San Diego\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caltech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECalifornia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, and Italy\u0026rsquo;s main space sciences research organization,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.iaps.inaf.it\/\u0022\u003EIstituto Nazionale di AstroFisica \u0026mdash; Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA last-minute invite to Rome to study Jupiter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo years after Juno arrived at the Jovian system in 2016, Bracco was in Rome for a meeting with the researcher who led the development of the infrared imaging equipment and spectrometers onboard the NASA spacecraft. \u0026ldquo;I was not supposed to be at that small meeting, but someone who was invited could not make it and asked me to take his place at the last minute,\u0026rdquo; Bracco says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was then that she saw some early images from Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s poles and was asked how eddies \u0026mdash; circular currents of water \u0026mdash; could form there. \u0026ldquo;I noticed that the characteristics of the turbulence looked like the kind we see at the ocean\u0026#39;s surface on Earth. I had my computer and was able to pull up a couple of figures obtained with the models I run for the ocean.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBracco, the Juno imaging researcher, and other colleagues published\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2019JE006098\u0022\u003Eresearch\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2020 based on those early findings, \u0026ldquo;making that connection and the hypothesis that something similar to the so-called submesoscale (eddies) turbulence observed in the ocean was at work also on Jupiter.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBracco says Siegelman was able to prove that hypothesis with in-depth analysis of more recent Juno data and has since shown that the turbulence on Jupiter transfers energy to the larger cyclones \u0026ldquo;that are very stable, and most likely very deep. In other words, the density structure of the Jupiter atmosphere must resemble that of the ocean with a \u0026#39;mixed-layer\u0026#39; on top and a much deep and denser layer underneath. The large cyclones reach or occupy the layer underneath, the \u0026#39;smaller\u0026#39; turbulence does not and is convective,\u0026rdquo; or transfers heat via fluid motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Jovian-Earth connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESiegelman says that understanding Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s energy system, a scale much larger than Earth\u0026rsquo;s, could also help us understand the physical mechanisms at play on our own planet by highlighting some energy routes that could also exist on Earth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;To be able to study a planet that is so far away and find physics that apply there is fascinating,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;It begs the question, do these processes also hold true for our own blue dot?\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJuno is the first spacecraft to capture images of Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s poles. Previous satellites orbited the equatorial region of the planet, providing views of the planet\u0026rsquo;s famed Red Spot. In addition to the infrared camera systems that provided the data Bracco saw in Rome in 2018, Juno is also equipped with a system for visible light images.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESiegelman and colleagues analyzed an array of infrared images capturing Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s north polar region, and in particular the polar vortex cluster. From the images, the researchers could calculate wind speed and direction by tracking the movement of the clouds between images. Next, the team interpreted infrared images in terms of cloud thickness. Hot regions correspond to thin clouds, where it is possible to see deeper into Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere. Cold regions represent thick cloud cover, blanketing Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese findings gave the researchers clues on the energy of the system. Since Jovian clouds are formed when hotter, less dense air rises, the researchers found that the rapidly rising air within clouds acts as an energy source that feeds larger scales up to the large circumpolar and polar cyclones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJuno provides scientists with the first look at these large polar cyclones, which have a radius of about 1,000 km (roughly 620 miles.) There are eight of these cyclones occurring at Jupiter\u0026rsquo;s north pole, and five at its south pole. These storms have been present since Juno started sending back images five years ago. Researchers are unsure how they originated or for how long they have been circulating, but they now know that moist convection is what sustains them. Researchers first hypothesized this energy transfer after observing lightning in storms on Jupiter.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJuno will continue orbiting Jupiter until 2025, providing researchers and the public alike with novel images of the planet and its extensive lunar system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESiegelman\u0026rsquo;s work is funded through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\/postdocs\/program\u0022\u003EScripps Institution of Oceanography Postdoctoral Program\u003C\/a\u003E. Other funding organizations for the study include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL\u003C\/a\u003E), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation (NSF)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asi.it\/en\/\u0022\u003EAgenzia Spaziale Italiana (Italian Space Agency)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI: \u003C\/strong\u003E10.1038\/s41567-021-01458-y\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New NASA satellite images of polar cyclones on Jupiter are helping Annalisa Bracco and a network of fellow scientists understand the forces and fluid dynamics that drive these unique weather patterns."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe same forces that create circular eddies of water in Earth\u0026#39;s oceans are also producing giant atmospheric systems of vortices along Jupiter\u0026#39;s poles, according to new research from an international team of scientists that includes Annalisa Bracco, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New NASA satellite images of polar cyclones on Jupiter are helping Annalisa Bracco and a network of fellow scientists understand the forces and fluid dynamics that drive these unique weather patterns."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-01-07 20:49:02","changed_gmt":"2022-01-10 16:41:14","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"654207":{"id":"654207","type":"image","title":"Enhanced Image by Gerald Eichst\u00e4dt and Sean Doran (CC BY-NC-SA)\/NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SwRI\/MSSS","body":null,"created":"1641832616","gmt_created":"2022-01-10 16:36:56","changed":"1641832616","gmt_changed":"2022-01-10 16:36:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248133","name":"IMG_Jan52022at100452AM.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_Jan52022at100452AM.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_Jan52022at100452AM.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":102203,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_Jan52022at100452AM.jpg?itok=A88Df9YQ"}},"654181":{"id":"654181","type":"image","title":"Circular currents, or vortices, in Jupiter\u0027s atmosphere taken by the Juno spacecraft. (Photo NASA)","body":null,"created":"1641589123","gmt_created":"2022-01-07 20:58:43","changed":"1641589123","gmt_changed":"2022-01-07 20:58:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248120","name":"juno eddies.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/juno%20eddies.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/juno%20eddies.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1393575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/juno%20eddies.jpeg?itok=orNlbL4W"}},"654184":{"id":"654184","type":"image","title":"The Juno spacecraft arrived in the Jovian system in 2016. (Illustration NASA)","body":null,"created":"1641589393","gmt_created":"2022-01-07 21:03:13","changed":"1641589393","gmt_changed":"2022-01-07 21:03:13","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248122","name":"Juno spacecraft.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Juno%20spacecraft.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Juno%20spacecraft.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":546198,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Juno%20spacecraft.jpg?itok=8hIoPEp6"}},"654183":{"id":"654183","type":"image","title":"Eddies, circular currents of water, seen in Earth\u0027s Southern Ocean near Antarctica. (Photo NASA)","body":null,"created":"1641589287","gmt_created":"2022-01-07 21:01:27","changed":"1641589287","gmt_changed":"2022-01-07 21:01:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248121","name":"southernocea.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/southernocea.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/southernocea.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":140366,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/southernocea.jpeg?itok=pJP7cYWP"}},"638117":{"id":"638117","type":"image","title":"Annalisa Bracco","body":null,"created":"1597869883","gmt_created":"2020-08-19 20:44:43","changed":"1597869883","gmt_changed":"2020-08-19 20:44:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"242691","name":"Annalisa Bracco headshot 2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Annalisa%20Bracco%20headshot%202.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Annalisa%20Bracco%20headshot%202.png","mime":"image\/png","size":149029,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Annalisa%20Bracco%20headshot%202.png?itok=sdfiiGW4"}}},"media_ids":["654207","654181","654184","654183","638117"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/using-data-mining-make-sense-climate-change","title":"Using Data Mining to Make Sense of Climate Change"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/making-earth-system-models-match-speed-climate-change","title":"Making Earth System Models That Match the Speed of Climate Change"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/finding-and-connecting-ocean-ecoregions-find-and-conserve-marine-species","title":"Finding and Connecting Ocean Ecoregions \u2014 to Find and Conserve Marine Species"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/earth-and-atmospheric-sciences-students-offer-colorful-deep-ocean-adventures-younger-generation","title":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Students Offer Colorful Deep Ocean Adventures for Younger Generation"},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/annalisabracco\/","title":"Ocean and Climate @GT (Annalisa Bracco\u0027s Lab)"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"171968","name":"Annalisa Bracco"},{"id":"11219","name":"Jupiter"},{"id":"189648","name":"vortices"},{"id":"189649","name":"Jovian atmosphere"},{"id":"2584","name":"fluid dynamics"},{"id":"189650","name":"Jovian cyclones"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPress and Media: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scripps.ucsd.edu\/news\/contact-us\u0022\u003EScripps Communication Office\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech contact:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nRenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEditor: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653818":{"#nid":"653818","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Focus on Fossils: Paleobiologists to Unearth Ancient Megafauna in East Africa, Forecast How Humans and Climate Affect Wildlife","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/jmcguire\u0022\u003EJenny McGuire\u003C\/a\u003E plans to use the late Cenozoic fossil record in Africa \u0026mdash; a span of 7.5 million years \u0026mdash; to study the long-term relationships between animals, their traits, and how they respond to changes in their environments. The goal is to use the data to forecast future changes and help inform conservation biology decisions for the continent.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire, an assistant professor with joint appointments in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, and her \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mcguire.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpatial Ecology \u0026amp; Paleontology Lab\u003C\/a\u003E are teaming up with an international cohort of researchers for the effort, which includes scientists from Texas A\u0026amp;M University, University of Cambridge, and the National Museums of Kenya. The work is jointly funded by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E (US NSF) and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nerc.ukri.org\/\u0022\u003ENational Environment Research Council\u003C\/a\u003E (NERC), part of UK Research \u0026amp; Innovation (UKRI), a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organizations, businesses, charities and government \u0026ldquo;to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire says the team hopes to learn more about which functional traits vertebrates (animals with backbones) have that closely relate to shifting factors at a given location like temperature, rain and other precipitation, and their natural environment \u0026mdash; and how those changes have occurred as environments and humans evolved.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Community-level trait calculations correlate with specific environmental conditions,\u0026rdquo; McGuire says. \u0026ldquo;For example, in places or times when there is less precipitation, mammal communities overall will have more robust, rugged, resistant teeth. And the ankle gear ratios of mammals living in open versus more enclosed habitats reflect this condition, since animals living in more open habitats typically need to run faster.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire says Africa offers a crucial natural laboratory for these types of conservation paleobiological studies, noting a rich, well-sampled fossil record. The continent is also home to a diverse range of vertebrate ecosystems, including the most complete natural community of remaining terrestrial megafauna: large animals that include the \u0026ldquo;big five\u0026rdquo; of Africa \u0026mdash; elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and large bovines like wildebeests, antelopes, and water buffaloes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Critically, these megafauna are facing increasing pressures from global economic demands leading to habitat loss, as well as from changing climates,\u0026rdquo; McGuire shares.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eccb.tamu.edu\/people\/lawing-a-michelle\/\u0022\u003EMichelle Lawing\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eccb.tamu.edu\/\u0022\u003ETexas A\u0026amp;M\u0026rsquo;s Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology\u003C\/a\u003E, is the lead institution principal investigator for the project, and McGuire is the collaborating institution\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/article\/dr-fredrick-kyalo-manthi-paleontologist-national-museums-kenya\/\u0022\u003EFredrick Kyalo Manthi\u003C\/a\u003E, co-principal investigator, is director of Antiquities, Sites, and Monuments and a senior research scientist in the Department of Earth Sciences at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.museums.or.ke\/\u0022\u003ENational Museums of Kenya\u003C\/a\u003E in Nairobi.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.zoo.cam.ac.uk\/directory\/dr-jason-head\u0022\u003EJason Head\u003C\/a\u003E, NERC principal investigator, is a professor in the Department of Zoology at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cam.ac.uk\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Cambridge.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResponding to changing climates and environments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERelated research into how communities have evolved over time, and how they\u0026rsquo;ve been impacted by terrain, animal migration, and climate change, has taken McGuire to Wyoming\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/bica\/learn\/nature\/natural-trap-cave.htm\u0022\u003ENatural Trap Cave\u003C\/a\u003E for five of the past seven summers. There, the so-called \u0026ldquo;pit\u0026rdquo; or sinkhole cave trapped animals for millennia, leaving only their bones and other fossils remaining to tell their stories to McGuire and fellow researchers about life there more than 35,000 years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What we\u0026rsquo;re really looking at is how communities shift across the landscape,\u0026rdquo; McGuire shared in an earlier \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/season-1-episode-2-can-lessons-fossils-guide-earths-future\u0022\u003Einterview\u003C\/a\u003E about the work. \u0026ldquo;So, if we have glaciers that are coming really far south in North America, how does that drive the distributions of species on the landscape and where they\u0026rsquo;re living, and whether or not there\u0026rsquo;s new communities or total remixing of communities, or if communities just shift in a uniform way?\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re really trying to understand how animals respond to changing climate and changing environments, so that we can get a better sense of how they\u0026rsquo;ll respond to increased warming and climate change that\u0026rsquo;s occurring today.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPositive trait to environment relationships \u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;and a negative one\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to an example of a good trait-environment relationship involving animals, McGuire cites the role that elephants play in Africa \u0026mdash; something mastodons also did in North America before their extinction.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Elephants help maintain savanna habitats,\u0026rdquo; McGuire says, referring to the giants\u0026rsquo; relationships with Africa\u0026rsquo;s grassland regions. \u0026ldquo;They control trees along the perimeters of forests, preventing them from expanding into, and taking over, savanna habitats.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, in ancient North American ecosystems, the loss of the mammoth, along with climate change, is thought to have resulted in the loss of the mammoth steppe ecosystem, \u0026ldquo;a no-analog, widespread Arctic shrubland that went extinct as a biome (a community of plants and animals) around the time of North American megafauna extinction,\u0026rdquo; McGuire says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe new project\u0026rsquo;s outreach efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe US NSF and UK NERC funding for the project also includes student outreach and mentoring for early career academics. The project\u0026rsquo;s broader impact goals include measures to support inclusivity and diversity in science, high-impact training experiences for students and postdoctoral researchers, application of the researcher\u0026rsquo;s modeling framework for applied conservation, and meaningful engagement with the public.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This international collaborative project will also help train both Kenyan and American (and) European students, thus establishing another generation of researchers,\u0026rdquo; National Museums of Kenya\u0026rsquo;s Fredrick Kyalo Manthi says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We plan to pair travel and research objectives with workshops so that workshop students get to directly participate in research, and serve as co-authors on projects as appropriate,\u0026rdquo; McGuire adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E***\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding: \u003C\/strong\u003ENSFDEB-NERC Award \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2124770\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E#2124770\u003C\/a\u003E; NSF CAREER Award \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=1655898\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E#1945013\u003C\/a\u003E; International Union of Biological Sciences: Conservation Paleobiology in Africa Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E***\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"International research spanning Georgia Tech, Texas A\u0026M, University of Cambridge, and the National Museums of Kenya seeks to understand how wildlife trait-environment relationships in East Africa have changed over time."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn new research with the National Science Foundation and the National Environment Research Council, Jenny McGuire will study the fossil record in Africa to inform conservation biology decisions and forecast how humans and climate affect wildlife. The study will build a better understanding between the continent\u0026rsquo;s animals, physical traits developed over time, and their relationships and responses to environmental changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jenny McGuire will study Africa\u0027s fossil record to inform conservation biology decisions and forecast how humans and climate affect wildlife \u2014 building a better understanding between animals, physical traits over time, response to environmental changes."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-12-17 18:29:15","changed_gmt":"2021-12-23 22:34:14","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653925":{"id":"653925","type":"image","title":"Africa is home to a diverse range of vertebrate ecosystems, including the most complete natural community of remaining terrestrial megafauna. 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(Photo: Jess Hunt-Ralston)","body":null,"created":"1640281079","gmt_created":"2021-12-23 17:37:59","changed":"1640281079","gmt_changed":"2021-12-23 17:37:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248052","name":"South Luangwa Valley giraffe - puku - Crawshays zebra .jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/South%20Luangwa%20Valley%20giraffe%20-%20puku%20-%20Crawshays%20zebra%20.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/South%20Luangwa%20Valley%20giraffe%20-%20puku%20-%20Crawshays%20zebra%20.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":805200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/South%20Luangwa%20Valley%20giraffe%20-%20puku%20-%20Crawshays%20zebra%20.jpg?itok=3nrHZWiL"}},"653919":{"id":"653919","type":"image","title":"Jenny McGuire rappels into Natural Trap Cave in northern Wyoming. (Photo: Jess Hunt-Ralston)","body":null,"created":"1640279162","gmt_created":"2021-12-23 17:06:02","changed":"1640279162","gmt_changed":"2021-12-23 17:06:02","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248050","name":"Natural Trap Cave Wyoming Fossils Georgia Tech Research.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1319367,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research.jpg?itok=mm8TSRgM"}},"653920":{"id":"653920","type":"image","title":"This past summer, Jenny McGuire (right) and her Spatial Ecology \u0026 Paleontology Lab joined functional paleoecologist Julie Meachen of Des Moines University (second from left) and colleagues in studying Natural Trap Cave fossils. (Photo: Jess Hunt-Ralston)","body":null,"created":"1640279717","gmt_created":"2021-12-23 17:15:17","changed":"1640280904","gmt_changed":"2021-12-23 17:35:04","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248051","name":"Natural Trap Cave Wyoming Fossils Georgia Tech Research 2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research%202.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research%202.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":698732,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Natural%20Trap%20Cave%20Wyoming%20Fossils%20Georgia%20Tech%20Research%202.jpg?itok=Ysmt3TfH"}}},"media_ids":["653925","653922","632196","653923","653924","653921","653919","653920"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/season-1-episode-2-can-lessons-fossils-guide-earths-future","title":"ScienceMatters Season 1, Episode 2: Can Lessons from Fossils Guide Earth\u2019s Future?"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/survival-smallest-georgia-tech-researchers-uncover-unequal-effects-human-activity-mammals","title":"Survival of the Smallest: Georgia Tech Researchers Uncover Unequal Effects of Human Activity on Mammals"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/jenny-mcguire-lutz-warnke-receive-nsf-career-awards","title":"Jenny McGuire, Lutz Warnke Receive NSF CAREER Awards"},{"url":"https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/638309\/fossil-pollen-record-suggests-vulnerability-mass-extinction-ahead","title":"Fossil Pollen Record Suggests Vulnerability to Mass Extinction Ahead"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"168746","name":"Jenny McGuire"},{"id":"861","name":"Africa"},{"id":"189587","name":"megafauna"},{"id":"189588","name":"trait-environment relationships"},{"id":"189589","name":"Cenozoic"},{"id":"168745","name":"fossils"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor and Media Contact: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653688":{"#nid":"653688","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Air Flow Key to Ensuring Black Soldier Fly Larvae Thrive as a Sustainable Food Source","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBlack soldier fly larvae devour food waste and other organic matter and are made of 60% protein, making them an attractive sustainable food source in agriculture. But increasingly, black soldier larvae are dying before they reach livestock facilities as animal feed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, recognizing the culprit is the collective heat generated when the maggots eat in crowded conditions, have found that delivering the right amount of airflow could help solve the overheating issue. Their findings were published this month in \u003Cem\u003EFrontiers in Physics\u003C\/em\u003E as part of a special issue on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/research-topics\/16040\/physics-of-social-interactions#articles\u0022\u003E\u0026ldquo;Physics of Social Interactions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Black soldier fly larvae are widely used in an emerging food-recycling industry. The idea is to feed the larvae with food waste and then turn them into chicken feed,\u0026rdquo; explained first author Hungtang Ko, a Ph.D. student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;These larvae make a great candidate for this process because they eat just about everything.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach year humans waste more than one billion tons of food, or a third of all food production, and many countries are running out of options for disposing of this waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe larvae thrive in and around compost piles, where their larvae help break down organic material, from rotten produce to animal remains and manure. Black soldier fly larvae commonly grow to about 1,000 times their size, noted David Hu, professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like going from the size of a person to the size of a big truck,\u0026rdquo; he said of the larvae\u0026rsquo;s growth from eggs to adults.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHu has appeared on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencefriday.com\/videos\/the-very-hungry-maggot\/\u0022\u003EScience Friday\u003C\/a\u003E graphically showing the voracious appetite of black soldier fly larvae, which can eat twice their body mass in food per day. But when these maggots feed while tightly packed in container bins, they generate metabolic heat that collectively can turn lethal for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAir Flow Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKo and Hu collaborated with Daniel Goldman, Dunn Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, to set up the experiments. Goldman uses fluidized beds \u0026mdash;widely used in industrial applications like oil refining \u2015 to control properties of granular media in animal and robot locomotion studies. Fluidized beds operate by forcing a vertical flow of fluid through a collection of particulate matter; above a certain flow rate, the grains transition from a solid pile to a fluid-like arrangement, where they collide and jostle. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers placed the larvae in a container subjected to regular air flow at a consistent temperature. They then attached a leaf blower to supply air flow into the chamber, manually ramping up and down the air speed in five-minute trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the larvae\u0026rsquo;s constant activity, the collectives\u0026rsquo; behavior under air fluidization differs from what is observed in traditional fluidized beds: larvae were un-jammable when air flow became low. Instead, they behave like a fluid that adapted and adjusted to external forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;An interesting aspect of this work is that it probes a regime of \u0026lsquo;active matter,\u0026rsquo; which has received less attention from physicists: Instead of 3D swarms composed of widely separated, non-colliding flying birds and insects, our `swarm\u0026rsquo; exists in another regime, where animals are packed tightly together,\u0026rdquo; Goldman said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a second experiment, the team used x-ray imaging and constant air speed to see how fast larvae eat. Specifically, Ko measured the average velocity and pressure of the larvae, as well as how much food they ate under various airflow speeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As you continue to increase the flow, you\u0026rsquo;ll reach a point where all the larvae are flying [through the air]. The airflow is too fast, and they won\u0026rsquo;t eat well,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOptimal air velocity will ensure the larvae are cooled off properly and can still feed effectively. \u0026ldquo;Probing optimal flow velocity will be a good next step. Also, from an engineering perspective, we need to consider other ways that we can cool the larvae down, including using heat transfer,\u0026rdquo; he added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe results indicated that as larvae are agitated by rapid flows, the insects are more likely to be suspended in mid-air without contacting the food, suggesting that a moderate flow rate would be optimal for feeding dense groups of larvae.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope this work will enable black soldier fly larvae to be more readily available as recyclers of food waste, which totals \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/i2697e\/i2697e.pdf\u0022\u003E1.3 billion tons per year\u003C\/a\u003E, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. But just as important is the potential of these protein-rich insects to reduce the carbon effects of feeding animals. Global food production contributes more than 17 billion metric tons of human-made greenhouse gas emissions every year, according to a study published in September in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43016-021-00358-x.epdf?sharing_token=a9WGYTrpVJmPNPwPp3aKEdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0P5hJzOufiwVEu0osAOLG2L7YmizCBD0QPnXzpZvdgVd8KgbSSsvW_RoDgCorMiMSUv5VsbbEOU6ZYIpYAX3-2-kel3Sgpg1HgOMHI8JuP5TWIqO3TadXe-jyiimgh5Xpd6T1lmwfZH3PgqnWjgTK-jpxERnAZvCtZbZAb94uBkpE7U8BkVdyYHwTWkC_81EwSOgCXM3-GeQVXdw5qe9SuKYf4wT5__DSc-vxmqHMqCpYPjfJnS4iPoNqN-T50fViWfYLR5MHF_yokwfMfAbrGf\u0026amp;tracking_referrer=www.scientificamerican.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Food\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Animal-based foods produce more than twice the emissions of plant-based food, the study found.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026#39;s no sustainable protein source for the animals that we eat,\u0026rdquo; noted Ko. \u0026ldquo;The black soldier fly larvae could play a role in reducing the environmental impact of feeding these animals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E H. Ko, et. all,\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;Air-Fluidized Aggregates of Black Soldier Fly Larvae,\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;(\u003Cem\u003EFrontiers in Physics,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E2021) https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fphy.2021.734447\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBlack soldier fly larvae devour food waste and other organic matter and are made of 60% protein, making them an attractive sustainable food source in agriculture. But increasingly, larvae are dying before they reach livestock facilities as feed. Georgia Tech researchers provide insights into how this insect superfood can be raised and fed in dense groups without overheating.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech research provides insights into how this insect superfood can be raised and fed in dense groups without overheating "}],"uid":"34602","created_gmt":"2021-12-14 17:47:56","changed_gmt":"2021-12-20 17:54:26","author":"Georgia Parmelee","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653685":{"id":"653685","type":"image","title":"Black soldier fly larvae.","body":null,"created":"1639503698","gmt_created":"2021-12-14 17:41:38","changed":"1639511498","gmt_changed":"2021-12-14 19:51:38","alt":"Living larvae inside the apparatus between fluidization experiments at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Physics\u2019 Howey Physics building. (Photo credit: Grace Cassidy, Georgia Tech)","file":{"fid":"247954","name":"Photo 1 - Larvae image[78].jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Larvae%20image%5B78%5D.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Larvae%20image%5B78%5D.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":234331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%201%20-%20Larvae%20image%5B78%5D.jpg?itok=8WfNAyoz"}},"653686":{"id":"653686","type":"image","title":"Hungtang Ko, first author of the study.","body":null,"created":"1639503749","gmt_created":"2021-12-14 17:42:29","changed":"1639511428","gmt_changed":"2021-12-14 19:50:28","alt":"Hungtang Ko headshot","file":{"fid":"247955","name":"Photo 2 - Hungtang Ko[2].jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20Hungtang%20Ko%5B2%5D.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20Hungtang%20Ko%5B2%5D.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":93388,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%202%20-%20Hungtang%20Ko%5B2%5D.jpg?itok=KLS94JPW"}}},"media_ids":["653685","653686"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/asargent7@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["asargent7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653725":{"#nid":"653725","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dupuis Selected as Benjamin Franklin Medal Recipient","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERussell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. He and his fellow laureates will be honored for their achievements during The Franklin Institute Awards Week, to be held May 2-5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow in its 197th year, The Franklin Institute Awards Program pays tribute to its namesake and America\u0026rsquo;s first citizen scientist, Benjamin Franklin, by honoring 13 individuals for their extraordinary achievements in science, engineering, and business leadership. This awards program is the oldest comprehensive science and technology awards program in the United States and has recognized more than 2,000 of the most pioneering scientists, engineers, inventors, and innovators from across the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis is being honored for pioneering the technology known as MOCVD (metalorganic chemical vapor deposition). This technology provides the materials quality and ultra-precision required for many device components central to modern life, including LEDS, transistors, lasers, and high-performance solar cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHis contributions to the development of MOCVD are among the most significant contributions made in the growth of semiconductor devices in the last 40 years. His work on the understanding and improvement of the MOCVD process was the key development that led to the demonstration of the first MOCVD-grown III-V compound semiconductor heterostructure solar cells, injection lasers, the first CW room-temperature quantum-well lasers grown by any materials technology, and the demonstration of high-reliability MOCVD lasers. These important achievements have had a great impact on the efficient use of energy in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has been a faculty member in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Georgia Tech since 2003. He holds the Steve W. Chaddick Endowed Chair in Electro-Optics and is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. Dupuis also leads the Center for Compound Semiconductors. Prior to his arrival at Tech, he was a chaired professor at the University of Texas at Austin and worked at Texas Instruments, Rockwell International, and AT\u0026amp;T Bell Laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has received several major honors in the last six years. Earlier this year, he and four of his colleagues were awarded the 2021 Queen Elizabeth Prize in Engineering for the creation and development of LED lighting. In 2019, Dupuis was honored with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMaterials Today\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Innovation Award for his development of the MOCVD technology and seminal contributions to compound semiconductor materials and devices. In 2015, he was one of five pioneers to receive the Draper Prize for Engineering in recognition of the significant benefit to society created by the initial development and commercialization of LED technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has also been recognized\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;the IEEE Edison Medal and as a Fellow of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;IEEE, OSA, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EECE Professor Russell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. He and his fellow laureates will be honored for their achievements during The Franklin Institute Awards Week, to be held May 2-5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ECE Professor Russell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. "}],"uid":"27241","created_gmt":"2021-12-15 20:46:52","changed_gmt":"2021-12-20 16:30:58","author":"Jackie Nemeth","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"361591":{"id":"361591","type":"image","title":"Russell Dupuis","body":null,"created":"1449245782","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:22","changed":"1475895098","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:38","alt":"Russell Dupuis","file":{"fid":"201574","name":"drrusselldupuis-rgb-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5161777,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg?itok=ZdC_0bql"}}},"media_ids":["361591"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/russell-dean-dupuis","title":"Russell Dupuis"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech"},{"url":"http:\/\/gra.org","title":"Georgia Research Alliance"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.fi.edu\/awards","title":"The Franklin Institute Awards"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.fi.edu","title":"The Franklin Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2461","name":"Russell Dupuis"},{"id":"276","name":"Awards"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"166855","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"12065","name":"Center for Compound Semiconductors"},{"id":"189538","name":"Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering"},{"id":"189539","name":"The Franklin Institute"},{"id":"173144","name":"MOCVD"},{"id":"14280","name":"LEDs"},{"id":"7528","name":"transistors"},{"id":"10652","name":"lasers"},{"id":"189540","name":"high-performance solar cells"},{"id":"1464","name":"Georgia Research Alliance"},{"id":"180173","name":"Led Lighting"},{"id":"189541","name":"semiconductor materials and devices"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJackie Nemeth\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-894-2906\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653111":{"#nid":"653111","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Future of Space Exploration","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost engineers and scientists agree that this an extremely exciting and busy time to be working in the space industry. Several new things are happening above the Earth\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere. Tourists can now pay private companies for a short trip to space, private industry is developing spacecraft for NASA missions, and a robotic helicopter is currently exploring Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENASA and private companies also have their sights set on the moon. NASA\u0026rsquo;s Artemis program has a goal of landing humans on the moon in 2025 to begin building a base camp. This long-term human presence on the lunar surface will help NASA prepare for human space exploration missions of greater distance and duration, including an eventual crewed flight to Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAcademic research institutions are also playing a role in lunar exploration. Georgia Tech students and faculty are building \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2021\/07\/search-lunar-ice\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELunar Flashlight\u003C\/a\u003E, a small satellite that will orbit the moon and search for lunar ice. The joint effort in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE School)\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is expected to launch in 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAE School assistant professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/people\/koki-ho\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKoki Ho \u003C\/a\u003Eworks on the development of mathematical theories and their application to space mission analysis, design, and optimization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the big questions currently being investigated is how humans may be able to use resources from the moon in future missions,\u0026rdquo; said Ho. \u0026ldquo;For instance, can lunar ice be converted to drinking water or to make rocket fuel? If so, new processes such as these will play a role in the design of future space missions and spacecraft. They would allow humans to pick up resources from the moon on the way to Mars.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to utilizing lunar resources, there are other challenges to overcome if people will someday have extended stays on the moon. For more than 20 years, NASA has had a safe, continuous human presence 240 miles above Earth on the International Space Station. The moon, however, is 244,000 miles away from the planet. If an emergency occurred on the moon and astronauts needed to abort a mission, it would take them at least 3 days to return home, as compared to the few hours it currently takes to travel between the ISS and Earth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The role of autonomy is going to be really important, and the spacecraft and life support systems will have to manage themselves at a greater level than what we have now,\u0026rdquo; said former NASA astronaut \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/sandra-magnus\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESandy Magnus\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of the practice at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;Currently an army of folks in mission control on Earth track a host of system functions. But if you can build good autonomous systems, they will track themselves.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMagnus explains that these challenges and new technologies facing NASA will require multidisciplinary expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s not just you have an avionics problem, or a thermal problem, or a materials problem,\u0026rdquo; said Magnus, who received her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E in 1996. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s normally much more complex than that. Therefore, I think one of the strengths that Georgia Tech brings to the whole enterprise is the fact that its campus has a lot of cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary research.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHo agrees, noting that the collaborative nature on campus that brings together a multitude of expertise areas creates expanded opportunities for faculty and student collaboration.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is what makes Georgia Tech unique,\u0026rdquo; said Ho. \u0026ldquo;This is the most collaborative environment that I\u0026rsquo;ve been a part of in my research career. And with this collaboration, a team of research labs can develop something more ambitious than what one professor can achieve.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce they graduate, many aerospace students find their first jobs at\u0026nbsp;NASA, SpaceX, or companies contracted to build spacecraft, such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/people\/stephen-m-ruffin\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStephen Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E, associate chair for undergraduate programs in the AE School, says the School\u0026rsquo;s academic program prepares students well. Another key part of their success is what the students do outside of the traditional classroom in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s makerspaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Many of our students are involved in design-build-fly activities such as design competitions where they analyze and build various aerospace systems, then compete against teams at other universities,\u0026rdquo; said Ruffin. \u0026ldquo;Our students are graduating with an understanding of the science associated with these technologies, while also getting a real hands-on understanding of how you actually manufacture these systems and how you ensure robustness in these systems.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs engineers develop and test new strategies that could bring Americans back to the moon and beyond, researchers in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E are wondering about potential life elsewhere in the solar system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Discovering life beyond Earth would fundamentally change humanity\u0026rsquo;s perspective on our place in the universe,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E associate professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Integrating astrobiology \u0026ndash; the search of life in the universe \u0026ndash; into space missions in order to know if and when we detect life on other planetary bodies, including exoplanets, is an exciting challenge currently underway.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERuffin adds that continuing to push the boundaries beyond Earth will spur new technologies and industries that will benefit society, while helping the U.S. maintain its lead in the space arena.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Going to the moon and Mars will allow for amazing science to be conducted,\u0026rdquo; said Ruffin. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ll be able to learn more about the history of our solar system, understand what\u0026rsquo;s happening to our planets, and create a better world for us here on Earth.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech points to what\u2019s next, and how the Institute will contribute"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech points to what\u0026rsquo;s next, and how the Institute will contribute. \u0026ldquo;Discovering life beyond Earth would fundamentally change humanity\u0026rsquo;s perspective on our place in the universe,\u0026rdquo; says Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0026#39; Jennifer Glass. \u0026ldquo;Integrating astrobiology \u0026ndash; the search of life in the universe \u0026ndash; into space missions in order to know if and when we detect life on other planetary bodies, including exoplanets, is an exciting challenge currently underway.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech points to what\u2019s next, and how the Institute will contribute. \u201cDiscovering life beyond Earth would fundamentally change humanity\u2019s perspective on our place in the universe,\u201d says Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027 Jennifer Glass."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2021-11-23 18:14:54","changed_gmt":"2021-11-30 21:00:19","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653117":{"id":"653117","type":"image","title":"The Future of Space Exploration","body":null,"created":"1637695488","gmt_created":"2021-11-23 19:24:48","changed":"1637695488","gmt_changed":"2021-11-23 19:24:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247733","name":"header.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/header.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/header.png","mime":"image\/png","size":349681,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/header.png?itok=BYWXimwl"}},"653118":{"id":"653118","type":"image","title":"The Space Launch System (SLS), will send people to the moon. The SLS is designed to send humans to Mars one day. (courtesy: NASA)","body":null,"created":"1637695520","gmt_created":"2021-11-23 19:25:20","changed":"1637695520","gmt_changed":"2021-11-23 19:25:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247734","name":"rocket_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rocket_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rocket_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":28352,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rocket_0.jpg?itok=3LbUILsE"}},"653120":{"id":"653120","type":"image","title":"Astronauts will live in a spaceship called Gateway that orbits the moon. (courtesy: NASA)","body":null,"created":"1637695545","gmt_created":"2021-11-23 19:25:45","changed":"1637695545","gmt_changed":"2021-11-23 19:25:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247735","name":"gateway_banner_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gateway_banner_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gateway_banner_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104196,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gateway_banner_0.jpg?itok=PqhoZQfd"}},"653121":{"id":"653121","type":"image","title":"NASA plans to send humans to Mars by the end of the 2030s. (courtesy: NASA)","body":null,"created":"1637695583","gmt_created":"2021-11-23 19:26:23","changed":"1637695583","gmt_changed":"2021-11-23 19:26:23","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247736","name":"mars_7_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40344,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mars_7_0.jpg?itok=K5XS9DTA"}},"653116":{"id":"653116","type":"image","title":"Koki Ho, Stephen Ruffin, and Jennifer Glass","body":null,"created":"1637695454","gmt_created":"2021-11-23 19:24:14","changed":"1637695454","gmt_changed":"2021-11-23 19:24:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247732","name":"ho-ruffin-glass.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ho-ruffin-glass.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ho-ruffin-glass.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":54552,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ho-ruffin-glass.jpg?itok=gAp7ic4b"}}},"media_ids":["653117","653118","653120","653121","653116"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"79441","name":"jennifer glass"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECandler Hobbs\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Engineering at Georgia Tech\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:candler.hobbs@coe.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003Ecandler.hobbs@coe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["candler.hobbs@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653075":{"#nid":"653075","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Long-term Exposure to Air Pollution May Increase Risk of Alzheimer\u2019s, Other Neurological Disorders","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA version of this media release was first published on the website of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.emory.edu\/index.html\u0022\u003EEmory University\u0026#39;s Rollins School of Public Health\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent nationwide cohort study published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-021-27049-2\u0022\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/em\u003Ehas found that long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risks for developing dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was led by researchers at Emory University\u0026rsquo;s Rollins School of Public Health, in collaboration with assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/liu-dr-pengfei\u0022\u003EPengfei Liu\u003C\/a\u003E and professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/weber-dr-rodney\u0022\u003ERodney Weber\u003C\/a\u003E of\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026#39;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.\u0026nbsp;Harvard University\u0026#39;s\u0026nbsp;T.H. Chan School of Public Health was also involved in the study, which\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;the first nationwide analysis of the links between key criteria air pollutants \u0026mdash; including fine particulate (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E), and ozone (O\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E) \u0026mdash; and neurodegeneration incidence in the United States Medicare population.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;The results point to traffic emissions as a main culprit,\u0026quot; says Weber. \u0026quot;Whether the PM2.5 specimens that cause the neurodegeneration\u0026nbsp;are from vehicle tail pipes or from tire and brake wear is important to determine. It not only affects mitigation strategies, but the conversion to electric vehicles in the future may or may not help to mitigate this hazard.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOf the pollutants analyzed, exposures to PM2.5\u0026nbsp;and NO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;showed the greatest risk for incidence of dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease (AD), with effects being the strongest for PM2.5. Putting these findings into context, the national average PM2.5\u0026nbsp;is around 7 micrograms per cubic meter of air (\u0026micro;g\/m\u003Csup\u003E3\u003C\/sup\u003E). In looking at larger cities, like Houston and Los Angeles, annual levels in 2020 were above 10 \u0026micro;g\/m\u003Csup\u003E3\u003C\/sup\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s findings indicate that air pollution differences like these, of 3 \u0026micro;g\/m\u003Csup\u003E3\u003C\/sup\u003E, would lead to a predicted 7% increase in AD between more polluted and less polluted cities.\u0026nbsp;Despite variations in the level of PM2.5 from city to city, the authors note that no safe levels actually exist when it comes to the risk of PM2.5\u0026nbsp;on neurodegeneration incidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We observed a very strong signal between PM2.5\u0026nbsp;exposure and increased risks of\u0026nbsp;dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease,\u0026rdquo; says Liuhua Shi, assistant professor at Rollins and co-lead author on the paper. \u0026ldquo;To better inform policy for targeted source-specific regulations, it is important to further investigate the\u0026nbsp;relative contributions of various PM2.5\u0026nbsp;components to these conditions, which we are planning to do next.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional findings showed that NO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;was also associated with\u0026nbsp;increases in incidences of dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease. Exposure to O\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E did not show an increase in incidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Environmental Protection Agency\u0026rsquo;s (EPA) current air quality standards for fine particle pollution is 12 \u0026micro;g\/m3. However, according to these findings, that may not be nearly low enough.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We still found strong effects on the risk of developing Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease down to 4 \u0026micro;g\/m\u003Csup\u003E3\u003C\/sup\u003E, and the effect was even stronger between 4 and 8 than it was above 8 \u0026micro;g\/m\u003Csup\u003E3\u003C\/sup\u003E,\u0026rdquo; says Joel Schwartz, professor of environmental epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School, and a co-author on the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers utilized Medicare data from 2000-2018 for the study. \u0026ldquo;It provided a very rich database, with 2 million cases of dementia and 800,000 cases of AD in our population of 12 million Medicare patients,\u0026rdquo; says Kyle Steenland, professor at Rollins and a co-lead author on the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This study suggests that air pollution might serve as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease,\u0026rdquo; says Liu, a co-author on the paper. \u0026ldquo;However, this risk could be potentially mitigated if we further reduce the emissions of hazardous air pollutants.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA\/NIH R01 AG074357), the HERCULES Center P30 ES019776, and the Goizueta Alzheimer\u0026#39;s Disease Research Center of Emory University (P50 AG025688).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-021-27049-2\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-021-27049-2\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers show connections to traffic emissions as chief cause "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new cohort study, led by researchers at Emory University in collaboration with Pengfei Liu and Rodney Weber of\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026#39;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, shows that long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risks for developing dementia and Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences researchers show connections to traffic emissions as chief cause"}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-11-22 17:11:00","changed_gmt":"2021-11-30 14:45:19","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"588204":{"id":"588204","type":"image","title":"Traffic in Atlanta","body":null,"created":"1488477807","gmt_created":"2017-03-02 18:03:27","changed":"1488478230","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:10:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224163","name":"Unknown.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1912455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg?itok=zjfe_C9f"}},"617769":{"id":"617769","type":"image","title":"Pengfei Liu","body":null,"created":"1550079807","gmt_created":"2019-02-13 17:43:27","changed":"1550079807","gmt_changed":"2019-02-13 17:43:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235154","name":"P. Liu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/P.%20Liu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/P.%20Liu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":41804,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/P.%20Liu.jpg?itok=QjT-3926"}},"627219":{"id":"627219","type":"image","title":"Rodney Weber","body":null,"created":"1570454180","gmt_created":"2019-10-07 13:16:20","changed":"1570454180","gmt_changed":"2019-10-07 13:16:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238817","name":"N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":701605,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg?itok=vEbPO9T7"}}},"media_ids":["588204","617769","627219"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/fiery-past-sheds-new-light-future-global-climate-change","title":"Fiery Past Sheds New Light on the Future of Global Climate Change"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/particles-emitted-consumer-3d-printers-could-hurt-indoor-air-quality","title":"Particles Emitted by Consumer 3D Printers Could Hurt Indoor Air Quality"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/protecting-rural-schoolchildren-prescribed-fire-emissions","title":"Protecting Rural Schoolchildren from Prescribed Fire Emissions"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-5-clearing-air-about-aerosol-science","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 5 - Clearing the Air About Aerosol Science"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/kim-cobb-testifies-house-committee-natural-resources","title":"Kim Cobb Testifies Before House Committee on Natural Resources"},{"url":"http:\/\/liu.eas.gatech.edu","title":"Pengfei Liu\u0027s Research Group "},{"url":"https:\/\/rweber.eas.gatech.edu","title":"Rodney Weber\u0027s Research Group "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"187940","name":"Pengfei Liu"},{"id":"171762","name":"Rodney Weber"},{"id":"104451","name":"air pollution"},{"id":"5076","name":"dementia"},{"id":"44881","name":"Alzheimer\u0027s Disease"},{"id":"189390","name":"traffic emissions"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGana Ahn\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Enterprise Communications, Communications and Public Affairs\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nEmory University\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404.727.0343\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\ngana.ahn@emory.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFor more information:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"651479":{"#nid":"651479","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Underwater Gardens Boost Coral Diversity to Stave Off \u2018Biodiversity Meltdown\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECorals are the foundation species of tropical reefs worldwide, but stresses ranging from overfishing to pollution to warming oceans are killing corals and degrading the critical ecosystem services they provide. Because corals build structures that make living space for many other species, scientists have known that losses of corals result in losses of other reef species. But the importance of coral species diversity for corals themselves was less understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abi8592\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E from two researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology provides both hope and a potentially grim future for damaged coral reefs. In their\u0026nbsp;research paper,\u0026nbsp;\u0026quot;Biodiversity has a positive but saturating effect on imperiled coral reefs,\u0026quot; published October 13 in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/journal\/sciadv\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=hIj0CIAAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003ECody Clements\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-hay\u0022\u003EMark Hay\u003C\/a\u003E found that increasing coral richness by \u0026lsquo;outplanting\u0026rsquo; a diverse group of coral species together improves coral growth and survivorship. This finding may be especially important in the early stages of reef recovery following large-scale coral loss \u0026mdash; and in supporting healthy reefs that in turn support fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection from storm surges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists also call for additional research to better understand and harness the mechanisms producing these positive species interactions, with dual aims to improve reef conservation and promote more rapid and efficient recovery of degraded reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the ecological pendulum swings the other way, too. If more coral species are lost, the synergistic effects could threaten other species in what Clements and Hay term a \u0026ldquo;biodiversity meltdown.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Yes, corals are the foundation species of these ecosystems \u0026mdash; providing habitat and food for numerous other reef species,\u0026rdquo; says Clements, a Teasley Postdoctoral Fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Negative effects on corals often have cascading impacts on other species that call coral reefs home. If biodiversity is important for coral performance and resilience, then a \u0026lsquo;biodiversity meltdown\u0026rsquo; could exacerbate the decline of reef ecosystems that we\u0026rsquo;re observing worldwide.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClements and Hay traveled to Mo\u0026#39;orea, French Polynesia, in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where they planted coral gardens differing in coral species diversity to evaluate the relative importance of mutualistic versus competitive interactions among corals as they grew and interacted through time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve done the manipulations, and the corals should be competing with each other, but in fact they do better together than they do on their own,\u0026rdquo; says Hay, Regents Professor and Teasley Chair in the School of Biological Sciences. Hay is also co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ocean.gatech.edu\/home\u0022\u003EOcean Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E graduate program at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;We are still investigating the mechanisms causing this surprising result, but our experiments consistently demonstrate that the positive interactions are overwhelming negative interactions in the reef settings where we conduct these experiments. That means when you take species out of the system, you\u0026rsquo;re taking out some of those positive interactions, and if you take out critical ones, it may make a big difference.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnder the sea, in a coral-growing garden, in the shade\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECoral reefs are under threat worldwide. Hay notes that according to the EPA, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/coral-reefs\/americas-coral-reefs\u0022\u003Ethe Caribbean has lost 80 to 90 percent of its coral cover\u003C\/a\u003E. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-australia-54533971\u0022\u003EIndo-Pacific region has lost half of all its corals\u003C\/a\u003E over the last 30 years. During the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coralreefwatch.noaa.gov\/satellite\/analyses_guidance\/global_coral_bleaching_2014-17_status.php\u0022\u003Ebleaching event of 2015-2016\u003C\/a\u003E alone, nearly half of the remaining corals along the Great Barrier Reef bleached and died.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The frequency of these \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/kim-cobb-testifies-house-committee-natural-resources\u0022\u003Ebig bleaching and heating events\u003C\/a\u003E that are killing off corals has increased fairly dramatically over the last 20 to 30 years,\u0026rdquo; he says. \u0026ldquo;There are hot spots here and there where coral reefs are still good, but they\u0026rsquo;re small and isolated in general.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their coral gardens in French Polynesia, Hay and Clements manipulated the diversity of the coral species that they planted on platforms resembling underwater chess tables, to try and see if species richness and density affected coral productivity and survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHay notes that many previous, similar experiments involved bringing corals into a lab to \u0026ldquo;pit species against each other.\u0026rdquo; But he points out, \u0026ldquo;We do all of our experiments in the real world. We\u0026rsquo;re not as interested in whether it \u003Cem\u003Ecan\u003C\/em\u003E happen, but whether it \u003Cem\u003Edoes\u003C\/em\u003E happen.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn experimental setup suggested by Clements involving Coke bottles helped the scientists arrange their garden. The end tables \u0026ldquo;have Coca-Cola bottlecaps embedded in the top of them,\u0026rdquo; Hay says. \u0026ldquo;We can then cut off the necks of Coke bottles, glue corals into the upside-down necks of these things, and then screw them in and out of these plots.\u0026nbsp; This allows us to not only arrange what species we want where, but every couple of months we can unscrew and weigh them so we can get accurate growth rates.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that corals benefitted from increased biodiversity, \u0026ldquo;but only up to a point,\u0026rdquo; Clements notes. \u0026ldquo;Corals planted in gardens with an intermediate number of species \u0026mdash; three to six species in most cases \u0026mdash; performed better than gardens with low, or one, species, or high, as in nine, species. However, we still do not fully understand the processes that contributed to these observations.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClements says their research demands more investigation. Why do corals perform better in mixed species communities than single-species communities? Why does this biodiversity effect diminish \u0026mdash; rather than continue increasing \u0026mdash; at the highest level of coral diversity?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026ldquo;We need a better mechanistic understanding of how diversity influences these processes to predict how biodiversity loss will impact corals, as well as how we may be able to harness biodiversity\u0026rsquo;s positive influence to protect corals,\u0026rdquo; says Clements.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFinancial support for the study came from the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant no. OCE 1947522), the National Geographic Society (grant no. NGS-57078R-19), the Teasley Endowment to the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Anna and Harry Teasley Gift Fund. This work represents a contribution of the Mo\u0026rsquo;orea Coral Reef (MCR) LTER Site supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant no. OCE 16-37396). DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.abi8592\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 40,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.\u0026nbsp;As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine\u0026nbsp;of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Symbiotic relationship between Pacific Ocean coral species offers a potential solution to restore climate-damaged reefs"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences researchers Cody Clements and Mark Hay are building symbiotic \u0026lsquo;underwater gardens\u0026rsquo; in the Pacific Ocean to show how different species of coral can work together to possibly restore degraded reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Symbiotic relationship between Pacific Ocean coral species offers a potential solution to restore climate-damaged reefs"}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-10-06 19:38:36","changed_gmt":"2021-10-13 19:46:27","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"651481":{"id":"651481","type":"image","title":"Cody Clements surveys rows of coral \u0022gardens.\u0022 (Photo Quentin Schull)","body":null,"created":"1633550791","gmt_created":"2021-10-06 20:06:31","changed":"1633550791","gmt_changed":"2021-10-06 20:06:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247176","name":"Photo by Quentin Schull.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%20by%20Quentin%20Schull.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo%20by%20Quentin%20Schull.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2122940,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo%20by%20Quentin%20Schull.png?itok=1h25bapk"}},"651480":{"id":"651480","type":"image","title":"The underwater coral gardens near Mo\u0027orea, French Polynesia. (Photo Cody Clements)","body":null,"created":"1633550575","gmt_created":"2021-10-06 20:02:55","changed":"1634150065","gmt_changed":"2021-10-13 18:34:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247175","name":"IMG_1791.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1791_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1791_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":773592,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_1791_0.jpg?itok=edzd8RL9"}},"651484":{"id":"651484","type":"image","title":"Coral diversity on display in the underwater gardens set up by Georgia Tech researchers near French Polynesia. (Photo Cody Clements) ","body":null,"created":"1633551671","gmt_created":"2021-10-06 20:21:11","changed":"1633551671","gmt_changed":"2021-10-06 20:21:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247179","name":"IMG_1793.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1793_0.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1793_0.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":708434,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_1793_0.JPG?itok=iyjV8E5M"}},"651483":{"id":"651483","type":"image","title":"A variety of coral species growing in Georgia Tech\u0027s underwater reef garden near Mo\u0027orea, French Polynesia. (Photo Cody Clements)","body":null,"created":"1633551295","gmt_created":"2021-10-06 20:14:55","changed":"1634150088","gmt_changed":"2021-10-13 18:34:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247178","name":"IMG_1777.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1777.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1777.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":899979,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_1777.JPG?itok=OtZCTKk_"}}},"media_ids":["651481","651480","651484","651483"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.tv5unis.ca\/videos\/lodyssee-pacifique","title":"TV5 Unis TV: L\u0027odyss\u00e9e Pacifique documentary"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2021\/08\/leading-quest-ocean-solutions","title":"Leading in the Quest for Ocean Solutions "},{"url":"https:\/\/ocean.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Ocean Science \u0026 Engineering"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/biodiversity-helps-coral-reefs-thrive-and-could-be-part-strategies-save-them","title":"Biodiversity helps coral reefs thrive \u2013 and could be part of strategies to save them"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/season-2-episode-4-no-safe-harbor-coral-reefs","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 2, Episode 4: Coral Reefs in Mortal Peril"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/season-2-episode-5-finding-hope-coral-reef","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 2, episode 5: Hope for Coral Reefs"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/warming-impedes-coral-defense-hungry-fish-enhance-it","title":"Warming Impedes a Coral Defense, but Hungry Fish Enhance It"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/previously-overlooked-coral-ticks-weaken-degraded-reefs","title":"Previously Overlooked \u201cCoral Ticks\u201d Weaken Degraded Reefs"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/when-coral-species-vanish-their-absence-can-imperil-surviving-corals","title":"When Coral Species Vanish, Their Absence Can Imperil Surviving Corals"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/cmdi-mighty-microbial-dynamics-healthier-people-and-planet","title":"CMDI: Mighty Microbial Dynamics for a Healthier People and Planet"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/events\/chasing-coral-netflix-original-documentary","title":"Chasing Coral \u2013 A Netflix Original Documentary"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/kim-cobb-testifies-house-committee-natural-resources","title":"Kim Cobb Testifies Before House Committee on Natural Resources"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/faces-research-meet-julia-kubanek","title":"Faces of Research - Meet Julia Kubanek"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/events\/aquatic-chemical-ecology-reu","title":"Aquatic Chemical Ecology REU"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/hide-or-get-eaten-urine-chemicals-tell-mud-crabs","title":"Hide or Get Eaten, Urine Chemicals Tell Mud Crabs"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/seaweed-and-sea-slugs-rely-toxic-bacteria-defend-against-predators","title":"Seaweed and sea slugs rely on toxic bacteria to defend against predators"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/article\/caroline-karolina-zabinski-bs-biology-certificate-earth-and-atmospheric-sciences","title":"Caroline \u201cKarolina\u201d Zabinski: B.S. Biology with a certificate in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"13884","name":"Mark Hay"},{"id":"176940","name":"Cody Clements"},{"id":"100711","name":"coral reefs"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"173794","name":"ocean warming"},{"id":"189000","name":"coral diversity"},{"id":"189001","name":"reef ecosystems"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contacts:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Parmelee | georgia.parmelee@gatech.edu | 404-281-7818\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nJess Hunt-Ralston | jess@cos.gatech.edu | 404-385-5207\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"651516":{"#nid":"651516","#data":{"type":"news","title":"$12 Million NSF Grant Will Establish Nationwide Atmospheric Measurement Network","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ENga Lee \u0026ldquo;Sally\u0026rdquo; Ng\u003C\/a\u003E has earned a $12 million \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nsf.gov\/news\/special_reports\/announcements\/092721.jsp\u0022\u003Egrant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)\u003C\/a\u003E Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure program to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2131914\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003Eprovide high time-resolution (every 1 to 15 minutes), long-term measurements\u003C\/a\u003E of the properties of atmospheric particulates known as aerosols, which have significant effects on health and climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award will establish a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/edit?mid=1jzzBGQvFsX86gSbPIuoAd1Dp6RPrDVkC\u0026amp;usp=sharing\u0022\u003Enetwork of 12 sites around the United States\u003C\/a\u003E, including locations in national parks and some of the country\u0026rsquo;s largest cities. Each will be outfitted with state-of-the-art instruments for characterizing the properties of aerosols. These sites will form what is officially called the Atmospheric Science and mEasurement NeTwork (ASCENT).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EData from ASCENT will allow researchers to address a variety of questions about how the composition and abundance of aerosols are changing, such as how the modernization of electrical production (coal to natural gas to renewable) and transportation (gasoline to electric vehicles) affect air pollution and climate-relevant variables.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is an incredibly exciting opportunity,\u0026rdquo; said Ng, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;ASCENT represents a key advancement in atmospheric measurement infrastructure in the U.S. For the first time, we will be able to acquire comprehensive, high time-resolution, long-term characterization of aerosols over a wide range of geographical regions. ASCENT will provide the critical, fundamental knowledge for informing science-based decisions on climate change, air quality, and minimizing inequalities in air pollution exposure.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EASCENT will also advance understanding of the adverse health impacts of PM\u003Csub\u003E2.5\u003C\/sub\u003E (particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers). Exposure to PM\u003Csub\u003E2.5\u003C\/sub\u003E has been associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and millions of deaths per year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;ASCENT\u0026#39;s long-term, advanced chemical composition and particle size measurements will facilitate transformative studies to unravel specific aerosol types and properties responsible for their adverse health effects,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;This will contribute to building a foundation to define future regulations in the U.S. for protecting public health, as aerosol sources and properties continue to evolve in a changing world.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAerosols impact climate by changing the Earth\u0026rsquo;s energy balance via direct absorption or scattering of solar radiation and altering the albedo (surface reflection), formation of clouds, and precipitation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment established that the aerosol effects represent the single largest source of uncertainty in understanding climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to NSF, ASCENT will also allow U.S. researchers to remain competitive in a global research environment. The 2016 National Academies report on \u003Cem\u003EThe Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research\u003C\/em\u003E emphasized the critical need for long-term atmospheric chemistry measurements, recommending that the NSF take the lead to establish synergies with existing sites.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, several aerosol monitoring networks exist in the United States, but none have the capability of measuring aerosol chemical and physical properties at high time-resolution (highly regular intervals of measurement, in the order of minutes).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ASCENT network\u0026rsquo;s 12 sites across the United States are strategically located in rural, urban, and remote sites that have pre-existing infrastructure for atmospheric monitoring. Five ASCENT sites are in the National Core Network (NCore), which is a subset of the Chemical Speciation Network (CSN). Four rural sites are in the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) network. Other ASCENT sites are located in NSF\u0026rsquo;s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in California, and the Houston Network of Environmental Towers (HNET) in Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach site will be equipped with four advanced instruments: an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM, non-refractory aerosols), Xact (trace metals), Aethalometer (black\/brown carbon), and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS, aerosol number size distribution and concentration).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sites include: Delta Junction, Alaska; Cheeka Peak\/Makah, Washington; Los Angeles\/Pico Rivera, California; Rubidoux, California; Joshua Tree National Park, California; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; and Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the education and outreach side of the project, ASCENT has specific recruitment, mentoring, training, and career development plans for graduate and undergraduate students, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups. One of the ASCENT locations is on tribal land and the project will train tribal air quality staff and perform outreach to interested tribal members. ASCENT will also provide training and educational opportunities for the state agency and National Park Service site operators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a comprehensive database and web interface will be developed to provide research communities, educators, policy makers, the public, etc. with free and open access to all ASCENT data.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to lead principal investigator (PI) Ng, co-PIs on the ASCENT project include Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/411\/overview\u0022\u003EArmistead Russell\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor Roya Bahreini of the University of California-Riverside, and Professor Ann Dillner of the University of California-Davis, with Senior Research Scientist Christina Higgins of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E serving as project manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther ASCENT partner institutions and academics include the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Professor Jingqiu Mao), University of Washington (Professor Joel Thornton), California Institute of Technology (Professor John Seinfeld), Harvey Mudd College (Professor Lelia Hawkins), University of Wyoming (Professor Shane Murphy), University of Colorado Boulder (Professor Jose Jimenez), Roger Williams University (Professor Robert Griffin), University of Houston (Professor James Flynn), Carnegie Mellon University (Professors Allen Robinson and Albert Presto), Yale University (Professor Drew Gentner), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Professor Jason Surratt), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (Jeff de La Beaujardiere and Eric Nienhouse).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg said: \u0026ldquo;I look forward to working with the team and the greater atmospheric community to build this amazing network and all the new and exciting research opportunities that ASCENT will enable for the many years to come.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Professor Sally Ng to lead multi-university initiative "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Sally Ng will lead a $12 million initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to provide long-term measurements of the properties of aerosols.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A multi-state network will measure aerosols to gain a better understanding of climate and public health."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2021-10-07 14:40:36","changed_gmt":"2021-10-08 14:32:01","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"651546":{"id":"651546","type":"image","title":"Yellowstone National Park and the Absaroka Range via Avalanche Peak summit, July 2021 (Jess Hunt-Ralston, Georgia Tech)","body":null,"created":"1633703502","gmt_created":"2021-10-08 14:31:42","changed":"1633703632","gmt_changed":"2021-10-08 14:33:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247197","name":"Yellowstone.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Yellowstone.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Yellowstone.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1405745,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Yellowstone.jpg?itok=6y6lwjGP"}},"627565":{"id":"627565","type":"image","title":"Sally Ng in her indoor environmental chamber ","body":null,"created":"1571074374","gmt_created":"2019-10-14 17:32:54","changed":"1633620603","gmt_changed":"2021-10-07 15:30:03","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238939","name":"Sally Ng indoor lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sally%20Ng%20indoor%20lab.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sally%20Ng%20indoor%20lab.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":107532,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sally%20Ng%20indoor%20lab.jpg?itok=cWkk9oVc"}},"651518":{"id":"651518","type":"image","title":"Atmospheric sampling site","body":null,"created":"1633617874","gmt_created":"2021-10-07 14:44:34","changed":"1633617874","gmt_changed":"2021-10-07 14:44:34","alt":"ambient atmospheric sampling site","file":{"fid":"247192","name":"Yorkville.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Yorkville.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Yorkville.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1942745,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Yorkville.JPG?itok=BwSjdSCk"}}},"media_ids":["651546","627565","651518"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/uaf.edu\/news\/uaf-joins-national-air-quality-research-with-interior-alaska-site.php","title":"University of Alaska Fairbanks joins national air quality research with Interior Alaska site"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1253","name":"School of Civil and Envrionmental Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nbraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"651073":{"#nid":"651073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Jennifer Glass, Chris Reinhard Join Scialog Colleagues in the Search for \u2018Signatures of Life in the Universe\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo associate professors in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;are among 20 scientists nationwide sharing $1.1 million in funding for the inaugural year of a new initiative in the search for signs of extraterrestrial life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/reinhard-dr-chris\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;are in the first class of grant winners in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/scialog\/signatures-of-life-in-the-universe\u0022\u003EScialog: Signatures of Life in the Universe\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;program, sponsored by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/\u0022\u003EResearch Corporation for Science Advancement\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hsfoundation.org\/\u0022\u003EHeising-Simons Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. Additional sponsorship comes from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kavlifoundation.org\/\u0022\u003EKavli Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScialog\u0026reg;, short for \u0026ldquo;science + dialog,\u0026rdquo; was formed in 2010 \u0026ldquo;to bring together early career scientists to advance basic science in areas of global importance, and to write proposals for high risk, high reward collaborative research projects,\u0026rdquo; according to the organization\u0026rsquo;s website. The Signatures of Life program first met virtually this June with the founding organizations providing facilitators from a variety of disciplines: Earth and planetary science, chemistry and physics, astronomy and astrobiology, microbiology and biochemistry, and data science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEight teams of researchers \u0026mdash; a total of 20 scientists \u0026mdash; are the result of that June brainstorming session, proposing research projects \u0026ldquo;with the potential to transform our understanding of the habitability of planets, of how the occurrence of life alters planets and leaves signatures, and of how to detect such signatures beyond Earth, both within our solar system and on exoplanets,\u0026rdquo; according to a Scialog\u0026reg;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/news\/2021\/09\/8-projects-win-funding-in-1st-year-of-scialog-signatures-of-life-in-the-universe\u0022\u003Enews release\u003C\/a\u003E. Each of the 20 scientists receives an individual award of $55,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Glass: Methane and False Biosignature Positives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026nbsp;am thrilled to start working on a new problem related to my favorite molecule (methane),\u0026rdquo; says Glass. \u0026ldquo;I am excited to have a Georgia Tech student, Camille Butkus, who has already made great headway helping with this project. This is great timing because the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jwst.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003EJames Webb Space Telescope\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is launching this December and will be able to detect methane in exoplanet atmospheres.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGlass\u0026rsquo;s research proposal is \u0026ldquo;Methane from Nontraditional Abiotic Sources and Potential for False Biosignature Positives\u0026rdquo; and her team includes colleagues from the University of Chicago and University of California, Los Angeles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Methane is one of the only gases with a dominant biological source on Earth that can be readily detected in exoplanet atmospheres with the new generation of space telescopes,\u0026rdquo; Glass explains. As space telescopes begin to characterize exoplanet atmospheres, scientists are looking to firm up what can confidently be termed a biosignature gas \u0026mdash; and rule out false positives in the imminent findings of methane-containing rocky exoplanets within the habitable zone of their solar system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A common assumption in previous models of methane production from abiotic sources (nonliving parts of an environment, like climate and chemistry) is that other rocky exoplanets have a crustal composition similar to Earth. Yet we now know that many rocky exoplanets will be richer in carbon than Earth,\u0026rdquo; Glass says. \u0026ldquo;How would more carbon in a planet\u0026rsquo;s crust affect abiotic methane production? Could it lead to production of false biosignature methane biosignatures?\u0026rdquo; Glass asks. \u0026ldquo;How can we rule these out to avoid false positive biosignatures, and to capture signs of methane-cycling life on exoplanets? These are the types of questions my group is excited to explore with this new funding.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChris Reinhard: Modeling Planetary Biosphere Evolution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReinhard says he is humbled and grateful to receive support from the inaugural year of the Scialog\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026reg;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;initiative. \u0026ldquo;The Scialog model for catalyzing novel interdisciplinary research is one of a kind \u0026mdash; and to be honest, just being involved in the initial workshop was an incredibly enriching and useful experience for me,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard says. \u0026ldquo;But I am very excited to have the opportunity to embark on the project in earnest and see where it leads.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat project, \u0026ldquo;Stochastic Simulation of Evolving Planetary Biospheres\u0026rdquo;,\u0026nbsp;is based on the premise that the metabolic networks that drive the large-scale impacts of a biosphere are in many ways path-dependent \u0026mdash; which is to say their development will depend on often random trajectories of environmental evolution and on the existing suite of metabolic pathways available at any given time. \u0026ldquo;Our goal is to systematically explore the likelihood and long-term viability of biospheres that are very different from our own, and the signatures they might leave behind in the local environment, or on the scale of a planetary atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard notes. His project team includes scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAGU Awards,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Honors, Appreciation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGlass and Reinhard also join School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering associate professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/6021\/overview\u0022\u003EJingfeng Wang\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ein receiving annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) accolades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReinhard is among those receiving the organization\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;highest honors for excellence in scientific research, education, communication, and outreach\u0026rdquo; and Glass is recognized for \u0026ldquo;meritorious work or service toward the advancement and promotion of discovery and solution science\u0026rdquo;:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/congratulations-to-the-2021-agu-union-medal-award-and-prize-recipients\u0022\u003E2021 AGU Union Medal, Award, and Prize Recipients\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nJames B. Macelwane Medal\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nChristopher T. Reinhard\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/2021-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers\u0022\u003E2021 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EThomas Hilker Early Career Award for Excellence in Biogeosciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer B. Glass\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020\u0022\u003EIn Appreciation of AGU\u0026rsquo;s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFrances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAndrew Dombard\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EGeophysical Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020\u0022\u003EIn Appreciation of AGU\u0026rsquo;s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nJingfeng Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EEarth and Space Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;editors\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EEarth and Space Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u00ae winners of $1.1 million in funding. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u2019s latest cohort of annual awardees. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u0026reg; winners of $1.1 million in funding from four organizations, including NASA, for new approaches that could transform our understanding of the habitability of planets. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u0026rsquo;s latest cohort of annual awardees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u00ae winners of $1.1 million in funding. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u2019s latest cohort of annual awardees. "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-09-24 13:53:12","changed_gmt":"2021-09-24 19:51:26","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"651099":{"id":"651099","type":"image","title":"Scialog\u00ae announces winners of $1.1 million for \u0022Signatures of Life in the Universe\u0022 program.","body":null,"created":"1632511500","gmt_created":"2021-09-24 19:25:00","changed":"1632511500","gmt_changed":"2021-09-24 19:25:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247051","name":"space.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/space.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/space.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":922101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/space.jpg?itok=TCLGIg4Z"}},"638763":{"id":"638763","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Glass ","body":null,"created":"1599157102","gmt_created":"2020-09-03 18:18:22","changed":"1599157102","gmt_changed":"2020-09-03 18:18:22","alt":"","file":{"fid":"242888","name":"Jennifer Glass.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png","mime":"image\/png","size":195186,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png?itok=MIpHjyGu"}},"627363":{"id":"627363","type":"image","title":"Chris Reinhard","body":null,"created":"1570623378","gmt_created":"2019-10-09 12:16:18","changed":"1570623378","gmt_changed":"2019-10-09 12:16:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238863","name":"Chris reinhard.SQ_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1252963,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg?itok=mxCqxvjH"}}},"media_ids":["651099","638763","627363"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/congratulations-to-the-2021-agu-union-medal-award-and-prize-recipients","title":"Congratulations to the 2021 AGU Union Medal, Award, and Prize Recipients"},{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/2021-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers","title":"2021 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers"},{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020","title":"In Appreciation of AGU\u2019s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/exploring-oceans-earth-and-beyond-reinhard-looks-skies-and-seas","title":"Exploring Oceans on Earth and Beyond: Reinhard Looks to the Skies and Seas"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/microbes-and-methane-unlocking-clathrate-crystal-cages-chilly-protein-cocktails-created-deep","title":"Microbes and Methane: Unlocking Clathrate \u0027Crystal Cages\u0027 with Chilly Protein Cocktails, Created from Deep Biosphere Bacteria"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/september-sciences-celebration-college-welcomes-new-faculty-honors-faculty-award-recipients-and","title":"September Sciences Celebration: College Welcomes New Faculty, Honors Faculty Award Recipients and Math Scholarship Winner"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/did-earths-early-rise-oxygen-support-evolution-multicellular-life-or-suppress-it","title":"Did Earth\u2019s Early Rise in Oxygen Support The Evolution of Multicellular Life \u2014 or Suppress It?"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-2-search-earth-20","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 2: The Search for Earth 2.0"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/12-proposals-achieve-college-sciences-strategic-goals-funded-sutherland-deans-chair","title":"12 Proposals to Achieve College of Sciences Strategic Goals Funded by Sutherland Dean\u0027s Chair"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/astrobiologists-aid-georgia-covid-19-test-initiative","title":"Astrobiologists Aid in Georgia Covid-19 Test Initiative"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/rivera-hernandez-wins-nasa-grant-aid-current-mars-rover-missions-and-find-martian-lakes-future","title":"Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Wins NASA Grant to Aid Current Mars Rover Missions \u2014 and Find \u2018Martian Lakes\u2019 for Future Rovers and Crews"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/09\/21\/1039191137\/researchers-suggest-a-different-way-for-farmers-to-reduce-their-carbon-footprint","title":"Researchers Suggest A Different Way For Farmers To Reduce Their Carbon Footprint"},{"url":"https:\/\/astrobiology.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Astrobiology "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"79441","name":"jennifer glass"},{"id":"170504","name":"Chris Reinhard"},{"id":"184997","name":"Scialog"},{"id":"188915","name":"Signatures of Life"},{"id":"722","name":"Astrobiology"},{"id":"170602","name":"Planetary science"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"650993":{"#nid":"650993","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Protecting Rural Schoolchildren from Prescribed Fire Emissions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA $1 million award from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-awards-georgia-tech-over-1-million-research-help-communities-reduce-their-exposure\u0022\u003EU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)\u003C\/a\u003E will help researchers in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s College of Engineering develop tactics to protect children from harmful emissions from controlled wildland burns. The initiative will provide equipment and new communications approaches in middle and high schools in Albany and Columbus, Ga., and Phenix City, Ala. Georgia Tech is focusing on the three cities because of their proximity to regular controlled burns, in addition to the communities\u0026rsquo; lower socioeconomic statuses.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the next year, the researchers will deliver daily fire impact forecasts to each school, while also installing air purifiers and low-cost air quality monitors. Data from those monitors will be broadcast in real-time inside and outside classrooms. The Georgia Tech team will also create new curricula for teachers and students that increase understanding of air pollutants, their sources, and mitigation measures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team consists of members in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE)\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/serve-learn-sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Serve-Learn-Sustain\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Air pollution leads to more premature deaths than virtually all other environmental exposures. In the Southeast, prescribed burning is a major source of air pollution: it releases more particulate matter into the air than cars, trucks, factories, and power plants,\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;said Armistead (Ted) Russell, the Howard T. Tellepsen Chair and Regents\u0026rsquo;\u0026nbsp;Professor\u0026nbsp;in CEE. \u0026ldquo;Children in areas that experience prescribed burning smoke are uniquely vulnerable.\u0026nbsp;We are excited to work with schools to identify effective measures that can be used to help protect schoolchildren.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERussell and his colleagues have decades of experience studying emissions. His previous studies found that prescribed burns led to highly elevated emissions in southern Georgia, especially during the peak burn period from January to April. The research showed that the highest levels of unhealthy emissions \u0026mdash; primary and secondary particulate matter \u0026mdash; occur during school hours when burns are most active. However, Russell also found that elevated levels linger into the evening, long after the fires are extinguished.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERussell also found a communications gap that helped him create the new initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Schools are very good at providing information to parents about health-related interventions. Families serve as important communication channels,\u0026rdquo; Russell said. \u0026ldquo;However, schools are infrequently used to disseminate information about fire emissions. Incorporating teachers and students into a communications strategy has the potential to reduce exposure to children and the school\u0026rsquo;s broader community.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award will allow Russell and CEE Principal Research Engineer Talat Odman to expand Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sipc.ce.gatech.edu\/SIPFIS\/map\/index.php\u0022\u003ESouthern Integrated Prescribed Fire Information System (SIPFIS)\u003C\/a\u003E, which they helped create in 2015. The tool merges prescribed fire and air quality data into a common analysis framework, providing a unified prescribed fire database for the southern U.S. That data is primarily used by forest and air quality managers. SIPFIS will now be tweaked to also provide daily forecasts to the schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EForecast and information products and lessons learned from the one-year project will be shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its health partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative will be coupled with outcomes from a $2.3 million Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program project that is currently being led by Odman. His team is measuring and modeling air quality impacts from prescribed burning at Fort Benning, which is adjacent to Columbus and across the border from Phenix City.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By focusing on both the source of smoke, such as burns at Ft. Benning, and the effects on nearby schools, we can have a more complete understanding of the air quality impacts of prescribed fires,\u0026rdquo; said Odman. \u0026ldquo;This will allow us to develop strategies to minimize exposure to smoke, while also helping to protect the health of people and forests.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe EPA and DoD projects will further a third project: Russell\u0026rsquo;s NASA-funded work that is utilizing satellite products in SIPFIS for predicting smoke impacts on air quality and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChBE and EAS Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ESally Ng\u003C\/a\u003E, who researches airborne particles, is also on the Georgia Tech team and will lead the deployment of the low-cost sensors at the schools. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/serve-learn-sustain.gatech.edu\/rebecca-watts-hull\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERebecca Watts Hull\u003C\/a\u003E, a community engagement specialist with the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, is the fourth member of the team. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As wildfires become more frequent and severe, we are working to effectively communicate the risks of smoke exposure to impacted communities,\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;said Wayne Cascio, acting principal deputy assistant administrator for science in EPA\u0026rsquo;s Office of Research and Development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;We are seeing an increase in prescribed fires to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires; however, these are also a source of smoke exposure. The research we are funding will help develop strategies to prevent and reduce the health impacts of smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe project will begin in October.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"EPA awards Georgia Tech $1M to help students and communities in southern GA and AL"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA $1 million award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help researchers develop tactics to protect children from harmful emissions from controlled wildland burns. The initiative will provide equipment and new communications approaches in middle and high schools in Albany and Columbus, Ga., and Phenix City, Ala.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new grant will allow Georgia Tech researchers to create strategies to protect schoolchildren from harmful wildland fire emissions"}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2021-09-22 13:25:28","changed_gmt":"2021-09-24 19:43:24","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"650989":{"id":"650989","type":"image","title":"Controlled Wildland Burn","body":null,"created":"1632316203","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 13:10:03","changed":"1632316203","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 13:10:03","alt":"Controlled burn in woods","file":{"fid":"247007","name":"iStock-182147547.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-182147547.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-182147547.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2262466,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iStock-182147547.jpg?itok=i2lcqCVd"}},"650991":{"id":"650991","type":"image","title":"Map of GA ALA","body":null,"created":"1632316950","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 13:22:30","changed":"1632316950","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 13:22:30","alt":"graphic of Georgia and Alabama map","file":{"fid":"247009","name":"map of GA ALA.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/map%20of%20GA%20ALA.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/map%20of%20GA%20ALA.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":71468,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/map%20of%20GA%20ALA.jpg?itok=KaUmsO3C"}},"650990":{"id":"650990","type":"image","title":"Ted Russell","body":null,"created":"1632316292","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 13:11:32","changed":"1632316292","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 13:11:32","alt":"Ted Russell","file":{"fid":"247008","name":"ted final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted%20final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted%20final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2288610,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ted%20final.png?itok=WWduWXw8"}}},"media_ids":["650989","650991","650990"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"1253","name":"School of Civil and Envrionmental Engineering"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"147191","name":"wildfires"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nmaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"650996":{"#nid":"650996","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Restoring Power During Severe Storms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith severe weather and natural disasters becoming more intense in a changing climate, a group of Georgia Tech researchers studied how recovery, guided by common policies from FEMA and industry, varies with respect to the severity of disruptive events. The study, a collaboration with National Grid, used large-scale data analytics to look at nine years of power failure data to gain insight on how quickly energy grids come back online for customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that 90 percent of customers experience 10 percent of a disruptive event\u0026rsquo;s total downtime during moderate to extreme storms. However, recovery degrades with the severity of the disruptions. Large failures that cannot recover rapidly increase by 30% from the moderate to extreme events, while prolonged small failures dominate entire recovery processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s College of Engineering looked at 169 weather-induced power failures at two service regions in the states of New York and Massachusetts. The failures were induced by a wide range of disruptive events from hurricanes, nor\u0026rsquo;easters, and thunder and winter storms from 2011-2019, affecting nearly 12 million people.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA feature article, \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cell.com\/joule\/fulltext\/S2542-4351(21)00344-5\u0022\u003ELarge-scale data analytics for resilient recovery services from power failures\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; is published in Joule: Cell Press.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our goal was to use large-scale data from the operational energy grid to better understand resiliency,\u0026rdquo; said lead author Amir Hossein Afsharinejad, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EElectrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ECE). \u0026ldquo;By using such a large dataset that covers nearly a decade, we sought to learn how recoveries respond to the severity of a wide range of weather-induced failure events.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech analysis finds that the behavior of restoration services follows a \u0026ldquo;recovery scaling law.\u0026rdquo; This law restores service for the majority of affected customers at the cost of a small fraction of the total interruption time. This prioritization policy, however, becomes less efficient, shown by large power failures that can\u0026rsquo;t be prioritized. This results in customer interruption times that are 47 times longer from moderate to extreme failure events.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that the prioritization recovery doesn\u0026rsquo;t optimize restoration of small failures, which dominate delayed recovery during an entire evolution of an extreme event.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These findings tell us that the typical services governed by the prioritized recovery policy is at the cost of the disparity, and the cost is significant when failure events become severe and extreme,\u0026rdquo; said study co-author Chuanyi Ji, a Georgia Tech ECE associate professor and Afsharinejad\u0026rsquo;s thesis advisor. \u0026ldquo;Our analysis shows both the capability and fundamental limitation of recovery under the prioritization policy, where rapid restoration does not sustain to severe and extreme failure events.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also explored if other approaches would be more beneficial to speed up recovery from failures. One included distributed generation and storage. Their initial study found the approach scales well, as expediting restoration of a small fraction of the large failures in the non-prioritized category can reverse the degraded recovery from the moderate to extreme events.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe data used in the study are commonly available to most distribution grid operators in the U.S. and other parts of the world. The researchers hope their work, which took more than four years to analyze, demonstrates that energy service providers have the ability to adopt data science and turn their own data into new knowledge to improve both recovery and infrastructure enhancement.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are moving in a direction where severe storms are becoming more costly,\u0026rdquo; said Robert Wilcox, a principal engineer from National Grid who co-authored the paper. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team is enthusiastic about the future direction. \u0026ldquo;This is also an historic time as more consumers need data and machine learning to help enhance energy services and smart infrastructure,\u0026rdquo; Wilcox added. \u0026ldquo;Hopefully our study will motivate the industry to use data to better understand the problems we face today and in the decades to come.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 40,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New study examines nearly a decade of data to find trends within energy grid"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that 90 percent of customers experience 10 percent of a disruptive event\u0026rsquo;s total downtime during moderate to extreme storms. However, recovery degrades with the severity of the disruptions. Large failures that cannot recover rapidly increase by 30% from the moderate to extreme events, while prolonged small failures dominate entire recovery processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers studied how recovery, guided by common policies from FEMA and industry, varies with respect to the severity of disruptive events. "}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2021-09-22 13:45:50","changed_gmt":"2021-09-23 13:20:43","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"650994":{"id":"650994","type":"image","title":"Power lines","body":null,"created":"1632317466","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 13:31:06","changed":"1632317466","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 13:31:06","alt":"Power lines","file":{"fid":"247010","name":"iStock-522394296.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-522394296.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-522394296.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":865905,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iStock-522394296.jpg?itok=Xp7opKrI"}},"650995":{"id":"650995","type":"image","title":"Amir Hossein Afsharinejad and Chuanyi Ji ","body":null,"created":"1632318186","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 13:43:06","changed":"1632318186","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 13:43:06","alt":"photograph of Amir Hossein Afsharinejad and Chuanyi Ji","file":{"fid":"247011","name":"Lab_pic.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Lab_pic.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Lab_pic.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":650685,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Lab_pic.JPG?itok=y6I-LUu0"}}},"media_ids":["650994","650995"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/533911\/large-scale-data-study-super-storm-sandy-utility-damage-shows-small-failures-big-impact","title":"https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/533911\/large-scale-data-study-super-storm-sandy-utility-damage-shows-small-failures-big-impact"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"188896","name":"energy grid"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nmaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"651003":{"#nid":"651003","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Southeast Electric Transportation Regional Initiative to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Market Expansion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA broad coalition of organizations from the business, education, government and non-profit sectors today announced the launch of the Southeast Electric Transportation Regional Initiative (SETRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative is designed to address one of the region\u0026rsquo;s most pressing needs towards realizing the benefits of electric transportation, namely greater coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders. It will also tackle regional market challenges, such as electric vehicle (EV) charging and infrastructure gaps, accessibility, EV model availability and cost, policy guidance, and consumer awareness, while unlocking untapped opportunities for economic development, job growth, enhanced energy security, and environmental sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;SETRI\u0026rsquo;s ability to convene and partner with experts around a common table is one of the most promising aspects of the coalition,\u0026rdquo; said Rich Simmons, principal research engineer and director at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Energy Policy Innovation Center (EPICenter), and part of the steering committee that conceived SETRI. \u0026ldquo;We believe this is the first time that such a cross-cutting set of stakeholders have agreed to collaborate around major EV opportunities for the Southeast. While focused closely on regional gaps and opportunities, SETRI can also serve as an important model for other regions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Southeast is not only emerging as a hub for EV manufacturing investment and job creation; it\u0026rsquo;s well positioned to accelerate EV deployment across a diverse set of applications, including fleets. The region accounts for 18% of the nation\u0026rsquo;s population, while capturing over 28% of America\u0026rsquo;s EV manufacturing investment, and a significant share of direct and supply chain jobs across a range of EV markets, including light duty vehicles, busses, and medium and heavy-duty trucks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The Southeast has significant potential to realize the many economic, social, and environmental benefits of transportation electrification,\u0026rdquo; said Tom Ashley, vice president of Policy \u0026amp; Market Development at Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group. \u0026ldquo;Indeed, the region is already benefiting from good jobs manufacturing electric vehicles and supporting the electric vehicle supply chain. Greenlots is pleased to join SETRI\u0026rsquo;s founding members to accelerate electrification in the region to ensure these benefits are fully realized. Together, we can enable an emission-free future in the Southeast.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the Southeast is lagging the nation in EV sales and charging station deployment, accounting for just 10% of national EV sales and 13% of EV chargers deployed. The region is also significantly underrepresented in utility and government funding for transportation electrification: the Southeast accounts for approximately 1% of utility investment and 4% of government funding nationwide. Given the region\u0026rsquo;s abundant, affordable, and increasingly clean electric power, and an expanding manufacturing supply chain for EVs, the Southeast has much to gain from transportation electrification. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENearly 60 public and private organizations are founding signatories to SETRI\u0026rsquo;s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at accelerating the benefits of electric transportation for the region. This coalition includes charging companies, utilities, automakers, public officials, city planners, non-profit organizations, and universities and other research institutions. The coalition will leverage the expertise and resources needed to help state leaders navigate the transition to electric mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As a Georgia-based manufacturer of EV school buses, Blue Bird is excited to be part of SETRI,\u0026rdquo; said Trevor Rudderham, Blue Bird senior vice president, Electrification. \u0026ldquo;We look forward to collaborating with a diverse set of regional partners to help further EV adoption throughout the Southeast.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SETRI coalition welcomes the participation of additional organizations in the Southeast electrification transportation ecosystem. Entities interested in signing the MOU can do so at any time, and participation in the coalition is not restricted to signatories.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the full press release \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/broad-coalition-forms-southeast-electric-transportation-regional-initiative-setri-to-accelerate-ev-market-expansion-301382869.html?tc=eml_cleartime\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nVisit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southeastev.org\/\u0022\u003ESoutheastev.org\u003C\/a\u003E for more information.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSee the full list of signatories \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southeastev.org\/documents\/SETRI-signatories.pdf\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech among 60 stakeholders to leverage transportation electrification opportunities in Southeast."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA broad coalition of organizations from the business, education, government and non-profit sectors announced the launch of the Southeast Electric Transportation Regional Initiative (SETRI). SETRI has been designed to address one of the region\u0026rsquo;s most pressing needs towards realizing the benefits of electric transportation, namely greater coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders. It will also tackle regional market challenges, such as electric vehicle (EV) charging and infrastructure gaps, accessibility, EV model availability and cost, policy guidance, and consumer awareness, while unlocking untapped opportunities for economic development, job growth, enhanced energy security, and environmental sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"SETRI will work to address the region\u2019s most pressing needs towards realizing the benefits of electric transportation, such as greater coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders, and regional market challenges."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2021-09-22 14:47:54","changed_gmt":"2021-09-22 17:11:18","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"648279":{"id":"648279","type":"image","title":"Electric Cars at SE Policy Forum","body":null,"created":"1624388668","gmt_created":"2021-06-22 19:04:28","changed":"1629467899","gmt_changed":"2021-08-20 13:58:19","alt":"Several electric cars parked outside the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.","file":{"fid":"246096","name":"evcarphoto_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/evcarphoto_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/evcarphoto_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":535127,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/evcarphoto_2.jpg?itok=dYqESI5w"}},"651029":{"id":"651029","type":"image","title":"Rich Simmons Portrait Scaled","body":null,"created":"1632330642","gmt_created":"2021-09-22 17:10:42","changed":"1632330642","gmt_changed":"2021-09-22 17:10:42","alt":"Portrait of Rich Simmons","file":{"fid":"247025","name":"Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015_small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015_small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015_small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114701,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rich_Simmons_portrait_2015_small.jpg?itok=U95ElPcS"}}},"media_ids":["648279","651029"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/broad-coalition-forms-southeast-electric-transportation-regional-initiative-setri-to-accelerate-ev-market-expansion-301382869.html?tc=eml_cleartime","title":"SETRI Press Release."},{"url":"https:\/\/southeastev.org\/","title":"Visit the SETRI website."},{"url":"https:\/\/southeastev.org\/documents\/SETRI-signatories.pdf","title":"Full list of signatories."}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"188897","name":"SETRI"},{"id":"144041","name":"Epicenter"},{"id":"188121","name":"Rich Simmons"},{"id":"12819","name":"electric vehicles"},{"id":"188898","name":"transportation electrification"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, SEI\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"650312":{"#nid":"650312","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Kim Cobb leading discussions of U.N.\u2019s new climate report findings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKim Cobb, a Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, talked with \u003Cem\u003ENational Public Radio, the BBC, \u003C\/em\u003Eand \u003Cem\u003EThe Washington Post, among other outlets, \u003C\/em\u003Eabout the findings of the United Nation\u0026rsquo;s (U.N.) new landmark climate report, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg1\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ethe sixth assessment report by its Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E (IPCC), and the urgency of acting to lower emissions to minimize the risk of climate change in the next decades.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAs one of the lead authors of the U.N. report, Cobb detailed for \u003Cem\u003EThe Washington Post\u003C\/em\u003E an array of new observational data from satellites and weather stations that has given scientists more information about Earth\u0026rsquo;s climate than ever before. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe U.N. report and the data it shares also reaffirms the urgency in what we\u0026rsquo;ve known for decades, that the more greenhouse gases people emit, the further along the road humanity goes toward global changes that will take centuries or millennia to undo. According the U.N. assessment, future rates of ocean acidification and sea level rise will be determined by emissions reductions in the next 10-20 years. The report stresses that it is not too late to hold warming to a level of 1.5 degrees Celsius \u0026ndash; the most ambitious target outlined in the 2015 Paris Climate Accord - but would require deep, sustained emissions reductions.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026quot;The pile of evidence is now enormous,\u0026rdquo; Cobb told \u003Cem\u003ENational Public Radio\u003C\/em\u003E in an interview following the U.N. report\u0026#39;s release. \u0026ldquo;Human activities are warming the planet\u0026hellip; we now have abundant, solid lines of evidence linking this warming to any number of impacts, including weather and climate extremes across land and the ocean.\u0026quot; \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more of Kim Cobb\u0026rsquo;s insights on the U.N. report findings from \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/climate-environment\/2021\/08\/09\/ipcc-climate-report-global-warming-greenhouse-gas-effect\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Washington Post\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E and \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/08\/10\/1026500621\/climate-report-co-author-the-pile-of-evidence-is-now-enormous\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Public Radio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As one of the lead authors of the U.N. report, Cobb detailed for The Washington Post an array of new observational data from satellites and weather stations that has given scientists more information about Earth\u2019s climate than ever before. "}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2021-08-31 17:58:36","changed_gmt":"2021-08-31 17:58:36","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"650311":{"id":"650311","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb leading discussions of U.N.\u2019s new climate report findings","body":null,"created":"1630432664","gmt_created":"2021-08-31 17:57:44","changed":"1630432664","gmt_changed":"2021-08-31 17:57:44","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246807","name":"Cobb_solarpanels_nov19.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cobb_solarpanels_nov19.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cobb_solarpanels_nov19.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":67170,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Cobb_solarpanels_nov19.jpeg?itok=Xah8uq4T"}}},"media_ids":["650311"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170430","name":"Professor Kim Cobb"},{"id":"76261","name":"IPCC"},{"id":"2628","name":"united nations"},{"id":"141141","name":"extreme heat"},{"id":"33791","name":"kim cobb"},{"id":"300","name":"NPR"},{"id":"17411","name":"BBC"},{"id":"175723","name":"The Washington Post"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez-McBean\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Esar30@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sar30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"649344":{"#nid":"649344","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Wins NASA Grant to Aid Current Mars Rover Missions \u2014 and Find \u2018Martian Lakes\u2019 for Future Rovers and Crews","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0026rsquo;s a good reason why the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/\u0022\u003EMars 2020 Mission Perseverance Rover\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and its mini-copter counterpart\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/technology\/helicopter\/\u0022\u003EIngenuity\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;are currently busy exploring the edges of the Jezero Crater on the Red Planet. Water once flowed freely there, as it did eons ago at similar sites on Earth \u0026mdash; and perhaps with it, water-deposited evidence of life deep beneath Jezero\u0026rsquo;s rust-colored boulders and sand.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose so-called terrestrial analog sites on Earth helped NASA choose Jezero for the mission. \u0026ldquo;Ancient lake beds are a major target for Mars exploration, as they provide evidence for sustained liquid water in Mars\u0026rsquo; past \u0026mdash; and lake muds commonly preserve biosignatures on Earth\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Esays\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Thus, if life ever persisted on early Mars, their past presence may be preserved in ancient lake beds.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez, who joined Georgia Tech in January, will soon get a chance to study another analog site in the Antarctic, thanks to a four-year $700,000 NASA grant awarded to her research proposal, \u0026ldquo;Paleolake deposits in Miers Valley, Antarctica: An analog depositional record for Martian lakes through late Noachian to early Hesperian climatic transitions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJust like the drilling and sampling now going on at Jezero Crater on Mars, Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u0026rsquo;s work may help NASA choose future Mars destinations for both robotic rover and crewed missions. That\u0026rsquo;s because Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez is also a collaborating scientist on NASA\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/msl\/home\/\u0022\u003ECuriosity Rover\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;mission. \u0026ldquo;Lessons learned through the Antarctic project will help inform my work on the mission, as we have been characterizing lake bed deposits with the Rover,\u0026rdquo; she says. Since landing on Mars in 2012, Curiosity has traveled nearly 26 km (16\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E14 miles) around the rim of Gale Crater, another probable dry lake.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I was ecstatic to hear that my grant was funded, and excited to be heading to Antarctica for field work,\u0026rdquo; says Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez, who will serve as the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. Her co-investigator is Tyler Mackey, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. The grant will also provide funding for two graduate students, one from each institution. Field work is planned to start in January 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Before the field season, we will be performing remote sensing observations of our field site and performing lab-based analyses on modern lake samples to plan for the field work studying ancient lake beds,\u0026rdquo; Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planetas.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHer lab team\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;will study the deposits of a large Antarctic lake that persisted through climate changes 10,000 to 20,000 years ago to better recognize those similar changes in ancient lake beds on Mars, like those being explored by Curiosity and Perseverance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Currently, liquid water is not stable on the surface of Mars, but we have abundant geologic evidence for the presence of lakes on early Mars, suggesting that Mars\u0026rsquo; climate was different in the past and that it changed through time,\u0026rdquo; Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez says. \u0026ldquo;But we still do not have a good understanding on whether this climatic transition was abrupt or gradual, or if Mars was significantly warmer when the lakes were present.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s an unknown because lakes can form in a variety of climates, she adds. Examples are found in polar regions on Earth, where liquid water exists in lakes with permanent ice covers. \u0026ldquo;However, when ice is present in a lake, there are processes that are unique, and sometimes these produce deposits that may be recorded in lake beds. Thus, past climate may be inferred from lake beds if these unique deposits are recognized and distinguished from other deposit types.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERivera-Hernadez\u0026rsquo;s project will also help scientists recognize these unique deposits in ancient lake beds on Mars \u0026mdash; by studying the deposits of that ancient Antarctic lake which experienced periods with and without an ice cover, due to those climatic changes on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez and her team will soon head to Antarctica to study an ancient lake bed that may aid in search for past life on Mars, plus clues to climatic changes"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences assistant professor Frances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez will receive $700,000 over the next four years to study an ancient lake bed in Antarctica \u0026mdash; with the hope\u0026nbsp;of using samples and data to\u0026nbsp;help NASA determine future landing sites for Mars missions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez and her team will soon head to Antarctica to study an ancient lake bed that may aid in search for past life on Mars, plus clues to climatic changes"}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-08-09 15:16:08","changed_gmt":"2021-08-12 18:55:46","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"649339":{"id":"649339","type":"image","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez taking field samples in Antarctica in 2015 (Photo Frances Rivera-Hernandez)","body":null,"created":"1628518718","gmt_created":"2021-08-09 14:18:38","changed":"1628793789","gmt_changed":"2021-08-12 18:43:09","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246533","name":"Rivera-Hernandez in Antarctica 2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rivera-Hernandez%20in%20Antarctica%202.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rivera-Hernandez%20in%20Antarctica%202.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":426633,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rivera-Hernandez%20in%20Antarctica%202.jpg?itok=BT7xXuDQ"}},"649340":{"id":"649340","type":"image","title":"Miers Valley in Antarctica (Photo Pierre Roudier\/Wikimedia)","body":null,"created":"1628518865","gmt_created":"2021-08-09 14:21:05","changed":"1628518865","gmt_changed":"2021-08-09 14:21:05","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246534","name":"Miers Valley Antarctica Photo Pierre Roudier Wikimedia.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Miers%20Valley%20Antarctica%20Photo%20Pierre%20Roudier%20Wikimedia.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Miers%20Valley%20Antarctica%20Photo%20Pierre%20Roudier%20Wikimedia.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1084662,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Miers%20Valley%20Antarctica%20Photo%20Pierre%20Roudier%20Wikimedia.jpg?itok=D_JQwbVS"}},"649341":{"id":"649341","type":"image","title":"Frances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez","body":null,"created":"1628519088","gmt_created":"2021-08-09 14:24:48","changed":"1628793993","gmt_changed":"2021-08-12 18:46:33","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246535","name":"Frances Rivera-Hernandez.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Frances%20Rivera-Hernandez.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Frances%20Rivera-Hernandez.png","mime":"image\/png","size":486680,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Frances%20Rivera-Hernandez.png?itok=fPcpmYEe"}},"649342":{"id":"649342","type":"image","title":"Curiosity Rover \u0022selfie\u0022 at Mont Mercou, Mars (Photo NASA)","body":null,"created":"1628519690","gmt_created":"2021-08-09 14:34:50","changed":"1628519690","gmt_changed":"2021-08-09 14:34:50","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246536","name":"Curiosity Rover %22selfie%22 at Mont Mercou, Mars (Photo NASA).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Curiosity%20Rover%20%2522selfie%2522%20at%20Mont%20Mercou%2C%20Mars%20%28Photo%20NASA%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Curiosity%20Rover%20%2522selfie%2522%20at%20Mont%20Mercou%2C%20Mars%20%28Photo%20NASA%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1900246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Curiosity%20Rover%20%2522selfie%2522%20at%20Mont%20Mercou%2C%20Mars%20%28Photo%20NASA%29.png?itok=Y04yr_Oc"}}},"media_ids":["649339","649340","649341","649342"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/planetas.eas.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Planetary Laboratory Analyzing Environments, Terrains, and Analogs"},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2021\/02\/space-science-week-tech-progress-and-perseverance","title":"Space Science Week at Tech: Progress and Perseverance"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/summer-on-mars-nasas-perseverance-rover-is-one-of-three-missions-ready-to-launch\/","title":"Summer on Mars: NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover Is One of Three Missions Ready to Launch"},{"url":"https:\/\/scitechdaily.com\/clues-to-chilly-ancient-mars-buried-in-rocks-discovered-by-nasas-curiosity-rover\/","title":"Clues to Chilly Ancient Mars Buried in Rocks Discovered by NASA\u2019s Curiosity Rover"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.space.com\/curiosity-rover-nine-years-on-mars","title":"9 years on Mars! Curiosity rover marks another anniversary"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"187439","name":"Frances Rivera-Hernandez"},{"id":"82391","name":"Antarctica"},{"id":"182496","name":"analog sites"},{"id":"188445","name":"Mars missions"},{"id":"80341","name":"curiosity rover"},{"id":"188444","name":"Miers Valley"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"648771":{"#nid":"648771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Shows that Electronic Air Cleaning Technology Can Generate Unintended Pollutants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the Covid-19 pandemic raged, news reports show that sales of electronic air cleaners have surged due to concerns about airborne disease transmission. But a research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has found that the benefits to indoor air quality of one type of purifying system can be offset by the generation of other pollutants that are harmful to health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELed by Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ENga Lee \u0026ldquo;Sally\u0026rdquo; Ng\u003C\/a\u003E in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, the team evaluated the effect of a hydroxyl radical generator in an office setting. Hydroxyl radicals react with odors and pollutants, decomposing them, and hydroxyl radical generators have been marketed to inactivate pathogens such as coronaviruses.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Ng\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.estlett.1c00416\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E found that in the process of cleaning the air, the hydroxyl radicals generated by the device reacted with volatile organic compounds present in the indoor space. This led to chemical reactions that quickly formed organic acids and secondary organic aerosols that can cause health problems. Secondary organic aerosols is a major component of PM\u003Csub\u003E2.5\u003C\/sub\u003E (particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 mm), and exposure to PM\u003Csub\u003E2.5\u003C\/sub\u003E has been associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and millions of deaths per year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe paper, \u0026ldquo;Formation of oxidized gases and secondary organic aerosol from a commercial oxidant-generating electronic air cleaner,\u0026rdquo; is published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science and Technology Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the pandemic has made various types of electronic cleaners increasingly popular, Ng explained that consumers are probably not aware of the secondary chemistry taking place in the air, with the pollutants generated not being directly emitted by the cleaning device itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are increasing concerns regarding the use of electronic air cleaners as these devices can potentially generate unintended byproducts via oxidation chemistry similar to that in the atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; Ng said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo types of air cleaning technologies are commonly used to remove indoor pollutants such as particles or volatile organic compounds and to inactivate pathogens: mechanical filtration and electronic air cleaners that generate ions, reactive species, or other chemical products such as photocatalytic oxidation, plasma, and oxidant-generating equipment (e.g., ozone, hydroxyl radical), among others.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg\u0026rsquo;s team selected a hydroxyl generator for the study to measure the oxygenated volatile organic compounds and the chemical composition of particles generated by the device in an office on the Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile previous research reported pollutant formation from various electronic air cleaners (ionizers, plasma systems, photocatalytic systems with ultraviolet lamps, etc.), Ng believes that her team\u0026rsquo;s study is the first to monitor the chemical composition of secondary pollutants in both gas and particle phases during the operation of an electronic device that dissipates oxidants in a real-world setting.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdvanced instrumentation made Ng\u0026rsquo;s study possible. Gas-phase organic compounds were measured using a high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer, purchased through a National Science Foundation major instrumentation grant. The study received support from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Covid-19 Rapid Response fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg noted that future studies on air cleaning technology should not be limited to inactivation of viruses or reduction of volatile organic compounds, but should also evaluate potential oxidation chemistry and the formation of unintended harmful gaseous and particulate chemicals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;More studies need to be conducted on the effects of these devices in a variety of environments,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;Electronic air cleaners greatly rose in prominence because of the pandemic, and now there are a lot of these devices out there. Millions of dollars are being spent on these devices by businesses and schools. The market is huge.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our results show that care must be taken when choosing an adequate and appropriate air cleaning technology for a particular environment and task,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENg stressed the importance of future studies concerning the unintended effects of electronic purifiers, as these devices are not currently well regulated and do not have testing standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;There needs to be more peer-reviewed scientific data on electronic air cleaners,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;We hope that additional studies will lead to more government guidelines and regulation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECITATION: Joo et al., \u0026ldquo;\u003C\/em\u003EFormation of oxidized gases and secondary organic aerosol from a commercial oxidant-generating electronic air cleaner\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026rdquo; (Environmental Science \u0026amp; Technology Letters)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.estlett.1c00416\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.estlett.1c00416\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 40,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jason Maderer (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jmaderer3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejmaderer3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brad Dixon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brad Dixon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The benefits to indoor air quality of one type of purifying system can be offset by the generation of other pollutants "}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2021-07-14 22:20:10","changed_gmt":"2021-07-16 13:57:48","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"648741":{"id":"648741","type":"image","title":"Air Quality Study: Aerosols","body":null,"created":"1626271821","gmt_created":"2021-07-14 14:10:21","changed":"1626271821","gmt_changed":"2021-07-14 14:10:21","alt":"a research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has found that the benefits to indoor air quality of one type of purifying system can be offset by the generation of other pollutants that are harmful to health.","file":{"fid":"246254","name":"aerosol.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/aerosol.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/aerosol.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":141733,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/aerosol.jpg?itok=Kd0te2uR"}},"648772":{"id":"648772","type":"image","title":"Nga Lee \u0022Sally\u0022 Ng","body":null,"created":"1626303622","gmt_created":"2021-07-14 23:00:22","changed":"1626303622","gmt_changed":"2021-07-14 23:00:22","alt":"Dr. Nga Lee \u0022Sally\u0022 Ng","file":{"fid":"246264","name":"ng2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ng2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ng2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":110365,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ng2.jpg?itok=Jp3hnBO7"}}},"media_ids":["648741","648772"],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"745","name":"air quality"},{"id":"185727","name":"air purifiers"},{"id":"184289","name":"covid-19"},{"id":"11381","name":"pollutants"},{"id":"746","name":"pollution"},{"id":"113111","name":"aerosols"},{"id":"188260","name":"hydorxiyl racials"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"178819","name":"newsroom"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jmaderer3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejmaderer3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jmaderer3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"648100":{"#nid":"648100","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Surfacing New Clues: Water\u2019s Impact in Undersea Earthquakes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUndersea earthquakes may happen deep beneath the ocean\u0026rsquo;s waves, but their wake can leave behind historic levels of destruction for all to see.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, the largest earthquake to ever hit Japan, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/thisday\/mar11\/tohoku-earthquake-and-tsunami\/\u0022\u003E2011 T\u014dhoku earthquake and tsunami\u003C\/a\u003E, began below the North Pacific Ocean before triggering meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and crippling the country\u0026rsquo;s infrastructure. Another of the world\u0026rsquo;s most powerful quakes, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/news\/indian-ocean-tsunami-remembered-scientists-reflect-2004-indian-ocean-killed-thousands\u0022\u003E2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami\u003C\/a\u003E, hit just off the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, and caused the ocean floor to rise by several meters, spawning a massive tsunami that resulted in more than 200,000 casualties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe titanic forces at work during marine earthquakes can result in disasters like T\u014dhoku and the Indian Ocean quake \u0026mdash; but they can also result in much smaller, quieter tremors. So, what are the forces that push those tremors to dangerous levels \u0026mdash; and how does an ocean of water affect the severity of those tectonic plates collisions?\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Water does interesting things,\u0026rdquo; says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/naif-dr-samer\u0022\u003ESamer Naif\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;When water comes into contact with the rocks below the ocean floor, it reacts with the minerals and changes them to different minerals. The different minerals have different properties as to how strong they are, which can influence the earthquake behavior. Some of the water eventually subducts with the (tectonic) plate, where it may become trapped in the fault zone between the upper and subducting plate \u0026mdash; that\u0026rsquo;s where the larger earthquakes are happening.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETrapped water is essentially lubricating the plates, Naif explains. \u0026ldquo;If the water is trapped there, it makes it more likely for sliding. If no water, you could have strongly coupled plates that build up energy that eventually gets released\u0026rdquo; in a large earthquake.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are just some of the possibilities that Naif and a team of scientists were looking to clarify with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-021-03619-8\u0022\u003Enew research published July 7\u003C\/a\u003E in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/\u0022\u003ENature\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E. Their work provides significant evidence that more water is present than previously thought within so-called \u0026ldquo;seamounts\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;forearcs,\u0026rdquo; which are undersea land formations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHow much water is present in these formations, \u0026ldquo;and does it match the predictions of different scientific models?\u0026rdquo; Naif asks. \u0026ldquo;There are alternative hypotheses for what controls earthquake behavior, but one is that water is an important factor. Our study is one way to get at that question.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat study, \u0026ldquo;Fluid-rich subducting topography generates anomalous forearc porosity,\u0026rdquo; features Naif and three other scientists (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emlab.ldeo.columbia.edu\/index.php\/team\/christine-chesley\/\u0022\u003EChristine Chesley\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emlab.ldeo.columbia.edu\/index.php\/team\/kerry-key\/\u0022\u003EKerry Key\u003C\/a\u003E of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ldeo.columbia.edu\/\u0022\u003ELamont-Doherty Earth Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Columbia University,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gns.cri.nz\/who\/staff\/2703.html\u0022\u003EDan Bassett\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gns.cri.nz\/\u0022\u003EGNS Science\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in New Zealand) taking advantage of a series of sensors placed on the seafloor near the northern section of the Hikurangi Margin, an active subduction zone near New Zealand where the Pacific tectonic plate plows underneath the Australian plate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensors measure naturally generated magnetic and electric waves, but when paired with a transmitter \u0026mdash; a technology Naif helped use for the first subduction zone application a decade ago as a graduate student at University of California San Diego \u0026mdash; allowed Naif and his team to generate their own waves of varying levels, which he says gives a clearer picture of the Earth\u0026rsquo;s crust than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWater, water, everywhere \u0026mdash; including the subduction zone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENaif and his colleagues use the electromagnetic data recorded by the sensors to show that the seafloor has seamounts (mountains and other land features) made of porous materials that, when subducted, allows three to five times more water than usual to be recycled back deep down into the Earth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeamounts are \u0026ldquo;essentially mountains that just happen to be covered by the ocean,\u0026rdquo; Naif shares. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s easy to think the seafloor is boring and flat, but it\u0026rsquo;s really interesting and has a lot of topography to it that hints at the processes responsible for its formation. What we\u0026rsquo;re seeing now with this technology \u0026mdash; it\u0026rsquo;s not just the fact that seamounts have some geometry, some shape to them, but they seem to hold a lot of water inside of themselves,\u0026rdquo; because they are made of porous materials, which are permeable to water.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That creates interesting complications when seamounts subduct,\u0026rdquo; Naif says, such as the one laid out in the research study in the Hikurangi Margin. In addition to holding a lot of water, seamounts also appear to fracture the rocks above them as they are subducted. Naif and colleagues used the electromagnetic data recorded by the sensors to construct an image of what lies below the seafloor. This image revealed that a \u0026ldquo;subducting seamount lies directly beneath a prominent upper plate conductive anomaly.\u0026rdquo; That anomaly provided a clue to the amount of water that ended up in \u0026ldquo;fluid-rich damage zones in the forearc,\u0026rdquo; which may alter the stress that would ordinarily build up where the tectonic plates meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA \u0026ldquo;forearc\u0026rdquo; is the area between an oceanic trench and a volcanic arc of upraised land created by subduction forces, which is found at continental margins where two tectonic plates are colliding. \u0026ldquo;In addition to severely modifying the structure and physical conditions of the upper plate, subducting seamounts represent an underappreciated mechanism for transporting a considerable flux of water to the forearc and deeper mantle,\u0026rdquo; the paper states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChesley, the study\u0026rsquo;s lead author, says she was surprised by the amount of water that turned up in seamounts and forearcs. \u0026ldquo;We saw that they can store more water than typical seafloor crust, which means that they have the potential to locally supply additional lubrication to the interface between subducting plates. It\u0026#39;s generally thought that where you have excess fluids at the plate interface you might not get large, ground-shaking earthquakes, but instead you might\u0026nbsp;expect to see slow motion, \u0026lsquo;silent\u0026rsquo; earthquakes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting reacquainted with technologies from graduate school\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensors that Naif\u0026rsquo;s team used were designed and built at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a technology that was developed through funding from energy industries,\u0026rdquo; Naif says, \u0026ldquo;because it\u0026rsquo;s a way to actually image where hydrocarbon reservoirs might be. Through that application, it creates this tool that we can take advantage of, and do something on the science side of things.\u0026rdquo; Naif worked on the first application of this technology to a subduction zone as a Ph.D. student in 2010, which helped Naif and researchers generate better spatial images and data about the Hikurangi Margin. \u0026ldquo;An aspect we were able to image is the actual damage that the seamount did to the forearc as it was being dragged down beneath the Australian plate,\u0026rdquo; he adds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to deploy the sensors in deep ocean waters allowed Naif and his team to target subduction zones, where deep trenches are formed. Between those sensors and the electromagnetic transmitter \u0026mdash; which allowed the team to generate its own signals to find the seafloor\u0026rsquo;s resistivity, in addition to the passive signals picked up from the Sun and Earth\u0026rsquo;s usual electromagnetic fields \u0026mdash; they allowed the team to image deeper than past efforts. \u0026ldquo;We can see down to 300 kilometers below the surface,\u0026rdquo; he shares. \u0026ldquo;The two (signal methods) can be recorded simultaneously and are modeled together. Imaging down 10 to 20 kilometers depth was the sweet spot.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENaif says the applications of his team\u0026rsquo;s research could involve better warning signs for those living in earthquake zones. \u0026ldquo;The new information gained from these types of studies will help with our assessment of what areas are more potentially hazardous than others, and that can inform the stakeholders so they can address those issues.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe recognition that there could be a potential in a certain region for a devastating earthquake \u0026ldquo;could drive decision-making for early warning systems\u0026rdquo; as well as changes in building design, he adds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the National Science\u0026nbsp;Foundation grant OCE-1737328. C.C. acknowledges funding support by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship\u0026nbsp;(NDSEG) Program. D.B. was supported by a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund\u0026nbsp;grant (MFP-GNS1902); by the MBIE Endeavour Grant: Diagnosing peril posed by the\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Hikurangi subduction zone; and by public research funding from the Government of New\u0026nbsp;Zealand Strategic Science Investment Fund to GNS Science. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research team acknowledges computing\u0026nbsp;resources from Columbia University\u0026rsquo;s Shared Research Computing Facility project, which is\u0026nbsp;supported by NIH Research Facility Improvement Grant 1G20RR030893-01, and associated\u0026nbsp;funds from the New York State Empire State Development, Division of Science Technology\u0026nbsp;and Innovation (NYSTAR) Contract C090171, both awarded 15 April 2010.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-021-03619-8\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-021-03619-8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETectonic plates colliding deep below the ocean\u0026#39;s surface can trigger major earthquakes and tsunamis. Now, a new study from a collaborative team of scientists\u0026nbsp;including Samer Naif, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, shows that water may play a bigger role than previously understood in the magnitude of these underwater quakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tectonic plates colliding deep below the ocean\u0027s surface can trigger major earthquakes and tsunamis. A new study from a team of scientists including Samer Naif shows that water may play a bigger role than previously known in the magnitude of these quakes."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-06-14 18:05:10","changed_gmt":"2021-07-08 01:03:39","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"648124":{"id":"648124","type":"image","title":"Sensors ready for deployment near the Hikurangi Margin subduction zone. (Photo Kerry Key)","body":null,"created":"1623767683","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:34:43","changed":"1623767683","gmt_changed":"2021-06-15 14:34:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246041","name":"sensors on ship deck.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensors%20on%20ship%20deck.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensors%20on%20ship%20deck.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":840265,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sensors%20on%20ship%20deck.jpg?itok=6NAtoS7u"}},"648122":{"id":"648122","type":"image","title":"Samer Naif","body":null,"created":"1623767040","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:24:00","changed":"1623767040","gmt_changed":"2021-06-15 14:24:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246039","name":"Samer Naif.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png","mime":"image\/png","size":387972,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Samer%20Naif.png?itok=6zF2BWa5"}},"648123":{"id":"648123","type":"image","title":"Christine Chesley of Columbia University (lead author) helps with sensor deployment. (Photo: Kerry Key \/ Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)","body":null,"created":"1623767397","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:29:57","changed":"1624655477","gmt_changed":"2021-06-25 21:11:17","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246040","name":"Chesley sensor towing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chesley%20sensor%20towing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chesley%20sensor%20towing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":216455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Chesley%20sensor%20towing.jpg?itok=D-7HWbKY"}},"648126":{"id":"648126","type":"image","title":"Sensor ready for deployment off New Zealand\u0027s east coast. (Photo Samer Naif)","body":null,"created":"1623768096","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:41:36","changed":"1623768096","gmt_changed":"2021-06-15 14:41:36","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246043","name":"Subduction sensor deployment.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Subduction%20sensor%20deployment.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Subduction%20sensor%20deployment.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":686929,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Subduction%20sensor%20deployment.JPG?itok=FrnZtTau"}},"648125":{"id":"648125","type":"image","title":"SUESI (Scripps Undersea Electromagnetic Source Instrument) ready for deployment. (Photo Samer Naif)","body":null,"created":"1623767908","gmt_created":"2021-06-15 14:38:28","changed":"1623767908","gmt_changed":"2021-06-15 14:38:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"246042","name":"Funny face sensor deployed.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Funny%20face%20sensor%20deployed.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Funny%20face%20sensor%20deployed.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":634218,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Funny%20face%20sensor%20deployed.jpg?itok=hbl81J83"}}},"media_ids":["648124","648122","648123","648126","648125"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/unexpected-epicenter-earthquake-activity","title":"An Unexpected Epicenter of Earthquake Activity"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-2-episode-1-real-rock-n-roll-music-earthquake","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 2, Episode 1: Real Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll: The \u201cMusic\u201d of Earthquake"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"188051","name":"Samer Naif"},{"id":"188052","name":"marine earthquakes"},{"id":"188053","name":"subduction zones"},{"id":"188054","name":"seamounts"},{"id":"188184","name":"forearcs"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"293061":{"#nid":"293061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A River Runs Through It","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstruction\u0026nbsp;Project Prompts Development of Campus Stormwater Master Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is renowned for transforming real-world challenges into teachable moments. Such was the case with the planning for the Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) \u0026ndash; currently under construction on 10th Street \u0026ndash; a project that in turn led to the development of the 2013 Stormwater Master Plan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe concept of stormwater management at Georgia Tech was envisioned as the \u0026ldquo;Eco-Commons\u0026rdquo; as part of the 2004 Campus Master Plan Update and 2006 Landscape Master Plan, and further refined during the 2011 Landscape Master Plan Update.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Jason Gregory, educational facilities planner with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.space.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECapital Planning and Space Management\u003C\/a\u003E, the Eco-Commons is a series of campus green spaces that follow the historic alignment of now buried streams, which also follow the alignment of the combined sanitary sewer lines. Restoring the historic streams would be costly and impractical; however, creating spaces that replicate the function of the streams is possible. This includes rain gardens, infiltration cells, bio retention areas, interconnected cisterns, and an increase in tree canopy coverage to mitigate stormwater runoff.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A significant component of the Eco-Commons plan and Stormwater Master Plan is the large retention pond that is proposed near the EBB site,\u0026rdquo; said Gregory. \u0026ldquo;When planning for the EBB project, we quickly realized we needed to know exactly how large to make the pond and therefore needed to know how much water the system would generate and be captured. This is what prompted us to begin development of the plan.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EWhy the Plan Matters\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The Stormwater Master Plan supports Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s sustainability mission and conserves water while protecting our primary drinking water source, the Chattahoochee River,\u0026rdquo; said Howard Wertheimer, director of Capital Planning and Space Management. \u0026ldquo;By developing the Stormwater Master Plan, we can provide additional educational and research opportunities with measurable results and performance metrics, as well as provide a recreational amenity for our campus community.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWertheimer said that in addition to setting the example for how to deal with stormwater at a regional level, the plan will provide a roadmap for the Eco-Commons infrastructure, allowing the Institute to reduce potable water use, reduce combined sewer overflows, and exceed the city\u0026rsquo;s stormwater regulations in a meaningful way.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EEducational Opportunities\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA unique aspect of the Stormwater Master Plan is the incorporation of an \u0026ldquo;educational overlay,\u0026rdquo; which provides an opportunity to update and enhance the current curriculum and stormwater-related course offerings.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents in the Urban Stormwater Planning course taught by Professor Tom Debo (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.planning.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECity and Regional Planning\u003C\/a\u003E) served as part of the team that studied and validated the findings of the Stormwater Master Plan. Debo\u0026rsquo;s curriculum focuses on stormwater management, and the development of the stormwater model at Tech has provided a tool to measure the effectiveness of stormwater systems and test different alternatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We also engaged [Research Engineer] Ramachandra Sivakumar in the College of Architecture\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cgis.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECenter for Geographic Information Systems\u003C\/a\u003E to incorporate the stormwater model in the campus GIS data,\u0026rdquo; said Gregory. \u0026ldquo;And we had assistance from Ching-Hua Huang in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cee.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)\u003C\/a\u003E in studying the quality of the water in the various cisterns on campus. We are optimistic that there are many other opportunities to engage CEE and other colleges and schools to take advantage of Georgia Tech as a living learning laboratory.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026mdash;written by Dan Treadaway, Institute Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EConstruction of the Engineered Biosystems Building prompted development of a campus Stormwater Master Plan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Construction of the Engineered Biosystems Building prompted development of a campus Stormwater Master Plan."}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2014-04-29 12:58:09","changed_gmt":"2021-04-22 13:16:40","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"293101":{"id":"293101","type":"image","title":"Eco-Commons Pond","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Eco-Commons Pond","file":{"fid":"199296","name":"cross_pondl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cross_pondl_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cross_pondl_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":413053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cross_pondl_0.jpg?itok=hTFlA4pP"}},"293081":{"id":"293081","type":"image","title":"Imagining the Eco-Commons","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Imagining the Eco-Commons","file":{"fid":"199294","name":"ecocommons_update.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ecocommons_update_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ecocommons_update_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":725552,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ecocommons_update_0.jpg?itok=6NQ_Tqdq"}}},"media_ids":["293101","293081"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.space.gatech.edu\/landscape-master-plan","title":"Georgia Tech Landscape Master Plan"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jason.gregory@space.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJason Gregory\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCapital Planning and Space Management\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"645171":{"#nid":"645171","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Awarded Total of $4.35 Million in 2020 for Direct Air Capture Projects","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) are principal investigators on six new projects that have been awarded a total of $4.35 million for studies related to direct air capture science and technology. Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a technology that removes carbon dioxide (CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) directly from ambient air for use as a feedstock for chemical processes or transformed into a durable substance so that it can be sequestered. Some of the proposed chemical transformations that are possible with this technology include liquid fuels that could serve as \u0026ldquo;drop-in\u0026rdquo; replacements for the petroleum-based fuels we use for transportation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith these recent awards, Georgia Tech researchers, with the support of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), have launched the Direct Air Capture Center (DirACC) under the guidance of Christopher Jones, Professor and William R. McLain Chair, and Matthew Realff, Professor and David Wang Sr. Fellow. DirACC will create a forum for collaborative research on NETs and DAC, bringing together researchers from across the Institute working in energy, sustainability, policy, and related fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more than a decade, Georgia Tech researchers have worked to develop materials and processes that extract carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and transform it into something more durable or useful. In 2008, Jones began collaborating with the founders of a startup company, Global Thermostat, to develop materials and processes for DAC. His group first disclosed the use of hybrid silica\/organic amine materials for CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E capture from ambient air in 2009 at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting. Global Thermostat\u0026rsquo;s core technology marries the CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E-sorbing materials developed by Jones\u0026rsquo; group with a low energy process for ensuring good air contact with those materials. In 2015, Global Thermostat built their initial R\u0026amp;D facility in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), the nation\u0026rsquo;s oldest technology incubator. Global Thermostat operated its ATDC facility through the end of 2020, while building technology demonstration projects in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2019 and opening a new R\u0026amp;D facility in Denver, Colorado, in 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2010, David Sholl, John F. Brock III School Chair, collaborated with Jones on what is believed to be the first federally funded DAC research project sponsored by the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s National Energy Technology Laboratory. The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation played an early role in sponsoring DAC research at Georgia Tech as well. The foundation has recently produced a short film, featuring Jones, on the concept of DAC in its Chemistry Shorts film series, which is aimed at attracting young people to careers in STEM (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistryshorts.org\/\u0022\u003Echemistryshorts.org\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017-18, Jones co-led a study on DAC technology for inclusion in the U.S. National Academies consensus study on \u003Cem\u003ENegative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda\u003C\/em\u003E. This study adapted a technoeconomic analysis developed by Realff and former Georgia Tech Professor Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Nagoya University). The report explored all the terrestrial ways that CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E could be removed from the atmosphere, including DAC with geologic sequestration, bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS), carbon mineralization, and coastal, forest, and soil management practices. (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nap.edu\/read\/25259\/chapter\/1\u0022\u003Enap.edu\/read\/25259\/chapter\/1\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn parallel, researchers at Tech have engaged in related technology developments in carbon capture, with large, established technology firms. Examples include projects with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company led by Associate Professor Ryan Lively, along with M.G. Finn, professor and chair of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the James A. Carlos Family for Pediatric Technology; William Koros, professor and Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering; and Realff, focusing on a range of CO2 capture problems. ExxonMobil has supported R\u0026amp;D efforts in CO2 capture at Georgia Tech dating back to 2005. To date, the GT-ExxonMobil relationship has resulted in the graduation of 10 Ph.D. students, the support of five postdoctoral researchers, and has resulted in more than 45 papers and 25 US patents.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the fundamental science and engineering of DAC, other research efforts at Georgia Tech are modeling the implications of large-scale deployment of negative emissions technologies. Alice Favero, an environmental economist in the School of Public Policy, develops economic models to study how NETs can be balanced with the optimal use of land and other climate mitigation policies. Recently, she has collaborated with Lively and Realff on assessing the global potential for DAC. In this work, the concept of using sustainable Bio-Energy for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (BECCS) processes coupled with DAC technology allows for significantly greater atmospheric CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E removal and avoids the complexity of connecting the biomass energy facility to the grid. In particular, Favero demonstrated that this technology can work in combination with ecological afforestation efforts that maintain or enhance the natural ecosystem services and avoid converting forested lands into plantations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is also conducting research on DAC methods that leverage the photosynthesis of plants other than trees to capture CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E from the atmosphere to produce chemicals and fuels. Valerie Thomas, the Anderson-Interface Professor of Natural Systems in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has worked with biofuels companies Algenol and LanzaTech to perform life cycle assessments to determine the potential for their technologies to contribute to carbon sequestration. Using life cycle assessment to study biofuel production also reveals the possibility of unexpected impacts and suggests ways that negative consequences can be averted or mitigated.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClimate models now show that reduction of current and future emissions alone will not limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5-2 \u0026deg;C, the level suggested that may allow society to stave off the worst impacts of global climate change. These models suggest that negative emissions technologies, such as direct air capture, will need to be developed and deployed at a large scale to stabilize the climate. Georgia Tech researchers have done pioneering work in this area and are poised to continue advancing the state of the art.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Anne Wainscott-Sargent (404-435-5784) (asargent7@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brent Verrill\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With these recent awards, Georgia Tech researchers, with the support of Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), have launched the Direct Air Capture Center (DirACC)."}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2021-03-09 21:39:44","changed_gmt":"2021-03-25 15:58:09","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"645173":{"id":"645173","type":"image","title":"Direct Air Capture Installation from Global Thermostat ","body":null,"created":"1615326218","gmt_created":"2021-03-09 21:43:38","changed":"1615326218","gmt_changed":"2021-03-09 21:43:38","alt":"Global Theromostat\u2019s direct air capture installation in Huntsville, Alabama","file":{"fid":"244952","name":"Global_Thermostat_Huntsville_AL.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Global_Thermostat_Huntsville_AL.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Global_Thermostat_Huntsville_AL.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":109977,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Global_Thermostat_Huntsville_AL.jpg?itok=MJSXPV07"}}},"media_ids":["645173"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187252","name":"Direct air capture"},{"id":"1700","name":"Chris Jones"},{"id":"176639","name":"Matthew Realff"},{"id":"170046","name":"David Wang"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"644903":{"#nid":"644903","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Indoor Air Quality Study Shows Aircraft in Flight May Have Lowest Particulate Levels","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0026rsquo;re looking for an indoor space with a low level of particulate air pollution, a commercial airliner flying at cruising altitude may be your best option. A newly reported study of air quality in indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation \u0026mdash; and commercial jets \u0026mdash; shows aircraft cabins with the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConducted in July 2020, the study included monitoring both the number of particles and their total mass across a broad range of indoor locations, including 19 commercial flights in which measurements took place throughout departure and arrival terminals, the boarding process, taxiing, climbing, cruising, descent, and deplaning. The monitoring could not identify the types of the particles and therefore does not provide a direct measure of coronavirus exposure risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We wanted to highlight how important it is to have a high ventilation rate and clean air supply to lower the concentration of particles in indoor spaces,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/nga-lee-sally-ng\u0022\u003ENga Lee (Sally) Ng\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Tanner Faculty Fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;The in-flight cabin had the lowest particle mass and particle number concentration.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, believed to be the first to measure both size-resolved particle mass and number in commercial flights from terminal to terminal and a broad range of indoor spaces, has been accepted for publication in the journal \u003Cem\u003EIndoor Air\u003C\/em\u003E and posted online at the journal\u0026rsquo;s website. Supported by Delta Air Lines, the research may be the first to comprehensively measure particle concentrations likely to be encountered by passengers from terminal to terminal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs scientists learn more about transmission of the coronavirus, the focus has turned to aerosol particles as an important source of viral spread indoors. Infected people can spread the virus as they breathe, talk, or cough, creating particles ranging in size from less than a micron \u0026mdash; one millionth of a meter \u0026mdash; to 1,000 microns. The larger particles quickly fall out of the air, but the smaller ones remain suspended.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Especially in poorly ventilated spaces, these particles can be suspended in the air for a long period of time, and can travel to every corner of a room,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;If they are viral particles, they can infect people who may be at a considerable distance from a person emitting the particles.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo better understand the circulation of airborne particles, Delta approached Ng to conduct a study of multiple indoor environments, with a strong focus on air travel conditions. Using handheld instruments able to measure the total number of particles and their mass, Georgia Tech researchers examined air quality in a series of Atlanta area restaurants, stores, offices, homes, and vehicles \u0026mdash; including buses, trains, and private automobiles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey trained Delta staff to conduct the same type of measurements in terminals, boarding areas, and a variety of aircraft through all phases of flight. The Delta staff recorded their locations as they moved through the terminals, and the instruments produced measurements consistent with the restaurants and stores they passed on their way to and from boarding and departure gates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The measurements started as soon as they stepped into the departure terminal,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;We were thinking about the whole trip, what a person would encounter from terminal to terminal.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn flight, aircraft air is exchanged between 10 and 30 times per hour. Some aircraft bring in exclusively outside air, which at cruising altitude is largely free of pollutant particles found in air near the ground. Other aircraft mix outdoor air with recirculated air that goes through HEPA filters, which remove more than 99% of particles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn all, the researchers evaluated measurements from 19 commercial flights with passenger loads of approximately 50%. The flights included a mix of short- and medium-length flights, and aircraft ranging from the CRJ-200 and A220 to the 757, A321, and 737.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong all the spaces measured, restaurants had the highest particle levels because of cooking being done there. Stores were next, followed by vehicles, homes, and offices. The average sub-micron particle number concentration measured in restaurants, for instance, was 29,400 particles per cubic centimeter, and in offices it was 2,473 per cubic centimeter.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have quite a comprehensive data set to look at the size distribution of particles across these different spaces,\u0026rdquo; Ng said. \u0026ldquo;We can now compare indoor air quality in a variety of different spaces.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the portable instruments used, the researchers were unable to determine the source of the particles, which could have included both biological and non-biological sources. \u0026ldquo;Further studies can include direct measurements of viral loads and tracing particle movements in indoor spaces,\u0026rdquo; she added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJonathan Litzenberger, Delta\u0026rsquo;s managing director of Global Cleanliness Strategy, said the research helps advance the company\u0026rsquo;s goals of protecting its customers and employees.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Keeping the air clean and safe during flight is one of the most foundational layers of protection Delta aims to provide to our customers and employees,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We are always working to better understand the travel environment and confirm that the measures we are implementing are working.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, the study highlights the importance of improving indoor air quality as a means of reducing coronavirus transmission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Regardless of whether you are in an office or an aircraft, having a higher ventilation rate and good particle filtration are the keys to reducing the total particle concentration,\u0026rdquo; said Ng. \u0026ldquo;That should also reduce the concentration of any viral particles that may be present.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Ng, the researchers included Jean C. Rivera-Rios, Taekyu Joo, Masayuki Takeuchi, and Thomas M. Orlando from Georgia Tech; and Tracy Bevington, John W. Mathis, Clifton D. Pert, Brandon A. Tyson, Tyler M. Anderson-Lennert, and Joshua A. Smith from Delta Air Lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jean C. Rivera-Rios, et al, \u0026ldquo;In-flight particulate matter concentrations in commercial flights are likely lower than other indoor environments.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EIndoor Air\u003C\/em\u003E, 2021)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ina.12812\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ina.12812\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Anne Wainscott-Sargent (404-435-5784) (asargent7@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0026rsquo;re looking for an indoor space with a low level of particulate air pollution, a commercial airliner flying at cruising altitude may be your best option. A newly reported study of air quality in indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation \u0026mdash; and commercial jets \u0026mdash; shows aircraft cabins with the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study compares the level of particles in various indoor spaces, including aircraft cabins."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2021-03-02 21:38:43","changed_gmt":"2021-03-03 18:43:10","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"644899":{"id":"644899","type":"image","title":"Study Reveals Particle Count in Aircraft Cabins","body":null,"created":"1614720297","gmt_created":"2021-03-02 21:24:57","changed":"1614720297","gmt_changed":"2021-03-02 21:24:57","alt":"Looking out to sky from aircraft cabin","file":{"fid":"244861","name":"aircraft2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/aircraft2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/aircraft2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":425159,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/aircraft2.jpg?itok=JluMuILW"}},"644900":{"id":"644900","type":"image","title":"Measuring Particles in Office Spaces","body":null,"created":"1614720417","gmt_created":"2021-03-02 21:26:57","changed":"1614720417","gmt_changed":"2021-03-02 21:26:57","alt":"Researcher measuring particles in office air","file":{"fid":"244862","name":"particles1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/particles1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/particles1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2039217,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/particles1.jpg?itok=N46saD0j"}},"644901":{"id":"644901","type":"image","title":"Analyzing Data from Study of Air Quality","body":null,"created":"1614720496","gmt_created":"2021-03-02 21:28:16","changed":"1614720496","gmt_changed":"2021-03-02 21:28:16","alt":"Analyzing data on a computer screen","file":{"fid":"244863","name":"particles7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/particles7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/particles7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1581744,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/particles7.jpg?itok=Q7GoNN-e"}}},"media_ids":["644899","644900","644901"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187168","name":"indoor air"},{"id":"745","name":"air quality"},{"id":"1963","name":"particles"},{"id":"1833","name":"aircraft"},{"id":"167060","name":"safety"},{"id":"111881","name":"particulates"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"641829":{"#nid":"641829","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shuttering Fossil Fuel Power Plants May Cost Less Than Expected","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDecarbonizing U.S. electricity production will require both construction of renewable energy sources and retirement of power plants now operated by fossil fuels. A generator-level model described in the Dec. 4 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E suggests that most fossil fuel power plants could complete normal lifespans and still close by 2035 because so many facilities are nearing the end of their operational lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeeting a 2035 deadline for decarbonizing U.S. electricity production, as proposed by the incoming U.S. presidential administration, would eliminate just 15% of the capacity-years left in plants powered by fossil fuels, says the article by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cee.gatech.edu\/people\/Faculty\/7658\/overview\u0022\u003EEmily Grubert\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Institute of Technology researcher. Plant retirements are already underway, with 126 gigawatts of fossil generator capacity taken out of production between 2009 and 2018, including 33 gigawatts in 2017 and 2018 alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Creating an electricity system that does not contribute to climate change is actually two processes \u0026mdash; building carbon-free infrastructure like solar plants, and closing carbon-based infrastructure like coal plants,\u0026rdquo; said Grubert, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cee.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;My work shows that because a lot of U.S. fossil fuel plants are already pretty old, the target of decarbonization by 2035 would not require us to shut most of these plants down earlier than their typical lifespans.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOf U.S. fossil fuel-fired generation capacity, 73% (630 out of 840 gigawatts) will reach the end of its typical lifespan by 2035; that percentage would reach 96% by 2050, she says in the Policy Forum article published in Science. About 13% of U.S. fossil fuel-fired generation capacity (110 gigawatts) operating in 2018 had already exceeded its typical lifespan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause typical lifespans are averages, some generators operate for longer than expected. Allowing facilities to run until they retire is thus likely insufficient for a 2035 decarbonization deadline, the article notes. Closure deadlines that strand assets relative to reasonable lifespan expectations, however, could create financial liability for debts and other costs. The research found that a 2035 deadline for completely retiring fossil fuel-based electricity generators would only strand about 15% (1,700 gigawatt-years) of capacity life, along with about 20% (380,000 job-years) of direct power plant and fuel extraction jobs that existed in 2018.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, fossil fuel facilities operated in 1,248 of 3,141 counties, directly employing about 157,000 people at generators and fuel extraction facilities. Plant closure deadlines can improve outcomes for workers and host communities \u0026mdash; providing additional certainty, for example, by enabling specific advance planning for things like remediation, retraining for displaced workers, and revenue replacements.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Closing large industrial facilities like power plants can be really disruptive for the people who work there and live in the surrounding communities,\u0026rdquo; Grubert said. \u0026ldquo;We don\u0026#39;t want to repeat the damage we saw with the collapse of the steel industry in the 1970s and \u0026rsquo;80s, where people lost jobs, pensions, and stability without warning. We already know where the plants are, and who might be affected. Using the 2035 decarbonization deadline to guide explicit, community grounded planning for what to do next can help, even without a lot of financial support.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPlanning ahead will also help avoid creating new capital investment that may not be needed long-term. \u0026ldquo;We shouldn\u0026#39;t build new fossil fuel power plants that would still be young in 2035, and we need to have explicit plans for closures both to ensure the system keeps working and to limit disruption for host communities,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderlying policies governing the retirement of fossil fuel-powered facilities is the concept of a \u0026ldquo;just transition\u0026rdquo; that ensures material well-being and distributional justice for individuals and communities affected by a transition from fossil to non-fossil electricity systems. Determining which assets are \u0026ldquo;stranded,\u0026rdquo; or required to close earlier than expected, is vital for managing compensation for remaining debt or lost revenue, Grubert said in the article.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Emily Grubert, \u0026ldquo;Fossil electricity retirement deadlines for a just transition\u0026rdquo; (Science, 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/370\/6521\/1171\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/370\/6521\/1171\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDecarbonizing U.S. electricity production will require both construction of renewable energy sources and retirement of power plants now operated by fossil fuels. A generator-level model described in the Dec. 4 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E suggests that most fossil fuel power plants could complete normal lifespans and still close by 2035 because so many facilities are nearing the end of their operational lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A generator-level model suggests that most fossil fuel power plants could complete normal lifespans and still close by 2035."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-12-03 16:05:37","changed_gmt":"2021-01-27 15:28:02","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"641827":{"id":"641827","type":"image","title":"Gibson Generating Station","body":null,"created":"1607010798","gmt_created":"2020-12-03 15:53:18","changed":"1607010798","gmt_changed":"2020-12-03 15:53:18","alt":"The Gibson Generating Station","file":{"fid":"243859","name":"gibson-plant.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gibson-plant.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gibson-plant.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":658085,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gibson-plant.jpg?itok=Pv2OCGMH"}},"641828":{"id":"641828","type":"image","title":"Projected Power Plant Lifespans Beyond 2035","body":null,"created":"1607010922","gmt_created":"2020-12-03 15:55:22","changed":"1607010922","gmt_changed":"2020-12-03 15:55:22","alt":"Map showing power plants with lifespans beyond 2035","file":{"fid":"243860","name":"lifespan-map-2035.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lifespan-map-2035.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lifespan-map-2035.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":624863,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lifespan-map-2035.jpg?itok=ZjibTkpC"}}},"media_ids":["641827","641828"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185904","name":"SEI Energy News"},{"id":"6446","name":"energy policy"},{"id":"185458","name":"energy markets"},{"id":"186372","name":"fossil fuel"},{"id":"186373","name":"decarbonizing"},{"id":"9136","name":"power plant"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"186374","name":"Emily Grubert"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"642332":{"#nid":"642332","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Will Help Manage DOE\u2019s Savannah River Laboratory","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BRSA) \u0026ndash; which includes Georgia Tech \u0026ndash; has been selected by the Department of Energy to manage one of the country\u0026rsquo;s premier environmental, energy, and national security research facilities\u0026mdash;the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmploying approximately 1,000 staff, SRNL conducts research and development for diverse federal agencies, providing practical, cost-effective solutions for the nation\u0026rsquo;s environmental, nuclear security, energy, and manufacturing challenges. As the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s (DOE\u0026rsquo;s) Environmental Management Laboratory, SRNL provides strategic scientific and technological support for the nation\u0026rsquo;s $6 billion per year waste clean-up program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the BRSA, Georgia Tech will help manage the SRNL and guide the future growth of the lab\u0026rsquo;s core competencies while expanding collaboration with Tech\u0026rsquo;s $1 billion-per-year research program. The laboratory is located near Aiken, S.C., across the Savannah River from Augusta and Richmond County.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are pleased to support the national interests of the Department of Energy and the impact that the SRNL has on the Augusta area,\u0026rdquo; said \u0026Aacute;ngel Cabrera, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s president. \u0026ldquo;We look forward to expanding our collaborations with the Savannah River National Laboratory, other members of the Battelle Savannah River Alliance, and the Department of Energy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBSRA is led by and wholly owned by Battelle, one of DOE\u0026rsquo;s leading laboratory management contractors. The BSRA Team includes five universities from the region\u0026mdash;Clemson University, Georgia Institute of Technology, South Carolina State University, University of Georgia, and University of South Carolina\u0026mdash;as well as small business partners, Longenecker \u0026amp; Associates and TechSource.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our collaboration with the Battelle Savannah River Alliance and the Savannah River National Laboratory will provide new opportunities for our faculty and students in unique areas of research and education,\u0026rdquo; said Chaouki Abdallah, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s executive vice president for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe contract includes a five-year base with five one-year options. The estimated value of the contract is $3.8 billion over the course of 10 years if all options are exercised.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are honored by DOE\u0026rsquo;s decision to award the Savannah River National Laboratory management and operations contract to our team,\u0026rdquo; said Battelle President and CEO Lou Von Thaer. \u0026ldquo;We have the lab management experience to make a difference and we\u0026rsquo;re committed to ensuring the success of this important national resource.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re honored and excited to have this opportunity,\u0026rdquo; said Ron Townsend, Battelle\u0026rsquo;s Executive Vice President for Global Laboratory Operations. \u0026ldquo;BSRA\u0026rsquo;s approach will ensure the delivery of high-impact science, technology and engineering solutions into the future through a significant expansion of SRNL\u0026rsquo;s core competencies. Our team offers an exciting, compelling vision for the future of SRNL and provides DOE a leadership team that will deliver with excellence.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBattelle currently has a management role at seven DOE national labs including Pacific Northwest National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, Idaho National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Lab. It also operates the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center for the Department of Homeland Security.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BRSA) \u0026ndash; which includes Georgia Tech \u0026ndash; has been selected by the Department of Energy to manage one of the country\u0026rsquo;s premier environmental, energy, and national security research facilities\u0026mdash;the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is part of a team that has been selected to manage the DOE\u0027s Savannah River National Laboratory"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-12-28 17:09:21","changed_gmt":"2020-12-28 17:21:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"642334":{"id":"642334","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech and SRNL","body":null,"created":"1609176014","gmt_created":"2020-12-28 17:20:14","changed":"1609176014","gmt_changed":"2020-12-28 17:20:14","alt":"Georgia Tech tower","file":{"fid":"244002","name":"10P1000-P22-008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10P1000-P22-008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10P1000-P22-008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":631337,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10P1000-P22-008.jpg?itok=olyKNG6d"}}},"media_ids":["642334","642334"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186512","name":"Savannah River National Laboratory"},{"id":"186513","name":"SRNL"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"3441","name":"DOE"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"641165":{"#nid":"641165","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Machine Learning Advances Materials for Separations, Adsorption, and Catalysis","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn artificial intelligence technique \u0026mdash; machine learning \u0026mdash; is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have important applications in chemical separations, adsorption, catalysis, and sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUtilizing data about the properties of more than 200 existing MOFs, the machine learning platform was trained to help guide the development of new materials by predicting an often-essential property: water stability. Using guidance from the model, researchers can avoid the time-consuming task of synthesizing and then experimentally testing new candidate MOFs for their aqueous stability. Already, researchers are expanding the model to predict other important MOF properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the Office of Science\u0026rsquo;s Basic Energy Sciences program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the research was reported Nov. 9 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was conducted in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/efrc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy\u003C\/a\u003E (UNCAGE-ME), a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center located at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The issue of water stability with MOFs has existed in this field for a long time, with no easy way to predict it,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/krista-s-walton\u0022\u003EKrista Walton\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Robert \u0026quot;Bud\u0026quot; Moeller faculty fellow in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Rather than having to do the synthesis and experimentation to figure this out for each candidate MOF, this machine learning model now provides a way to predict water stability given a set of desired features. This will really speed up the process of identifying new materials for specific applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMOFs are a class of porous and crystalline materials that are synthesized from inorganic metal ions or clusters connected to organic ligands. They are known for their easily tunable components that can be customized for specific applications, but the large number of potential combinations makes it difficult to choose MOFs with the desired properties. That\u0026rsquo;s where artificial intelligence can help.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMachine learning is playing an increasingly important role in materials science, said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/rampi-ramprasad\u0022\u003ERampi Ramprasad\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair in the Georgia Tech School of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMaterials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gra.org\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E Eminent Scholar in Energy Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When materials scientists plan the next set of experiments, we use the intuition and insights that we have accumulated from the past,\u0026rdquo; Ramprasad said. \u0026ldquo;Machine learning allows us to fully tap into this past knowledge in the most efficient and effective manner. If 200 experiments have already been done, machine learning allows us to exploit all that has been learned from them as we plan the 201st experiment.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond experimental data, machine learning can also use the results of physics-based simulations. And unlike simulations, the results from machine learning models can be instantaneous. The machine learning algorithm improves as it receives more information, he noted, and both negative and positive results are useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Great discoveries are as important as not-so-exciting discoveries \u0026mdash; failed experiments \u0026mdash; because machine learning uses both ends of the spectrum to get better at what it does,\u0026rdquo; Ramprasad said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe machine learning model used information Walton and her research team had gathered on hundreds of existing MOF materials, both from compounds developed in her own lab and those reported by other researchers. To prepare the information for the model to learn from, she categorized each MOF according to four measures of water stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The couple hundred data points used to build the model represented years of experiments,\u0026rdquo; Walton said. \u0026ldquo;I spent basically the first half of my career working to understand this water stability problem with MOFs, so it\u0026rsquo;s something we have studied extensively.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing the model, researchers who are developing new adsorbents and other porous materials for specific applications can now check their proposed formulas to determine the likelihood that a new MOF would be stable in the presence of water. That could be particularly helpful for researchers who don\u0026rsquo;t have this particular expertise or who don\u0026rsquo;t have easy access to experimental methods for examining stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The MOF community is diverse, with a variety of subfields. Not everyone has the chemical intuition about which materials\u0026rsquo; features lead to good framework stability, and experimental evaluation often requires specialty equipment that many labs may not have or wouldn\u0026rsquo;t otherwise need for their specific subfield. However, with good predictive models, they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily need to develop it to choose a material for a specific application,\u0026rdquo; Walton said. \u0026ldquo;This capability potentially opens up this field to a broader group of researchers that could accelerate application development.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile screening for water stability is important, Ramprasad says it\u0026rsquo;s just the beginning of the potential benefits from the project. The machine learning model can be trained to predict other properties as long as a sufficient amount of data exists. For instance, the team is already teaching their model about factors affecting methane absorption under varying levels of pressure. In that case, simulations will provide much of the data from which the model will learn.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We will have a very strong predictor that will tell us if a new MOF would be stable under aqueous conditions and a good candidate for methane uptake,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;What we are doing is creating a universal and scalable machine learning platform that can be trained on new properties. As long as the data is available, the model can learn from it, and make predictions for new cases.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, recent Georgia Tech postdoctoral fellow Rohit Batra and Georgia Tech graduate students Carmen Chen and Tania G. Evans were also coauthors on the \u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERamprasad has experience with machine learning techniques applied to other materials and application spaces, and recently coauthored a review article, \u0026ldquo;Emerging materials intelligence ecosystems propelled by machine learning,\u0026rdquo; about a range of artificial intelligence applications in materials science and engineering. Intended to demystify machine learning and to review success stories in the materials development space, it was published, also on Nov. 9, 2020, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Ramprasad, coauthors on the \u003Cem\u003ENature Review Materials\u003C\/em\u003E paper included Batra and Le Song, associate professor in the Georgia Tech College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work was supported as part of the Center for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under award no. DE-SC0012577.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rohit Batra, Carmen Chen, Tania G. Evans, Krista S. Walton, and Rampi Ramprasad, \u0026ldquo;Prediction of water stability in metal\u0026ndash;organic frameworks using machine learning.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42256-020-00249-z\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42256-020-00249-z\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rohit Batra, Le Song, and Rampi Ramprasad, \u0026ldquo;Emerging materials intelligence ecosystems propelled by machine learning.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-020-00255-y.\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-020-00255-y.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn artificial intelligence technique \u0026mdash; machine learning \u0026mdash; is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have important applications in chemical separations, adsorption, catalysis, and sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Machine learning is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-11-10 01:26:31","changed_gmt":"2020-11-10 01:28:45","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"641162":{"id":"641162","type":"image","title":"Metal-Organic Framework Materials","body":null,"created":"1604970584","gmt_created":"2020-11-10 01:09:44","changed":"1604970584","gmt_changed":"2020-11-10 01:09:44","alt":"Vial containing a metal-organic framework material","file":{"fid":"243654","name":"MOF-1261.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":566912,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg?itok=c6NtjdiH"}},"641163":{"id":"641163","type":"image","title":"Metal-Organic Framework Materials-2","body":null,"created":"1604970676","gmt_created":"2020-11-10 01:11:16","changed":"1604970676","gmt_changed":"2020-11-10 01:11:16","alt":"Two vials containing metal-organic framework materials","file":{"fid":"243655","name":"MOF-1264.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":628096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg?itok=V6JF0Cq3"}}},"media_ids":["641162","641163"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"84571","name":"metal-organic framework"},{"id":"176532","name":"MOF"},{"id":"169566","name":"separation"},{"id":"38801","name":"adsorbent"},{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"640638":{"#nid":"640638","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Strengthen Research Ties","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (PNNL) have entered into a formal agreement to bolster the interactions, collaborations, and joint scientific output of both institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe goals of this collaborative arrangement are to:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESolve Big Problems\u003C\/em\u003E by leveraging the significant infrastructure and intellectual capabilities of both parties in a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional manner.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESustain and Engage Human Capital\u003C\/em\u003E by exposing a pipeline of talented future members of the workforce to problems of practical importance and complex nature early in their academic programs.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAccelerate Technology Adoption\u003C\/em\u003E by introducing new ideas, science, and technology into the industrial and federal marketplace for the public good.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis five-year agreement was acknowledged during a virtual memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing event on Oct. 23, organized by Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This MOU provides a basis for both parties to engage in research collaborations, and the joint creation and administration of intellectual property,\u0026rdquo; said Tim Lieuwen, SEI\u0026rsquo;s executive director.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELeaders of both institutions emphasized that the MOU leverages existing relationships and takes advantage of synergies. PNNL and Georgia Tech already have a long history of collaboration, with more than 100 journal articles, conference papers, and the like coauthored by PNNL and Georgia Tech researchers over the past decade. PNNL also boasts 32 current staff members who earned a bachelor\u0026rsquo;s, master\u0026rsquo;s, or doctoral degree from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe MOU lays out several potential topics of mutual interest to both institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory share interests in many areas of science and technology, including data science and visual analytics, electrical grid technologies, cybersecurity, and processing for fuels, chemicals, and materials,\u0026rdquo; said Chaouki T. Abdallah, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s executive vice president for research. \u0026ldquo;Through this MOU, we look forward to expanding our collaborations in these important research areas.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe MOU also calls for expanded intellectual engagement, with PNNL and Georgia Tech students and researchers having a substantive presence on each other\u0026rsquo;s campuses, often in the form of joint appointments and internships. Personnel exchanges of this nature typically accelerate research efforts by making available to both parties the unique capabilities, facilities, and research communities that both have to offer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The complexity of the research problems we are tackling today requires cooperation among institutions. No one institution can solve the big problems alone,\u0026rdquo; Tony Peurrung, PNNL\u0026rsquo;s deputy director for science and technology, said. \u0026ldquo;We are pleased to elevate our partnership with Georgia Tech because with our combined strengths, we will be better prepared to solve some of world\u0026rsquo;s most difficult science and technology challenges.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral online seminars are planned in the coming months to boost awareness of this agreement among the research communities of both institutions and to foster connections between researchers with similar interests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E draws on signature capabilities in chemistry, earth sciences, and data analytics to advance scientific discovery and create solutions to the nation\u0026#39;s toughest challenges in energy resiliency and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026#39;s Office of Science \u0026mdash; the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States \u0026mdash; and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E, also known as Georgia Tech, is one of the nation\u0026rsquo;s leading research universities, providing a focused, technologically based education to more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Institute has many nationally recognized programs, all top-ranked by peers and publications alike, and is ranked among the nation\u0026rsquo;s top public universities by\u003Cem\u003E U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E. It offers degrees through the Colleges of Computing, Design, Engineering, Sciences, the Scheller College of Business, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech has hundreds of centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to American government, industry, and business.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Georgia Tech - John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu); PNNL - Greg Koller (greg.koller@pnnl.gov).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have entered into a formal agreement to bolster the interactions, collaborations, and joint scientific output of both institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will expand interactions, collaborations and joint scientific output."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-10-27 01:17:01","changed_gmt":"2020-10-27 01:21:04","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"640637":{"id":"640637","type":"image","title":"Pacific Northwest National Laboratory","body":null,"created":"1603760923","gmt_created":"2020-10-27 01:08:43","changed":"1603760923","gmt_changed":"2020-10-27 01:08:43","alt":"Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus","file":{"fid":"243506","name":"PNNL Richland Campus Aerial Photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/PNNL%20Richland%20Campus%20Aerial%20Photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/PNNL%20Richland%20Campus%20Aerial%20Photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1282910,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/PNNL%20Richland%20Campus%20Aerial%20Photo.jpg?itok=hJgBywcF"}}},"media_ids":["640637","640637"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"183598","name":"PNNL"},{"id":"184316","name":"Pacific Northwest National Laboratory"},{"id":"167357","name":"SEI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"638916":{"#nid":"638916","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Process Boosts Lignin Bio-oil as a Next-Generation Fuel","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new low-temperature, multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, which is now largely a waste product left over from the production of cellulose and bioethanol from trees and other woody plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a dual catalyst system of superacid and platinum particles, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown they can add hydrogen and remove oxygen from lignin bio-oil, making the oil more useful as a fuel and source of chemical feedstocks. The process, based on an unusual hydrogen cycle, can be done at low temperature and ambient pressure, improving the practicality of the upgrade and reducing the energy input needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;From an environmental and sustainability standpoint, people want to use oil produced from biomass,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/yulin-deng\u0022\u003EYulin Deng\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;The worldwide lignin production from paper and bioethanol manufacturing is 50 million tons annually, and more than 95% of that is simply burned to generate heat. My lab is looking for practical methods to upgrade low molecular weight lignin compounds to make them commercially viable as high-quality biofuel and biochemicals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process was described September 7 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Energy\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are extracted from trees, grasses, and other biomass materials. The cellulose is used to make paper, ethanol, and other products, but the lignin \u0026mdash; a complex material that gives strength to the plants \u0026mdash; is largely unused because it\u0026rsquo;s difficult to break down into low-viscosity oils that could serve as the starting point for kerosene or diesel fuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPyrolysis techniques done at temperatures over 400 degrees Celsius can be used to create bio-oils such as phenols from the lignin, but the oils lack sufficient hydrogen and contain too many oxygen atoms to be useful as fuels. The current approach to addressing that challenge involves adding hydrogen and removing oxygen through a catalytic process known as hydrodeoxygenation. But that process now requires high temperatures and pressures 10 times higher than ambient, and it produces char and tar that quickly reduce the efficiency of the platinum catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDeng and colleagues set out to develop a new solution-based process that would add hydrogen and remove the oxygen from the oil monomers using a hydrogen buffer catalytic system. Because hydrogen has very limited solubility in water, the hydrogenation or hydrodeoxygenation reaction of lignin biofuel in solution is very difficult. Deng\u0026rsquo;s group used polyoxometalate acid (SiW\u003Csub\u003E12\u003C\/sub\u003E) as both a hydrogen transfer agent and reaction catalyst, which helps transfer hydrogen gas from the gas-liquid interphase into the bulk solution through a reversible hydrogen extraction. The process then released hydrogen as an active species H* at a platinum-on-carbon nanoparticle surface, which solved the key issue of low solubility of hydrogen in water at low pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;On the platinum, the polyoxometalate acid captures the charge from the hydrogen to form H+, which is soluble in water, but the charges can be reversibly transferred back to H+ to form active H* inside the solution,\u0026rdquo; Deng said. As an apparent result, hydrogen gas is transferred to water phase to form active H*, which can directly react with lignin oil inside the solution.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the second part of the unusual hydrogen cycle, the polyoxometalate acid sets the stage for removing oxygen from the bio-oil monomers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The super-acid can reduce the activation energy required for removing the oxygen, and at the same time, you have more active hydrogen H* in the solution, which reacts on the molecules of oil,\u0026rdquo; Deng said. \u0026ldquo;In the solution there is a quick reaction with active hydrogen atom H* and lignin oil on the surface of the catalyst. The reversible reaction of hydrogen with polyoxometalate to form H+ and then to hydrogen atom H* on the platinum catalyst surface is a unique reversible cycle.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe platinum particles and polyoxometalate acid can be reused for multiple cycles without reducing efficiency. The researchers also found that the efficiency of hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin oil varied depending on the specific monomers in the oil.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We tested 15 or 20 different molecules that were produced by pyrolysis and found that the conversion efficiency ranged from 50% on the lower end to 99% on the higher end,\u0026rdquo; Deng said. \u0026ldquo;We did not compare the energy input cost, but the conversion efficiency was at least 10 times better than what has been reported under similar low temperature, low hydrogen pressure conditions.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOperating at lower temperatures \u0026mdash; below 100 degrees Celsius \u0026mdash; reduced the problem of char and tar formation on the platinum catalyst. Deng and his colleagues found that they could use the same platinum at least 10 times without deterioration of the catalytic activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the challenges ahead are improving the product selectivity by using different metal catalyst systems, and developing new techniques for separation and purification of the different lignin biochemicals in the solution. Platinum is expensive and in high demand for other applications, so finding a lower-cost catalyst could boost the overall practicality of the process \u0026mdash; and perhaps make it more selective.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile helping meet the demand for bio-based oils, the new technique could also benefit the forest products, paper, and bioethanol industries by providing a potential revenue stream for lignin, which is often just burned to produce heat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The global lignin market size was estimated at $954.5 million in 2019, which is only a very small portion of the lignin that is produced globally. Clearly, the industry wants to find more applications for it by converting the lignin to chemicals or bio-oils,\u0026rdquo; Deng said. \u0026ldquo;There would also be an environmental benefit from using this material in better ways.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond upgrading lignin biofuel, a broad impact of the research in Yulin\u0026#39;s group is developing a technology to significantly increase the solubility of active hydrogen atoms or hydrogen gas in a solution, which can also be used in broader chemical reactions such as ammonia synthesis and general hydrogenation of different substances.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Deng and first author Wei Liu, the research team also included Wenqin You, Wei Sun, Weisheng Yang, Akshay Korde, and Yutao Gong, all from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Wei Liu, et al., \u0026ldquo;Ambient-pressure and low-temperature upgrading of lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons using a hydrogen buffer catalytic system.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Energy\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020).\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41560-020-00680-x\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41560-020-00680-x\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new low-temperature, multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, which is now largely a waste product left over from the production of cellulose and bioethanol from trees and other woody plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new process for upgrading lignin bio-oil could expand the use of lignin, which is now largely a waste product."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-09-09 22:51:32","changed_gmt":"2020-09-09 22:52:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"638914":{"id":"638914","type":"image","title":"Trees are a source of bio-oil","body":null,"created":"1599691197","gmt_created":"2020-09-09 22:39:57","changed":"1599691197","gmt_changed":"2020-09-09 22:39:57","alt":"Trees in North Georgia","file":{"fid":"242933","name":"trees and clouds.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trees%20and%20clouds.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trees%20and%20clouds.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trees%20and%20clouds.jpg?itok=n4zrkJ-u"}},"638915":{"id":"638915","type":"image","title":"Wood chips used for making biofuels","body":null,"created":"1599691338","gmt_created":"2020-09-09 22:42:18","changed":"1599691338","gmt_changed":"2020-09-09 22:42:18","alt":"Wood chips","file":{"fid":"242934","name":"GettyImages-155602929.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-155602929.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-155602929.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3777248,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-155602929.jpg?itok=s0l25kw9"}}},"media_ids":["638914","638915"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185821","name":"bio-fuel"},{"id":"81401","name":"lignin"},{"id":"3023","name":"biomass"},{"id":"1521","name":"fuel"},{"id":"172269","name":"hydrocarbon"},{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"638309":{"#nid":"638309","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fossil Pollen Record Suggests Vulnerability to Mass Extinction Ahead","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EReduced resilience of plant biomes in North America could be setting the stage for the kind of mass extinctions not seen since the retreat of glaciers and arrival of humans about 13,000 years ago, cautions a new study published August 20 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EGlobal Change Biology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe warning comes from a study of 14,189 fossil pollen samples taken from 358 locations across the continent. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology used data from the samples to determine landscape resilience, including how long specific landscapes such as forests and grasslands existed \u0026ndash; a factor known as residence time \u0026mdash; and how well they rebounded following perturbations such as forest fires \u0026mdash; a factor termed recovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our work indicates that landscapes today are once again exhibiting low resilience, foreboding potential extinctions to come,\u0026rdquo; wrote authors Yue Wang, Benjamin Shipley, Daniel Lauer, Roseann Pineau, and Jenny McGuire. \u0026ldquo;Conservation strategies focused on improving both landscape and ecosystem resilience by increasing local connectivity and targeting regions with high richness and diverse landforms can mitigate these extinction risks.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, supported by the National Science Foundation, is believed to be the first to quantify biome residence and recovery time over an extended period. The researchers studied 12 major plant biomes in North America over the past 20,000 years using pollen data from the Neotoma Paleoecology Database.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We find that the retreat of North American glaciers destabilized ecosystems, causing large herbivores \u0026mdash; including mammoths, horses, and camels \u0026mdash; to struggle for food supplies,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/jmcguire\u0022\u003EMcGuire\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;That destabilization combined with the arrival of humans in North America to land a one-two punch that resulted in the extinction of large terrestrial mammals on the continent.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that landscapes today are experiencing resilience lower than any seen since the end of the Pleistocene megafauna extinctions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Today, we see a similarly low landscape resilience, and we see a similar one-two punch: humans are expanding our footprint and climates are changing rapidly,\u0026rdquo; said Wang, a postdoctoral researcher who led the study. \u0026ldquo;Though we know that strategies exist to mitigate some of these effects, our findings serve as a dire warning about the vulnerability of natural systems to extinction.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the mix of plants represented by pollen samples, the researchers found that over the past 20,000 years, forests persisted for longer than grassland habitats \u0026mdash; averaging 700 years versus about 360 years, though they also took much longer to reestablish after being perturbed \u0026mdash; averaging 360 years versus 260 years. \u0026ldquo;These findings were somewhat surprising,\u0026rdquo; said McGuire. \u0026ldquo;We had expected biomes to persist much longer, perhaps for thousands of years rather than hundreds.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research also found that forests and grasslands transition quickly when temperatures are changing fast, and that they recover most rapidly if the ecosystem contains high plant biodiversity. Yet not all biomes recover; the study found that only 64% regain their original biome type through a process that can take up to three centuries. Arctic systems were least likely to recover, the study found.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELandscape resilience, the ability of habitats to persist or quickly rebound in response to disturbances, has helped maintain terrestrial biodiversity during periods of climatic and environmental changes, the researchers noted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Identifying the tempo and mode of landscape transitions and the drivers of landscape resilience is critical to maintaining natural systems and preserving biodiversity given today\u0026#39;s rapid climate and land use changes,\u0026rdquo; the authors wrote. \u0026ldquo;However, resilient landscapes are difficult to recognize on short time scales, as perturbations are challenging to quantify and ecosystem transitions are rare.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EContrary to prevailing ecological theory, the researchers found that pollen richness \u0026mdash; indicating diversity of species \u0026mdash; did not necessarily correlate with residence time. Ecological theory suggests that biodiversity increases ecosystem resilience by improving \u0026quot;functional redundancy,\u0026rdquo; allowing a system to maintain stability even if a single or several species are lost. \u0026ldquo;But species richness does not necessarily reflect functional redundancy, and as a result may not be correlated with ecosystem stability,\u0026rdquo; the researchers wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study used pollen data from five forest types \u0026mdash; forest-tundra, conifer\/hardwood, boreal forest, deciduous forest, and coastal forest; five shrub\/herb biome types \u0026mdash; Arctic vegetation, desert, mountain vegetation, prairies, and Mediterranean vegetation; and two no-analog biome types \u0026mdash; spruce parkland and mixed parkland.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Neotoma Paleoecology Database contains fossil pollen and spores that are ubiquitous in lake and mire sediments. Collected through core sampling, the samples represent a wide diversity of plant taxa and cover an extended period of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the effects of climate change and human environmental impacts don\u0026rsquo;t bode well for the future of North American plant biomes, there are ways to address it, Wang said. \u0026ldquo;We know that strategies exist to mitigate some of these effects, such as prioritizing biodiverse regions that can rebound quickly and increasing the connectivity between natural habitats so that species can move in response to warming.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants DEB 1655898 and SGP 1945013. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yue Wang, Benjamin R. Shipley, Daniel A. Lauer, Rozenn M. Pineau, and Jenny L. McGuire, \u0026ldquo;Plant biomes demonstrate that landscape resilience today is the lowest it has been since end?Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EGlobal Change Biology\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/gcb.15299\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/gcb.15299\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0182\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EReduced resilience of plant biomes in North America could be setting the stage for the kind of mass extinctions not seen since the retreat of glaciers and arrival of humans about 13,000 years ago, cautions a new study published August 20 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EGlobal Change Biology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Reduced resilience of plant biomes in North America could be setting the stage for the kind of mass extinctions not seen in 13,000 years."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-08-25 00:23:09","changed_gmt":"2020-08-25 01:03:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"638303":{"id":"638303","type":"image","title":"Change in resilience","body":null,"created":"1598313855","gmt_created":"2020-08-25 00:04:15","changed":"1598313855","gmt_changed":"2020-08-25 00:04:15","alt":"Chart showing resilience over time","file":{"fid":"242753","name":"recovery-vs-residence.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/recovery-vs-residence.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/recovery-vs-residence.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":515596,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/recovery-vs-residence.jpg?itok=3udtOXSK"}},"638305":{"id":"638305","type":"image","title":"Researchers studying data from fossil pollen","body":null,"created":"1598313959","gmt_created":"2020-08-25 00:05:59","changed":"1598314141","gmt_changed":"2020-08-25 00:09:01","alt":"Researchers in woodland scene","file":{"fid":"242754","name":"plant-biome-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/plant-biome-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/plant-biome-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1320660,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/plant-biome-001.jpg?itok=Pjxc1JIb"}},"638306":{"id":"638306","type":"image","title":"Researchers studying data from fossil pollen - 2","body":null,"created":"1598314107","gmt_created":"2020-08-25 00:08:27","changed":"1598315097","gmt_changed":"2020-08-25 00:24:57","alt":"Researchers in woodland scene","file":{"fid":"242755","name":"plane-biome-010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/plane-biome-010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/plane-biome-010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1448919,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/plane-biome-010.jpg?itok=BsfWFiwH"}}},"media_ids":["638303","638305","638306"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185677","name":"biome"},{"id":"185678","name":"plant biome"},{"id":"13410","name":"Extinction"},{"id":"80651","name":"pollen"},{"id":"185679","name":"fossil pollen"},{"id":"113","name":"landscape"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"637997":{"#nid":"637997","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Flies and Mosquitoes Beware, Here Comes the Slingshot Spider","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERunning into an unseen spiderweb in the woods can be scary enough, but what if you had to worry about a spiderweb \u0026ndash; and the spider \u0026ndash; being catapulted at you? That\u0026rsquo;s what happens to insects in the Amazon rain forests of Peru, where a tiny slingshot spider launches a web \u0026ndash; and itself \u0026ndash; to catch unsuspecting flies and mosquitoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have produced what may be the first kinematic study of how this amazing arachnid stores enough energy to produce acceleration of 1,300 meters\/second\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E \u0026ndash; 100 times the acceleration of a cheetah. That acceleration produces velocities of 4 meters per second and subjects the spider to forces of approximately 130 Gs, more than 10 times what fighter pilots can withstand without blacking out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Peruvian spider and its cousins stand out among arachnids for their ability to make external tools \u0026ndash; in this case, their webs \u0026ndash; and use them as springs to create ultrafast motion. Their ability to hold a ready-to-launch spring for hours while waiting for an approaching mosquito suggests yet another amazing tool: a latch mechanism to release the spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Unlike frogs, crickets, or grasshoppers, the slingshot spider is not relying on its muscles to jump really quickly,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/saad-bhamla\u0022\u003ESaad Bhamla\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E who studies ultrafast organisms. \u0026ldquo;When it weaves a new web every night, the spider creates a complex, three-dimensional spring. If you compare this natural silk spring to carbon nanotubes or other human-made materials in terms of power density or energy density, it is orders of magnitude more powerful.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, supported by the National Science Foundation and National Geographic Society Foundation, was published August 17 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ECurrent Biology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how web silk stores energy could potentially provide new sources of power for tiny robots and other devices, and lead to new applications for the robust material, the researchers say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESlingshot spiders, known by the scientific genus name \u003Cem\u003ETheridiosomatid\u003C\/em\u003E, build three-dimensional conical webs with a tension line attached to the center. The Peruvian member of that spider family, which is about 1 millimeter in length, pulls the tension line with its front legs to stretch the structure while holding on to the web with its rear legs. When it senses a meal within range, the spider launches the web and itself toward a fly or mosquito.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the launch is successful, the spider quickly wraps its meal in silk. If the spider misses, it simply pulls the tension line to reset the web for the next opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We think this approach probably gives the spider the advantage of speed and surprise, and perhaps even the effect of stunning the prey,\u0026rdquo; noted Symone Alexander, a postdoctoral researcher in Bhamla\u0026rsquo;s lab. \u0026ldquo;The spiders are tiny, and they are going after fast-flying insects that are larger than they are. To catch one, you must be much, much faster than they are.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESlingshot spiders were described in a 1932 publication, and more recently by Jonathan Coddington, now a senior research entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution. Bhamla has an interest in fast-moving but small organisms, so he and Alexander arranged a trip to study the catapulting creature using ultrafast cameras to measure and record the movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We wanted to understand these ultrafast movements because they can force our perspective to change from thinking about cheetahs and falcons as the only fast animals,\u0026rdquo; Bhamla said. \u0026ldquo;There are many very small invertebrates that can achieve fast movement through unusual structures. We really wanted to understand how these spiders achieve that amazing acceleration.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers traveled six hours by boat from Puerto Maldonado to the Tambopata Research Center. There is no electricity in the area, so nights are very dark. \u0026ldquo;We looked up and saw a tiny red dot,\u0026rdquo; Bhamla recalled. \u0026ldquo;We were so far away from the nearest light that the dot turned out to be the planet Mars. We could also see the Milky Way so clearly.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe intense darkness raises the question of how the spider senses its prey and determines where to aim itself. Bhamla believes it must be using an acoustic sensing technique, a theory supported by the way the researchers tricked the spider into launching its web: They simply snapped their fingers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond sensing in the dark, the researchers also wondered how the spider triggers release of the web. \u0026ldquo;If an insect gets within range, the spider releases a small bundle of silk that it has created by crawling along the tension line,\u0026rdquo; Alexander said. \u0026ldquo;Releasing the bundle controls how far the web flies. Both the spider and web are moving backward.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother mystery is how the spider patiently holds the web while waiting for food to fly by. Alexander and Bhamla estimated that stretching the web requires at least 200 dynes, a tremendous amount of energy for a tiny spider to generate. Holding that for hours could waste a lot of energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Generating 200 dynes would produce tremendous forces on the tiny legs of the spider,\u0026rdquo; Bhamla said. \u0026ldquo;If the reward is a mosquito at the end of three hours, is that worth it? We think the spider must be using some kind of trick to lock its muscles like a latch so it doesn\u0026rsquo;t need to consume energy while waiting for hours.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond curiosity, why travel to Peru to study the creature? \u0026ldquo;The slingshot spider offers an example of active hunting instead of the passive, wait for an insect to collide into the web strategy, revealing a further new functionality of spider silk,\u0026rdquo; Bhamla said. \u0026ldquo;Before this, we hadn\u0026rsquo;t thought about using silk as a really powerful spring.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother unintended benefit is changing attitudes toward spiders. Prior to the study, Alexander admits she had a fear of spiders. Being surrounded by slingshot spiders in the Peruvian jungle \u0026ndash; and seeing the amazing things they do \u0026ndash; changed that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In the rainforest at night, if you shine your flashlight, you quickly see that you are completely surrounded by spiders,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;In my house, we don\u0026rsquo;t kill spiders anymore. If they happen to be scary and in in the wrong place, we safely move them to another location.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlexander and Bhamla had hoped to return to Peru this summer, but those plans were cut short by the coronavirus. They\u0026rsquo;re eager to continue learning from the spider.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Nature does a lot of things better than humans can do, and nature has been doing them for much longer,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;Being out in the field gives you a different perspective, not only about what nature is doing, but also why that is necessary.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through award 1817334 and CAREER 1941933, by the National Geographic Foundation through NGS-57996R-19, and by the Eckert Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Symone L.M. Alexander and M. Saad Bhamla, \u0026ldquo;Ultrafast launch of slingshot spiders using conical silk webs\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ECurrent Biology\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cub.2020.06.076\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cub.2020.06.076\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERunning into an unseen spiderweb in the woods can be scary enough, but what if you had to worry about a spiderweb \u0026ndash; and the spider \u0026ndash; being catapulted at you? That\u0026rsquo;s what happens to insects in the Amazon rain forests of Peru, where a tiny slingshot spider launches a web \u0026ndash; and itself \u0026ndash; to catch unsuspecting flies and mosquitoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have done what may be the first kinematic study of the slingshot spider, which catapults its web to catch insects."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-08-18 02:15:08","changed_gmt":"2020-08-18 02:17:49","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"637992":{"id":"637992","type":"image","title":"Hiking into the rain forest","body":null,"created":"1597715739","gmt_created":"2020-08-18 01:55:39","changed":"1597715739","gmt_changed":"2020-08-18 01:55:39","alt":"Researchers hiking into the rain forest","file":{"fid":"242645","name":"hiking_0133.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hiking_0133.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hiking_0133.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1634519,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hiking_0133.jpg?itok=4HcPGJaG"}},"637993":{"id":"637993","type":"image","title":"Slingshot spider ready to launch","body":null,"created":"1597715867","gmt_created":"2020-08-18 01:57:47","changed":"1597715867","gmt_changed":"2020-08-18 01:57:47","alt":"Slingshot spider and its web","file":{"fid":"242646","name":"slingshot-spider-0395.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-0395.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-0395.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":292553,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slingshot-spider-0395.jpg?itok=O26fDvJv"}},"637994":{"id":"637994","type":"image","title":"Slingshot spider ready to launch - 2","body":null,"created":"1597715948","gmt_created":"2020-08-18 01:59:08","changed":"1597715948","gmt_changed":"2020-08-18 01:59:08","alt":"Slingshot spider and its web","file":{"fid":"242647","name":"slingshot-spider-7903.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-7903.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-7903.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":425650,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slingshot-spider-7903.jpg?itok=dRpWIxCW"}},"637996":{"id":"637996","type":"image","title":"Cartoon explanation of slingshot spider","body":null,"created":"1597716272","gmt_created":"2020-08-18 02:04:32","changed":"1597716272","gmt_changed":"2020-08-18 02:04:32","alt":"Comic strip showing the slingshot spider","file":{"fid":"242649","name":"slingshot-spider-comic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-comic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slingshot-spider-comic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1067385,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slingshot-spider-comic.jpg?itok=zwbbtIbY"}},"637995":{"id":"637995","type":"image","title":"Preparing ultrafast camera","body":null,"created":"1597716060","gmt_created":"2020-08-18 02:01:00","changed":"1597716060","gmt_changed":"2020-08-18 02:01:00","alt":"Preparing to photograph slingshot spiders","file":{"fid":"242648","name":"adjusting-equipment0042.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/adjusting-equipment0042.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/adjusting-equipment0042.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1029199,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/adjusting-equipment0042.jpg?itok=H_yTVuFT"}}},"media_ids":["637992","637993","637994","637996","637995"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185581","name":"slingshot spider"},{"id":"185582","name":"spider"},{"id":"185583","name":"arachnid"},{"id":"177841","name":"Saad Bhamla"},{"id":"178693","name":"acceleration"},{"id":"3220","name":"web"},{"id":"185584","name":"spider web"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"637030":{"#nid":"637030","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Membrane Technology Could Cut Emissions and Energy Use in Oil Refining","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew membrane technology developed by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and ExxonMobil could help reduce carbon emissions and energy intensity associated with refining crude oil. Laboratory testing suggests that this polymer membrane technology could replace some conventional heat-based distillation processes in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFractionation of crude oil mixtures using heat-based distillation is a large-scale, energy-intensive process that accounts for nearly 1% of the world\u0026rsquo;s energy use: 1,100 terawatt-hours per year (TWh\/yr), which is equivalent to the total energy consumed by the state of New York in a year. By substituting the low-energy membranes for certain steps in the distillation process, the new technology might one day allow implementation of a hybrid refining system that could help reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption significantly compared to traditional refining processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Much in our modern lives comes from oil, so the separation of these molecules makes our modern civilization possible,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Finn\/M.G.\u0022\u003EM.G. Finn\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and chair of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. Finn also holds the James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology. \u0026ldquo;The scale of the separation required to provide the products we use is incredibly large. This membrane technology could make a significant impact on global energy consumption and the resulting emissions of petroleum processing.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReported in the July 17 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, the paper is believed to be the first report of a synthetic membrane specifically designed for the separation of crude oil and crude-oil fractions. Additional research and development will be needed to advance this technology to industrial scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMembrane technology is already widely used in such applications as seawater desalination, but the complexity of petroleum refining has until now limited the use of membranes. To overcome that challenge, the research team developed a novel spirocyclic polymer that was applied to a robust substrate to create membranes able to separate complex hydrocarbon mixtures through the application of pressure rather than heat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMembranes separate molecules from mixtures according to differences such as size and shape. When molecules are very close in size, that separation becomes more challenging. Using a well-known process for making bonds between nitrogen and carbon atoms, the polymers were constructed by connecting building blocks having a kinked structure to create disordered materials with built-in void spaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team was able to balance a variety of factors to create the right combination of solubility \u0026ndash; to enable membranes to be formed by simple and scalable processing \u0026ndash; and structural rigidity \u0026ndash; to allow some small molecules to pass through more easily than others. Unexpectedly, the researchers found that the materials needed a small amount of structural flexibility to improve size discrimination, as well as the ability to be slightly \u0026ldquo;sticky\u0026rdquo; toward certain types of molecules that are found abundantly in crude oil.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter designing the novel polymers and achieving some success with a synthetic gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel mixture, the team decided to try to separate a crude oil sample and discovered that the new membrane was quite effective at recovering gasoline and jet fuel from the complex mixture.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were initially trying to fractionate a mixture of molecules that were too similar,\u0026rdquo; said Ben McCool, a senior research associate at ExxonMobil and one of the paper\u0026rsquo;s coauthors. \u0026ldquo;When we took on a more complex feed, crude oil, we got fractionalization that looked like it could have come from a distillation column, indicating the concept\u0026rsquo;s great potential.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers worked collaboratively, with polymers designed and tested at Georgia Tech, then converted to 200-nanometer-thick films, and incorporated into membrane modules at Imperial using a roll-to-roll process. Samples were then tested at all three organizations, providing multi-lab confirmation of the membrane capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have the foundational experience of bringing organic solvent nanofiltration, a membrane technology becoming widely used in pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries, to market,\u0026rdquo; said Andrew Livingston, professor of chemical engineering at Imperial. \u0026ldquo;We worked extensively with ExxonMobil and Georgia Tech to demonstrate the scalability potential of this technology to the levels required by the petroleum industry.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team created an innovation pipeline that extends from basic research all the way to technology that can be tested in real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We brought together basic science and chemistry, applied membrane fabrication fundamentals, and engineering analysis of how membranes work,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/ryan-p-lively\u0022\u003ERyan Lively\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and John H. Woody faculty fellow in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;We were able to go from milligram-scale powders all the way to prototype membrane modules in commercial form factors that were challenged with real crude oil \u0026ndash; it was fantastic to see this innovation pipeline in action.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExxonMobil\u0026rsquo;s relationship with Georgia Tech goes back nearly 15 years and has produced innovations in other separation technologies, including a new carbon-based molecular sieve membrane that could dramatically reduce the energy required to separate a class of hydrocarbon molecules known as alkyl aromatics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Through collaboration with strong academic institutions like Georgia Tech and Imperial, we are constantly working to develop the lower-emissions energy solutions of the future,\u0026quot; said Vijay Swarup, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Finn, Livingston, Lively, and McCool, the paper\u0026rsquo;s authors include Kirstie Thompson and Ronita Mathias, Georgia Tech graduate students who are co-first authors; Daeok Kim, Jihoon Kim, Irene Bechis, Andrew Tarzia, and Kim Jelfs of Imperial; and Neel Rangnekar, J.R. Johnson, and Scott Hoy of ExxonMobil.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirstie Thompson, et al., \u0026ldquo;N-Aryl Linked Spirocyclic Polymers for Membrane Separations of Complex Hydrocarbon Mixtures\u0026rdquo; (Science 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/369\/6501\/310\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/369\/6501\/310\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew membrane technology developed by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and ExxonMobil could help reduce carbon emissions and energy intensity associated with refining crude oil. Laboratory testing suggests that this polymer membrane technology could replace some conventional heat-based distillation processes in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New membrane technology could reduce carbon emissions and energy intensity associated with oil refining."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-07-16 18:33:27","changed_gmt":"2020-07-16 18:37:12","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"637025":{"id":"637025","type":"image","title":"Membrane material could reduce carbon emissions","body":null,"created":"1594923476","gmt_created":"2020-07-16 18:17:56","changed":"1594923476","gmt_changed":"2020-07-16 18:17:56","alt":"Graduate research assistants with membrane","file":{"fid":"242330","name":"membrane-6320.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6320.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6320.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":479774,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/membrane-6320.jpg?itok=7BhgHtba"}},"637026":{"id":"637026","type":"image","title":"New membrane technology","body":null,"created":"1594923602","gmt_created":"2020-07-16 18:20:02","changed":"1594923602","gmt_changed":"2020-07-16 18:20:02","alt":"Professors with chemicals and membrane module","file":{"fid":"242331","name":"membrane-6221.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6221.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6221.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":461522,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/membrane-6221.jpg?itok=QSKefqMl"}},"637027":{"id":"637027","type":"image","title":"Polymers used for membrane materials","body":null,"created":"1594923754","gmt_created":"2020-07-16 18:22:34","changed":"1594923754","gmt_changed":"2020-07-16 18:22:34","alt":"Graduate research assistants with chemicals","file":{"fid":"242332","name":"membrane-6290.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6290.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6290.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":466388,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/membrane-6290.jpg?itok=skaMBIuJ"}},"637029":{"id":"637029","type":"image","title":"Examining membrane materials","body":null,"created":"1594923884","gmt_created":"2020-07-16 18:24:44","changed":"1594923884","gmt_changed":"2020-07-16 18:24:44","alt":"Examining membrane materials","file":{"fid":"242333","name":"membrane-6239.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6239.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/membrane-6239.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":480714,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/membrane-6239.jpg?itok=SvCdCXmq"}}},"media_ids":["637025","637026","637027","637029"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"},{"id":"185312","name":"oil refining"},{"id":"15275","name":"carbon emissions"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"1492","name":"Polymer"},{"id":"185313","name":"fractionation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"636291":{"#nid":"636291","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018SlothBot in the Garden\u2019 Demonstrates Hyper-Efficient Conservation Robot","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the next several months, visitors to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantabg.org\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Botanical Garden\u003C\/a\u003E will be able to observe the testing of a new high-tech tool in the battle to save some of the world\u0026rsquo;s most endangered species. SlothBot, a slow-moving and energy-efficient robot that can linger in the trees to monitor animals, plants, and the environment below, will be tested near the Garden\u0026rsquo;s popular Canopy Walk.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBuilt by robotics engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology to take advantage of the low-energy lifestyle of real sloths, SlothBot demonstrates how being slow can be ideal for certain applications. Powered by solar panels and using innovative power management technology, SlothBot moves along a cable strung between two large trees as it monitors temperature, weather, carbon dioxide levels, and other information in the Garden\u0026rsquo;s 30-acre midtown Atlanta forest.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;SlothBot embraces slowness as a design principle,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/magnus-egerstedt-0\u0022\u003EMagnus Egerstedt\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s not how robots are typically designed today, but being slow and hyper-energy efficient will allow SlothBot to linger in the environment to observe things we can only see by being present continuously for months, or even years.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout three feet long, SlothBot\u0026rsquo;s whimsical 3D-printed shell helps protect its motors, gearing, batteries, and sensing equipment from the weather. The robot is programmed to move only when necessary, and will locate sunlight when its batteries need recharging. At the Atlanta Botanical Garden, SlothBot will operate on a single 100-foot cable, but in larger environmental applications, it will be able to switch from cable to cable to cover more territory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The most exciting goal we\u0026rsquo;ll demonstrate with SlothBot is the union of robotics and technology with conservation,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantabg.org\/article\/emily-e-d-coffey-ph-d\/\u0022\u003EEmily Coffey\u003C\/a\u003E, vice president for conservation and research at the Garden. \u0026ldquo;We do conservation research on imperiled plants and ecosystems around the world, and SlothBot will help us find new and exciting ways to advance our research and conservation goals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research, SlothBot could help scientists better understand the abiotic factors affecting critical ecosystems, providing a new tool for developing information needed to protect rare species and endangered ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;SlothBot could do some of our research remotely and help us understand what\u0026rsquo;s happening with pollinators, interactions between plants and animals, and other phenomena that are difficult to observe otherwise,\u0026rdquo; Coffey added. \u0026ldquo;With the rapid loss of biodiversity and with more than a quarter of the world\u0026rsquo;s plants potentially heading toward extinction, SlothBot offers us another way to work toward conserving those species.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInspiration for the robot came from a visit Egerstedt made to a vineyard in Costa Rica where he saw two-toed sloths creeping along overhead wires in their search for food in the tree canopy. \u0026ldquo;It turns out that they were strategically slow, which is what we need if we want to deploy robots for long periods of time,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA few other robotic systems have already demonstrated the value of slowness. Among the best known are the Mars Exploration Rovers that gathered information on the red planet for more than a dozen years. \u0026ldquo;Speed wasn\u0026rsquo;t really all that important to the Mars Rovers,\u0026rdquo; Egerstedt noted. \u0026ldquo;But they learned a lot during their leisurely exploration of the planet.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond conservation, SlothBot could have applications for precision agriculture, where the robot\u0026rsquo;s camera and other sensors traveling in overhead wires could provide early detection of crop diseases, measure humidity, and watch for insect infestation. After testing in the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the researchers hope to move SlothBot to South America to observe orchid pollination or the lives of endangered frogs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which includes Ph.D students Gennaro Notomista and Yousef Emam, undergraduate student Amy Yao, and postdoctoral researcher Sean Wilson, considered multiple locomotion techniques for the SlothBot. Wheeled robots are common, but in the natural world they can easily be defeated by obstacles like rocks or mud. Flying robots require too much energy to linger for long. That\u0026rsquo;s why Egerstedt\u0026rsquo;s observation of the wire-crawling sloths was so important.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s really fascinating to think about robots becoming part of the environment, a member of an ecosystem,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;While we\u0026rsquo;re not building an anatomical replica of the living sloth, we believe our robot can be integrated to be part of the ecosystem it\u0026rsquo;s observing like a real sloth.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SlothBot launched in the Atlanta Botanical Garden is the second version of a system originally reported in May 2019 at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation. That robot was a much smaller laboratory prototype.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond their conservation goals, the researchers hope SlothBot will provide a new way to stimulate interest in conservation from the Garden\u0026rsquo;s visitors. \u0026ldquo;This will help us tell the story of the merger between technology and conservation,\u0026rdquo; Coffey said. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a unique way to engage the public and bring forward a new way to tell our story.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that should be especially interesting to children visiting the Garden.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This new way of thinking about robots should trigger curiosity among the kids who will walk by it,\u0026rdquo; said Egerstedt. \u0026ldquo;Thanks to SlothBot, I\u0026rsquo;m hoping we will get an entirely new generation interested in what robotics can do to make the world better.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research through Grant N00014-15-2115 and by the National Science Foundation through Grant 1531195. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon, Georgia Tech (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu); Danny Flanders, Atlanta Botanical Garden (404-591-1550) (dflanders@atlantabg.org).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the next several months, visitors to the Atlanta Botanical Garden will be able to observe the testing of a new high-tech tool in the battle to save some of the world\u0026rsquo;s most endangered species. SlothBot, a slow-moving and energy-efficient robot that can linger in the trees to monitor animals, plants, and the environment below, will be tested near the Garden\u0026rsquo;s popular Canopy Walk.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Visitors to the Atlanta Botanical Garden can observe the testing of SlothBot, a new high-tech tool in the battle to save some of the world\u2019s most endangered species."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-06-17 02:18:11","changed_gmt":"2020-06-17 02:19:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"636285":{"id":"636285","type":"image","title":"SlothBot operating in Atlanta Botanical Garden - 2","body":null,"created":"1592358753","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 01:52:33","changed":"1592358753","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 01:52:33","alt":"SlothBot at Atlanta Botanical Garden","file":{"fid":"242107","name":"slothbot-16.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-16.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-16.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":580841,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-16.jpg?itok=Y9Qc8ooy"}},"636284":{"id":"636284","type":"image","title":"SlothBot research team at Atlanta Botanical Garden","body":null,"created":"1592358513","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 01:48:33","changed":"1592358803","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 01:53:23","alt":"SlothBot research team","file":{"fid":"242106","name":"slothbot-08.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-08.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-08.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1062762,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-08.jpg?itok=IJIXVb5V"}},"636283":{"id":"636283","type":"image","title":"SlothBot operating in Atlanta Botanical Garden","body":null,"created":"1592358388","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 01:46:28","changed":"1592358388","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 01:46:28","alt":"SlothBot at Atlanta Botanical Garden","file":{"fid":"242105","name":"slothbot-18.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-18.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-18.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":618544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-18.jpg?itok=uY0a6F_w"}},"636287":{"id":"636287","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech - Atlanta Botanical Garden Collaboration","body":null,"created":"1592359063","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 01:57:43","changed":"1592359149","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 01:59:09","alt":"Magnus Egersted and Emily Coffey","file":{"fid":"242110","name":"slothbot-11.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-11_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-11_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1131543,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-11_0.jpg?itok=sAS0Qoxt"}},"636288":{"id":"636288","type":"image","title":"Magnus Egerstedt and SlothBot","body":null,"created":"1592359280","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 02:01:20","changed":"1592359280","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 02:01:20","alt":"Magnus Egerstedt with SlothBot","file":{"fid":"242112","name":"slothbot-14.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-14.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-14.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":886307,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-14.jpg?itok=7O66PVOw"}},"636289":{"id":"636289","type":"image","title":"SlothBot in the Lab","body":null,"created":"1592359383","gmt_created":"2020-06-17 02:03:03","changed":"1592359383","gmt_changed":"2020-06-17 02:03:03","alt":"SlothBot researchers in the lab","file":{"fid":"242113","name":"slothbot_3044.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot_3044.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot_3044.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1567004,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot_3044.jpg?itok=m37T1BUs"}}},"media_ids":["636285","636284","636283","636287","636288","636289"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"636116":{"#nid":"636116","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What Do Electric Vehicle Drivers Think of the Charging Network They Use?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith electric vehicles making their way into the mainstream, building out the nationwide network of charging stations to keep them going will be increasingly important.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E harnesses machine learning techniques to provide the best insight yet into the attitudes of electric vehicle (EV) drivers about the existing charger network. The findings could help policymakers focus their efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, published in the June 2020 issue the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Sustainability\u003C\/em\u003E, a team led by Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/omar-isaac-asensio\u0022\u003EOmar Isaac Asensio\u003C\/a\u003E describes training a machine learning algorithm to analyze unstructured consumer data from 12,270 electric vehicle charging stations across the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study demonstrates how machine learning tools can be used to quickly analyze streaming data for policy evaluation in near-real time. Streaming data refers to data that comes in a continuous feed, such as user reviews from an app. The study also revealed surprising findings about how EV drivers feel about charging stations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, the conventional wisdom that drivers prefer private stations to public ones appears to be wrong. The study also finds potential problems with charging stations in larger cities, presaging challenges yet to come in creating a robust charging system that meets all drivers\u0026#39; needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Based on evidence from consumer data, we argue that it is not enough to just invest money into increasing the quantity of stations, it is also important to invest in the quality of the charging experience,\u0026rdquo; Asensio wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPerceived Lack of Charging Stations a Barrier to Adoption\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EElectric vehicles are considered a crucial part of the solution to climate change: transportation is now the leading contributor of climate-warming emissions. But one major barrier to broader adoption of electric vehicles is the perception of a lack of charging stations, and the attending \u0026ldquo;range anxiety\u0026rdquo; that makes many drivers nervous about buying an EV.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile that infrastructure has grown considerably in recent years, the work hasn\u0026rsquo;t taken into account what consumers actually want, Asensio said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In the early years of EV infrastructure development, most policies were geared to using incentives to increase the quantity of charging stations,\u0026rdquo; Asensio said. \u0026ldquo;We haven\u0026rsquo;t had enough focus on building out reliable infrastructure that can give confidence to users.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis study helps rectify that shortcoming by offering evidence-based, national analysis of actual consumer sentiment, as opposed to indirect travel surveys or simulated data used in many analyses.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAsensio directed the study with a team of five students in public policy, engineering, and computing. Two were from Georgia Tech: Catharina Hollauer, a recent graduate of the H. Milton School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Sooji Ha, a dual Ph.D. student in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Computational Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other three were participants in the 2018 Georgia Tech Civic Data Science Fellows program, which draws talented students from around the country to the Georgia Tech campus for a summer of research and learning. They are Kevin Alvarez of North Carolina State University, Arielle Dror of Smith College, and Emerson Wenzel of Tufts University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEV Charging Sore Spots Revealed\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAsensio\u0026rsquo;s team used deep learning text classification algorithms to analyze data from a popular EV users smartphone app. It would have taken most of a year using conventional methods. But the team\u0026rsquo;s approach cut the task down to minutes while classifying sentiment with accuracy similar to that of human experts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that workplace and mixed-use residential stations get low ratings, with frequent complaints about lack of accessibility and signage. Fee-based charging stations tend to get more poor reviews than free charging stations. But it is stations in dense urban centers that really draw complaints, according to the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen researchers controlled for location and other characteristics, stations in dense urban areas showed a 12 \u0026ndash; 15% increase in negative sentiment compared to nonurban locations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could indicate a broad range of service quality issues in the largest EV markets, including things like malfunctioning equipment and an insufficient number of chargers, Asensio said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe highest rated stations are often located at hotels, restaurants, and convenience stores, a finding that may support incentive-based management practices in which chargers are installed to draw customers. Stations at public parks and recreation facilities, RV parks, and visitor centers also do well, according to the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, contrary to theories predicting that private stations should provide more efficient services, the study found no statistically significant difference in user preferences when it comes to public versus private chargers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat finding could be an inducement to invest in public charging infrastructure to meet future growth, Asensio said. Such a network was cited in a study by the National Research Council as key to helping overcome barriers to EV adoption.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Policy Evaluation Beyond EV\u0026rsquo;s\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, Asensio said the study points to the need to prioritize consumer data when considering how to build out infrastructure, especially when it comes to requirements for charging stations in new buildings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut EV policy is not the only way the study\u0026rsquo;s deep learning techniques can be used to analyze this kind of material. They could be adapted to a broad range of energy and transportation issues, allowing researchers to deliver rapid analysis with just minutes of computation, compared to time lags measured sometimes in months or years using more traditional methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The follow-on potential for energy policy is to move toward automated forms of infrastructure management powered by machine learning, particularly for critical linkages between energy and transportation systems and smart cities,\u0026rdquo; Asensio said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe article, \u0026ldquo;Real-time Data from Mobile Platforms to Evaluate Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure,\u0026rdquo; was published in \u003Cem\u003ENature Sustainability\u003C\/em\u003E on June 1. The article is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41893-020-0533-6\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41893-020-0533-6\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by National Science Foundation Award No. 1931980, the Civic Data Science REU program at Georgia Tech (NSF Award No. IIS-1659757), the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, and the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Michael Pearson\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study provides the best insight yet into the attitudes of electric vehicle (EV) drivers about the existing network of charging stations. The findings in some cases contradict conventional wisdom about driver preferences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study provides insight into the attitudes of electric vehicle drivers about charging stations."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-06-09 21:24:51","changed_gmt":"2020-06-09 23:00:15","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"636114":{"id":"636114","type":"image","title":"Electric vehicles sign","body":null,"created":"1591737137","gmt_created":"2020-06-09 21:12:17","changed":"1591738250","gmt_changed":"2020-06-09 21:30:50","alt":"Electric vehicles sign","file":{"fid":"242037","name":"IMG_3746.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_3746.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_3746.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":571938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_3746.jpg?itok=wzrxG1xE"}},"636115":{"id":"636115","type":"image","title":"Electric vehicle charging station","body":null,"created":"1591737307","gmt_created":"2020-06-09 21:15:07","changed":"1591738219","gmt_changed":"2020-06-09 21:30:19","alt":"Electric vehicle charging station","file":{"fid":"242038","name":"iStock-1217034130-md.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-1217034130-md.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-1217034130-md.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":212696,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iStock-1217034130-md.jpg?itok=gDnpVhl0"}}},"media_ids":["636114","636115"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"74791","name":"electric vehicle"},{"id":"185083","name":"electric vehicle charging"},{"id":"185082","name":"charging network"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"626","name":"public policy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"635503":{"#nid":"635503","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Volcanic Activity Does Not Contribute to El Ninos, Hard Evidence Says","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHard data gained from fossilized corals have spoken strongly against a popular theoretical\u0026nbsp;assumption that volcanic activity may have influenced El Nino events.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/lookup\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aax2000\u0022\u003EScience\u003C\/a\u003E in March and\u0026nbsp;led by researchers from Rice University and the Georgia Institute of Technology parsed the record archived by ancient tropical Pacific coral over the past millennium. That record could help scientists refine their models of how changing conditions in the Pacific influence the occurrence of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/El_Ni%C3%B1o\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u0026ntilde;o events\u003C\/a\u003E, which are major drivers of global climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the ratio of oxygen isotopes sequestered in coral \u0026ndash; an accurate measure of historic ocean temperatures \u0026ndash; showed no correlation between El Ni\u0026ntilde;o events and estimates of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sulfate_aerosol\u0022\u003Esulfate particles\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;ejected into the atmosphere by tropical volcanic eruptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe coral data was collected on trips to the Pacific over the course of 20 years, by teams led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/shadow.eas.gatech.edu\/~kcobb\/people\/people.html\u0022\u003EKim Cobb\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Those coral records have shown little connection between known volcanoes and El Ni\u0026ntilde;o events over that time. Like tree rings, these\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paleoclimatology\u0022\u003Epaleoclimate\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;archives have held chemical indicators, the oxygen isotopes, of oceanic conditions at the time they formed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe corals\u0026nbsp;yield\u0026nbsp;a high-fidelity record that tracks\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/El_Ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93Southern_Oscillation\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u0026ntilde;o-Southern Oscillation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ENSO) in the heart of the central tropical Pacific. The ENSO is a natural oscillation of hotter and cooler surface water temperatures that peak every few years to trigger El Ninos in the hot phases and La Ninas in the cool phases.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChallenging established models\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Rice climate scientist and the study\u0026#39;s\u0026nbsp;corresponding author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sylviadeeclimate.org\/\u0022\u003ESylvia Dee\u003C\/a\u003E, previous climate model studies have tied volcanic eruptions, which increase sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere, to increased chances for an El Ni\u0026ntilde;o event. But the ability to analyze climate conditions based on oxygen isotopes trapped in fossil corals has extended the climatological record in this key region across more than 20 ancient eruptions. Dee said this has allowed for a more rigorous test of the connection.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of climate modeling studies show a dynamical connection where volcanic eruptions can initiate El Ni\u0026ntilde;o events,\u0026rdquo; Dee said. \u0026ldquo;We can run climate models many centuries into the past, simulating volcanic eruptions for the last millennium. But the models are just that \u0026mdash; models \u0026mdash; and the coral record captures reality.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe coral records Cobb and her colleagues studied for this particular research held unambiguous markers of conditions over 319 years, from 1146-1465. This and data from other corals spans more than 500 years of the last millennium and, they wrote, \u0026ldquo;presents a window into the effects of large volcanic eruptions on tropical Pacific climate.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat span of time includes the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1257_Samalas_eruption\u0022\u003E1257 eruption of Mt. Samalas\u003C\/a\u003E, the largest and most sulfurous of the last millennium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding coral records\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECobb said her lab has been developing techniques and expanding the coral record for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;My first expedition to the islands was in 1997, and it has been my sole focus pretty much since then to extract the best records that we can from these regions,\u0026rdquo; she said, noting the lab has issued many papers on the topic, including a groundbreaking 2003 study on ENSO in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature01779\u0022\u003ENature\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECobb said dating the ancient coral samples depends on precise\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uranium%E2%80%93thorium_dating\u0022\u003Euranium-thorium dating\u003C\/a\u003E, followed by thousands of mass spectrometric analyses of coral oxygen isotopes from powders drilled every 1 millimeter across the coral\u0026rsquo;s growth axis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That speaks to the temperature reconstruction,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re borrowing on 70 years of work with this particular chemistry to establish a robust temperature proxy in corals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe oxygen-16 to oxygen-18\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isotopes_of_oxygen\u0022\u003Eisotopes\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;revealed by spectrometry show that the temperature of the water at the time the coral formed, Cobb said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The ratio of those two isotopes in carbonates is a function of the temperature,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s the magic: It\u0026rsquo;s based on pure thermodynamics.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This beautiful coral record is highly sensitive to El Ni\u0026ntilde;o and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/La_Ni%C3%B1a\u0022\u003ELa Ni\u0026ntilde;a\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;events based on its location,\u0026rdquo; Dee added. \u0026ldquo;Scientists have reconstructed the timing of those volcanic eruptions from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bas.ac.uk\/data\/our-data\/publication\/ice-cores-and-climate-change\/\u0022\u003Eice-core records\u003C\/a\u003E. We compared the timing of the largest eruptions to the coral record to see if volcanic cooling events had any impact on tropical Pacific climate.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our study suggests that linkage\u0026nbsp;doesn\u0026rsquo;t exist or, if it does, it is obscured by the large natural variability in the climate system,\u0026rdquo; Dee said. \u0026ldquo;In general, El Ni\u0026ntilde;o is a natural oscillator in the climate system.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECo-authors of the paper were Julien Emile-Geay from the University of Southern California; Toby Ault from Cornell University; Lawrence Edwards from the University of Minnesota; research scientist Hai Cheng of Minnesota University and Xi\u0026rsquo;an Jiaotong University, China; and Christopher Charles from the University of California, San Diego. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the funding agencies and not necessarily of the sponsor.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERice University media inquiries:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMike Williams, writer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mikewilliams@rice.edu\u0022\u003Emikewilliams@rice.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech media inquiries:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nBen Brumfield\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Physical evidence has spoken, and it clearly says that volcanic activity does not push El Nino and La Nina events."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2020-05-19 17:16:38","changed_gmt":"2020-05-19 17:25:31","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"629307":{"id":"629307","type":"image","title":"El Nino globe images 1997 and 2015","body":null,"created":"1574694551","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:09:11","changed":"1574694551","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:09:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239662","name":"El Ninos NOAA.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":213525,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg?itok=107VR-VU"}},"629311":{"id":"629311","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb drills corals underwater in the tropical Pacific","body":null,"created":"1574694827","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","changed":"1574694827","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239664","name":"Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":554867,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG?itok=HnmCnhge"}},"627918":{"id":"627918","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb honored with 2020 Hans Oeschger Medal","body":null,"created":"1571775373","gmt_created":"2019-10-22 20:16:13","changed":"1571775373","gmt_changed":"2019-10-22 20:16:13","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239110","name":"2019 Final instagram Kim Cobb Medal .png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019%20Final%20instagram%20Kim%20Cobb%20Medal%20.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019%20Final%20instagram%20Kim%20Cobb%20Medal%20.png","mime":"image\/png","size":737564,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2019%20Final%20instagram%20Kim%20Cobb%20Medal%20.png?itok=NGkuXZb3"}}},"media_ids":["629307","629311","627918"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14760","name":"coral reef"},{"id":"184841","name":"coral record"},{"id":"183155","name":"Fossil Record"},{"id":"184842","name":"coral fossil record"},{"id":"184843","name":"volcanic activity"},{"id":"10994","name":"el nino"},{"id":"111321","name":"la nina"},{"id":"184844","name":"climate modeling"},{"id":"53861","name":"ENSO"},{"id":"183153","name":"El Nino Southern Oscillation"},{"id":"184845","name":"paleoclimate archives"},{"id":"184846","name":"sulfate aerosols"},{"id":"184847","name":"oxygen isotopes"},{"id":"184848","name":"uranium-thorium dating"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"631809":{"#nid":"631809","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robotic Submarine Snaps First-Ever Images at Foundation of Notorious Antarctic Glacier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDuring an unprecedented scientific campaign on an Antarctic glacier notorious for contributions to sea-level, researchers took first-ever images at the glacier\u0026rsquo;s foundations on the ocean floor. The area is key to Thwaites Glacier\u0026rsquo;s potential to become more dangerous, and in the coming months, the research team hopes to give the world a clearer picture of its condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe images, taken by a robotic underwater vehicle, were part of a broad set of data collected in a variety of experiments by an international team. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thwaitesglacier.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInternational Thwaites Glacier Collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ITGC)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thwaitesglacier.org\/news\/scientists-drill-first-time-remote-antarctic-glacier\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eannounced the completion of this first-ever major research venture\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on the glacier coincident with the 200-year anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica in 1820.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready, Thwaites accounts for about four percent of global sea-level rise. Researchers have had concerns that a tipping point in the stability at its foundations could result in a run-away collapse of the glacier and boost sea levels by as much as 25 inches. By studying multiple aspects of Thwaites, the ITGC wants to understand more about the likelihood that the glacier the size of Florida may reach such instability in the coming decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELine of concern\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe area of concern that the underwater vehicle visited is called the grounding line, and it is important to the stability of Thwaites Glacier\u0026rsquo;s footing. It is the line between where the glacier rests on the ocean bed and where it floats over water. The farther back the grounding line recedes, the faster the ice can flow into the sea, pushing up sea-level.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Visiting the grounding line is one of the reasons work like this is important because we can drive right up to it and actually measure where it is,\u0026rdquo; said Britney Schmidt, an ITGC co-investigator from the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026#39;s the first time anyone has done that or has ever even seen the grounding zone of a major glacier under the water, and that\u0026rsquo;s the place where the greatest degree of melting and destabilization can occur.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe underwater robot,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/schmidt.eas.gatech.edu\/icefin\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIcefin, was engineered by Schmidt\u0026rsquo;s Georgia Tech lab\u003C\/a\u003E. The Georgia Tech team was part of a greater collaboration between researchers from the U.S. and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), who lived and worked on Thwaites in December and January. A BAS hot water drill melted a hole 590 meters deep (1,935 feet) to access the ocean cavity for Icefin.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Icefin swam over 15 km (9.3 miles) round trip during five missions.\u0026nbsp;This included two passes up to the grounding zone, including one where we got as close as we physically could to the place where the seafloor meets the ice,\u0026rdquo; said Schmidt, who is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/schmidt.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;We saw amazing ice interactions driven by sediments at the line and from the rapid melting from warm ocean water.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHistoric research venture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the coming months and years, the ITGC team made up of researchers from multiple universities and research institutions in the U.S. and the UK will publish studies with thorough findings based on the unprecedented data collected during the field campaign.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe array of research the scientists carried out research included seismic and radar measurements and using hot water drills to make holes between 300 and 700 meters (985 and 2,300 feet) deep down to the ocean and glacier bed below Thwaites\u0026rsquo; ice. Researchers also took cores of sediment from the seafloor and under parts of the glacier grounded on the bed to examine the quality of the foothold that it offers Thwaites.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We know that warmer ocean waters are eroding many of West Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s glaciers, but we\u0026rsquo;re particularly concerned about Thwaites. This new data will provide a new perspective of the processes taking place, so we can predict future change with more certainty,\u0026rdquo; said Keith Nicholls, an oceanographer from the British Antarctic Survey.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENicholls is a co-principal investigator on the project that involved Schmidt along with David Holland of New York University. The research is funded by the National Science Foundation, the UK Natural Environment Research Council, the U.S. Antarctic Program, and the British Antarctic Survey.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAntarctica sea-level background\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the past 30 years, the amount of ice flowing to the sea from Thwaites and its neighboring glaciers has nearly doubled.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;While Greenland\u0026#39;s contribution to sea level has already reached an alarming rate, Antarctica is just now picking up its contributions to sea level,\u0026rdquo; Schmidt said. \u0026ldquo;It has the largest body of ice on Earth and will contribute more and more of sea-level rise over the next 100 years and beyond. It\u0026rsquo;s a massive source of uncertainty in the climate system.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWatch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=f0AWsJ0cmLE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBBC News report on this research\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExternal News Coverage:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBBC News-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-51097309?ocid=socialflow_twitter\u0022\u003EAntarctica melting: Climate change and the journey to the \u0026#39;doomsday glacier\u0026#39;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlantic- \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/science\/archive\/2020\/01\/watch-video-one-worlds-most-important-places\/605731\/?utm_content=edit-promo\u0026amp;utm_source=twitter\u0026amp;utm_campaign=the-atlantic\u0026amp;utm_medium=social\u0026amp;utm_term=2020-01-30T14%3A00%3A33\u0022\u003EThe New Video of One of the Scariest Places on Earth\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Washington Post-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/climate-environment\/2020\/01\/30\/unprecedented-data-confirm-that-antarcticas-most-dangerous-glacier-is-melting-below\/\u0022\u003EUnprecedented data confirms that Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s most dangerous glacier is melting from below\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBBC Newsround-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/newsround\/51268527\u0022\u003EClimate change: Scientists concerned about future of Antarctic glacier\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDaily Mail Online-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-7938183\/Scientists-drilled-Antarcticas-doomsday-Thwaites-glacier.html\u0022\u003EScientists drill into Antarctica\u0026#39;s \u0026#39;doomsday\u0026#39; Thwaites glacier for the first time in a bid to stop dramatic sea level rise as the ice shelf the size of BRITAIN melts at an alarming rate\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYahoo News-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/uk.news.yahoo.com\/thwaites-glacier-antarctica-185028043.html?guccounter=1\u0026amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cDovL3RyYW5zaXRpb24ubWVsdHdhdGVyLmNvbS9yZWRpcmVjdD91cmw9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ1ay5uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbSUyRnRod2FpdGVzLWdsYWNpZXItYW50YXJjdGljYS0xODUwMjgwNDMuaHRtbCZ0cmFuc2l0aW9uVG9rZW49ZXlKMGVYQWlPaUpLVjFRaUxDSmhiR2NpT2lKSVV6VXhNaUo5LmV5Sm9iM04wYm1GdFpTSTZJblZyTG01bGQzTXVlV0ZvYjI4dVkyOXRJbjAuTkJQT2J3U3VMcFNUNEVUa180ak1yQTI4eUl4QXRiWjJvbUtUS0FhdWk1akJmMFlDbU1nZGZUZGttWHU1UTRWc2lRZXBjWlB5dnRKVWVFeVlpX0dpUVE\u0026amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIRM-4giOYbmjW1hRxQ4iZ-18X61yqEBJCY4ITCFbBFdWvtWtBSNEfakpuj_hrNCwh3OrXO-FRFuyJabFIBmLQhdjng1A9-dgzaxtFWIJnMz5tZGzEv5kS-aEHKOwZ4vESHlK501McjqvhE70gDBlzsMnwR5R20orgdJK9UMYLqI\u0022\u003EScientists drill into \u0026lsquo;doomsday glacier\u0026rsquo; the size of Britain to see if it\u0026rsquo;s going to collapse\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFox News-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/science\/antarctica-doomsday-glacier-alarming-new-trait\u0022\u003EAntarctica\u0026rsquo;s \u0026lsquo;doomsday glacier\u0026rsquo; reveals alarming new trait to scientists\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECosmos Magazine- \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cosmosmagazine.com\/climate\/here-s-what-s-below-an-unstable-glacier\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s what\u0026#39;s below an unstable glacier\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPBS Newshour- \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/visiting-the-most-vulnerable-place-on-earth-the-doomsday-glacier\u0022\u003EA risky expedition to study the \u0026lsquo;doomsday glacier\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENOVA Next-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/nova\/article\/warm-water-found-beneath-thwaites-glacier-antarctica\/\u0022\u003EScientists find warm water beneath Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s most at-risk glacier\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore reading:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/623053\/instability-antarctic-ice-projected-make-sea-level-rise-rapidly\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Eand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/628264\/reframing-antarcticas-meltwater-pond-dangers-ice-shelves-and-sea-level\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EReframing Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThese are the first-ever images taken at the foundations of the glacier that inspires more fear of sea-level rise than any other - Thwaites Glacier. Its\u0026nbsp;grounding line is integral to Thwaites\u0026#39; fate and that of the world\u0026#39;s coastlines, and an underwater vehicle from the Georgia Institute of Technology has made the\u0026nbsp;first-ever visit to it as a part of the historic International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"These are the first-ever images taken at the foundations of the glacier that inspires more fear of sea-level rise than any other - Thwaites Glacier."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2020-01-29 14:13:46","changed_gmt":"2020-04-24 15:59:46","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623047":{"id":"623047","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier\u0027s outer edge","body":null,"created":"1562610337","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:25:37","changed":"1580307455","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 14:17:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237266","name":"ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":410935,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg?itok=n8fk7jve"}},"631805":{"id":"631805","type":"image","title":"Britney Schmidt with Icefin after last Thwaites dive","body":null,"created":"1580304570","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 13:29:30","changed":"1580304570","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 13:29:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240390","name":"ddichek-0056.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-0056.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-0056.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":635186,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ddichek-0056.jpg?itok=Uwu5_nQO"}},"631804":{"id":"631804","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier grounding line","body":null,"created":"1580304373","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 13:26:13","changed":"1580308039","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 14:27:19","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240389","name":"Icefin_GZ.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Icefin_GZ.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Icefin_GZ.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":915130,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Icefin_GZ.jpg?itok=UKDeLo0E"}},"631807":{"id":"631807","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier research camp","body":null,"created":"1580305975","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 13:52:55","changed":"1580305975","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 13:52:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240392","name":"ddichek-9579.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-9579.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-9579.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":196784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ddichek-9579.jpg?itok=arn64AH7"}},"631806":{"id":"631806","type":"image","title":"Icefin and team on Thwaites","body":null,"created":"1580305341","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 13:42:21","changed":"1580305341","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 13:42:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240391","name":"ddichek-0060.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-0060.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ddichek-0060.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":647478,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ddichek-0060.jpg?itok=B_N2rJM-"}},"623049":{"id":"623049","type":"image","title":"Glacier grounding line diagram","body":null,"created":"1562610606","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:30:06","changed":"1580308347","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 14:32:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237268","name":"Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":993394,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg?itok=NIRtcO-v"}},"631808":{"id":"631808","type":"image","title":"Thwaites grounding zone, sediment in the ice","body":null,"created":"1580306212","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 13:56:52","changed":"1580306212","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 13:56:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240393","name":"Icefin_GZ_ice.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Icefin_GZ_ice.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Icefin_GZ_ice.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":588610,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Icefin_GZ_ice.jpg?itok=v28KTQE3"}}},"media_ids":["623047","631805","631804","631807","631806","623049","631808"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181645","name":"Thwaites Glacier"},{"id":"82391","name":"Antarctica"},{"id":"183751","name":"grounding line"},{"id":"183752","name":"grounding zone"},{"id":"183753","name":"Instability"},{"id":"183754","name":"autonomous undersea vehicles"},{"id":"183755","name":"Autonomous Underwater Vehicle"},{"id":"95691","name":"auv"},{"id":"183756","name":"Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (Auvs)"},{"id":"183757","name":"Sea-level rise"},{"id":"183758","name":"Sealevel"},{"id":"168986","name":"sea level rise"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"182534","name":"Global Warming Climate Change"},{"id":"182535","name":"Global Warming Research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"634092":{"#nid":"634092","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Filtration Engineers Offer Advice on Do-It-Yourself Face Masks","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe continuing shortage of face masks and new recommendations on their use by the general public have led many individuals and organizations to make their own masks using available materials. While homemade protection as simple as scarves and bandanas can be helpful, there are ways to optimize the benefit of do-it-yourself personal protective equipment (PPE).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our expectation is that frontline healthcare workers interacting with COVID-19 patients will use certified PPE,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/ryan-p-lively\u0022\u003ERyan Lively\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;But for situations that don\u0026rsquo;t involve intimate and prolonged interactions with COVID-19 infected individuals, we believe that DIY cloth face masks combined with proper social distancing etiquette will help slow the spread of this virus.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the underlying physics of filtration are complicated, Lively and colleagues believe that two or more layers of a tightly woven, knitted, or nonwoven fabric can provide at least a partial barrier to virus-containing droplets, which combined with social distancing, can reduce the likelihood of virus transmission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Equally, important though, is the way that users fit, wear, handle, and remove the face mask,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-losego\u0022\u003EMark Losego\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Because the mask will be touching your face, it and your hands should be clean before putting it on. The mask should be snug but not uncomfortable.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGaps around the nose and chin should be minimized. Once wearing the mask, you should avoid touching or moving the mask; don\u0026rsquo;t pull the mask down to cough or sneeze! The mask is expected to capture germs, so it should be removed by touching only the straps; otherwise, you will contaminate your hands.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually important to blocking virus-containing droplets is that the mask materials be breathable and non-hazardous for inhalation. \u0026ldquo;For example, there is some danger of glass fibers within HEPA or MERV filters being inhaled if appropriate blocking layers are not included,\u0026rdquo; said Lively. \u0026ldquo;Most apparel or home goods textiles are safe. However, if you smell a chemical odor from the material, you should probably avoid using it for a mask.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUpon returning home from an errand, the mask should be discarded or thrown in the clothes washer and cleaned before being used again.\u0026nbsp; If the fabric mask does get wet from another individual\u0026rsquo;s cough or sneeze, the mask should be removed quickly at a safe distance. The team recommends reviewing both the World Health Organization (WHO) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019\/advice-for-public\/when-and-how-to-use-masks\u0022\u003Elink\u003C\/a\u003E and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html\u0022\u003Eguidelines\u003C\/a\u003E for mask wearing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new website (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/rapid-response\u0022\u003Ewww.research.gatech.edu\/rapid-response\u003C\/a\u003E) has been created to bring together recommendations and templates for making face masks. The website provides guidance for making unsewn, sewn, glued, or 3D-printed face masks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe recommendations resulted from consulting with a team of experts in materials, chemical and mechanical engineering, filtration processes, and production design. \u0026ldquo;We have also interacted with relevant stakeholders, including hospitals and manufacturers, and studied the peer-reviewed literature to make recommendations based on scientific evidence,\u0026rdquo; said Lively.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the website, the researchers suggest alternatives for materials that are in short supply. For instance, high-performance HEPA furnace filters can be used with 3D printed masks to create a respirator, provided the HEPA filters are installed in between two blocking layers of nonwoven fabric. Reusable polypropylene grocery bags without a shiny film can be used as the droplet-repelling outer shell of the masks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new website includes directions, recommendations, files for 3D printers and more. The team is actively testing fabric materials to provide more specific recommendations for which fabrics to use and which to avoid. A rudimentary DIY test using a water spray bottle is described to make an initial assessment of how suitable a fabric is for a mask.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMasks produced or tested with directions from the site do not meet the standards of federal agencies such as NIOSH, OSHA or the FDA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe continuing shortage of face masks and new recommendations on their use by the general public have led many individuals and organizations to make their own masks using available materials. While homemade protection as simple as scarves and bandanas can be helpful, there are ways to optimize the benefit of do-it-yourself personal protective equipment (PPE).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new website has been launched to share information and recommendations about creating your own face masks."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-04-06 17:57:57","changed_gmt":"2020-04-06 18:04:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"634090":{"id":"634090","type":"image","title":"Coping with COVID - campus","body":null,"created":"1586195164","gmt_created":"2020-04-06 17:46:04","changed":"1586195164","gmt_changed":"2020-04-06 17:46:04","alt":"coping with covid graphic","file":{"fid":"241285","name":"Steven 1-16.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Steven%201-16.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Steven%201-16.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1529719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Steven%201-16.png?itok=0ViGpmzS"}},"634091":{"id":"634091","type":"image","title":"Testing fabric for suitability","body":null,"created":"1586195357","gmt_created":"2020-04-06 17:49:17","changed":"1586195357","gmt_changed":"2020-04-06 17:49:17","alt":"Testing fabric types for permeability","file":{"fid":"241286","name":"fabric test1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fabric%20test1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fabric%20test1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1289441,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fabric%20test1.png?itok=9MBrYOxJ"}}},"media_ids":["634090","634091"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"}],"keywords":[{"id":"184375","name":"face mask"},{"id":"184376","name":"respirator"},{"id":"184377","name":"DIY respirator"},{"id":"11764","name":"filtration"},{"id":"184289","name":"covid-19"},{"id":"184284","name":"GTCOVID"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"632965":{"#nid":"632965","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When Firms Move to Appoint Sustainability Executives, Investors Take Notice","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the past two decades, executives responsible for corporate sustainability (CSEs) have been showing up in a growing number of C-suites across the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese executives are charged with implementing business practices that reduce a corporation\u0026rsquo;s negative impact on the environment and society while promoting initiatives that have a positive effect.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile efforts to rein in unsustainable practices may in some cases lead to cost savings or other efficiencies, it turns out that investors have mixed reactions to the appointments of CSEs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published in December in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Operations Management\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Massachusetts Amherst found that in some situations, CSE appointments had a positive impact on stock prices. In other cases, it was less positive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the biggest questions we had was whether the strategy of appointing CSEs is valued by investors,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/subramanian\/index.html\u0022\u003ERavi Subramanian\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;What we have found is that, in certain scenarios, there\u0026rsquo;s support for this strategy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo explore the question, the researchers identified 315 announcements of appointments of senior sustainability executives at U.S. corporations between 2000 and 2018 and subsequently narrowed that sample to 115 announcements that were not confounded by other events that could have affected stock prices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;On average, the hiring of CSEs has no discernable effect on stock prices,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/singhal\/index.html\u0022\u003EVinod Singhal\u003C\/a\u003E, Charles W. Brady Chair and professor in the Scheller College. \u0026ldquo;However, we were able to identify certain scenarios where the data showed that such appointments could have a positive impact on stock prices.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first was for firms that in the prior year had experienced an adverse sustainability-related incident. The second scenario was when the announcement included specific and focused job responsibilities for the hire.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When a firm has an adverse sustainability-related incident, such as a chemical spill or an accident that results in death or significant property damage, it raises a clear question in investors\u0026rsquo; minds about whether the company has a commitment to sustainable practices and, importantly, whether that company can be expected to have greater financial liability in the future,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/hora\/index.html\u0022\u003EManpreet Hora\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Scheller College. \u0026ldquo;Hiring a CSE signals that the company is taking that responsibility more seriously.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the second scenario, when a firm\u0026rsquo;s announcement of a CSE appointment has more specific details about that role\u0026rsquo;s responsibilities, the researchers said it could help alleviate concerns that the move is simply \u0026ldquo;greenwashing.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When firms are more specific about the role of the CSE appointee, it shows that they\u0026rsquo;ve identified a clearer path to becoming more sustainable and it also helps reduce uncertainty among investors about some of the technical and managerial complexities involved with integrating sustainability objectives within the firms\u0026rsquo; operations,\u0026rdquo; Subramanian said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, the researchers also found that in one situation \u0026ndash; for firms in heavily fined industries \u0026ndash; appointments of CSEs had a less positive impact on stock prices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We suspect that for such industries, it\u0026rsquo;s harder to convince investors that this type of appointment is going to make a real difference, even if it\u0026rsquo;s well intentioned,\u0026rdquo; Hora said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Priyank Arora, Manpreet Hora, Vinod Singhal, and Ravi Subramanian, \u0026ldquo;When Do Appointments of Corporate Sustainability Executives Affect Shareholder Value?\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Operations Management\u003C\/em\u003E, Dec. 8, 2019). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/joom.1074\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/joom.1074\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Josh Brown\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have found that in some situations, the appointment of corporate sustainability executives\u0026nbsp;had a positive impact on corporate stock prices. In other cases, it was less positive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have studied the stock price impact of appointing corporate sustainability executives."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-02-26 00:47:17","changed_gmt":"2020-02-26 00:48:32","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"632963":{"id":"632963","type":"image","title":"Corporate Sustainability Executives1","body":null,"created":"1582677311","gmt_created":"2020-02-26 00:35:11","changed":"1582677311","gmt_changed":"2020-02-26 00:35:11","alt":"Graphic for corporate sustainability executives","file":{"fid":"240841","name":"GettyImages-498337698-sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-498337698-sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-498337698-sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":192540,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-498337698-sm.jpg?itok=mCM4Ze4w"}},"632964":{"id":"632964","type":"image","title":"Corporate Sustainability Executives2","body":null,"created":"1582677419","gmt_created":"2020-02-26 00:36:59","changed":"1582677419","gmt_changed":"2020-02-26 00:36:59","alt":"Image for corporate sustainability executives","file":{"fid":"240842","name":"GettyImages-1149306454-sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-1149306454-sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-1149306454-sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":98520,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-1149306454-sm.jpg?itok=NCSe6drE"}}},"media_ids":["632963","632964"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"182439","name":"corporate sustainability"},{"id":"4305","name":"cse"},{"id":"184085","name":"corporate sustainability executive"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"632465":{"#nid":"632465","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Process For Preserving Lumber Could Offer Advantages Over Pressure Treating","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPressure treating \u0026ndash; which involves putting lumber inside a pressurized watertight tank and forcing chemicals into the boards \u0026ndash; has been used for more than a century to help stave off the fungus that causes wood rot in wet environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new method that could one day replace conventional pressure treating as a way to make lumber not only fungal-resistant but also nearly impervious to water \u0026ndash; and more thermally insulating.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new method, which was reported February 13 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ELangmuir\u003C\/em\u003E and jointly sponsored by the Department of Defense, the Gulf Research Program, and the Westendorf Undergraduate Research Fund, involves applying a protective coating of metal oxide that is only a few atoms thick throughout the entire cellular structure of the wood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis process, known as atomic layer deposition, is already frequently used in manufacturing microelectronics for computers and cell phones but now is being explored for new applications in commodity products such as wood. Like pressure treatments, the process is performed in an airtight chamber, but in this case the chamber is at low pressures to help the gas molecules permeate the entire wood structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It was really important that this coating be applied throughout the interior of the wood and not just on the surface,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-losego\u0022\u003EMark Losego\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Wood has pores that are about the width of a human hair or a little smaller, and we used these holes as our pathways for the gases to travel throughout the wood\u0026rsquo;s structure.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the gas molecules travel down those pathways, they react with the pore\u0026rsquo;s surfaces to deposit a conformal, atomic-scale coating of metal oxide throughout the interior of the wood. The result is wood that sheds water off its surface and resists absorbing water even when submerged.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their experiments, the researchers took finished pine 2x4s and cut them into one-inch pieces. They then tested infusing the lumber with three different kinds of metal oxides: titanium oxide, aluminum oxide and zinc oxide. With each, they compared the water absorption after holding the lumber under water for a period of time. Of the three, titanium oxide performed the best by helping the wood absorb the least amount of water. By comparison, untreated lumber absorbed three times as much water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Of the three chemistries that we tried, titanium oxide proved the most effective at creating the hydrophobic barrier,\u0026rdquo; said Shawn Gregory, a graduate student at Georgia Tech and lead author on the paper. \u0026ldquo;We hypothesize that this is likely because of how the precursor chemicals for titanium dioxide react less readily with the pore surfaces and therefore have an easier time penetrating deep within the pores of the wood.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELosego said that the same phenomena exist in atomic layer deposition processes used for microelectronic devices.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These same titanium oxide precursor chemistries are known to better penetrate and conformally coat complex nanostructures in microelectronics just like we see in the wood,\u0026rdquo; Losego said. \u0026ldquo;These commonalities in understanding fundamental physical phenomena \u0026ndash; even in what appear to be very different systems \u0026ndash; is what makes science so elegant and powerful.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to being hydrophobic, lumber treated with the new vapor process also resists the mold that eventually leads to rot.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Interestingly, when we left these blocks sit in a humid environment for several months, we noticed that the titanium oxide treated blocks were much more resistant to mold growth than the untreated lumber,\u0026rdquo; Gregory added. \u0026ldquo;We suspect that this has something to do with its hydrophobic nature, although there could be other chemical effects associated with the new treatment process that could also be responsible. That\u0026rsquo;s something we would want to investigate in future research.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYet another benefit of the new process: vapor-treated wood was far less thermally conductive compared to untreated wood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of attention is paid in home building to insulating the cavities between the structural components of a home, but a massive amount of the thermal losses are caused by the wood studs themselves,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yee\u0022\u003EShannon Yee\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and a co-author on the paper with expertise in thermal systems. \u0026ldquo;Lumber treated with this new process can be up to 30 percent less conductive, which could translate to a savings of as much as 2 million BTUs of energy per dwelling per year.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the Office of Naval Research through grant No. N00014-19-1-2162, the Department of Defense through the National Defense Science \u0026amp; Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program, the Gulf Research Program managed by the National Academies, and a donation from Roxanne Westendorf. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Shawn A. Gregory, Connor P. McGettigan, Emily K. McGuinness, David Misha Rodin, Shannon K. Yee, and Mark D. Losego, \u0026ldquo;Single-Cycle Atomic Layer Deposition (1cy-ALD) on Bulk Wood Lumber for Managing Moisture Content, Mold Growth, and Thermal Conductivity,\u0026rdquo; (Langmuir, February 2020). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.langmuir.9b03273\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.langmuir.9b03273\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Josh Brown\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a new method that could one day replace conventional pressure treating as a way to make lumber not only fungal-resistant but also nearly impervious to water \u0026ndash; and more thermally insulating.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new method that could one day replace pressure treating for preserving wood."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-02-14 15:57:13","changed_gmt":"2020-02-14 17:16:59","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"632460":{"id":"632460","type":"image","title":"Lumber submerged in water","body":null,"created":"1581693789","gmt_created":"2020-02-14 15:23:09","changed":"1581693789","gmt_changed":"2020-02-14 15:23:09","alt":"Comparing treated and untreated lumber","file":{"fid":"240636","name":"lumber-treatment-15.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment-15.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment-15.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":304802,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lumber-treatment-15.jpg?itok=m2WulYae"}},"632461":{"id":"632461","type":"image","title":"Comparison of water absorption of water","body":null,"created":"1581693915","gmt_created":"2020-02-14 15:25:15","changed":"1581693915","gmt_changed":"2020-02-14 15:25:15","alt":"Comparing treated and untreated lumber","file":{"fid":"240637","name":"lumber-treatment16.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment16.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment16.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":335128,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lumber-treatment16.jpg?itok=AQW4_Byx"}},"632462":{"id":"632462","type":"image","title":"Research team for wood preservation","body":null,"created":"1581694044","gmt_created":"2020-02-14 15:27:24","changed":"1581694044","gmt_changed":"2020-02-14 15:27:24","alt":"Wood treatment research team","file":{"fid":"240638","name":"lumber-treatment17.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment17.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lumber-treatment17.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":419216,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lumber-treatment17.jpg?itok=5uh6sDUk"}}},"media_ids":["632460","632461","632462"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"179355","name":"Building Construction"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"183976","name":"wood. lumber"},{"id":"4613","name":"building"},{"id":"183971","name":"pressure treating"},{"id":"3471","name":"preservation"},{"id":"1364","name":"chemical"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"632358":{"#nid":"632358","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Executive Director Selected at Renewable Bioproducts Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has selected Carson Meredith as the new executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (RBI). Meredith is a professor and James Harris Faculty Fellow in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering \u003C\/a\u003E(ChBE).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeredith, who earned his undergraduate degree at Georgia Tech (B.S., chemical engineering), has been on the ChBE faculty since 2000. He also served as the school\u0026rsquo;s associate chair for graduate studies between 2012-2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Carson and his research team have pioneered the use of sustainable technologies for a variety of important applications,\u0026rdquo; said Raheem Beyah, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0026ldquo;We are pleased that he will be leading our Renewable Bioproducts Institute as it develops new products, processes and technologies for industries that include paper and packaging, biochemicals and fuels, and bio-composites and nanocellulose.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/j-carson-meredith\u0022\u003EMeredith\u0026rsquo;s lab\u003C\/a\u003E researches the surfaces and interfaces of advanced materials, emphasizing renewable components, sustainable processing, and bioinspired designs in adhesives, composites, foams, and coatings, among other things. Borrowing their ideas from nature, Meredith and his team are addressing the needs of human societies through food security, renewables, and energy efficiency, utilizing natural materials.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve focused on using cellulose nanomaterials to make alternatives to conventional plastic for all kinds of things, including high performance food packaging that prevents spoilage, and we\u0026rsquo;re looking at ways in which we can replace some plastics used in paints and coatings,\u0026rdquo; said Meredith, who has been an RBI investigator for 10 years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Society is demanding alternatives to plastics that accumulate in the environment, and I\u0026rsquo;m excited that RBI is positioned to offer solutions,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s a tremendous amount of energy coming from industry to develop new bioproducts.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech, Meredith earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and served as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) before returning to Georgia Tech as a faculty member.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERBI, comprised of 50 faculty researchers from six colleges and research centers across Georgia Tech, began as the Institute of Paper Chemistry in 1929 in Wisconsin. Moving to Georgia Tech 60 years later as the Institute for Paper Science and Technology, it was renamed the Renewable Bioproducts Institute in 2014, buoyed by a $43.6 million gift from the Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation (IPCF), which supports the institute\u0026rsquo;s expanded aim of research to unlock the potential of biomass material for a wide range of products.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6096) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has selected Carson Meredith as the new executive director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI). Meredith is a professor and James Harris Faculty Fellow in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Carson Meredith has been chosen to be executive director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-02-12 15:47:14","changed_gmt":"2020-02-13 14:05:50","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"632356":{"id":"632356","type":"image","title":"Carson Meredith is the new RBI Executive Director","body":null,"created":"1581521784","gmt_created":"2020-02-12 15:36:24","changed":"1581521804","gmt_changed":"2020-02-12 15:36:44","alt":"Professor Carson Meredith","file":{"fid":"240597","name":"carson-meredith003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carson-meredith003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carson-meredith003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":471195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/carson-meredith003.jpg?itok=8oz7WxMp"}}},"media_ids":["632356"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"93811","name":"RBI"},{"id":"93791","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"},{"id":"93801","name":"bioproducts"},{"id":"4174","name":"renewable"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"167052","name":"sustainable"},{"id":"7547","name":"cellulose"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"552141":{"#nid":"552141","#data":{"type":"news","title":"El Ni\u00f1o played a key role in Pacific Marine Heatwave, potentially also climate change","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Northeast Pacific\u0026rsquo;s largest marine heatwave on record was at least in part caused by El Ni\u0026ntilde;o climate patterns. And unusually warm water events in that ocean could potentially become more frequent with rising levels of greenhouse gases.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s the findings of a new study by researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They linked the 2014-2015 marine heatwave \u0026ndash; often referred to as the \u0026ldquo;warm blob\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; \u0026nbsp;to weather patterns that started in late 2013. The heatwave caused marine animals to stray far outside of their normal habitats, disrupting ecosystems and leading to massive die-offs of seabirds, whales and sea lions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, which was published July 11 in journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Climate Change\u003C\/em\u003E, was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We had two and a half years of consistent warming, which translated to a record harmful algal bloom in 2015 and prolonged stress on the ecosystem,\u0026rdquo; said Emanuele Di Lorenzo, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;What we do in the study is ask whether this type of activity is going to become more frequent with greenhouse gases rising.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers traced the origin of the marine heat wave to a few months during late 2013 and early 2014, when a ridge of high pressure led to much weaker winds that normally bring cold Artic air over the North Pacific. That allowed ocean temperatures to rise a few degrees above average.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, in mid-2014 the tropical weather pattern El Ni\u0026ntilde;o intensified the warming throughout the Pacific. The warm temperatures lingered through the end of the year, and by 2015 the region of warm water had expanded to the West Coast, where algal blooms closed fisheries for clams and Dungeness crab.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The bottom line is that El Ni\u0026ntilde;o had a hand in this even though we\u0026rsquo;re talking about very long-distance influences,\u0026rdquo; said Nate Mantua, a research scientist at NOAA Fisheries\u0026rsquo; Southwest Fisheries Science Center and a coauthor of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used climate model simulations to show the connection between increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and the impact on the ocean water temperatures. The study found that these extreme weather events could become more frequent and pronounced as the climate warms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This multi-year event caused extensive impacts on marine life,\u0026rdquo; Di Lorenzo said. \u0026ldquo;For example, some salmon populations have life cycles of three years, so the marine heatwave \u0026nbsp;has brought a poor feeding, growth and survival environment in the ocean for multiple generations. Events like this contribute to reducing species diversity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd the effects of the \u0026ldquo;warm blob\u0026rdquo; could linger.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Some of these effects are still ongoing and not fully understood because of the prolonged character of the ocean heatwave,\u0026rdquo; Di Lorenzo said. \u0026ldquo;Whether these multi-year climate extremes will become more frequent under greenhouse forcing is a key question for scientists, resource managers and society.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. OCE 1356924 and OCE 1419292. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Emanuele Di Lorenzo and Nathan Mantua, \u0026ldquo;Multi-year persistence of the 2014\/15\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENorth Pacific marine heatwave,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Climate Change, July 2016).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers linked the 2014-2015 marine heatwave \u0026ndash; often referred to as the \u0026ldquo;warm blob\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; to weather patterns that started in late 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2014-2015 marine heatwave \u2013 often referred to as the \u201cwarm blob\u201d \u2013  had its origins in weather patterns that started in late 2013."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2016-07-12 10:26:19","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:33:19","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-07-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-07-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"552191":{"id":"552191","type":"image","title":"Early Stages of North Pacific \u0022Warm Blob\u0022","body":null,"created":"1468342800","gmt_created":"2016-07-12 17:00:00","changed":"1475895348","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:48","alt":"Early Stages of North Pacific \u0022Warm Blob\u0022","file":{"fid":"94099","name":"screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.54.53_am.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.54.53_am.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.54.53_am.png","mime":"image\/png","size":477294,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.54.53_am.png?itok=L5BooL8F"}},"552201":{"id":"552201","type":"image","title":"Evolution of the North Pacific Warm Anomaly 2014\u22122015","body":null,"created":"1468342800","gmt_created":"2016-07-12 17:00:00","changed":"1475895348","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:48","alt":"Evolution of the North Pacific Warm Anomaly 2014\u22122015","file":{"fid":"94100","name":"screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.39.51_am.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.39.51_am.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.39.51_am.png","mime":"image\/png","size":265053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/screen_shot_2016-07-12_at_11.39.51_am.png?itok=WVXjbggx"}}},"media_ids":["552191","552201"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172195","name":"Emanuele Di Lorenzo"},{"id":"172196","name":"marine heatwave"},{"id":"170465","name":"warm blob"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"588203":{"#nid":"588203","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brake Dust May Cause More Problems Than Blackened Wheel Covers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThough tailpipe emissions could fall in the years ahead as more zero-emission vehicles hit the streets, one major source of highway air pollution shows no signs of abating: brake and tire dust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMetals from brakes and other automotive systems are emitted into the air as fine particles, lingering over busy roadways. Now, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have shown how that cloud of tiny metal particles could wreak havoc on respiratory health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published January 31 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers described how vehicle-emitted metals such as copper, iron and manganese interact with acidic sulfate-rich particles already in the air to produce a toxic aerosol.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s a chain reaction happening in the air above busy highways,\u0026rdquo; said Rodney Weber, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;Acidic sulfate in the atmosphere comes into contact with those metals emitted from traffic and changes their solubility, making them more likely to cause oxidative stress when inhaled.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, showed how the metals are emitted mainly in an insoluble form but slowly become soluble after mixing with sulfate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Sulfate has long been associated with adverse health impacts,\u0026rdquo; said Athanasios Nenes, a professor and Georgia Power Scholar in the School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences and the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;The old hypothesis was that the acidic sulfate burns your lung lining, which in turn leads the bad health effects. But there is not enough acid in the air alone to really have that impact.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut sulfate plays a key role in making metals soluble before they are inhaled, which could explain the association of sulfate with adverse health impacts, the researchers said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers collected samples of ambient particulate matter in two locations in Atlanta \u0026ndash; one near a major interstate highway and another urban site 420 meters away from the roadway. They analyzed the chemical content, size distribution and acidity of the samples.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA significant amount of the ambient sulfate found was similar in size to the metal particles, suggesting that the ambient sulfate and metals were mixed within individual particles, which over hours or days would allow the acidic sulfate to convert the metal into a soluble form.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo quantify just how dangerous the aerosol could be, the researchers developed a high throughput analytical system for a chemical assay \u0026ndash; called oxidative potential \u0026ndash; that simulates the toxic response that such a mix would have on cellular organisms. This instrument was used to generate large data sets on ambient aerosol oxidative potential, which when utilized in an earlier epidemiological study, researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University found that the chemical assay was statistically associated with hospital admissions in Atlanta for asthma and wheezing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the new study, the researchers observed that the peak toxicity indicated by the assay was closely correlated to those particles that contained the largest amount of soluble metals, which occurred only when metallic particles mixed with highly acidic sulfate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s the smoking gun,\u0026rdquo; Nenes said. \u0026ldquo;The sulfate essentially dissolves those metals; when you breathe in those particles, the metals could be absorbed directly into the blood stream and cause problems throughout the body. For the first time, a mechanism emerges to explain why small amounts of acidic sulfate can adversely affect health.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the sample taken from the testing site located farther away from the highway had less particulate metal, there was still enough to cause an increase in the oxidative potential, showing that roadway pollution could travel through the air and potentially cause problems in surrounding areas as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDust from brakes and tires isn\u0026rsquo;t the only source of metals in the air. Incinerators and other forms of combustion also produce mineral dust and metallic particles, which could mix with sulfate to trigger a similar reaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers noted that while the amount of particulate sulfate in the southeastern United States has decreased during the past 15 years as sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants have fallen, there\u0026rsquo;s still enough acidic sulfate in the air to keep the pH of particles very low, in the range of 0 to 2, transforming insoluble ambient metals to a soluble form.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Vehicle tailpipe emissions are going down, but these kinds of emissions from braking will remain to some extent, even if you drive an electric car,\u0026rdquo; Weber said. \u0026ldquo;Therefore, this kind of process will continue to play out in the future and will be an important consideration when we look at the health effects of particulate matter.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. \u003Ca href=\u0022tel:1360730\u0022\u003E1360730\u003C\/a\u003E and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Grant No. RD834799. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ting Fang, Hongyu Guo, Linghan Zeng, Vishal Verma, Athanasios Nenes and Rodney J. Weber, \u0026ldquo;Highly acidic ambient particles, soluble metals and oxidative potential: A link between sulfate and aerosol toxicity,\u0026rdquo; (Environmental Science \u0026amp; Technology, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.6b06151\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.6b06151\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMetals from brakes and other automotive systems are emitted into the air as fine particles, lingering over busy roadways. Now, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have shown how that cloud of tiny metal particles could wreak havoc on respiratory health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Though tailpipe emissions could fall in the years ahead as more zero-emission vehicles hit the streets, one major source of highway air pollution shows no signs of abating: brake and tire dust."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2017-03-02 17:47:41","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:25:25","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"588204":{"id":"588204","type":"image","title":"Traffic in Atlanta","body":null,"created":"1488477807","gmt_created":"2017-03-02 18:03:27","changed":"1488478230","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:10:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224163","name":"Unknown.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1912455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Unknown_3.jpeg?itok=zjfe_C9f"}},"588205":{"id":"588205","type":"image","title":"Hongyu Guo and Rodney Weber","body":null,"created":"1488478954","gmt_created":"2017-03-02 18:22:34","changed":"1488478954","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:22:34","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224164","name":"weber1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weber1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weber1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":984707,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weber1.jpg?itok=K6W9_KVt"}},"536361":{"id":"536361","type":"image","title":"Athanasios Nenes","body":null,"created":"1463590800","gmt_created":"2016-05-18 17:00:00","changed":"1488479051","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:24:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"89460","name":"nenes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nenes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nenes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1406064,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nenes.jpg?itok=hX_uqo9y"}}},"media_ids":["588204","588205","536361"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171762","name":"Rodney Weber"},{"id":"56541","name":"Athanasios Nenes"},{"id":"11544","name":"atmospheric chemistry"},{"id":"104451","name":"air pollution"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"591290":{"#nid":"591290","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Decades of Data on World\u2019s Oceans Reveal a Troubling Oxygen Decline","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new analysis of decades of data on oceans across the globe has revealed that the amount of dissolved oxygen contained in the water \u0026ndash; an important measure of ocean health \u0026ndash; has been declining for more than 20 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Institute of Technology looked at a historic dataset of ocean information stretching back more than 50 years and searched for long term trends and patterns. They found that oxygen levels started dropping in the 1980s as ocean temperatures began to climb.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The oxygen in oceans has dynamic properties, and its concentration can change with natural climate variability,\u0026rdquo; said Taka Ito, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who led the research. \u0026ldquo;The important aspect of our result is that the rate of global\u0026nbsp;oxygen loss appears to be exceeding the level of nature\u0026#39;s random variability.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, which was published April in \u003Cem\u003EGeophysical Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The team included researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Washington-Seattle, and Hokkaido University in Japan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFalling oxygen levels in water have the potential to impact the habitat of marine organisms worldwide and in recent years led to more frequent \u0026ldquo;hypoxic events\u0026rdquo; that killed or displaced populations of fish, crabs and many other organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have for years anticipated that rising water temperatures would affect the amount of oxygen in the oceans, since warmer water is capable of holding less dissolved gas than colder water. But the data showed that ocean oxygen was falling more rapidly than the corresponding rise in water temperature.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The trend of oxygen falling is\u0026nbsp;about two to three times faster than what we predicted from the decrease of solubility associated with the ocean warming,\u0026rdquo; Ito said. \u0026ldquo;This is most\u0026nbsp;likely due to\u0026nbsp;the changes in ocean circulation and mixing associated with the heating of the near-surface waters and melting of polar ice.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe majority of the oxygen in the ocean is absorbed from the atmosphere at the surface or created by photosynthesizing phytoplankton. Ocean currents then mix that more highly oxygenated water with subsurface water. But rising ocean water temperatures near the surface have made it more buoyant and harder for the warmer surface waters to mix downward with the cooler subsurface waters. Melting polar ice has added more freshwater to the ocean surface \u0026ndash; another factor that hampers the natural mixing and leads to increased ocean stratification.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;After the mid-2000s, this trend became apparent, consistent\u0026nbsp;and statistically significant -- beyond the envelope of year-to-year fluctuations,\u0026rdquo; Ito said. \u0026ldquo;The trends are particularly\u0026nbsp;strong in the\u0026nbsp;tropics, eastern margins of each\u0026nbsp;basin and the subpolar North Pacific.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an earlier study, Ito and other researchers explored why oxygen depletion was more pronounced in tropical waters in the Pacific Ocean. They found that air pollution drifting from East Asia out over the world\u0026rsquo;s largest ocean contributed to oxygen levels falling in tropical waters thousands of miles away.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce ocean currents carried the iron and nitrogen pollution to the tropics, photosynthesizing phytoplankton went into overdrive consuming the excess nutrients. But rather than increasing oxygen, the net result of the chain reaction was the depletion oxygen in subsurface water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat, too, is likely a contributing factor in waters across the globe, Ito said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE-1357373 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under Grant No. NA16OAR4310173. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E Takamitsu Ito, Shoshiro Minobe, Matthew C. Long and Curtis Deutsch,\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;Upper Ocean O2 trends: 1958-2015,\u0026rdquo; (Geophysical Research Letters, April 2017).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new analysis of decades of data on oceans across the globe has revealed that the amount of dissolved oxygen contained in the water \u0026ndash; an important measure of ocean health \u0026ndash; has been declining for more than 20 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new analysis of decades of data on oceans across the globe has revealed that the amount of dissolved oxygen contained in the water \u2013 an important measure of ocean health \u2013 has been declining for more than 20 years."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2017-05-03 18:42:53","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:22:11","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-05-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-05-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"591304":{"id":"591304","type":"image","title":"Waves Breaking","body":null,"created":"1493841924","gmt_created":"2017-05-03 20:05:24","changed":"1493841924","gmt_changed":"2017-05-03 20:05:24","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225318","name":"iStock-649618452.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-649618452.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock-649618452.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":619862,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iStock-649618452.jpg?itok=nGrV0BSH"}},"591303":{"id":"591303","type":"image","title":"Ocean Oxygen Decline","body":null,"created":"1493841794","gmt_created":"2017-05-03 20:03:14","changed":"1493841794","gmt_changed":"2017-05-03 20:03:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225317","name":"oceanoxygen.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oceanoxygen.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oceanoxygen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1341297,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oceanoxygen.jpg?itok=IqyvelR2"}},"536351":{"id":"536351","type":"image","title":"Taka Ito","body":null,"created":"1463590800","gmt_created":"2016-05-18 17:00:00","changed":"1475895322","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:22","alt":"Taka Ito","file":{"fid":"89459","name":"ito_mug.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ito_mug.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ito_mug.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":156673,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ito_mug.jpg?itok=kdDWNKvs"}}},"media_ids":["591304","591304","591303","536351"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"591979":{"#nid":"591979","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Smoke from Wildfires Can Have Lasting Climate Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe wildfire that has raged across more than 150,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and Florida has sent smoke billowing into the sky as far as the eye can see. Now, new research published by the Georgia Institute of Technology shows how that smoke could impact the atmosphere and climate much more than previously thought.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have found that carbon particles released into the air from burning trees and other organic matter are much more likely than previously thought to travel to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they can interfere with rays from the sun \u0026ndash; sometimes cooling the air and at other times warming it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Most of the brown carbon released into the air stays in the lower atmosphere, but a fraction of it does get up into the upper atmosphere, where it has a disproportionately large effect on the planetary radiation balance \u0026ndash; much stronger than if it was all at the surface,\u0026rdquo; said Rodney Weber, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, which was published May 22 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Geoscience\u003C\/em\u003E, was sponsored by the NASA Radiation Sciences Program and the NASA Tropospheric Composition Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers analyzed air samples collected in 2012 and 2013 by NASA aircraft from the upper troposphere \u0026ndash; about seven miles above the earth\u0026rsquo;s surface \u0026ndash; at locations across the United States. They found surprising levels of brown carbon in the samples but much less black carbon.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile black carbon can be seen in the dark smoke plumes rising above burning fossil or biomass fuels at high temperature, brown carbon is produced from the incomplete combustion that occurs when grasses, wood or other biological matter smolders, as is typical for wildfires. As particulate matter in the atmosphere, both can interfere with solar radiation by absorbing and scattering the sun\u0026rsquo;s rays.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe climate is more sensitive to those particulates as their altitude increases. The researchers found that brown carbon appears much more likely than black carbon to travel through the air to the higher levels of the atmosphere where it can have a greater impact on climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;People have always assumed that when you emit this brown carbon, over time it goes away,\u0026rdquo; said Athanasios Nenes, a professor and Georgia Power Scholar in the School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences and the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the brown carbon is carried by smoke plumes into the lower atmosphere, it mixes with clouds. Then it hitches a ride on the deep convection forces that exist in clouds to travel to the upper atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the researchers couldn\u0026rsquo;t explain how, they also found that during the journey through the clouds, the brown carbon became more concentrated relative to black carbon.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The surprise here is that the brown carbon gets promoted when you go through the cloud, compared to black carbon,\u0026rdquo; Nenes said. \u0026ldquo;This suggests that there may be in-cloud production of brown carbon that we were not aware of before.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the NASA Radiation Sciences Program under grant No. NNX14AP74G and the NASA Tropospheric Composition Program under grant Nos. NNX12AB80G, NNX12AC03G and NNX15AT96G. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yuzhong Zhang, Haviland Forrister, Jiumeng Liu, Jack Dibb, Bruce Anderson, Joshua P. Schwarz, Anne E. Perring, Jose L. Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Yuhang Wang, Athanasios Nenes and Rodney J. Weber, \u0026ldquo;Top-of-atmosphere radiative forcing affected by brown carbon in the upper troposphere,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Geoscience, May 2017).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/NGEO2960\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/NGEO2960\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have found that carbon particles released into the air from burning trees and other organic matter are much more likely than previously thought to travel to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they can interfere with rays from the sun."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2017-05-22 13:59:09","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:21:42","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"591981":{"id":"591981","type":"image","title":"Okefenokee Swamp Wildfire","body":null,"created":"1495461830","gmt_created":"2017-05-22 14:03:50","changed":"1495461830","gmt_changed":"2017-05-22 14:03:50","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225608","name":"2017_05_07-13.28.02.804-CDT.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2017_05_07-13.28.02.804-CDT.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2017_05_07-13.28.02.804-CDT.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125712,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2017_05_07-13.28.02.804-CDT.jpeg?itok=6naY9lFv"}},"591980":{"id":"591980","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Atmospheric Researchers","body":null,"created":"1495461643","gmt_created":"2017-05-22 14:00:43","changed":"1495461643","gmt_changed":"2017-05-22 14:00:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225607","name":"17C10201-P28-005_small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/17C10201-P28-005_small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/17C10201-P28-005_small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":703325,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/17C10201-P28-005_small.jpg?itok=BE3YMCu9"}},"591982":{"id":"591982","type":"image","title":"Okefenokee Swamp Wildfire","body":null,"created":"1495461914","gmt_created":"2017-05-22 14:05:14","changed":"1495461914","gmt_changed":"2017-05-22 14:05:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225609","name":"2017_05_14-12.21.38.217-CDT.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2017_05_14-12.21.38.217-CDT.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2017_05_14-12.21.38.217-CDT.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":390657,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2017_05_14-12.21.38.217-CDT.jpeg?itok=xdwVfrqP"}}},"media_ids":["591981","591980","591982"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"174483","name":"brown carbon"},{"id":"174484","name":"black carbon"},{"id":"791","name":"Global Warming"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"596892":{"#nid":"596892","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ammonia Emissions Unlikely To Be Causing Extreme China Haze","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs China struggles to find ways to remedy the noxious haze that lingers over Beijing and other cities in the winter, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology have cast serious doubt on one proposed cause: high levels of ammonia in the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wintertime air pollution has gained attention in the scientific community in recent years, prompting some scientists to propose that ammonia, emitted into the air from agricultural activities and automobiles, could be a precursor that strongly promotes the formation of the haze.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers countered that theory in a study published September 21 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScientific Reports\u003C\/em\u003E. The study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With China and other countries exploring ways to reduce air pollution, it\u0026rsquo;s important to understand the chemistry behind how that haze forms,\u0026rdquo; said Rodney Weber, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;What we\u0026rsquo;ve found is that the atmospheric ammonia is not a large driver of those air conditions, as has been proposed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used advanced computer modeling to examine the chemistry of how sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide \u0026ndash; two gases pumped into the atmosphere from coal-burning power plants and other fossil fuel combustion \u0026ndash; interact to form sulfate aerosol, one major cause of the haze that can wreak havoc on human and ecosystem health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Typically, sulfate aerosol is produced through a chemical reaction that oxidizes sulfur dioxide to form sulfate particulates,\u0026rdquo; said Athanasios Nenes, a professor and Johnson Faculty Fellow in the School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences and the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;In that process, water is absorbed by the sulfate as it is produced and tends to make the particle very acidic, which shuts down certain pathways for further sulfate formation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome scientists have recently suggested that Beijing\u0026rsquo;s high levels of ammonia \u0026ndash; which is a base, or on opposite side of the acidity scale \u0026ndash; could subvert the normal sulfate process, keeping the particle neutral long enough to form much higher concentrations of sulfate through a new chemical pathway.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers at Georgia Tech tested that theory with a computer model that performed a thermodynamic simulation of the aerosol conditions over cities in the East China Plains. The researchers tested numerous atmospheric scenarios by altering the mix of aerosols, gases and meteorological conditions several ways. Consistently, the model showed that elevated ammonia had relatively little impact on the acidity of the pollutant particles. Even a 10-fold increase in ammonia above normal conditions made the aerosol only a tiny amount \u0026ndash; only one pH unit \u0026ndash; less acidic. The effect was also true in the reverse; lowering ammonia 10-fold made the air only slightly more acidic. The researchers concluded that particles remain too acidic, even for the very high levels of ammonia in Beijing, for sulfate haze to be formed through the proposed new pathway.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If ammonia played a big role in the production of sulfate, efforts to control it could have wide-ranging implications, such as considering limiting agricultural activities to improve air pollution of this kind,\u0026rdquo; Weber said. \u0026ldquo;But, we show that this is likely to be largely ineffective, in this case.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the mildly acidic air over Beijing could promote high rates of sulfur dioxide oxidation through interaction with transition metals such as iron, copper and manganese emitted into the air from local sources such as car brakes, fly ash and mineral dust, which could be another important contributor to extreme pollution events and a source of intense particle toxicity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers at Georgia Tech have attributed the extreme haze in China in recent years to changing weather patterns as a result of climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Controlling ammonia emissions overall seems to be the proposed strategy for mitigating air quality problems in many regions of the globe, but our work shows that it is not necessarily the most cost effective way to go,\u0026rdquo; Nenes said. \u0026ldquo;You certainly don\u0026rsquo;t want to ignore ammonia emissions, but there can be other ways to get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of air quality improvement, such as limiting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from coal burning power plants.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. AGS-1360730. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Hongyu Guo, Rodney J. Weber and Athanasios Nenes, \u0026ldquo;High levels of ammonia do not raise fine particle pH sufficiently to yield nitrogen oxide-dominated sulfate production,\u0026rdquo; (Scientific Reports, September 2017).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-017-11704-0\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-017-11704-0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs China struggles to find ways to remedy the noxious haze that lingers over Beijing and other cities in the winter, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology have cast serious doubt on one proposed cause: high levels of ammonia in the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As China struggles to find ways to remedy the noxious haze that lingers over Beijing and other cities in the winter, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology have cast serious doubt on one proposed cause: high levels of ammonia in the air."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2017-10-03 17:54:42","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:19:24","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"588812":{"id":"588812","type":"image","title":"Winter haze in China","body":null,"created":"1489606175","gmt_created":"2017-03-15 19:29:35","changed":"1489606175","gmt_changed":"2017-03-15 19:29:35","alt":"Winter haze in China","file":{"fid":"224395","name":"china-haze-126.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/china-haze-126.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/china-haze-126.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":301733,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/china-haze-126.jpg?itok=5VKAXXX7"}},"588205":{"id":"588205","type":"image","title":"Hongyu Guo and Rodney Weber","body":null,"created":"1488478954","gmt_created":"2017-03-02 18:22:34","changed":"1488478954","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:22:34","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224164","name":"weber1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weber1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weber1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":984707,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weber1.jpg?itok=K6W9_KVt"}},"536361":{"id":"536361","type":"image","title":"Athanasios Nenes","body":null,"created":"1463590800","gmt_created":"2016-05-18 17:00:00","changed":"1488479051","gmt_changed":"2017-03-02 18:24:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"89460","name":"nenes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nenes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nenes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1406064,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nenes.jpg?itok=hX_uqo9y"}}},"media_ids":["588812","588205","536361"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171762","name":"Rodney Weber"},{"id":"56541","name":"Athanasios Nenes"},{"id":"175757","name":"Hongyu Guo"},{"id":"173763","name":"winter haze"},{"id":"173765","name":"China haze"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"614128":{"#nid":"614128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Raises Awareness of Indoor Air Quality Risk from 3D Printers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EConsumer-oriented 3D printers could show up on many holiday wish lists this year, and purchasers should be aware of research conducted at Georgia Institute of Technology that highlights how the popular low-cost devices could pose a health risk by harming indoor air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA recently completed multi-year research project, sponsored by UL Chemical Safety, was aimed at characterizing particle emissions by the printers in a controlled environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the printers generate a range of different-sized particles, including ultrafine particles (UFPs), which have the potential to be inhaled deep into the human pulmonary system and impact respiratory health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These printers tend to produce particles that are very small, especially at the beginning of the print process, and in an environment without good ventilation, they could significantly reduce indoor air quality,\u0026rdquo; said Rodney Weber, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences who led the research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of the findings were published in 2018 and 2017 in \u003Cem\u003EAerosol Science and Technology\u003C\/em\u003E and other studies are forthcoming.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research endeavor revealed that more than 200 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs), many of which are known or suspected irritants and carcinogens, are released while 3D printers are in operation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral factors, including nozzle temperature, filament type, filament and printer brand, and filament color, affected emissions. Meanwhile extrusion temperature, filament material and filament brand were found to have the greatest impact on emission levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We found that one of the overriding principles is the temperature of the filament,\u0026rdquo; Weber said. \u0026ldquo;If you use a filament that requires a higher temperature to melt, such as ABS plastic, you produce more particles than PLA plastic filaments, which require lower temperatures.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result of the research, UL is advocating for a complete risk assessment of all 3D printers, taking into account dose and personal sensitivity considerations as well as the publication of more marketplace information about each printer to help consumers choose safer options.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Following our series of studies \u0026ndash; the most extensive to date on 3D printer emissions \u0026ndash; we are recommending additional investments in scientific research, product advancement to minimize emissions, and increased user awareness so that safety measures can be taken,\u0026rdquo; said Marilyn Black, vice president and senior technical advisor at UL.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, some measures can be taken by operators of 3D printers to lessen their impact on air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EOperating 3D printers only in well-ventilated areas\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ESetting the nozzle temperature at the lower end of the suggested temperature range for filament materials\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EStanding away from operating machines\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EUsing machines and filaments that have been tested and verified to have low emissions.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on the scientific research conducted with Georgia Tech and further collaboration with other stakeholders, UL developed an ANSI consensus standard for testing and evaluating 3D printer emissions to set emissions targets for 3D printer manufacturers. UL\/ANSI 2904 is in the final stages of completion and should be available \u0026nbsp;in December 2018.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story was adapted from content provided by UL Chemical Safety.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Consumer-oriented 3D printers could show up on many holiday wish lists this year, and purchasers should be aware of research conducted at Georgia Institute of Technology that highlights how the popular low-cost devices could pose a health risk."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2018-11-12 14:11:15","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:11:51","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614131":{"id":"614131","type":"image","title":"3D Printed Object","body":null,"created":"1542033034","gmt_created":"2018-11-12 14:30:34","changed":"1542033034","gmt_changed":"2018-11-12 14:30:34","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233807","name":"16C5431-P2-080.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":403292,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg?itok=bJ4_rHa9"}},"614132":{"id":"614132","type":"image","title":"3D Printer","body":null,"created":"1542033731","gmt_created":"2018-11-12 14:42:11","changed":"1542033731","gmt_changed":"2018-11-12 14:42:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233808","name":"IMG_7681.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_7681.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_7681.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":420082,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_7681.JPG?itok=wgyeCpUP"}},"586467":{"id":"586467","type":"image","title":"Rodney Weber","body":null,"created":"1485384036","gmt_created":"2017-01-25 22:40:36","changed":"1485384036","gmt_changed":"2017-01-25 22:40:36","alt":"","file":{"fid":"223513","name":"Rodney.Weber_.Capture.PNG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rodney.Weber_.Capture.PNG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rodney.Weber_.Capture.PNG","mime":"image\/png","size":551556,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rodney.Weber_.Capture.PNG?itok=1Qzkt9ob"}}},"media_ids":["614131","614132","586467"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13352","name":"3d printers"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"614681":{"#nid":"614681","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Growing Pile of Human and Animal Waste Harbors Threats, Opportunities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs demand for meat and dairy products increases across the world, much attention has landed on how livestock impact the environment, from land usage to greenhouse gas emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are highlighting another effect from animals raised for food and the humans who eat them: \u0026nbsp;the waste they all leave behind.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published November 13 in \u003Cem\u003ENature Sustainability\u003C\/em\u003E, the research team put forth what they believe is the first global estimate of annual recoverable human and animal fecal biomass. In 2014, the most recent year with data, the number was 4.3 billion tons and growing, and waste from livestock outweighed that from humans five to one at the country level.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Exposure to both human and animal waste represent a threat to public health, particularly in low-income areas of the world that may not have resources to implement the best management and sanitation practices,\u0026rdquo; said Joe Brown, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. \u0026ldquo;But estimating the amount of recoverable feces in the world also highlights the enormous potential from a resource perspective.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMetals, phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium are all among the resources that could be recovered from human and animal waste. The researchers pointed to an earlier analysis that estimated the value of recoverable metals alone reaches $13 million a year from the waste of one million people.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers looked at data from 2003 to 2014 as well as projections through 2030. The study combined global animal population data from the United Nations, human population data from the World Bank as well as earlier research on animal-specific estimates of fecal production.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom 2003 to 2014, the amount of waste biomatter produced grew annually by more than 57 million tons as both human and livestock populations grew. The researchers estimated that by 2030, the total amount of global fecal biomass produced each year would reach at least five billion tons, with livestock waste outweighing that from humans six to one at the country level.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This paper demonstrates that building more latrines in developing parts of the world isn\u0026rsquo;t going to solve all of our waste management problems,\u0026rdquo; Brown said. \u0026ldquo;Animal waste has the potential to negatively impact health in many of the same ways as with human waste, from spreading enteric infections to hurting growth and cognitive development of the humans exposed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile chickens were the most plentiful livestock globally, cattle, with their larger body mass, produced the most fecal waste on the planet. As a result, countries with high numbers of cattle, such as those in the Americas, produced the most waste by mass.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers estimated that by 2030, the planet\u0026rsquo;s total annual fecal and urinary biomass could contain as much as 100 million tons of phosphorus, 30 million tons of potassium, 18 million tons of calcium, and 5.5 million tons of magnesium, to name a few recoverable materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile much of the attention on reducing disease transmission has focused through the decades on pathogens associated with human waste, much less attention has been given to animal waste, the researchers wrote, despite livestock accounting for 80 percent of the global fecal biomass generated.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Ultimately, shining a light on the amount of waste that we produce is the first step toward shaping policies and regional planning geared toward maximizing public health and resource recovery,\u0026rdquo; Brown said. \u0026ldquo;This is an area where there\u0026rsquo;s a huge need for attention and investment \u0026ndash; to help develop next-generation waste management innovations, for both large-scale and small-scale animal husbandry operations, that will enable us to maximize human health and meet the global demand for natural resources.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: David M. Berendes, Patricia J. Yang, Amanda Lai, David Hu and Joe Brown, \u0026ldquo;Estimation of global recoverable human and animal faecal biomass,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Sustainability, November 13, 2018) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41893-018-0167-0\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41893-018-0167-0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are highlighting another effect from animals raised for food and the humans who eat them: the waste they all leave behind."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2018-11-27 21:42:09","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:11:21","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614682":{"id":"614682","type":"image","title":"Cattle plays a big role in recoverable waste","body":null,"created":"1543355400","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 21:50:00","changed":"1543355400","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 21:50:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234024","name":"IMG_0509.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0509.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_0509.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2188053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_0509.jpg?itok=1pCxBD6_"}},"614685":{"id":"614685","type":"image","title":"Joe Brown","body":null,"created":"1543355690","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 21:54:50","changed":"1543355769","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 21:56:09","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234025","name":"crowdsourcing78_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/crowdsourcing78_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/crowdsourcing78_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":797651,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/crowdsourcing78_0_0.jpg?itok=vFjgc1kQ"}}},"media_ids":["614682","614685"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"58161","name":"water quality"},{"id":"782","name":"Natural resources"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"619730":{"#nid":"619730","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Adhesive Formed From Bee Spit and Flower Oil Could Form Basis of New Glues","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHoney bees spend hours each day collecting pollen and packing it into tidy bundles attached to their hind legs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut all of that hard work could instantly be undone during a sudden rainstorm were it not for two substances the insect uses to keep the pollen firmly stuck in place: bee spit and flower oil.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at that mixture of ingredients as a model for a bioinspired glue because of its unique adhesive properties and ability to remain sticky through a range of conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A bee encounters not just wet and humid environments but windy and dry surroundings as well, so its pollen pellet must counteract those variations in humidity while remaining adhered,\u0026rdquo; said J. Carson Meredith, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;Being able to withstand those kinds of changes in humidity is still a challenge for synthetic adhesives.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published March 26 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications \u003C\/em\u003Eand sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the researchers described how those two natural liquids work together to protect the bee\u0026rsquo;s bounty as it travels back to its hive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first component of the glue is the bee\u0026rsquo;s own salivary secretions, which coat the pollen grains and allow them to stick together. The bees produce those sugary secretions, the main ingredient in honey, from nectar they drink from the flowers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second ingredient is a plant-based oil that coats the pollen grains called pollenkitt, which helps stabilize the adhesive properties of the nectar and protect it from the impact of too much or too little humidity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It works similarly to a layer of cooking oil covering a pool of syrup,\u0026rdquo; Meredith said. \u0026ldquo;The oil separates the syrup from the air and slows down drying considerably.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested the adhesive properties of the bee\u0026rsquo;s glue by separating the oil-based component from the sugar-based component and evaluating how sticky the nectar remained under various humidity conditions. As expected, as humidity increased and the nectar absorbed more water, its adhesive properties diminished. The same effect was true when humidity decreased and the nectar dried out. Meanwhile, under similar conditions, nectar coated with the pollenkitt oil remained sticky despite changes in humidity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We believe you could take the essential concepts of this material and develop a novel adhesive with a water-barrier external oil layer that could better resist humidity changes in the same way,\u0026rdquo; Meredith said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026ldquo;Or potentially this concept would apply to controlling the working time of an adhesive, such as its ability to flow and time to dry or cure.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which included Victor Breedveld, an associate professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, also examined dynamics of the bee adhesive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We wanted to know, if the pollen can stay so firmly attached to the bee\u0026rsquo;s hind legs, how do the bees manage to remove it when they return to the hive,\u0026rdquo; Meredith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe answer may lie in the adhesive\u0026rsquo;s a rate-sensitive response. In other words, the faster the force attempting to remove it, the more it would resist.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a property of capillary adhesion, which we believe could be harnessed and tailored for specific applications, such as controlling motion in microscopic or nanoscale devices, in fields ranging from construction to medicine,\u0026rdquo; Meredith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under grant No. FA9550-10-1-0555. Any conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E Donglee Shin, Won Tae Choi, Haisheng Lin, Zihao Qu, Victor Breedveld, and J. Carson Meredith, \u0026ldquo;Humidity-tolerant rate-dependent capillary viscous adhesion of bee-collected pollen fluids,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Communications, March 2019). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-019-09372-x\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at that mixture of ingredients as a model for a bioinspired glue because of its unique adhesive properties and ability to remain sticky through a range of conditions."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2019-03-27 15:13:14","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:07:44","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"593355":{"id":"593355","type":"image","title":"Honeybee","body":null,"created":"1499695795","gmt_created":"2017-07-10 14:09:55","changed":"1499695795","gmt_changed":"2017-07-10 14:09:55","alt":"Honeybee near the Student Center. Photo by Yumiko Sakurai","file":{"fid":"226191","name":"Honeybee at student center.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Honeybee%20at%20student%20center.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Honeybee%20at%20student%20center.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":661745,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Honeybee%20at%20student%20center.jpg?itok=NrvbFMD0"}}},"media_ids":["593355"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180897","name":"honey bees"},{"id":"180898","name":"glue"},{"id":"180899","name":"adhesives"},{"id":"79061","name":"bioinspired technology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"627220":{"#nid":"627220","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Particles Emitted by Consumer 3D Printers Could Hurt Indoor Air Quality","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EConsumer-grade 3D printers have grown in popularity in recent years, but the particles emitted from such devices can negatively impact indoor air quality and have the potential to harm respiratory health, according to a study from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and UL Chemical Safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the study, which was published September 12 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology\u003C\/em\u003E and sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL)., the researchers collected particles emitted from 3D printers and conducted several tests to gauge their impact on respiratory cell cultures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;All of these tests, which were done at high doses, showed that there is a toxic response to the particles from various types of filaments used by these 3D printers,\u0026rdquo; said Rodney Weber, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth \u0026amp; Atmospheric Sciences, who led the research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was part of multi-year research project aimed at characterizing particle emissions by the printers in a controlled environment and identifying measures that could be taken by both 3D printer manufacturers and users to reduce the potential for harm. While earlier studies had focused on quantifying the particles being emitted, this time the researchers looked more closely at the chemical composition of the particles and their potential for toxicity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E3D printers typically work by melting plastic filaments and then depositing the melt layer upon layer to form an object. Heating the plastic to melt it releases volatile compounds, some of which from ultrafine particles that are emitted into the air near the printer and the object.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn earlier research, the team found that generally the hotter the temperature required to melt the filament, the more emissions were produced. As a result, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic filaments, which require a higher temperature to melt, produced more emissions than filaments made of polylactic acid (PLA), which melt at a lower temperature.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo test the impact of the emissions on live cells, the researchers partnered with Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, which exposed human respiratory cells and rat immune system cells to concentrations of the particles from the printers. They found that both ABS and PLA particles negatively impacted cell viability, with the latter prompting a more toxic response. But these tests did not reflect actual exposures\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also performed a chemical analysis of particles to gain further insight into their toxicity and allow comparisons to toxicity of particles found in outdoor urban environments. The analysis \u0026ndash; called oxidative potential \u0026ndash; simulates the toxic response that an aerosol would have on cellular organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The toxicity tests showed that PLA particles were more toxic than the ABS particles on a per-particle comparison, but because the printers emitted so much more of the ABS \u0026ndash; it\u0026rsquo;s the ABS emissions that end up being more of the concern,\u0026rdquo; Weber said. \u0026ldquo;Taken together, these tests indicate that exposure to these filament particles could over time be as toxic as the air in an urban environment polluted with vehicular or other emissions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother finding of the study was that the ABS particles emitted from the 3D printers had chemical characteristics that were different than the ABS filament.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When the filament companies manufacture a certain type of filament, they may add small mass percentages of other compounds to achieve certain characteristics, but they mostly do not disclose what those additives are,\u0026rdquo; Weber said. \u0026ldquo;Because these additives seem to affect the amount of emissions for ABS, and there can be great variability in the type and amount of additives added to ABS, a consumer may buy a certain ABS filament, and it could produce far more emissions than one from a different vendor.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study also looked at which types of indoor environmental scenarios emissions from a 3D printer would most impact. They estimated that in a commercial building setting such as a school or an office, better ventilation would limit the amount of exposure to the emissions. However, in a typical residential setting with less effective ventilation, the exposure could be much higher, they reported.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These studies show that particle and chemical emissions from 3D printers can result in unintentional pollutant exposure hazards, and we are pleased to share this research so that steps can be taken to reduce health risks,\u0026rdquo; according to Marilyn Black, Sr. Technical Advisor for UL.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, some measures can be taken by operators of 3D printers to lessen their impact on air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EOperating 3D printers only in well-ventilated areas\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ESetting the nozzle temperature at the lower end of the suggested temperature range for filament materials\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EStanding away from operating machines\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EUsing machines and filaments that have been tested and verified to have low emissions.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Qian Zhang, Michal Pardo, Yinon Rudich, Ifat Kaplan-Ashiri, Jenny P.S. Wong, Aika Y. Davis, Marilyn S. Black and Rodney J. Weber, \u0026ldquo;Chemical Composition and Toxicity of Particles Emitted from a Consumer-Level 3D Printer Using Various Materials,\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology\u003C\/em\u003E, September 2019).\u0026nbsp;http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.9b04168\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The particles emitted from 3D printers can negatively impact indoor air quality and have the potential to harm respiratory health, according to a study from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and UL Chemical Safety."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2019-10-07 13:20:56","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:02:27","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614131":{"id":"614131","type":"image","title":"3D Printed Object","body":null,"created":"1542033034","gmt_created":"2018-11-12 14:30:34","changed":"1542033034","gmt_changed":"2018-11-12 14:30:34","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233807","name":"16C5431-P2-080.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":403292,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C5431-P2-080.jpg?itok=bJ4_rHa9"}},"627219":{"id":"627219","type":"image","title":"Rodney Weber","body":null,"created":"1570454180","gmt_created":"2019-10-07 13:16:20","changed":"1570454180","gmt_changed":"2019-10-07 13:16:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238817","name":"N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":701605,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/N20C10200-P16-002sm.jpg?itok=vEbPO9T7"}}},"media_ids":["614131","627219"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"113111","name":"aerosols"},{"id":"13351","name":"3d printing"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"628113":{"#nid":"628113","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research On Large Storm Waves Could Help Lessen Their Impact On Coasts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen cyclones or other massive oceanic storms make landfall, their giant waves batter coastlines and sometimes cause widespread damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, an international team of researchers has analyzed months of data of large nearshore waves to provide new insights that could help improve the designs of a variety of coastal structures from seaports to seawalls to better withstand destructive waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the study published October 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScientific Reports\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers report combining a mathematical model to describe the formation of large waves with real-world measurements taken in shallow waters just off of the coast of Ireland, where waves have been reported to hit the shore with enough force to move 100-ton rocks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In this work we have analyzed real data in order to show that, over the course of several months measuring different storm events, we find that the extreme waves that we have observed in the coastal data tend on average to be smaller than the rogue waves we have observed in deep water, but they have similar characteristics,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;Francesco Fedele, a associate professor in the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These large nearshore waves are still caused by constructive interference \u0026ndash; the effect of waves coming in all different directions and basically meeting at one point and piling up to form a large wave, and by second order nonlinearities that distort the sinusoidal shape of waves to have sharper crests and shallower troughs \u0026rdquo; Fedele said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also included M. Aziz Tayfun, professor emeritus from Kuwait University, Frederic Dias, a professor at the University College Dublin, and James Herterich, a postdoctoral associate, aksi at the University College Dublin.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, which was sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, the researchers analyzed measurements captured by an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) device that was deployed for several months on the ocean floor off Killard Point during Spring 2015 and off the Aran Islands during Spring 2017. During that time, the device was able to capture data from two intense storm events that produced large coastal waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe more recent storm, Doris, which hit the Irish coast in February 2017, produced waves as tall as 43 feet from peak to trough, and the earlier storm in 2015 caused waves even taller, as high as 73 feet, according to the measurements from the ADCP, which works by emitting sound pulses and measuring the strength of sounds bouncing off of floating particles to calculate the height of the water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used that data to compare with the Tayfun-Fedele and Boccotti statistical models used to explain rogue ocean waves that occur in much deeper water. Those models were used in an analysis of the two famous real-world rogue waves, Andrea and Draupner, observed at oil platforms in the North Sea in 1995 and 2007, as well as the Killard rogue wave observed off the coast of Ireland in 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were able to extend these statistical models, which are largely validated for waves in deep waters, to describe coastal rogue waves,\u0026rdquo; Fedele said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EComparing the simulated wave profiles of the deep-sea rogue waves and the wave profiles generated by the data collected for the nearshore waves showed a similar profile for all, suggesting that the nearshore waves a generated much in the same way as the deep water ones, Fedele said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut for nearshore waves, the breaking of the waves bleeds away some of their energy, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once you get into shallow waters, the enhanced nonlinearities make waves less dispersive and the tendency for waves to break intensifies.,\u0026rdquo; Fedele said. \u0026ldquo;A lot of the energy is dissipated forming white caps that crash against the shore.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research could provide an underpinning for designs of coastal structures that are built to withstand the forces of waves over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For people who want to design coastal structures, you need to know what\u0026rsquo;s the largest wave that will break in a coastal area over the lifetime of the structure \u0026ndash; what\u0026rsquo;s the largest wave out of however many millions of waves or more that will happen,\u0026rdquo; Fedele said. \u0026ldquo;And once you have this knowledge using these statistical methods, you can design the structure to withstand the highest wave.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFedele said the next steps of the research would involve studying more about the physical mechanics of the point when waves break, either against the shore as in the case of coastal waves, or when deep sea rogue waves break out in the open water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the Science Foundation Ireland. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Francesco Fedele, James Herterich, Aziz Tayfun, and Frederic Dias, \u0026ldquo;Large nearshore storm waves off the Irish coast,\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EScientific Reports\u003C\/em\u003E, 2019).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-019-51706-8\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-019-51706-8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An international team of researchers has analyzed months of data of large nearshore waves to provide new insights that could help improve the designs of a variety of coastal structures from seaports to seawalls to better withstand destructive waves."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2019-10-28 13:15:45","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:01:31","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"628112":{"id":"628112","type":"image","title":"Waves Crashing Against Irish Coast","body":null,"created":"1572268120","gmt_created":"2019-10-28 13:08:40","changed":"1572268140","gmt_changed":"2019-10-28 13:09:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239186","name":"Unknown.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_12.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Unknown_12.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":695364,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Unknown_12.jpeg?itok=JoHaSRyH"}},"628114":{"id":"628114","type":"image","title":"Monitoring Waves","body":null,"created":"1572268791","gmt_created":"2019-10-28 13:19:51","changed":"1572268791","gmt_changed":"2019-10-28 13:19:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239187","name":"Screen Shot 2019-10-28 at 9.16.50 AM.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-10-28%20at%209.16.50%20AM.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-10-28%20at%209.16.50%20AM.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":290399,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-10-28%20at%209.16.50%20AM.jpg?itok=9OWHHHIx"}}},"media_ids":["628112","628114"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"629154":{"#nid":"629154","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life, Just Not Next Door","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;They\u0026rsquo;re out there,\u0026rdquo; goes a saying about extraterrestrials. It would seem more likely to be true in light of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/ab46b5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study\u003C\/a\u003E on planetary axis tilts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAstrophysicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology modeled a theoretical twin of Earth into other star systems called binary systems because they have two stars. They concluded that 87% of exo-Earths one might find in binary systems should have axis tilts similarly steady to Earth\u0026rsquo;s, an important ingredient for climate stability that favors the evolution of complex life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Multiple-star systems are common, and about 50% of stars have binary companion stars. So, this study can be applied to a large number of solar systems,\u0026rdquo; said Gongjie Li, the study\u0026rsquo;s co-investigator an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/gongjie-li\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/gongjie-li\u0022\u003Eassistant professor at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESingle-star solar systems like our own with multiple planets appear to be rarer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlpha Centauri B? Wretched\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers started out contrasting how the Earth\u0026rsquo;s axis tilt, also called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.obliquity.com\/info\/meaning.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eobliquity\u003C\/a\u003E, varies over time with the variation of Mars\u0026rsquo; axis tilt. Whereas our planet\u0026rsquo;s mild obliquity variations have been great for a livable climate and for evolution, the wilder variations of Mars\u0026#39; axis tilt may have helped wreck its atmosphere, as explained in the section below.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen the researchers modeled Earth into\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/science\/2016-02-22\/goldilocks-zones-habitable-zone-astrobiology-exoplanets\/6907836\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehabitable, or Goldilocks, zones\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Alpha Centauri AB \u0026ndash; our solar system\u0026rsquo;s nearest neighbor, a binary system with one star called \u0026ldquo;A\u0026rdquo; and the other \u0026ldquo;B.\u0026rdquo; After that, they expanded the model to a more universal scope.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We simulated what it would be like around other binaries with multiple variations of the stars\u0026rsquo; masses, orbital qualities, and so on,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.billyquarles.com\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.billyquarles.com\/\u0022\u003EBilly Quarles, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;investigator and a research scientist in Li\u0026rsquo;s lab. \u0026ldquo;The overall message was positive but not for our nearest neighbor.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlpha Centauri A actually didn\u0026rsquo;t look bad, but the outlook for mild axis dynamics on an exo-Earth modeled around star B was wretched. This may douse some hopes because Alpha Centauri AB is four lightyears away, and a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/breakthroughinitiatives.org\/initiative\/3\u0022\u003Emission named Starshot with big-name backers\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;plans to launch a space probe to examine the system, including for signs of advanced life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers published\u0026nbsp;their study, which was co-led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/content\/jack-lissauer\u0022\u003EJack Lissauer from NASA\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ames Research Center, in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAstrophysical Journal\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;on November 19, 2019, under the title: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/ab46b5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EObliquity Evolution of Circumstellar Planets in Sun-like Stellar Binaries\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The research was funded by the NASA Exobiology Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo exoplanets have been confirmed around A or B; an exoplanet has been confirmed around the nearby red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, but that planet is likely to be uninhabitable.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth? Just right\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEven with its ice ages and hot phases, Earth\u0026rsquo;s climatological framework has been calm for hundreds of millions of years - in part because of its mild orbital and axis-tilt dynamics - allowing evolution to take big strides. Sharply varying dynamics, and thus climate, like on Mars could stand to regularly kill off advanced life, stunting evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarth\u0026rsquo;s orbit around the sun is on a slight incline that seesaws gently and very slowly through a slight precession, a kind of oscillation. As Earth revolves, it shifts position relative to the sun, circling it a little like a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS852US852\u0026amp;biw=890\u0026amp;bih=484\u0026amp;tbm=isch\u0026amp;sxsrf=ACYBGNQmdI3kjdR9Pl9FSKYYPItAMwZGOw%3A1572963813556\u0026amp;sa=1\u0026amp;ei=5YXBXfq3IY6Q5wKSo7jYAg\u0026amp;q=earth%27s+apsidial+precession+orbit+around+the+sun\u0026amp;oq=earth%27s+apsidial+precession+orbit+around+the+sun\u0026amp;gs_l=img.3...27670.32605..32912...3.0..0.91.1510.20......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i8i7i30.mcCOTIJdeJE\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwi6vufqotPlAhUOyFkKHZIRDisQ4dUDCAc\u0026amp;uact=5#imgrc=eoZMxUFkJQpTLM:\u0022\u003Espirograph drawing.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;The orbit also\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/science\/cosmology-and-astronomy\/earth-history-topic\/earth-title-topic\/v\/apsidal-precession-perihelion-precession-and-milankovitch-cycles\u0022\u003Eprecesses in shape\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;between slightly more and slightly less oblong over 100,000-year periods.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/science\/cosmology-and-astronomy\/earth-history-topic\/earth-title-topic\/v\/milankovitch-cycles-precession-and-obliquity\u0022\u003EEarth\u0026rsquo;s axis tilt precesses\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees over the course of 41,000 years. Our large moon stabilizes our tilt through its gravitational relationship with Earth, otherwise, bouncy gravitational interconnections with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter would jolt our tilt with resonances.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If we didn\u0026rsquo;t have the moon, Earth\u0026rsquo;s tilt could vary by about 60 degrees,\u0026rdquo; Quarles said. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;d look maybe like Mars, and the precession of its axis appears to have contributed to a loss of atmosphere.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMars\u0026rsquo; axis precesses between 10 degrees and 60 degrees every 2 million years. At the 10-degree tilt, the atmosphere condenses at the poles, creating caps that lock up a lot of the atmosphere in ice. At 60 degrees, Mars could grow an ice belt around its equator.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUniverse? Hopeful\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Alpha Centauri AB, star B, about the size of our sun, and the larger star, A, orbit one another at about the distance between Uranus and our sun, which is very close for two stars in a binary system. The study modeled variations of an exo-Earth orbiting either star but concentrated on a modeled Earth orbiting in the habitable zone centered around B, with A being the orbiting star.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA\u0026rsquo;s orbit is very elliptical, passing close by and then moving very far away from B and slinging powerful gravity, which, in the model, overpowered exo-Earth\u0026rsquo;s own dynamics. Its tilt and orbit varied widely; adding our moon to the model didn\u0026rsquo;t help.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Around Alpha Centauri B, if you don\u0026rsquo;t have a moon, you have a more stable axis than if you do have a moon. If you have a moon, it\u0026rsquo;s pretty much bad news,\u0026rdquo; Quarles said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEven without a moon and with mild axis variability, complex, Earthlike evolution would seem to have a hard time on the modeled exo-Earth around B.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The biggest effect you would see is differences in the climate cycles related to how elongated the orbit is. Instead of having ice ages every 100,000 years like on Earth, they may come every 1 million years, be worse, and last much longer,\u0026rdquo; Quarles said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut a sliver of hope for Earthlike conditions turned up in the model: \u0026ldquo;Planetary orbit and spin need to precess just right relative to the binary orbit. There is this tiny sweet spot,\u0026rdquo; Quarles said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the researchers expanded the model to binary systems in the broader universe, the probability of gentle obliquity variations ballooned.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In general, the separation between the stars is larger in binary systems, and then the second star has less of an effect on the model of Earth. The planet\u0026rsquo;s own motion dynamics dominate other influences, and obliquity usually has a smaller variation,\u0026rdquo; Li said. \u0026ldquo;So, this is quite optimistic.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlso READ:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/629124\/observing-cosmic-symphony-using-gravitational-wave-astronomy\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EObserving a \u0026ldquo;Cosmic Symphony\u0026rdquo; Using Gravitational Wave Astronomy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the NASA Exobiology Program (grant NNX14AK31G). Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the NASA Exobiology Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmail:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0026#39;s new hope that advanced beings may exist on exoplanets. A\u0026nbsp;new study on\u0026nbsp;the dynamics\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;axis tilts of\u0026nbsp;exoplanets\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;Goldilocks\u0026nbsp;zones\u0026nbsp;says about 87% of planets like Earth in\u0026nbsp;two-star, or binary, systems should have axes conducive to\u0026nbsp;the evolution of complex life. But in the star system nearest us, Alpha Centauri AB, the study\u0026nbsp;pours some water on those hopes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An exoplanet study on axis tilts raises hopes that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-11-20 15:06:44","changed_gmt":"2019-12-09 19:24:09","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"629146":{"id":"629146","type":"image","title":"Alpha Centauri AB","body":null,"created":"1574260494","gmt_created":"2019-11-20 14:34:54","changed":"1574260494","gmt_changed":"2019-11-20 14:34:54","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239602","name":"Alpha.Cent_.AB_.Hubble.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alpha.Cent_.AB_.Hubble.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alpha.Cent_.AB_.Hubble.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":48895,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alpha.Cent_.AB_.Hubble.jpg?itok=CmhrNxL2"}},"629149":{"id":"629149","type":"image","title":"Astrophysicist Billy Quarles at the telescope atop Georgia Tech\u0027s observatory","body":null,"created":"1574260949","gmt_created":"2019-11-20 14:42:29","changed":"1574260949","gmt_changed":"2019-11-20 14:42:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239604","name":"Billy.Quarles.telescope.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Billy.Quarles.telescope.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Billy.Quarles.telescope.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3052408,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Billy.Quarles.telescope.jpg?itok=s23D-Y6l"}},"629148":{"id":"629148","type":"image","title":"Earth frigid around Alpha Centauri B","body":null,"created":"1574260664","gmt_created":"2019-11-20 14:37:44","changed":"1575470665","gmt_changed":"2019-12-04 14:44:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239786","name":"ExoEarth.Alpha_.Cent_.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ExoEarth.Alpha_.Cent_.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ExoEarth.Alpha_.Cent_.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2874407,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ExoEarth.Alpha_.Cent_.png?itok=jDCFnB9h"}}},"media_ids":["629146","629149","629148"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176464","name":"exoplanet"},{"id":"183095","name":"Alpha Centauri"},{"id":"174307","name":"Proxima Centauri"},{"id":"183096","name":"Proxima Centauri b"},{"id":"183097","name":"obliquity"},{"id":"183098","name":"axis"},{"id":"183099","name":"axis tilt"},{"id":"183100","name":"axis tilt variation"},{"id":"183101","name":"obliquity variation"},{"id":"183102","name":"Alpha centauri AB"},{"id":"183103","name":"binary system"},{"id":"183104","name":"binary star"},{"id":"183105","name":"Binary Star System"},{"id":"183053","name":"habitable exoplanets"},{"id":"179278","name":"habitable planets"},{"id":"183106","name":"Habitable Worlds Across Time and Space"},{"id":"181498","name":"habitable zone"},{"id":"183107","name":"goldilocks zone"},{"id":"183108","name":"Starshot"},{"id":"183109","name":"Ames Research Center"},{"id":"183110","name":"precession"},{"id":"179279","name":"ice age"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"629322":{"#nid":"629322","#data":{"type":"news","title":"El Nino Swings More Violently in the Industrial Age, Hard Evidence Says","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEl Ninos have been very\u0026nbsp;intense in our times, which stands to worsen storms, drought, and coral bleaching in El Nino years. A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1029\/2019GL083906\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew study has found\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;compelling evidence in the Pacific Ocean that the stronger El Ninos are part of a climate pattern that is new, strange and appears\u0026nbsp;unique to the industrial age.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the first known time that enough physical evidence spanning millennia has come together to allow researchers to say that\u0026nbsp;definitively.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;data show\u0026nbsp;demonstrably\u0026nbsp;that El Ninos, La Ninas, and the climate phenomenon that drives them have been swinging\u0026nbsp;more broadly\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the era\u0026nbsp;of human-induced climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What we\u0026rsquo;re seeing in the last 50 years is outside any natural variability. It leaps off the baseline. Actually, we even see this for the entire period of the industrial age,\u0026rdquo; said Kim Cobb, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/shadow.eas.gatech.edu\/~kcobb\/people\/people.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Power Chair and ADVANCE Professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026rsquo;s School\u003C\/a\u003E of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;There were three extremely strong El Nino-La Nina events in the 50-year period, but it wasn\u0026rsquo;t just these events. The entire pattern stuck out.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s first author Pam Grothe compared temperature-dependent chemical deposits from present-day corals with those of older coral records representing relevant sea surface temperatures from the past 7,000 years. With the help of collaborators from Georgia Tech and partner research institutions, Grothe identified patterns of in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/blogs\/enso\/what-el-ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93southern-oscillation-enso-nutshell\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEl Nino Southern Oscillation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ENSO), swings of heating and cooling of equatorial Pacific waters that, every few years, spur El Ninos and La Ninas respectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team found the industrial age ENSO swings to be 25% stronger than in the pre-industrial records. The researchers published their results\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1029\/2019GL083906\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EGeophysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in October 2019. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHundreds of samples\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe evidence had slumbered in and around shallow Pacific waters, where ENSO and El Ninos originate, until Cobb and her students plunged hollow drill bits into living coral colonies and fossil coral deposits to extract it. In more than 20 years of field expeditions, they collected cores that contained hundreds of records.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe corals\u0026rsquo; recordings of sea surface temperatures proved to be astonishingly accurate when benchmarked. Coral records from 1981 to 2015 matched sea surface temperatures measured via satellite in the same period so exactly that, on a graph, the jagged lines of the coral record covered those of the satellite measurements, obscuring them from view.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When I present it to people, I always get asked, \u0026lsquo;Where\u0026rsquo;s the temperature measurement?\u0026rsquo; I tell them it\u0026rsquo;s there, but you can\u0026rsquo;t see it because the corals\u0026rsquo; records of sea surface temperatures are that good,\u0026rdquo; said Grothe, a former graduate research assistant in Cobb\u0026rsquo;s lab and now an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/directory\/employee\/pamela-grothe-pmedl9dj\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassociate professor at the University of Mary Washington\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst red flag?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, enough coral data had amassed to distinguish ENSO\u0026rsquo;s recent activity from its natural preindustrial patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo stress-test the data, Grothe left out chunks to see if the industrial age ENSO signal still stuck out. She removed the record-setting\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/celebrating200years.noaa.gov\/magazine\/enso\/el_nino.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E1997\/1998 El Nino\u003C\/a\u003E-La Nina and examined industrial age windows of time between 30 and 100 years long.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe signal held in all windows, but the data needed the 97\/98 event to be statistically significant. This could mean that changes in the ENSO activities have just now reached a threshold that makes them detectable.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is El Nino?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery two to seven years in spring, an El Nino is born when the warm phase of the ENSO swells into a long heat blob in the tropical Pacific, typically peaking in early winter. It blows through oceans and air around the world, ginning up deluges, winds, heat, or cold in unusual places.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce El Nino passes, the cycle reverses into La Nina by the following fall, when airstreams push hot water westward and dredge up frigid water in the equatorial Pacific. This triggers a different set of global weather extremes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETropical Pacific corals record the hot-cold oscillations by absorbing less of an oxygen isotope (O\u003Csup\u003E18\u003C\/sup\u003E) during ENSO\u0026rsquo;s hot phases, and progressively more of it during ENSO\u0026rsquo;s cool phases. As corals grow, they create layers of oxygen isotope records, chronicles of temperature history.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWaves, repairs, contortions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExtracting them is adventurous: A research diver guides a chest-high pneumatic drill under the ocean. Its pressure hose connects to a motor on the boat that powers the drill after the diver has taken off her fins and weighed herself down on the reef.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe carefully angles the bit down the axis of coral growth to get a core with layers that can be accurately counted back in time. On occasion, waves put her and her safety diver through washing machine cycles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Doing this all underwater adds an extra level of difficulty, even from the simplest tasks like working with wrenches,\u0026rdquo; Grothe said. \u0026ldquo;But the drill slices through underwater corals like butter. Fossil corals are drilled on land, and the drill constantly seizes up and overheats.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlowing models away\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe physical proof taken from three islands that dot the heart of the ENSO zone has also thrown down scientific gauntlets, starkly challenging computer models of ENSO patterns and causes. A prime example: Previously unknown to science, the study showed that in a period from 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, the El Nino-La Nina oscillations were extremely mild.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Maybe there\u0026rsquo;s no good explanation for a cause. Maybe it just happened,\u0026rdquo; Cobb said. \u0026ldquo;Maybe El Nino can just enter a mode and get stuck in it for a millennium.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso Read: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/629154\/exoplanet-axis-study-boosts-hopes-complex-life-just-not-next-door\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced life forms on other planets look much more likely after this study\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmail:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese researchers coauthored the study: Giovanni Liguori, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, Hussein Sayani, Kayla Townsend, Melat Hagos, and Gemma O\u0026rsquo;Connor from Georgia Tech; Antonietta Capotondi from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory; Yanbin Lu and Lawrence Edwards from the University of Minnesota; Hai Cheng from the University of Minnesota and Xi\u0026rsquo;an Jiaotong University; John Southon and Guaciara Santos from the University of California, Irvine; Daniel Deocampo from Georgia State University; Tianran Chen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Diane M. Thompson from the University of Arizona; Jessica Conroy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Andrea Moore from the University of Mary Washington, and Lauren Toth from the U.S. Geological Survey. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (awards 1502832, 1446343, 1029020, and 1349599), the National Science Foundation of China (award 41888101), NOAA\u0026rsquo;s Climate Program Office and the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Office of Science, U.S. Geological Survey and National Science Foundation (award 1535007), and a Sigma Delta Epsilon-Graduate Women in Science fellowship. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily shared by the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFinally, enough physical evidence spanning millennia has come together\u0026nbsp;to say definitively that: El Ninos, La Ninas, and the climate phenomenon that drives them have become more extreme in the times of human-induced climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hard evidence now says: El Nino and the climate phenomenon that drives it have become more extreme in the industrial age."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-11-25 15:40:50","changed_gmt":"2019-12-04 17:42:38","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-11-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-11-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"629307":{"id":"629307","type":"image","title":"El Nino globe images 1997 and 2015","body":null,"created":"1574694551","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:09:11","changed":"1574694551","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:09:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239662","name":"El Ninos NOAA.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":213525,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/El%20Ninos%20NOAA.jpg?itok=107VR-VU"}},"629314":{"id":"629314","type":"image","title":"Grothe and Atwood drill fossil corals","body":null,"created":"1574694959","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:15:59","changed":"1574694959","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:15:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239666","name":"GT.scientists.drill_.fossil.coral_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.scientists.drill_.fossil.coral_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.scientists.drill_.fossil.coral_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1004002,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GT.scientists.drill_.fossil.coral_.jpg?itok=4fAsVQ_j"}},"629311":{"id":"629311","type":"image","title":"Kim Cobb drills corals underwater in the tropical Pacific","body":null,"created":"1574694827","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","changed":"1574694827","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:13:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239664","name":"Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":554867,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim.Cobb_.drilling.JPG?itok=HnmCnhge"}},"629317":{"id":"629317","type":"image","title":"Grothe in fossil coral patch","body":null,"created":"1574695081","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:18:01","changed":"1574695081","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:18:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239667","name":"GT.collects.fossil.coral_.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.collects.fossil.coral_.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.collects.fossil.coral_.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1081179,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GT.collects.fossil.coral_.JPG?itok=UO2LmbmB"}},"629319":{"id":"629319","type":"image","title":"Strong El Nino year weather events North America","body":null,"created":"1574695361","gmt_created":"2019-11-25 15:22:41","changed":"1574695361","gmt_changed":"2019-11-25 15:22:41","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239668","name":"ENSO_USimpacts_precip_lrg.NOAA_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ENSO_USimpacts_precip_lrg.NOAA_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ENSO_USimpacts_precip_lrg.NOAA_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":637442,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ENSO_USimpacts_precip_lrg.NOAA_.jpg?itok=Ht3Zck0m"}}},"media_ids":["629307","629314","629311","629317","629319"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10994","name":"el nino"},{"id":"183152","name":"El Nino Events"},{"id":"183153","name":"El Nino Southern Oscillation"},{"id":"111321","name":"la nina"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"183154","name":"climate and environmental sciences"},{"id":"7166","name":"coral"},{"id":"169211","name":"coral bleaching"},{"id":"183155","name":"Fossil Record"},{"id":"183156","name":"oxygen 18"},{"id":"183157","name":"isotope harvesting"},{"id":"183158","name":"isotope tracking"},{"id":"53871","name":"Pacific Ocean"},{"id":"111301","name":"tropical pacific"},{"id":"183159","name":"Equatorial"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"628302":{"#nid":"628302","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Energy Regulation Rollbacks Threaten Progress Against Harmful Ozone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPollutants from coal-fired power plants help make ground-level ozone, and a warming world exacerbates that. Recent rollbacks of U.S. energy regulations may speed climate change, keep pollutants coming, and thus slow the fight against harmful ozone, according to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.oneear.2019.09.006\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, 30% of the U.S. population lives with ozone levels that exceed government health standards. Though past environmental regulations have vastly helped clean the air and put the U.S. on a positive trajectory to reduce pollutants \u0026mdash; including ozone \u0026mdash; policy rollbacks back could slow the progress and even reverse it, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EContinuing progress against ozone would pay off in better health and finances: The more ozone in the air, the more cases of respiratory illness and the higher the cost of meeting ozone level targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Additional ozone is tough to control technologically. The costs would be very high \u0026mdash; tens of billions of dollars,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/411\/overview\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETed Russell, a principal investigator on the study\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;In the meantime, more people would die than otherwise would have.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.oneear.2019.09.006\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their results in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EOne Earth,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ea\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECell Press\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;journal on Friday, October 25, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study focuses on ground-level ozone people breathe to the detriment of their health, which should not be confused with the stratospheric ozone that protects us from the sun\u0026rsquo;s harmful radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGoodbye environmental policies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the last three years, various energy policies have been loosened, which should result in raised CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;emissions and continued emissions of ozone precursors in years to come, the study\u0026rsquo;s authors said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Incentives are being retired like production and investment tax credits, which have been very influential in solar and wind,\u0026rdquo; said Marilyn Brown,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/brown\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea Regents Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and a principal investigator on the study. \u0026ldquo;The Investment Tax Credit gives a 30% tax reduction for investments in solar or wind farms or the purchase of solar rooftop panels by homeowners. The Production Tax Credit for utilities reduces tax liabilities by 23 cents for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by solar, wind or other renewable energy sources.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut one policy move in particular stands to keep more ingredients in the ozone-making cauldron: courts preventing the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.epa.gov\/epa\/cleanpowerplan\/fact-sheet-overview-clean-power-plan.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EClean Power Plan (CPP)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from going into effect and its replacement with the Trump administration\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/stationary-sources-air-pollution\/affordable-clean-energy-rule\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAffordable Clean Energy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ACE) plan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EACE, which also has not been implemented, would make it easier to continue burning fossil fuels, particularly coal, according to Brown, who was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/prizes\/peace\/2007\/summary\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewhich received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007\u003C\/a\u003E. CPP would have phased out those generators, reducing nitrogen oxide gases, or NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E, key reactants in the production of ozone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;to noxious\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The major target of the CPP was CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, but it had side effects on the reduction of NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;because it shifted coal use to natural gas as well as to renewable sources,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.prism.gatech.edu\/~hshen73\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHuizhong Shen\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral researcher in Russell\u0026rsquo;s group and one of the study\u0026rsquo;s first authors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study modeled atmospheric chemistry that produces O\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;around\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/skepticalscience.com\/rcp.php\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecommonly predicted trajectories for greenhouse gas emissions\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and climate change paired with anticipated pollutant emissions, particularly of NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E. The model\u0026rsquo;s output depicted \u0026ldquo;non-attainment\u0026rdquo; scores, which refer to the number of U.S. counties exceeding ozone targets and by how much.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study modeled against official targets for ozone levels and in addition, against cleaner standards widely held to be attainable and much healthier for people. Models built around rolled-back environmental regulations and increased warming initially showed the current trajectory of progress against ozone levels continuing \u0026mdash; but later reversing. Ozone levels then rose again, putting many more counties in non-attainment by or before 2050.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature\u0026rsquo;s surprise ingredient\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlongside human-produced NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E, nature contributes ozone-making ingredients that aren\u0026rsquo;t harmful per se and often smell great, like the aroma of cut grass or of a pine tree. They are examples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), of which nature produces hundreds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVOCs get into the air easily and react readily with other chemicals. The warmer the air and the sun, the more vegetation produces VOCs that meet with raised levels of NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;emissions to make ozone. It forms downstream from emissions sources, making it hard to regulate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are no ozone emissions, just precursor emissions,\u0026rdquo; Shen said. \u0026ldquo;So, emission controls for ozone have to mainly target NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;emissions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFeedbacks and pile-ons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKeeping ozone around as the world warms will be more than just the sum of power plants still emitting NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;plus boosted VOC emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you heat up the air, it also speeds up photochemical reactions involved in ozone production,\u0026rdquo; Shen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Ozone is a greenhouse gas, so it adds some climate change feedback, too,\u0026rdquo; said Russell, who is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/news\/tellepsen-joins-college-engineering-hall-fame-higginbotham-and-mitchell-win-alumni-awards\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHoward T. Tellepsen\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Chair and Regents Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. \u0026ldquo;You can also have increased vegetation emissions of ammonia. Some of this goes on to form particulate matter, which is also harmful to the lungs.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPassing the buck\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen coal-fired power plants emit NO\u003Csub\u003EX\u003C\/sub\u003E, the ozone strikes miles away.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Ozone can occur hundreds of miles away, so if controls are loosened in one state to save industry money there, a state downstream may have to spend even more to try to meet ozone targets. You transfer the problem and the costs,\u0026rdquo; Russell said. \u0026ldquo;Most U.S. cities are already not in attainment, and this will likely make it harder for them to get there.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/628309\/us-carbon-and-pollution-emissions-policies-are-air\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ the companion piece on policy:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EU.S. Carbon and Pollution Emissions Policies are \u0026lsquo;Up in the Air\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe co-authors of the research are: Yilin Chen, Yufei Li, Yongtao Hu, Mehmet Odman, Momei Qin, Abiola Lawal, Gertrude Pavur, and Marilyn Brown of Georgia Tech; Zhihong Chen of Georgia Tech and the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Jhih-Shyang Shih and Dallas Burtraw of Resources for the Future; Lucas Henneman of Harvard University; Shuai Shao and Charles Driscoll of Syracuse University; and Haofei Yu of the University of Central Florida. The research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (grant R835880) and the National Science Foundation (grant 1444745). Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies. Ted Russell served on the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee during the administration of President Barack Obama.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.oneear.2019.09.006\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmail:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe fight against harmful ozone, which\u0026nbsp;attacks\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;respiratory system,\u0026nbsp;would get harder, and progress in the fight\u0026nbsp;would\u0026nbsp;reverse if helpful regulations disappear. With the regulations currently\u0026nbsp;in limbo, a new study strips them away to model the effects on\u0026nbsp;this pollutant.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This is what could happen if all endangered regulations that help in the fight against harmful ozone go away."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-10-29 17:10:30","changed_gmt":"2019-11-20 15:09:59","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"628279":{"id":"628279","type":"image","title":"Coal-fired power plant by day","body":null,"created":"1572367188","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 16:39:48","changed":"1572367188","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 16:39:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239265","name":"Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant,_central_Wyoming.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":169457,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg?itok=H7TdZtru"}},"628280":{"id":"628280","type":"image","title":"Coal-fired power plant by night","body":null,"created":"1572367555","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 16:45:55","changed":"1572367555","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 16:45:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239266","name":"Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":185223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg?itok=MBLNs6Vh"}}},"media_ids":["628279","628280"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2866","name":"ozone"},{"id":"182871","name":"Ozone Levels"},{"id":"182872","name":"ozone attainment"},{"id":"182873","name":"Attainment"},{"id":"2999","name":"NOx"},{"id":"182874","name":"Noxious"},{"id":"182875","name":"nox2"},{"id":"182876","name":"Nox4"},{"id":"182877","name":"nitrogen oxides"},{"id":"182878","name":"Nitrogen Oxide"},{"id":"182879","name":"NO2"},{"id":"4198","name":"coal"},{"id":"182880","name":"Coal fired power plants"},{"id":"182881","name":"Coal Fired"},{"id":"182882","name":"coal combustion byproduct"},{"id":"169200","name":"clean power plan"},{"id":"182883","name":"Clean Power Plan Rollback"},{"id":"182884","name":"Clean power"},{"id":"182885","name":"Affordable Clean Energy"},{"id":"174079","name":"Trump administration"},{"id":"182886","name":"Executive Order"},{"id":"15284","name":"Obama Administration"},{"id":"8355","name":"clean air act"},{"id":"182887","name":"CAFE standards"},{"id":"182888","name":"Corporate Average Fuel Economy"},{"id":"4107","name":"regulations"},{"id":"15275","name":"carbon emissions"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"},{"id":"182889","name":"carbon dioxide (CO2)"},{"id":"182890","name":"Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere"},{"id":"182891","name":"Carbon gas"},{"id":"182892","name":"carbon aerosols"},{"id":"182893","name":"carbon dioxide effects"},{"id":"791","name":"Global Warming"},{"id":"182531","name":"Global Warming And The Environment"},{"id":"182536","name":"Global Warming Concerns"},{"id":"182535","name":"Global Warming Research"},{"id":"182534","name":"Global Warming Climate Change"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"182894","name":"climate change and human health"},{"id":"182895","name":"climate change agreement"},{"id":"182896","name":"Policy \u0026 Politics"},{"id":"50991","name":"Policy and Ethics"},{"id":"182897","name":"policy challenges"},{"id":"745","name":"air quality"},{"id":"182898","name":"air quality alert"},{"id":"182899","name":"Air Quality and Health"},{"id":"182900","name":"air quality forecast"},{"id":"47281","name":"forecast"},{"id":"182901","name":"Ozone Exposure"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"628309":{"#nid":"628309","#data":{"type":"news","title":"U.S. Carbon and Pollution Emissions Policies Are \u2018Up in the Air\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf endangered air quality energy regulations and incentives fall flat, carbon gas emissions are predicted to accelerate. Additional pollutants from coal power plants would synergize with global warming to hamper the thus far successful\u0026nbsp;fight against harmful ozone, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.oneear.2019.09.006\u0022\u003Ea new study\u003C\/a\u003E. Then ground-level O\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E, which damages the human respiratory system, may eventually resurge.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy policy expert Marilyn Brown explained to \u003Cem\u003EResearch Horizons\u003C\/em\u003E online the current peril facing many emissions-related policies face. This is a companion article \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/628302\/energy-regulation-rollbacks-threaten-progress-against-harmful-ozone\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eto one written about the study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBrown is a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/brown\u0022\u003ERegents Professor and\u0026nbsp;Brook\u0026nbsp;Byers Professor\u003C\/a\u003E of Sustainable Systems in the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026rsquo;s School of Public Policy. She\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.oneear.2019.09.006\u0022\u003Eco-authored the new ozone study\u003C\/a\u003E with researchers in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering that modeled what stripping away the policies could do to future ozone levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch Horizons:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Before we get to emissions and energy regulations, there is a perhaps larger, very serious issue: What is happening to the generous tax incentives for people and companies who contribute to cleaner air and lower carbon emissions?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarilyn Brown: \u003C\/strong\u003ESome incentives are being retired early like production and investment tax credits, which have been very influential in the spread of solar and wind power. A major one, the Investment Tax Credit gives a 30% tax reduction for investments in solar or wind farms or the purchase of solar rooftop panels by homeowners. The Production Tax Credit for utilities reduces tax liabilities by 23 cents for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by solar, wind or other renewable energy sources. These measures have been absolutely transformational in the U.S. power industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Where did these incentives come from, and how long have they been in place?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown: \u003C\/strong\u003EThey started spreading at the state level probably about 30 years ago. Iowa was the first state with its significant wind resources. With the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the incentives became national policy. Tax credits have been an on-and-off policy but mostly on, and they have really helped remake the energy landscape. But the incentives have to be renewed periodically, and then they go up for debate in Congress.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Has this been a partisan issue? One party came up with the incentives, and the other has tried to knock them down?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown: \u003C\/strong\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s not what we\u0026rsquo;ve seen. These were not partisan agendas in particular in their implementation. For example, the last extension of the Production Tax Credits two years ago benefitted the economics of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiapower.com\/company\/plant-vogtle.html\u0022\u003EPlant Vogtle\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rsquo;s two new units, because nuclear power now qualifies as an eligible resource. These incentives have been on a planned gradual retirement trajectory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our new study, we just removed them entirely, along with other key policies under threat to see the effect on ozone levels with them completely gone. Such removal actions are occasionally debated in Congress, so it\u0026rsquo;s not unrealistic to see them suddenly disappear. The paper quantifies the resulting ozone penalty, and that is a first. Our results show that we would have less success fighting ozone, and eventually it would resurge, which would be bad for the health of many people. Costs would rise sharply for places in ozone non-attainment to try to meet healthy targets, and many of them would fail, as many do today.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Csup\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E But there was recently a more political back-and-forth over a plan by the previous administration, correct?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown: \u003C\/strong\u003EThe last administration created the Clean Power Plan (CPP), and it was stayed \u0026ndash; not approved \u0026ndash; by federal courts in 2016, so it was not implemented. The current administration basically replaced it with the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan. CPP would have phased out coal-fired electricity generation in favor of natural gas and sustainable energy solutions. ACE, on the other hand, emphasizes improvement in the efficiency of coal plants, but there is a strong a consensus that coal plants can\u0026rsquo;t be made much more efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Foundational clean air regulations, the iconic Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards \u0026ndash; first enacted in 1975 \u0026ndash; are also under threat.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown: \u003C\/strong\u003EThe CAFE standards are very much up in the air right now. They could be frozen or done away with, but the automobile industry appears to be divided on this. Seventeen auto makers \u0026ndash; Ford and Honda among them \u0026ndash; came out in support of CAFE\u0026rsquo;s progressive tightening of fuel standards because they said doing away with them could destabilize their industry. CAFE lays down a trajectory of improvement that car makers are already anticipating in their product engineering. But CAFE is also being litigated. Also, California has the right to have its own emissions standards, which have a strong influence on fuel economy for all cars sold in the U.S., and that\u0026rsquo;s being challenged, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Why the concentration on ozone in the study as opposed to, say, particulates?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown: \u003C\/strong\u003EThe Clean Air Act regulates many pollutants, but it seems that ozone is the one we are having the most trouble with. Thirty percent of Americans live with levels exceeding public health targets. Progress has been quite slow because ozone\u0026rsquo;s precursors come from coal plants, and those precursors are what have to be regulated. There are no new coal plants under construction or plans to build any, but many coal plants are still active, and they can boost capacity a lot. For example, you could get about 250% more coal being used in the Great Lakes region by 2050. That would come from existing coal plants being dispatched much more.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERH:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E It sounds like many things could converge at once.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown:\u003C\/strong\u003E If they did, it could make for a perfect ozone storm. But keep in mind that there are other forces at work like the market and technology as well as consumer choices and other innovations that could help keep the fight against ozone going\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;actually against\u0026nbsp;many pollutants and greenhouse gases.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ the main article:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/628302\/energy-regulation-rollbacks-threaten-progress-against-harmful-ozone\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThis study shows\u0026nbsp;what could happen to harmful ozone levels if endangered federal\u0026nbsp;energy-air quality regulations are not rescued.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmail:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Q\u0026A on government energy-clean air policy snags that affect dangerous ground-level ozone"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELegal snags have put regulations and incentives to help lower carbon gas emissions and air pollutants in limbo. Here\u0026#39;s an easy Q\u0026amp;A\u0026nbsp;on which regulations are hung up\u0026nbsp;and how.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This easy-to-read companion piece to a new ozone modeling study explains legal snags energy-clean air policies currently face."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-10-29 17:35:22","changed_gmt":"2019-11-20 15:09:18","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"628280":{"id":"628280","type":"image","title":"Coal-fired power plant by night","body":null,"created":"1572367555","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 16:45:55","changed":"1572367555","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 16:45:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239266","name":"Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":185223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jeffrey_EC_at_night.jpg?itok=MBLNs6Vh"}},"628279":{"id":"628279","type":"image","title":"Coal-fired power plant by day","body":null,"created":"1572367188","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 16:39:48","changed":"1572367188","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 16:39:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239265","name":"Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant,_central_Wyoming.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":169457,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Dave_Johnson_coal-fired_power_plant%2C_central_Wyoming.jpg?itok=H7TdZtru"}}},"media_ids":["628280","628279"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2866","name":"ozone"},{"id":"182871","name":"Ozone Levels"},{"id":"182872","name":"ozone attainment"},{"id":"182873","name":"Attainment"},{"id":"2999","name":"NOx"},{"id":"182874","name":"Noxious"},{"id":"182877","name":"nitrogen oxides"},{"id":"6446","name":"energy policy"},{"id":"182880","name":"Coal fired power plants"},{"id":"169200","name":"clean power plan"},{"id":"182885","name":"Affordable Clean Energy"},{"id":"182887","name":"CAFE standards"},{"id":"174079","name":"Trump administration"},{"id":"15284","name":"Obama Administration"},{"id":"182888","name":"Corporate Average Fuel Economy"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"},{"id":"15275","name":"carbon emissions"},{"id":"182901","name":"Ozone Exposure"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"628700":{"#nid":"628700","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Novel Solar Cells Arrive at International Space Station for Testing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive different types of solar cells fabricated by research teams at the Georgia Institute of Technology have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) to be tested for their power conversion rate and ability to operate in the harsh space environment as part of the MISSE-12 mission. One type of cell, made of low-cost organic materials, has not been extensively tested in space before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETextured carbon nanotube-based photovoltaic cells designed to capture light from any angle will be evaluated for their ability to efficiently produce power regardless of their orientation toward the sun. Other cells made from perovskite materials and a low-cost copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) material \u0026ndash; along with a control group of traditional silicon-based cells \u0026ndash; will be among the 20 photovoltaic (PV) devices placed on the Materials International Space Station Experiment Flight Facility on the exterior of the ISS for a six-month evaluation. For two of the cells, the launch marked their second trip into space.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The research questions are the same for all the photovoltaic cells: Can these photo-absorbers be used effectively in space?\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/jud-ready\u0022\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI), associate director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for Space Technology and Research, and deputy director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for Materials. \u0026ldquo;With this test, we will gain insights into the degradation mechanisms of these materials and be able to compare their power production under varying conditions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOrganic solar cells developed in the laboratory of Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/bernard-j-kippelen\u0022\u003EBernard Kippelen\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech are processed at low temperatures using solution-based processes over large areas to produce cells with an absorber that can be about 200 times thinner than the width of a human hair.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With a very low weight and power conversion efficiency values of up to 16%, organic solar cells could yield power values in the hundreds of thousands of watts per kilogram of active material, which is very attractive for space applications,\u0026rdquo; said Kippelen, the Joseph M. Pettit Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;However, the effects of continuous exposure of these devices in a space environment have not been thoroughly explored. Our interest is in investigating the robustness of the interfaces formed in these devices in a space environment, as well as to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of degradation for organic solar cells in space.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETraditional flat solar cells are most efficient when the sunlight is directly overhead. Because the direction of the solar flux varies with the orbit, large space vehicles like the ISS use mechanical pointing mechanisms to keep the cells properly aimed. Those complex mechanisms create maintenance issues, however, and are too heavy for use on very small spacecraft such as CubeSats.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo overcome the pointing problem, Ready\u0026rsquo;s team developed 3D textured solar cells that can efficiently capture sunlight arriving at different angles. The cells use \u0026ldquo;towers\u0026rdquo; made from carbon nanotubes and covered with PV material to trap light that would bounce off standard cells when they are not angled toward the sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With our light-trapping structure, we are agnostic to the sun angle,\u0026rdquo; said Ready. \u0026ldquo;Our cells actually work better at glancing angles. On CubeSats, that will allow efficient capture regardless of the orientation of the sun.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPerovskite cells produced in the laboratory of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/zhiqun-lin\u0022\u003EZhiqun Lin\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, will also be tested. These materials have known failure mechanisms caused by moisture and oxygen absorption. \u0026ldquo;These two failure mechanisms won\u0026rsquo;t be present on the outside of the International Space Station, so this test will allow us to see the performance of these materials without those issues. We should be able to determine whether these known issues might be masking other degradation causes,\u0026rdquo; Ready said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECZTS materials are potentially next-generation solar cells made up of low-cost, Earth-abundant materials: copper, zinc, tin and sulfur. The materials have a high absorption coefficient and may be resistant to radiation \u0026ndash; useful for space applications \u0026ndash; and offer an attractive tradeoff between cost and performance, Ready said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESilicon-based solar cells produced by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ucep.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity Center of Excellence in Photovoltaic Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech will provide a way to compare the performance of the other cells. The laboratory, headed by Regents Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/ajeet-rohatgi\u0022\u003EAjeet Rohatgi\u003C\/a\u003E from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, provided boron-doped p-type cells with a phosphorus-doped n+ emitter and aluminum-doped p+ back surface field.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These silicon photo-absorber cells will serve as controls to compare the performance of other photo-absorber materials in space,\u0026rdquo; said Rohatgi.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 20 PV cells will briefly join three other cells fabricated by Georgia Tech researchers that are already on the ISS. Those three, and two on the newest mission, were part of a 2016 experiment that was unable to record data, though it did provide information about the effects of the space environment on the solar cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech photovoltaic cells were launched to the ISS on Nov. 2 aboard the S.S. Alan Bean, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft from NASA\u0026rsquo;s Wallops Island Facility, as part of a routine resupply mission. For their testing, the cells were integrated into a test package by Alpha Space Test \u0026amp; Research Alliance of Houston.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the project also included Canek Fuentes-Hernandez, Matthew Rager, Hunter Chan, Christopher Tran, Christopher Blancher, Zhitao Kang and Conner Awald and Brian Rounsaville, all from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive different types of solar cells fabricated by research teams at the Georgia Institute of Technology have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) to be tested for their power conversion rate and ability to operate in the harsh space environment as part of the MISSE-12 mission. One type of cell, made of low-cost organic materials, has not been extensively tested in space before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Five different types of solar cells fabricated by Georgia Tech researchers have arrived at the International Space Station to be tested."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-11-07 02:04:42","changed_gmt":"2019-11-11 22:07:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"628695":{"id":"628695","type":"image","title":"Launch of spacecraft carrying PV cells","body":null,"created":"1573091403","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:50:03","changed":"1573091403","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:50:03","alt":"Launch of spacecraft carrying solar cells","file":{"fid":"239434","name":"launch3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/launch3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/launch3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112102,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/launch3.jpg?itok=6sGkKr8S"}},"628698":{"id":"628698","type":"image","title":"Researcher Jud Ready with solar cells","body":null,"created":"1573091793","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:56:33","changed":"1573091793","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:56:33","alt":"Researcher Jud Ready with solar cells","file":{"fid":"239437","name":"iss-solar-110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-110.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-110.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":600428,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iss-solar-110.jpg?itok=yr6mRZjG"}},"628696":{"id":"628696","type":"image","title":"Silicon solar cell fabricated at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1573091555","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:52:35","changed":"1573091555","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:52:35","alt":"Silicon solar cell held in a hand","file":{"fid":"239435","name":"iss-solar-101.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-101.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-101.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":369845,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iss-solar-101.jpg?itok=GMkHPaNB"}},"628697":{"id":"628697","type":"image","title":"Organic photovoltaic devices","body":null,"created":"1573091672","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:54:32","changed":"1573091672","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:54:32","alt":"Organic photovoltaic device in a hand","file":{"fid":"239436","name":"organic-pv.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/organic-pv.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/organic-pv.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1361225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/organic-pv.jpg?itok=U22CTJni"}},"628699":{"id":"628699","type":"image","title":"Selection of solar cells","body":null,"created":"1573091912","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:58:32","changed":"1573091912","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:58:32","alt":"Group of photovoltaic cells","file":{"fid":"239438","name":"iss-solar-116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-116.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iss-solar-116.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":362306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iss-solar-116.jpg?itok=POUsigGP"}}},"media_ids":["628695","628698","628696","628697","628699"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"77201","name":"PV"},{"id":"1073","name":"photovoltaic"},{"id":"167411","name":"solar cells"},{"id":"2681","name":"iss"},{"id":"2798","name":"International Space Station"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"628264":{"#nid":"628264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Reframing Antarctica\u2019s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDangers to ancient Antarctic ice portend a future of rapidly rising seas, but\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2019GL084397\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;may relieve\u0026nbsp;one nagging fear: that ponds of meltwater fracturing the ice below them could cause protracted chain reactions that unexpectedly collapse floating ice shelves. Though pooled meltwater does fracture ice, ensuing chain reactions appear short-ranged.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, massive increases in surface melting due to unusually warm weather can trigger catastrophic ice shelf collapses like that of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\/world-of-change\/LarsenB\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eiconic shelf \u0026ldquo;Larsen B,\u0026rdquo; which shattered in 2002\u003C\/a\u003E. Now, a study led by a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology has modeled fracture chain reactions and how much water it would take for a repeat of that rare, epic collapse.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELarsen B\u0026rsquo;s disintegration was preceded by an atypical heatwave that riddled it with meltwater ponds, focusing researchers\u0026rsquo; attention on pond fracturing, also called hydrofracturing. They discovered that a melt pond hydrofracturing the ice shelf can prompt neighboring ponds to do the same. Concerns grew of possible extensive chain reactions, which the new study addressed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToo much meltwater\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The chain reactions will not spread that far on the ice shelf,\u0026rdquo; said Alex Robel,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Normally, it would take many years for the chain reactions to have an effect on the integrity of the ice shelves. But there\u0026rsquo;s a caveat. Ponds that are close together and growing rapidly deeper could destroy the ice\u0026rsquo;s integrity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a speed limit in the study that shows that an ice shelf can\u0026rsquo;t collapse ridiculously fast,\u0026rdquo; said co-author Alison Banwell, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cires.colorado.edu\/researcher\/alison-banwell\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eglaciology researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;However, if it becomes as covered in meltwater ponds very quickly like Larsen B was, it can collapse in a similar way.\u0026rdquo; She added, \u0026ldquo;Multiple hydrofracture chains originating in different areas of an ice shelf could also lead to a larger-scale ice shelf breakup.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2019GL084397\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their results in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EGeophysical Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on October 24, 2019. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at CU Boulder. An unrelated,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-50343-5\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Erecent study\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;reported a record number of meltwater ponds on Antarctica.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Currently there are not nearly enough ponds on any ice shelf for a repeat of Larsen B, but much meltwater is weighing on ice shelves and contributing damage to them,\u0026rdquo; said Banwell, who helped pioneer hydrofracture research on ice shelves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ\u0026amp;A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBroken ice shelves themselves don\u0026rsquo;t add much to sea level. So, why care?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIce shelves float in the ocean, where they already contribute to sea level, so when they break up or melt, they don\u0026rsquo;t add much more to it. But many ice shelves push back against glaciers on land that do drive up sea level when they enter the ocean.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the shelf gone, the speed of glacial flow can jump four- to tenfold. Glaciologists were not aware of this until Larsen B, which was a kilometer (0.62 miles) thick with a surface of 3,250 square km (1,250 square miles), splintered within weeks, and glacial flow behind it surged.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our research field thought ice shelves weren\u0026rsquo;t too important, then Larsen B showed us that was incorrect. Buttressing by ice shelves really is the thing that stabilizes the glaciers. Few issues are more significant than those that this study addresses,\u0026rdquo; said Brent Minchew, an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eapsweb.mit.edu\/people\/minchew\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor of geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMinchew was not involved in the study but recently co-published another study that relates to it. The MIT study rules out one absolutely nightmarish scenario of rapid glacier fracture due to the disappearance of ice shelves. But he and the other researchers reiterated that glacial flow nonetheless speeds up strikingly when ice shelves disappear.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso, most Antarctic ice shelves probably formed in the last ice age, and it could take another ice age to replace them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does hydrofracturing work, and how did the study model its effects?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen meltwater ponds on top of cracks in the ice grow heavy, they can hydrofracture the ice.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The water pressure concentrates down to a point called a crack tip. It tries to push the crack apart and make it deeper, and the ice pushes back. When the water gets deep enough, it can win out and propagate the crack to the bottom of the ice shelf,\u0026rdquo; Robel said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe water drains down the crack, into the ocean, then the ice hops back up, making new cracks that can trigger neighboring ponds to hydrofracture, too. The study showed that this would encompass only small numbers of ponds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConveniently for Robel, who explores ice dynamics with math, physics, and computer science, as ice shelves form, regimented matrices of surface dents appear in them, and that\u0026rsquo;s where the ponds collect.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERobel could apply computer science modeling called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mathworld.wolfram.com\/CellularAutomaton.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecellular automata\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026ndash; known from pixelated matrix-like\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bitstorm.org\/gameoflife\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Evideo games\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026ndash; to model hydrofracture chain reactions. The model even outputs animations that the researchers named \u0026ldquo;minesweeper plots\u0026rdquo; after the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=play+minesweeper\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eclassic 1990s computer game\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDoes the study mean there is less danger than before of glacial flow accelerating?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo, the study simply adds to scientific knowledge, and actually, the flow of some glaciers on Antarctica has already sped up a lot.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Maybe this mechanism is not something we have to worry as much about. But we shouldn\u0026rsquo;t breathe a sigh of relief because there are plenty of other ways of getting a whole lot of ice out of West Antarctica quickly,\u0026rdquo; Minchew said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps the greatest potential for glacier loss is instability where glaciers rest on the ground next to seawater. A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/623053\/instability-antarctic-ice-projected-make-sea-level-rise-rapidly\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy Robel published in July\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;projected that instability to be extremely likely to accelerate sea level rise.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does this study help advance glacier research?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt makes it easier to look for harbingers of ice shelf damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Looking at the volume of water on the surface of the ice is much easier than looking for stress failures within the ice,\u0026rdquo; said Banwell, who will visit Antarctica in November to study melt ponds on the George IV ice shelf.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/623053\/instability-antarctic-ice-projected-make-sea-level-rise-rapidly\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EInstability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grants\u0026nbsp;NSF PLR-1735715 and NSF PLR-1841607) and by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at CU Boulder. Any findings, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmail:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeltwater ponds riddle a kilometer-thick, 10,000-year-old Antarctic ice shelf, which shatters just weeks later. The collapse shocks scientists and unleashes the glacier behind the ice shelf, driving up sea level. A new study puts damage by meltwater ponds to ice shelves and the ensuing threat to sea level into cool, mathematical perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"There\u0027s a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn\u0027t mean the ponds aren\u0027t dangerous."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-10-29 15:58:06","changed_gmt":"2019-10-29 16:08:20","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"628239":{"id":"628239","type":"image","title":"Larsen B ice shelf before collapse","body":null,"created":"1572359161","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 14:26:01","changed":"1572359161","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 14:26:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239240","name":"larsenb_tmo_20020131.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020131.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020131.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":110048,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020131.jpg?itok=kyt1C3BW"}},"628238":{"id":"628238","type":"image","title":"Larsen B ice shelf collapse","body":null,"created":"1572358935","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 14:22:15","changed":"1572359080","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 14:24:40","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239239","name":"larsenb_tmo_20020223.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020223.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020223.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":145046,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/larsenb_tmo_20020223.jpg?itok=Tl7fPpD5"}},"628258":{"id":"628258","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel lab with ice wide shot","body":null,"created":"1572363458","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 15:37:38","changed":"1668628559","gmt_changed":"2022-11-16 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15:41:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239255","name":"Alison.in_.pond_.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alison.in_.pond_.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alison.in_.pond_.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":651370,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alison.in_.pond_.JPG?itok=2sVXNEKi"}},"628257":{"id":"628257","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel lab with ice","body":null,"created":"1572363363","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 15:36:03","changed":"1572363363","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 15:36:03","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239252","name":"alex.ice_.tank_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alex.ice_.tank_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alex.ice_.tank_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4571314,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/alex.ice_.tank_.jpg?itok=bDSdjDpS"}},"628259":{"id":"628259","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel lab with cracked ice","body":null,"created":"1572363567","gmt_created":"2019-10-29 15:39:27","changed":"1572363567","gmt_changed":"2019-10-29 15:39:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"239254","name":"alex.lab_.ice_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alex.lab_.ice_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alex.lab_.ice_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4763008,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/alex.lab_.ice_.jpg?itok=W7Rr5V23"}}},"media_ids":["628239","628238","628258","628260","628257","628259"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181665","name":"Ice Shelf"},{"id":"182853","name":"Larsen Ice Shelf"},{"id":"182854","name":"Larsen B"},{"id":"169620","name":"sea ice"},{"id":"182855","name":"Ice Sheet"},{"id":"182856","name":"ice sheet melt"},{"id":"182857","name":"Meltwater"},{"id":"182858","name":"meltwater ponds"},{"id":"182859","name":"hydrofracturing"},{"id":"182860","name":"chain reaction"},{"id":"82391","name":"Antarctica"},{"id":"182861","name":"Antarctica Research"},{"id":"178780","name":"sea level"},{"id":"182862","name":"Sea Level Changes"},{"id":"181651","name":"glacier instability"},{"id":"181650","name":"glacier sliding"},{"id":"182863","name":"Glacier erosion"},{"id":"181648","name":"Antarctic ice sheet"},{"id":"182864","name":"antarctic melting"},{"id":"182865","name":"cellular automata"},{"id":"182866","name":"minesweeper plot"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"627791":{"#nid":"627791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Included in Major Water Desalination Research Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) has been chosen to lead a large research and development effort called the Energy-Water Desalination Hub. This effort is targeted at addressing water security issues in the United States by developing innovative water treatment technologies that can make \u0026ldquo;non-traditional\u0026rdquo; water sources available for a wide range of potable and non-potable uses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a member of this multi-institutional public-private team, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Total federal funding for this five-year research center is expected to reach $100 million. NAWI is a research network with more than 35 members, including Georgia Tech, and more than 180 organizations that will collaborate with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has researchers with expertise in specialties that will prove vital to the success of this effort, such as water treatment systems analysis (John Crittenden, director, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems), and advanced manufacturing (Chris Saldana and Thomas Kurfess, professors in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering). Marta Hatzell, professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, and Rich Simmons, senior research engineer at the Strategic Energy Institute, were technical liaisons during the two-year proposal development process, offering expertise in water research related to electric power generation and thermal systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the negotiation of the final award, the NAWI team and DOE will work together to develop a research roadmap. It is expected that Georgia Tech researchers in additional disciplines such as thermal systems, materials separation and cooling for electric power generation will be called on to contribute as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Working with the NAWI team, we will enable a secure set of next-generation water treatment technologies, ensuring a safe and plentiful supply of water for the United States,\u0026rdquo; Kurfess said. \u0026ldquo;The work will also have implications on legacy systems providing a path toward modernization. With this team in place, the future of this critical resource is in great shape.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;This initiative is a great opportunity for our team to leverage new distributed sensing and analytics methods, as well as rapidly maturing manufacturing capabilities based on additive and hybrid manufacturing, to address major challenges in scalable and effective water treatment,\u0026rdquo; Saldana said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe overarching goal for NAWI is to develop a range of novel technologies within 10 years to treat the vast majority of non-traditional water resources, such as brackish water, seawater, and water that comes from oil drilling operations \u0026mdash; known as \u0026ldquo;produced waters\u0026rdquo; \u0026mdash; at a cost that is competitive with conventional water treatment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Current technologies for desalination are among the most energy intensive methods for water purification that we employ,\u0026rdquo; Crittenden said. \u0026ldquo;Innovating desalination technologies for greater energy efficiency and smaller scale will drastically improve the sustainability of water resources, not only in the U.S., but globally as well.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAchieving this goal will also transform water treatment from a linear economic and use model to a circular model. Water treatment is usually thought of in the context of drinking water, but treating non-traditional water sources can yield resources that are safe and suitable for a variety of non-potable uses, such as agriculture, industry, energy utilities, oil and gas production, and others.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENAWI plans to reach its goal by focusing on technologies and manufacturing processes that apply to small-scale, affordable, decentralized, energy-efficient, and purpose-specific desalination systems. Placing purification systems where water is used will make it possible to use the same water resource multiple times, or even indefinitely, in a cost-effective manner, thus reducing the burden on potable water infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn keeping with the philosophy of similar DOE hub-scale initiatives, NAWI will pursue a comprehensive research agenda that spans fundamental to applied research and development, through demonstration and initial scale up. As such, the Hub\u0026rsquo;s strategy includes a focus on early-stage and enabling research, which is often costly or complex for established manufacturers and suppliers of desalination systems. Likewise, the Hub will emphasize research that addresses manufacturing challenges and emerging capabilities to accelerate the transition of technology from the lab to the marketplace.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELack of fresh water presents enormous implications on quality of life, including wellness and economic development in the U.S. and beyond. The award for the Energy-Water Desalination Hub to the National Alliance for Water Innovation represents a major effort by the U.S. public and private sectors to support major innovations that will lead to long-term water security.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriters\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brent Verrill and Alyson Powell Key\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) has been chosen to lead a large research and development effort called the Energy-Water Desalination Hub. This effort is targeted at addressing water security issues in the United States by developing innovative water treatment technologies that can make \u0026ldquo;non-traditional\u0026rdquo; water sources available for a wide range of potable and non-potable uses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is part of a new effort to address water security issues in the United States."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-10-18 18:07:45","changed_gmt":"2019-10-18 18:19:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"627789":{"id":"627789","type":"image","title":"Water from faucet","body":null,"created":"1571421604","gmt_created":"2019-10-18 18:00:04","changed":"1571421621","gmt_changed":"2019-10-18 18:00:21","alt":"Water running from a faucet","file":{"fid":"239057","name":"running-water2230.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/running-water2230.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/running-water2230.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":946206,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/running-water2230.jpg?itok=_6hb2pIt"}},"627790":{"id":"627790","type":"image","title":"Water desalination","body":null,"created":"1571421774","gmt_created":"2019-10-18 18:02:54","changed":"1571421774","gmt_changed":"2019-10-18 18:02:54","alt":"Water desalination equipment","file":{"fid":"239058","name":"GettyImages-937295466.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-937295466.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-937295466.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1888407,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-937295466.jpg?itok=1619PiwJ"}}},"media_ids":["627789","627790"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"788","name":"Water"},{"id":"182702","name":"water security"},{"id":"182699","name":"desalination"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"182701","name":"NAWI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"623756":{"#nid":"623756","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Reinvented Toilets Could Provide Safe Sanitation for 2.5 Billion People","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0026rsquo;s a shiny black espresso machine prominently displayed in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yee\u0022\u003EShannon Yee\u0026rsquo;s \u003C\/a\u003Eoffice in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Yee is indeed a coffee drinker, there is a more important reason for the machine\u0026rsquo;s presence: Its compact and efficient design may hold the key to meeting the needs of the approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide who now lack improved sanitation. An associate professor specializing in energy technologies, Yee is leading a $13.5 million effort funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to reinvent the toilet \u0026mdash; technology that hasn\u0026rsquo;t changed much in more than a century.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHigh pressure, heat, and control of liquids are essential to making a good cup of espresso. They are also critical for a 21st-century toilet able to reduce human waste to clean water and benign solids, operating with no plumbing or sewerage connections \u0026ndash; and an amount of electricity that could potentially be provided by a single solar panel.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifting Away from Treatment Plants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExisting toilets still rely on a key innovation patented in 1775: the S-trap, which holds water in the toilet bowl to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings containing flush toilets. It\u0026rsquo;s not that the system doesn\u0026rsquo;t work well, but the world\u0026rsquo;s poorest cannot afford the sewage treatment infrastructure necessitated by existing toilets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The Reinvent The Toilet Challenge (RTTC) wanted to create a momentous global shift away from sewerage systems,\u0026rdquo; said Yee. \u0026ldquo;It can no longer be about running pipes to a central treatment plant.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECentralizing the Engineering Efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch to reinvent the toilet was launched by the Gates Foundation eight years ago and those efforts have made significant progress toward this goal. But gaps remain, and the broader team will have 42 months to bridge those gaps to produce a minimum of six reinvented toilet prototypes ready for a commercial manufacturer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new initiative is nicknamed Generation 2 Reinvented Toilet (G2RT). It will build on the exceptional innovations developed during the original RTTC program. The goal will now be to bring the dispersed efforts together to focus on demonstrating prototypes of a single user reinvented toilet (SURT) that\u0026nbsp;the world\u0026rsquo;s poorest regions can afford.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We will have to hit a certain reduction in pathogenic markers like E. coli bacteria, and we will also have to control, treat, and handle the nitrates and phosphates associated with waste,\u0026rdquo; Yee explained. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a pretty aggressive goal and those metrics will be hard to hit at a cost point of $450. And each SURT will have to operate for less than 15 cents per day.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe G2RT project has formed three engineering teams, two of them headed by researchers from the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) \u0026ndash; Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s applied research group \u0026ndash; and one from Helbling Technik, the Swiss engineering company that designed Yee\u0026rsquo;s espresso machine. The GTRI teams will be led by Principal Research Scientist Kevin Caravati and Senior Research Scientist Ilan Stern, both of whom have been involved in creating new products. The Helbling team is being led by Christian Seiler, who holds the title of Head Of Development Process Technologies at the company.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe engineering teams are joined by researchers from other institutions, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ECranfield University, led by Professors Ewan McAdam and Leon Williams\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EDuke University, led by Professor Brian Stoner and Research Scientist Brian Hawkins\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EUniversity of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa, led by Professor Chris Buckley\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EUniversity of Applied Sciences in Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), led by Professor Frederic Vogel\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EScion, a New Zealand company, led by Environmental Engineer Daniel Gapes\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, GTRI Research Engineer Paula G\u0026oacute;mez and microbiologist Stephanie Richter, along with Ph.D. students Bettina Thomas and Amanda Lai and undergraduate student Magdalena Ravello, will develop concepts for features that will serve women, children, seniors, and those with special needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research teams will be reviewing all that has been developed so far and asking existing researchers to discuss concepts that may have been discarded along the way. Centralizing the engineering should help accelerate progress toward the G2RT finish line.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to take the best concepts that have been developed and try to integrate them,\u0026rdquo; Yee said. \u0026ldquo;We will look at the problem holistically and try to deliver a series of prototypes tailored for various culturally acceptable use cases.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EControlling Cost, Creating Value\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECost targets will require some engineering compromises, of course. Instead of using mechanical solenoids common in the developed world, for instance, the SURT will use simpler technology \u0026ndash; perhaps a camshaft to control actuation. In addition to being inexpensive and easy to deploy, the SURT will have to be simple to maintain and repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor homeowners around the world, having an indoor toilet provides perceived value well beyond the cost. \u0026ldquo;How much are you willing to pay to have a toilet in your house versus the alternative? Once they have clean water and electricity, people start looking at sanitation,\u0026rdquo; Yee observed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat perceived value provides the basis for what could be a very large market. And that doesn\u0026rsquo;t include the value of preventing disease, improving dignity, and offering better safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInitially, the new toilets will likely be purchased and installed by non-governmental organizations and governments to demonstrate the potential. Then it will be up to homeowners and others to see the value and make the investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are multiple engineering alternatives for what can happen to human waste inside the reinvented toilet. Suffice to say that heat and pressure will be required, and that the result will be water and a dry, odor-free sanitized solid that can be placed into municipal landfills, buried or even burned.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Laws of Thermodynamics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYee\u0026rsquo;s interest in the project stems from the thermodynamic issues involved. At Georgia Tech, he has pursued new methods of converting heat into useful energy and developing new cooling technologies. Success of the toilet project will depend on working within the limits of the first and second laws of thermodynamics \u0026ndash; using the energy in solid waste, supplemented by a minimal amount of electricity, in the most efficient manner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is very much a thermodynamics and heat transfer problem,\u0026rdquo; said Yee. \u0026ldquo;It comes down to the flow of energy and how we can heat things locally to accomplish what we need with the toilet. I would say we are working at the intersection of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and chemistry.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe strategy will require keeping solids separate from liquids, a practice that conventional sanitation systems abandoned long ago. Existing sewerage systems combine solids and liquids for transport to central treatment plants, where they must be separated \u0026ndash; consuming large amounts of both water and energy in plants that are costly to build and operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of our systems today are based on having large volumes of water to transport the dilute waste streams,\u0026rdquo; Yee said. \u0026ldquo;But when you treat human waste, it\u0026rsquo;s a lot easier to treat a high solid concentration and a high liquid concentration separately.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOriginally, the reinvented toilets were supposed to work without electricity. \u0026ldquo;However, in the last decade, we have seen a dramatic decline in the cost of distributed energy from solar and other sources,\u0026rdquo; Yee said. \u0026ldquo;When you look at how rural electrification efforts are going, this electricity input seems reasonable.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecruiting Existing Manufacturers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe project will recruit and work with existing manufacturers \u0026ndash; companies that can afford to invest $100 million in developing the product for manufacturing \u0026ndash; to take over once prototypes have been built. The actual products will depend on cultural norms for each market, but will use common processing technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s potentially a very large market, but the entry point will be difficult,\u0026rdquo; Yee admits. \u0026ldquo;We want to work with large companies that are aligned with the Gates Foundation\u0026rsquo;s goals of global access and societal good, and help these companies access the $10 billion-per-year market with our technologies.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut fielding reinvented toilets is only part of the battle. They will have to be maintained to keep them working. While that may seem like a major challenge in parts of the world without home repair centers nearby, it could actually provide a new source of employment, Yee noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Some maintenance is required, but that\u0026rsquo;s not necessarily a bad thing,\u0026rdquo; he explained. \u0026ldquo;You can imagine having a service technician who visits periodically to change a filter.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpportunities in a Grand Challenge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile entrepreneurship still attracts students to universities, Yee is seeing a shift toward the excitement of tackling grand challenges like this one. \u0026ldquo;The climate is changing at universities and students seem to be focused on the big problems of the world,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We are getting into this at just the right time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the main technological challenges for G2RT may require professional engineering to reduce risk for manufacturing, components of the challenge will also be open to student design projects. For instance, integrating odor control technologies and potentially including health monitoring may be projects for students to take on.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is quite an honor that the Gates Foundation believes we can tackle this grand challenge,\u0026rdquo; Yee said. \u0026ldquo;We are very fortunate to have the infrastructure and past investments that will allow us to do this.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELessons for the Developed World\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Gates Foundation and the G2RT effort are focused on parts of the globe without improved sanitation, the reinvented toilets may ultimately find applications in large cities like Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, or Washington where sewerage systems may be in need of replacement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is going to be far too costly to replace all of that infrastructure at the end of its lifetime,\u0026rdquo; Yee said. \u0026ldquo;Cities in the developed world may ultimately want to move in this direction, too.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis publication is based on research funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are leading a $13.5 million effort, funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, to reinvent the toilet. The project has implications for the 2.5 billion people worldwide who lack improved sanitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are leading a $13.5 million effort, funded by the Bill \u0026 Melinda Gates Foundation, to reinvent the toilet."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-07-29 14:41:48","changed_gmt":"2019-10-14 20:29:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623748":{"id":"623748","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech is helping reinvent the toilet","body":null,"created":"1564409968","gmt_created":"2019-07-29 14:19:28","changed":"1564409968","gmt_changed":"2019-07-29 14:19:28","alt":"Doll house toilet","file":{"fid":"237566","name":"reinventing1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reinventing1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reinventing1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167317,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/reinventing1.jpg?itok=8C7y_381"}},"627581":{"id":"627581","type":"image","title":"GTRI researchers use an auger test cell ","body":null,"created":"1571084927","gmt_created":"2019-10-14 20:28:47","changed":"1571084927","gmt_changed":"2019-10-14 20:28:47","alt":"auger test cell in GTRI 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14:25:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237570","name":"reinventing-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reinventing-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reinventing-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":290453,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/reinventing-5.jpg?itok=gUPYFdeM"}},"623750":{"id":"623750","type":"image","title":"Research team reinventing the toilet-2","body":null,"created":"1564410251","gmt_created":"2019-07-29 14:24:11","changed":"1564410251","gmt_changed":"2019-07-29 14:24:11","alt":"reinventing, reinventing toilet, sanitation, Gates 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href=\u0022https:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/5\/10\/eaay1048.abstract\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a new study\u003C\/a\u003E. Reef conservation may offer hope: A particular potion, gathered from reefs protected against seaweed overgrowth, proved more robust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe protected Pacific reefs were populated by diverse corals and shimmered with colorful fish, said researchers who snorkeled off of Fiji to collect samples for the study. Oceanic ecologists from the Georgia Institute of Technology compared coral potions from these reefs, where fishing was prohibited, with those from heavily fished reefs, where seaweed inundated corals because few fish were left to eat it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe medicated solutions, or potions, may contain a multitude of chemicals, and the researchers did not analyze their makeup. This is a possible next step, but here the researchers simply wanted to establish if the potions offered any real defense against pathogens and how warming and overfishing might weaken it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConservation matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I thought I probably wouldn\u0026rsquo;t see antibiotic effects from these washes. I was surprised to see such strong effects, and I was surprised to see that reef protections made a difference,\u0026rdquo; said the study\u0026rsquo;s first author, Deanna Beatty.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a lot of argument now about whether local management can help in the face of global stresses \u0026ndash; whether what a Fijian village does matters when people in London and Los Angeles burn fossil fuels to drive to work,\u0026rdquo; said Mark Hay, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-hay\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents Professor and Harry and Linda Teasley Chair in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our work indicates that local management provides a degree of insurance against global stresses, but there are likely higher temperatures that render the insurance ineffective.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdding heat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers collected three coral species along with seawater surrounding each species at protected reefs and at overfished reefs. In their Georgia Tech lab, they tested their solutions against the pathogen\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vibrio_coralliilyticus\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EVibrio coralliilyticu\u003C\/em\u003Es\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eat 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 Fahrenheit), an everyday Fijian water temperature, and at 28 degrees (82.4 F), common during ocean heating events.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We chose\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;because it commonly infects corals, and it\u0026rsquo;s associated with coral bleaching in these warming events. It\u0026rsquo;s related to other bleaching pathogens and could serve as a model for them as well,\u0026rdquo; Hay said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We chose 24 C and 28 C because they\u0026rsquo;re representative of the variations you see on Fijian reefs these days. Those are temperatures where the bacteria are more benign or more virulent,\u0026rdquo; Beatty said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe data showed that warming disadvantaged all potions against\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and conservation aided a potion from a key coral species. The team, which included coauthor Kim Ritchie from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, published its study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/5\/10\/eaay1048.abstract\u0022\u003Ein the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;on Oct. 2\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health\u0026rsquo;s Fogarty International Center, the National Science Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeeper dive into the experiment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeaweed hedges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe unprotected reefs\u0026rsquo; shabby appearance portended their effects on the one potion associated with a key coral species.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When you swim out of the no-fishing area and into the overfished area, you hit a hedge of seaweed. You have about 4 to 16% corals and 50 to 90% seaweed there. On the protected reef, you have less than 3% seaweed and about 60% corals,\u0026rdquo; Hay said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHay has researched marine ecology for over four decades and has seen this before, when coral reefs died off closer to home.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Thirty years ago, when Caribbean reefs were vanishing, I saw overfishing as a big deal there, when seaweed took over,\u0026rdquo; he said, adding that global warming has become an overriding factor. \u0026ldquo;In the Pacific, many reefs that were not overfished have been wiped out in warming events. It just got too hot for too long.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDistilling potion\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe potions are products of the corals and associated microbes, which comprise a biological team called a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Holobiont\u0022\u003Eholobiont\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo arrive at potions focused on chemical effects, the researchers agitated the coral holobionts and ocean water then freeze-dried and irradiated the resulting liquid to destroy remnants of life that could have augmented chemical action. Some viruses may have withstood sterilization, but it would have weakened any effect they may have had, if there were any.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen the researchers tested the potions on\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;All of the solutions\u0026rsquo; defenses were compromised to varying extents at elevated temperatures where we see corals getting sick in the ocean,\u0026rdquo; Hay said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut reef protection benefited the potion taken from the species\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reefbuilders.com\/2017\/05\/17\/acropora-millepora\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAcropora millepora\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The beneficial effect in the solution tested in the lab was better when\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;came from protected areas, and this difference became more pronounced at 28 degrees Celsius,\u0026rdquo; said Beatty, who finished her Ph.D. with Hay and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;architecture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOf the three species with potions that were tested,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora millepora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;may be a special one.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is part of a genus \u0026ndash; larger taxonomic category \u0026ndash; containing about 150 of the roughly 600 species in Pacific reefs, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;are core builders of reef structures. They grow higher as sea level rises, helping maintain healthy positions for whole reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;are big and branching and make lots of crevices where fish live. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/26970292\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eevolution of lots of reef fish parallels the evolution of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in particular,\u0026rdquo; Hay said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf fish can hang on, they may buy\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;more time, and coral reefs perhaps, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/617068\/when-coral-species-vanish-their-absence-can-imperil-surviving-corals\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWhen Coral Species Vanish, Their Absence Can Imperil Surviving Corals\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese researchers coauthored the study:\u0026nbsp;Deanna Beatty, Jinu Valayil, Cody Clements, and Frank Stewart of Georgia Tech. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grant 2 U19 TW007401-10), the National Science Foundation (grant OCE 717 0929119), the Simons Foundation (grant 346253), and the Teasley Endowment. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the sponsors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aay1048\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aay1048\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECorals exude chemical defenses against bacteria, but when heated in the lab, those defenses lost much potency against a pathogen involved\u0026nbsp;in coral bleaching. There\u0026#39;s hope: A key coral\u0026#39;s defense was heartier when that coral was taken from an area where fishing was banned.\u0026nbsp;Plenty of fish were left to eat away seaweed that was overgrowing corals elsewhere and may have weakened the key coral\u0026#39;s\u0026nbsp;defenses even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Corals exude defenses against bacteria associated with bleaching, but warming disadvantages the defense. Conservation offers limited hope."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-10-02 18:47:59","changed_gmt":"2019-10-02 18:53:23","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"627035":{"id":"627035","type":"image","title":"Lively Pacific reef","body":null,"created":"1570040459","gmt_created":"2019-10-02 18:20:59","changed":"1570040459","gmt_changed":"2019-10-02 18:20:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238746","name":"nature 1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nature%201.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nature%201.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6025720,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nature%201.jpg?itok=f5iRZJlj"}},"627039":{"id":"627039","type":"image","title":"Overfished reef overgrown with seaweed","body":null,"created":"1570040889","gmt_created":"2019-10-02 18:28:09","changed":"1570040889","gmt_changed":"2019-10-02 18:28:09","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238748","name":"seaweed.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/seaweed_0.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/seaweed_0.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1020902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/seaweed_0.JPG?itok=JkkinxPC"}},"627044":{"id":"627044","type":"image","title":"Regulated vs. unprotected Pacific reefs photo","body":null,"created":"1570041283","gmt_created":"2019-10-02 18:34:43","changed":"1570041283","gmt_changed":"2019-10-02 18:34:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238751","name":"good reef bad reef photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/good%20reef%20bad%20reef%20photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/good%20reef%20bad%20reef%20photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2327302,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/good%20reef%20bad%20reef%20photo.jpg?itok=gofsSit1"}},"627041":{"id":"627041","type":"image","title":"Lab assays in coral defense study","body":null,"created":"1570041056","gmt_created":"2019-10-02 18:30:56","changed":"1570041056","gmt_changed":"2019-10-02 18:30:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238749","name":"MVIMG_20180318_112222.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MVIMG_20180318_112222.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MVIMG_20180318_112222.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":628497,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MVIMG_20180318_112222.jpg?itok=N_l_7f4N"}},"600847":{"id":"600847","type":"image","title":"Mark Hay, Recipient of 2018 Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal (Courtesy of National Academy of Sciences)","body":null,"created":"1516119438","gmt_created":"2018-01-16 16:17:18","changed":"1516119438","gmt_changed":"2018-01-16 16:17:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"229042","name":"hay-mark-2018-gilbert-morgan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hay-mark-2018-gilbert-morgan.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hay-mark-2018-gilbert-morgan.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":270402,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hay-mark-2018-gilbert-morgan.jpg?itok=FYimXu6q"}}},"media_ids":["627035","627039","627044","627041","600847"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180332","name":"Acropora"},{"id":"180336","name":"Acropora millepora"},{"id":"182529","name":"Vibrio"},{"id":"182530","name":"Vibrio coralliilyticus"},{"id":"791","name":"Global Warming"},{"id":"182531","name":"Global Warming And The Environment"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"182532","name":"climate change action"},{"id":"182533","name":"climate change adaptation"},{"id":"182534","name":"Global Warming Climate Change"},{"id":"182535","name":"Global Warming Research"},{"id":"182536","name":"Global Warming Concerns"},{"id":"169211","name":"coral bleaching"},{"id":"182537","name":"coral reef conservation"},{"id":"182538","name":"Coral Reef Fish"},{"id":"182539","name":"coral reef health"},{"id":"182540","name":"Coral Reef Protection"},{"id":"182541","name":"coral reef restoration"},{"id":"182542","name":"coral defenses"},{"id":"4211","name":"fiji"},{"id":"11994","name":"Fiji Islands"},{"id":"182543","name":"Pacific reefs"},{"id":"53871","name":"Pacific Ocean"},{"id":"1723","name":"caribbean"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"623053":{"#nid":"623053","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Instability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EImages of vanishing Arctic ice are\u0026nbsp;jarring, but its\u0026nbsp;potential contributions to sea level rise are no match for Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s, even if receding southern ice is less eye-catching. Now, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/07\/02\/1904822116\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea study says \u003C\/a\u003Ethat instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the last six years, five closely observed Antarctic glaciers have doubled their rate of ice loss,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505320\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to the National Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. At least one, Thwaites Glacier, modeled for the new study, will likely\u0026nbsp;succumb\u0026nbsp;to this\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/news.php?feature=7322\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Einstability\u003C\/a\u003E, a volatile process that pushes ice into the ocean fast.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHow much ice the glacier will shed in the coming 50 to 800 years can\u0026rsquo;t exactly be projected due to unpredictable fluctuations in climate and the need for more data. But researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the University of Washington have factored the instability into 500 ice flow simulations for Thwaites with refined calculations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scenarios diverged strongly from each other but together pointed to the eventual triggering of the instability, which will be described in the Q\u0026amp;A\u0026nbsp;below. Even if global warming were to later stop, the instability would keep pushing ice out to sea at an enormously accelerated rate over the coming centuries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd this is if ice melt due to warming oceans does not get worse than it is today. The study used\u0026nbsp;present-day ice melt rates because the researchers were interested in the instability factor in itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGlacier tipping point\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you trigger this instability, you don\u0026rsquo;t need to continue to force the ice sheet by cranking up temperatures. It will keep going by itself, and that\u0026rsquo;s the worry,\u0026rdquo; said Alex Robel, who led the study and is an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Climate variations will still be important after that tipping point because they will determine how fast the ice will move.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;After reaching the tipping point, Thwaites Glacier could lose all of its ice in a period of 150 years. That would make for a sea level rise of about half a meter (1.64 feet),\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.jpl.nasa.gov\/people\/HSeroussi\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENASA JPL scientist Helene Seroussi\u003C\/a\u003E, who collaborated on the study. For comparison, current sea level is 20 cm (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/114\/45\/11806#ref-5\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enearly 8 inches\u003C\/a\u003E) above pre-global warming levels and is blamed for increased coastal flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers published their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/07\/02\/1904822116\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on Monday, July 8, 2019. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study also showed that the instability makes forecasting more uncertain, leading to the broad spread of scenarios. This is particularly relevant to the challenge of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/Climate+ChangeA+Engineering%27s+Grand+Challenge+Georgia+Tech%27s+Role+-+G.+Wayne+Clough\/1_rlizj1wx\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eengineering against flood dangers\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You want to engineer critical infrastructure to be resistant against the upper bound of potential sea level scenarios a hundred years from now,\u0026rdquo; Robel said. \u0026ldquo;It can mean building your water treatment plants and nuclear reactors for the absolute worst-case scenario, which could be two or three feet of sea level rise from Thwaites Glacier alone, so it\u0026rsquo;s a huge difference.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ\u0026amp;A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy is Antarctic ice the big driver of sea level rise?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the instability is easier with this background information:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArctic sea ice is already floating in water. Readers will likely remember that 90% of an iceberg\u0026rsquo;s mass is underwater, and that when its ice melts, the volume shrinks, resulting in no change in sea level.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when ice masses long supported by land, like mountain glaciers, melt, the water that ends up in the ocean adds to sea level. Antarctica holds the most land-supported ice, even if the bulk of that land is seabed holding up just part of the ice\u0026rsquo;s mass, while water holds up part of it. Also, Antarctica is an ice leviathan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s almost eight times as much ice in the Antarctic ice sheet as there is in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/nsidc.org\/greenland-today\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGreenland ice sheet\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and 50 times as much as in all the mountain glaciers in the world,\u0026rdquo; Robel said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is that \u0026lsquo;instability\u0026rsquo; underneath the ice?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe line between where the ice sheet rests on the seafloor and where it extends over water is called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.antarcticglaciers.org\/glaciers-and-climate\/ice-ocean-interactions\/grounding-lines\/\u0022\u003Ethe grounding line\u003C\/a\u003E. In spots where the bedrock underneath the ice behind the grounding line slopes down, deepening as it moves inland, the instability can kick in.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat would look like this: On deeper beds, ice moves faster because water is giving it a little more lift, to begin with, then warmer ocean water can hollow out the bottom of the ice, adding water to the ocean. But, more importantly, the ice above the hollow loses land contact and flows faster out to sea.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once ice is past the grounding line and only\u0026nbsp;over water, it\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.antarcticglaciers.org\/glaciers-and-climate\/sea-level-rise-2\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Econtributing to sea level\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;because buoyancy is holding it up more than it was before,\u0026rdquo; Robel said. \u0026ldquo;Ice flows out into the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.antarcticglaciers.org\/glaciers-and-climate\/ice-ocean-interactions\/marine-ice-sheets\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efloating ice shelf\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and melts or breaks off as icebergs.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The process becomes self-perpetuating,\u0026rdquo; Seroussi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did the researchers integrate instability into sea level forecasting?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers borrowed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/users.math.yale.edu\/users\/wettlaufer\/articles\/MW_JMP_2013.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emath from statistical physics\u003C\/a\u003E that calculates what haphazard influences do to predictability in a physical system, like ice flow, acted upon by outside forces, like temperature changes. They applied the math to data-packed simulations of possible future fates of Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, where ice loss is most.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey made another\u0026nbsp;surprising discovery. Normally, when climate conditions fluctuate strongly, Antarctic ice evens out the effects. Ice flow may increase but gradually, not wildly, but the instability produced the opposite effect in the simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The system didn\u0026rsquo;t damp out the fluctuations, it actually amplified them. It increased the chances of rapid ice loss,\u0026rdquo; Robel said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow rapid is \u0026lsquo;rapid\u0026rsquo; sea level rise and when will we feel it?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s time scale was centuries, as is common for sea level studies. In the simulations, Thwaites Glacier colossal ice loss kicked in after 600 years, but it could come sooner\u0026nbsp;if oceans warm and as the instability reveals more of its secrets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It could happen in the next 200 to 600 years. It depends on the bedrock topography under the ice, and we don\u0026rsquo;t know it in great detail yet,\u0026rdquo; Seroussi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, Antarctica and Greenland have lost a small fraction of their ice, but already, shoreline infrastructures face challenges from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncdc.noaa.gov\/sotc\/national\/2018\/05\/supplemental\/page-1\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eincreased tidal flooding\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and storm surges. Sea level is expected to rise by up to two feet by the end of this century.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor about 2,000 years until the late 1800s, sea level held steady, then it began climbing,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ocean.si.edu\/through-time\/ancient-seas\/sea-level-rise\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to the Smithsonian Institution\u003C\/a\u003E. The annual rate of sea level rise has roughly doubled since 1990.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso watch VIDEO\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/clough\/1_rlizj1wx\u0022\u003EEasy explanation of climate change\u0026rsquo;s sea level threat and the grand challenge of engineering against it by G. Wayne Clough\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/clough\/1_rlizj1wx\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s President Emeritus\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGerard Roe from the University of Washington coauthored the study. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant PLR-1735715 and PLR-1643299) and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eby a grant from\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/issm.jpl.nasa.gov\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENASA Cryospheric Science and Modeling, Analysis and Prediction Programs\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. Any findings, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInstability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously expected. Even if images of vanishing Arctic ice and mountain glaciers are jarring, their potential contributions to sea level rise are no match for those of Antarctica, Earth\u0026#39;s\u0026nbsp;ice leviathan.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously expected."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-07-08 18:58:15","changed_gmt":"2019-09-10 21:55:39","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623047":{"id":"623047","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier\u0027s outer edge","body":null,"created":"1562610337","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:25:37","changed":"1580307455","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 14:17:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237266","name":"ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":410935,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ThwaitesGlacier20170530.jpg?itok=n8fk7jve"}},"623048":{"id":"623048","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier collapsing ice","body":null,"created":"1562610480","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:28:00","changed":"1562610480","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 18:28:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237267","name":"earth20190130.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/earth20190130.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/earth20190130.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":296535,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/earth20190130.jpg?itok=iOryiHH5"}},"623051":{"id":"623051","type":"image","title":"Antarctica ice loss","body":null,"created":"1562611169","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:39:29","changed":"1562611169","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 18:39:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237270","name":"Ice loss graph NASA.gov_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ice%20loss%20graph%20NASA.gov_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ice%20loss%20graph%20NASA.gov_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":278506,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ice%20loss%20graph%20NASA.gov_.jpg?itok=MpNtS0Ob"}},"623049":{"id":"623049","type":"image","title":"Glacier grounding line diagram","body":null,"created":"1562610606","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:30:06","changed":"1580308347","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 14:32:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237268","name":"Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":993394,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Fig-2.-Grounding-line.jpg?itok=NIRtcO-v"}},"623052":{"id":"623052","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel in Antarctica","body":null,"created":"1562611436","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:43:56","changed":"1562611436","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 18:43:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237271","name":"Alex_in_Antarctica.2013.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alex_in_Antarctica.2013.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alex_in_Antarctica.2013.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":202244,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alex_in_Antarctica.2013.JPG?itok=fpezEoD4"}},"623050":{"id":"623050","type":"image","title":"Grounding line vs. shoreline","body":null,"created":"1562610797","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 18:33:17","changed":"1562610797","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 18:33:17","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237269","name":"antarctica_velocity1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/antarctica_velocity1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/antarctica_velocity1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":340311,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/antarctica_velocity1.jpg?itok=pEaBTcGM"}},"605678":{"id":"605678","type":"image","title":"Thwaites Glacier ","body":null,"created":"1525102138","gmt_created":"2018-04-30 15:28:58","changed":"1525102138","gmt_changed":"2018-04-30 15:28:58","alt":"Thwaites Glacier ","file":{"fid":"230952","name":"reconnaissance flight over the Thwaites glacier copyright U.S. National Science Foundation  U.S. Antarctic Program.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reconnaissance%20flight%20over%20the%20Thwaites%20glacier%20copyright%20U.S.%20National%20Science%20Foundation%20%20U.S.%20Antarctic%20Program.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/reconnaissance%20flight%20over%20the%20Thwaites%20glacier%20copyright%20U.S.%20National%20Science%20Foundation%20%20U.S.%20Antarctic%20Program.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3355319,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/reconnaissance%20flight%20over%20the%20Thwaites%20glacier%20copyright%20U.S.%20National%20Science%20Foundation%20%20U.S.%20Antarctic%20Program.jpg?itok=vDPt_Ugp"}}},"media_ids":["623047","623047","623048","623051","623049","623052","623050","605678"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181644","name":"Glacier"},{"id":"181645","name":"Thwaites Glacier"},{"id":"82391","name":"Antarctica"},{"id":"181646","name":"Antarctic Research"},{"id":"181647","name":"melting ice caps"},{"id":"181648","name":"Antarctic ice sheet"},{"id":"178780","name":"sea level"},{"id":"168986","name":"sea level rise"},{"id":"181649","name":"rapid sea level rise"},{"id":"181650","name":"glacier sliding"},{"id":"181651","name":"glacier instability"},{"id":"791","name":"Global Warming"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"},{"id":"181652","name":"NASA satellite-based Earth imaging data"},{"id":"8354","name":"tipping point"},{"id":"173794","name":"ocean warming"},{"id":"171970","name":"Greenland"},{"id":"181653","name":"Greenland glacier"},{"id":"181654","name":"climate forcings"},{"id":"14490","name":"uncertainty"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"181655","name":"Iceberg"},{"id":"181656","name":"iceberg calving"},{"id":"51591","name":"flooding"},{"id":"2323","name":"flood"},{"id":"181657","name":"flood barriers"},{"id":"181658","name":"Tidal flooding"},{"id":"181659","name":"Storm Surge"},{"id":"181660","name":"storm surge barriers"},{"id":"181661","name":"coastal engineering"},{"id":"181662","name":"Coastal Flooding"},{"id":"181663","name":"land-supported ice"},{"id":"181664","name":"ice behavior"},{"id":"181665","name":"Ice Shelf"},{"id":"181666","name":"Marine Ice Sheet Instability"},{"id":"181667","name":"West Antarctica"},{"id":"181668","name":"West Antarctic Ice Sheet"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"623064":{"#nid":"623064","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rising Tundra Temperatures Create Worrying Changes in Microbial Communities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERising temperatures in the tundra of the Earth\u0026rsquo;s northern latitudes could affect microbial communities in ways likely to increase their production of greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide, a new study of experimentally warmed Alaskan soil suggests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout half of the world\u0026rsquo;s total underground carbon is stored in the soils of these frigid, northern latitudes. That is more than twice the amount of carbon currently found in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but until now most of it has been locked up in the very cold soil. The new study, which relied on metagenomics to analyze changes in the microbial communities being experimentally warmed, could heighten concerns about how the release of this carbon may exacerbate climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We saw that microbial communities respond quite rapidly \u0026ndash; within four or five years \u0026ndash; to even modest levels of warming,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/Faculty\/711\/overview\u0022\u003EKostas T. Konstantinidis\u003C\/a\u003E, the paper\u0026rsquo;s corresponding author and a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cee.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biosci.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also is a researcher in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0026ldquo;Microbial species and their genes involved in carbon dioxide and methane release increased their abundance in response to the warming treatment. We were surprised to see such a response to even mild warming.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and reported July 8 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/em\u003E Researchers from the University of Oklahoma, Michigan State University and Northern Arizona University collaborated with Georgia Tech on the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study provides quantitative information about how rapidly microbial communities responded to the warming at critical depths, and highlights the dominant microbial metabolisms and groups of organisms that are responding to warming in the tundra. The work underscores the importance of accurately representing the role of soil microbes in climate models.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research began in September 2008 at a moist, acidic tundra area in the interior of Alaska near Denali National Park. Six experimental blocks were created, and in each block, two snow fences were constructed about five meters apart in the winter to control snow cover. Thicker snow cover in the winter served as an insulator, creating slightly elevated temperatures \u0026ndash; about 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) in the experimental plots.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther than the temperature difference, the soil conditions were similar in the experimental and control plots. Soil cores were taken from the experimental and control plots at two different depths at two different times: 1.5 years after the experiment began, and 4.5 years after the start. Microbial DNA was extracted from the cores and sequenced using the Genomics Core at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our analysis of the resulting data showed which species were there, in what abundances, which species responded to warming and by how much \u0026ndash; and what functions they possessed related to carbon use and release,\u0026rdquo; said Eric R. Johnston, now a postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who conducted the study\u0026rsquo;s analysis as a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECores from the experimental and control plots were compared to assess the effects of the warming. Cumulative ecosystem respiration was also sampled during the month following removal of the cores.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The response we observed differed markedly between the two soil depths (15 to 25 centimeters and 45 to 55 centimeters) that were sampled for this study,\u0026rdquo; said Johnston. \u0026ldquo;Specifically, at the upper boundary of the initial permafrost boundary layer \u0026ndash; 45 to 55 centimeters below the surface \u0026ndash; the relative abundance of genes involved in methane production (methanogenesis) increased with warming, while genes involved in organic carbon respiration \u0026mdash; the release of carbon dioxide \u0026mdash; became more abundant at shallower depths.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeasurement of the community respiration showed increases in the rate of carbon dioxide and methane release in the plots that were warmed. \u0026ldquo;Similar measurements have also shown that these gases are being released at a greater rate throughout the entire region in recent years as a result of climate warming,\u0026rdquo; Johnston added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two soil depths correspond to an active layer near the surface that freezes during the winter but thaws during warmer months, exposing the carbon. The deeper measurements examined soil just above the permafrost that thaws for only a brief time each year. These variations create fundamental differences in the biology and chemistry at the two depths.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We expected to observe warming responses that differed between the two sampling depths,\u0026rdquo; Johnston said. \u0026ldquo;Ongoing thaw of permafrost soil is being observed on the global scale, so we were particularly interested in evaluating microbiological responses to thawing permafrost.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research highlights the importance of microbial communities in contributing atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide to climate change, Konstantinidis said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Because of the very large amount of carbon in these systems, as well as the rapid and clear response to warming found in this experiment and other studies, it is becoming increasingly clear that soil microbes \u0026ndash; particularly those in the northern latitudes \u0026ndash; and their activities need to be represented in climate models,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Our work provides markers \u0026ndash; species and genes \u0026ndash; that can be used in this direction.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the paper\u0026rsquo;s authors included Janet K. Hatt from Georgia Tech, Zhili He and Liyou Wu from the University of Oklahoma, Xue Guo from Tsinghua University, Yiqi Luo and Edward A. G. Schuur from Northern Arizona University, James M. Tiedje from Michigan State University, and Jizhong Zhou from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by U.S. Department of Energy award DE-SC0004601 and by the National Science Foundation awards 1356288 and 1759831. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Eric R. Johnston, et al., \u0026ldquo;\u003Cem\u003EResponses of tundra soil microbial communities to half a decade of experimental warming at two critical depths\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026quot; (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERising temperatures in the tundra of the Earth\u0026rsquo;s northern latitudes could affect microbial communities in ways likely to increase their production of greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide, a new study of experimentally warmed Alaskan soil suggests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rising temperatures could affect the microbial communities in northern latitude tundra."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-07-08 20:19:00","changed_gmt":"2019-07-21 21:27:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623061":{"id":"623061","type":"image","title":"Tundra test plot","body":null,"created":"1562616260","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 20:04:20","changed":"1562616260","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 20:04:20","alt":"Test plot in Alaska tundra","file":{"fid":"237274","name":"Tundra-test-plot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tundra-test-plot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tundra-test-plot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":673309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tundra-test-plot.jpg?itok=8lp8ECBT"}},"623062":{"id":"623062","type":"image","title":"Interior of Alaska","body":null,"created":"1562616365","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 20:06:05","changed":"1562616365","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 20:06:05","alt":"Landscape of Alaska tundra","file":{"fid":"237275","name":"interior alaska.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interior%20alaska.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interior%20alaska.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":920622,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/interior%20alaska.jpg?itok=3imfFBFV"}},"623063":{"id":"623063","type":"image","title":"Flux chamber","body":null,"created":"1562616493","gmt_created":"2019-07-08 20:08:13","changed":"1562616493","gmt_changed":"2019-07-08 20:08:13","alt":"Sampling of emissions from test plot","file":{"fid":"237276","name":"flux chamber.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flux%20chamber.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flux%20chamber.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2054388,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/flux%20chamber.jpg?itok=Uuz37XLr"}}},"media_ids":["623061","623062","623063"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"126571","name":"go-PetitInstitute"},{"id":"51241","name":"microbial"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"181669","name":"tundra"},{"id":"181671","name":"Alaksa"},{"id":"181672","name":"northern latitudes"},{"id":"12800","name":"methane"},{"id":"610","name":"carbon"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"623501":{"#nid":"623501","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Peanut Plant\u2019s \u201cChemical Breath\u201d Could Give Clues to Drought and Other Stresses","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeanut growers could someday identify emerging threats such as drought, pests or disease by testing a plant\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;chemical breath.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom dawn to dusk, peanut plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that vary in types and patterns depending on how they respond to various stresses. Growers typically rely on indirect monitoring methods such as soil moisture testing to assess the health of plants in their fields. But directly testing stress response could be faster more accurate and offer a wider range of diagnoses. Now scientists are working on gas-collection devices that growers could deploy in fields or on plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to learn the best ways to detect and measure gases that could correlate to various plant conditions such as drought,\u0026rdquo; said Wayne Daley, associate division chief and principal research engineer with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atrp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAgricultural Technology Research Program\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout 1.67 million acres of peanuts were harvested in the U.S. in 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture \u0026mdash; 160,000 in Florida and 850,000 in Georgia. Peanuts are a $2.2 billion crop in Georgia, accounting for 23 percent of the state\u0026rsquo;s row and forage crop income, according to the Georgia Peanut Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDaley and his co-investigators are collaborating with Diane Rowland, Barry Tillman and Alina Zare, all affiliated faculty of the University of Florida\u0026rsquo;s Center for Stress Resilient Agriculture, to identify and design collection methods for VOCs in an outdoor field site, an environmental chamber and a greenhouse in Florida. The GTRI team includes chemists Judy Song and Dan Sabo and data scientists Olga Kemenova and Milad Navaei.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This type of advanced technology is what is critically needed for our growers to remain economically viable,\u0026rdquo; said Rowland, professor of physiology at the University of Florida. \u0026ldquo;Resource use efficiency in farming, including rapidly responding to counteract stress events such as drought, is the key not only to environmental stewardship, but also for remaining profitable under rising input costs.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, detecting relevant gases in the field remains a giant challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Peanut plants release VOCs at very low concentrations that are difficult to measure,\u0026rdquo; said Daley. \u0026ldquo;We want to learn which VOCs are significant and tell us about stresses that are of interest to growers.\u0026rdquo; In a previous study, Daley and other GTRI scientists learned that VOC signatures are different among peanut plants at various degrees of drought intensity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the 2017 growing season, GTRI researchers placed glass rods coated with gas-absorbent material near peanut plants. The rods were taken to the lab and excited to release the absorbed gases, which were identified and measured. But a field site is a complex environment with many confounding factors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow the researchers are evaluating this gas-measurement technique to study peanut plants grown in controlled lab conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the 2017 growing season, researchers from University of Florida collected the field data from peanut plants using polydimethylsiloxane-coated stir bars (Twisters). The collected gases were sent to GTRI for identification and analysis using a thermal desorption unit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow the researchers are evaluating this gas-measurement technique to study peanut plants grown in controlled lab conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA peanut plant\u0026rsquo;s seasonal growth stages affect the amounts and types of VOCs it releases. Even the time of day affects these emissions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are building an environmental chamber in which we can mimic the humidity, lighting, and nutrients of a natural field on a Florida day from the morning to evening with appropriate humidity,\u0026rdquo; said Daley. \u0026ldquo;This is the first step to test and evaluate the gas measurement technique in controlled conditions. Once we know more about its performance and how to apply it, then we\u0026rsquo;ll take it to the University of Florida to be studied with plants in a greenhouse.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team is developing a baseline of peanut VOC \u0026ldquo;families\u0026rdquo; that could be identified in the environmental chamber. Each peanut stressor also could be associated with a distinct family of VOCs. For instance, researchers could simulate a drought in the chamber to study the associated VOCs. But there may be background families of VOCs that compete with or confuse a drought gas test.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We need to understand how the peanut plant responds to both health and stress conditions to be able to fully utilize VOCs for drought detection\u0026rdquo; said Sabo, a GTRI research scientist.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are investigating how interference gases compete for space on the absorbent material,\u0026rdquo; said Song, a GTRI senior research engineer. \u0026ldquo;The experiment in the environmental chamber will be able to help us gain an understanding of how these interference gases and stressed-based VOCs interact and interfere with one another. With this knowledge we will be able to make accurate and meaningful measurements.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce researchers understand the ambient complexity of an outdoor peanut field, they could develop and refine a specialized gas test for peanut drought stress indicators, which could help farmers improve irrigation scheduling or prevent aflatoxins, which are potential carcinogens.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You could probably develop and instrument the field with reliable compact sensors that allow for quick and convenient VOC collection and assessment,\u0026rdquo; said Daley. \u0026ldquo;Or we could envision robots manually taking samples.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project is funded by Southern Peanut Research Initiative Project (#D7984.2.0.0.0) and USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grant (#D8585.0.0.0.0)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Tibbetts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeanut growers could someday identify emerging threats such as drought, pests or disease by testing a plant\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;chemical breath.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Peanut growers could someday identify emerging threats such as drought, pests or disease by testing a plant\u2019s \u201cchemical breath.\u201d "}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-07-18 14:27:54","changed_gmt":"2019-07-18 14:29:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623497":{"id":"623497","type":"image","title":"Collecting air samples from peanut plants","body":null,"created":"1563459546","gmt_created":"2019-07-18 14:19:06","changed":"1563459546","gmt_changed":"2019-07-18 14:19:06","alt":"Collecting air samples from peanut plants","file":{"fid":"237457","name":"Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-103.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-103.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-103.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":374609,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-103.jpg?itok=jx3045E7"}},"623498":{"id":"623498","type":"image","title":"Installing air sampling equipment","body":null,"created":"1563459672","gmt_created":"2019-07-18 14:21:12","changed":"1563459672","gmt_changed":"2019-07-18 14:21:12","alt":"Installing air sampling equipment for peanut VOCs","file":{"fid":"237458","name":"Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-101.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-101.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-101.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":648913,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Drought_Tolerant_Peanuts-101.jpg?itok=iPEgGyOS"}}},"media_ids":["623497","623498"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181758","name":"peanut"},{"id":"181761","name":"agriculture. VOCs"},{"id":"102921","name":"monitoring"},{"id":"181759","name":"chemical breath"},{"id":"789","name":"Drought"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"622617":{"#nid":"622617","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF Invests $4 Million in Big Data for Southern United States","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPrecision medicine and understanding health disparities, innovation to power competitive manufacturing, technology for smarter communities, and addressing coastal hazards such as hurricanes are among the challenges facing the Southern United States. A $4 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help apply data science and engineering to address those challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe funding will continue support for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southbigdatahub.org\/\u0022\u003ESouth Big Data Innovation Hub\u003C\/a\u003E, an organization that helps 16 Southern States and the District of Columbia identify and utilize data science and engineering to address critical societal needs. One of four NSF-supported regional data hubs in the U.S., the South Big Data Hub is managed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;The Big Data Hubs provide a connective tissue for the data science ecosystem across sectors and domains,\u0026rdquo; said Renata Rawlings-Goss, the Hub\u0026rsquo;s executive director. \u0026ldquo;I am deeply pleased by NSF\u0026#39;s recommitment to the growth of the South Hub and our community. Over the last three years, we have made great strides within our priority areas and are looking to broaden that reach in the next four years.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF-supported data hubs play four key roles: (1) Accelerating public-private partnerships that break down barriers between industry, academia and government, (2) Growing R\u0026amp;D communities that connect data scientists with domain scientists and practitioners, (3) Facilitating data sharing and shared cyber infrastructure and services, and (4) Building data science capacity for education and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a global shortage of data science and analytics talent that is threatening the future of innovation,\u0026rdquo; added Rawlings-Goss \u0026ldquo;By working across sectors, the South Hub joins in creating solutions to increase the capacity of universities and industry to work on pressing problems for our region and for the world.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPriorities for the hubs are determined regionally to bring together collaborators that include academics, community leaders, local and state government executives, regional businesses, national laboratories and others, explained Srinivas Aluru, principal investigator for the Hub, which was launched in 2015 and won the 2019 Georgia Tech Outstanding Achievement in Research Development Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to collaborate to help solve regional problems using the resources of the Hub,\u0026rdquo; explained Aluru, who is also co-executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;We are addressing truly regional issues that affect more than one state and more than one set of collaborators. These are challenges that can only be addressed by bringing these groups together.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe south region is pursuing five major big data priorities:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHealth and Disparities\u003C\/strong\u003E: High impact applications of data science in precision medicine, health analytics, and health disparities. \u0026ldquo;If you look at the health outcomes, they differ by ethnic groups. Trying to understand and address these health disparities is one of our big data challenges,\u0026rdquo; Aluru said.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Cities and Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E: Collection and integration of data on infrastructure, sensors, and behavior to design efficient use of resources and services, and to achieve a higher quality, affordable lifestyle, as well as concrete applications of analytics and machine learning to improve the nation\u0026rsquo;s energy production and smart grid.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvanced Materials and Manufacturing:\u003C\/strong\u003E Access to data infrastructure for creating new materials for advanced manufacturing in every state. \u0026ldquo;Manufacturing is very important to the Southeast, and we plan to workwith the state manufacturing extension partnerships in different states, trying to inject big data techniques into materials science and manufacturing to shorten the deployment cycle,\u0026rdquo; Aluru added.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnvironment and Coastal Hazards\u003C\/strong\u003E: Prevention and enhanced response to natural and human-induced environmental hazards. Southern states are disproportionately affected by hurricanes on the both the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Understanding these threats and how best to protect people and property is critical.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESocial Cybersecurity\u003C\/strong\u003E: Best practices across sectors to forecast cyber-mediated changes in human behavior to ensure private, secure and ethical data sharing, reporting and use. \u0026ldquo;In modern times the virtual world is a force in and of itself; we want to support transparency in how it can change interactions and social outcomes,\u0026rdquo; said Rawlings-Goss.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new NSF award includes seed funding designed to evaluate the feasibility of new big data projects. Part of a hub-and-spoke system, the seed money should help create new spokes to address specific data issues identified by collaborators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Developing innovative, effective solutions to grand challenges requires linking scientists and engineers with local communities,\u0026rdquo; said Jim Kurose, Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the NSF. \u0026ldquo;The Big Data Hubs provide the glue to achieve those links, bringing together teams of data science researchers with cities, municipalities and anchor institutions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the goal is to harness the synergy of the collaborators to address issues that require the use of data science and engineering techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By catalyzing partnerships that integrate academic researchers into the fabric of communities across the U.S., we can accelerate and deepen the impact of basic research on a range of societal issues, from water management to efficient transportation systems,\u0026rdquo; said Beth Plale, one of the NSF program directors managing the Big Data Hubs awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe South Big Data Hub was funded through the National Science Foundation\u0026rsquo;s Big Data Science \u0026amp; Engineering Program, Awards 1550305 and 1550291. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPrecision medicine and understanding health disparities, innovation to power competitive manufacturing, technology for smarter communities, and addressing coastal hazards such as hurricanes are among the challenges facing the Southern United States. A $4 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help apply data science and engineering to address those challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A $4 million NSF award will help apply data science and engineering to challenges of the southern U.S."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-06-19 19:13:37","changed_gmt":"2019-06-19 19:18:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"622615":{"id":"622615","type":"image","title":"Studying Coastal Hazards","body":null,"created":"1560970937","gmt_created":"2019-06-19 19:02:17","changed":"1560970937","gmt_changed":"2019-06-19 19:02:17","alt":"Savannah-Chatham County waterways","file":{"fid":"237133","name":"savannah-map-highlighted-waterways.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/savannah-map-highlighted-waterways.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/savannah-map-highlighted-waterways.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3571285,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/savannah-map-highlighted-waterways.jpg?itok=cPxwxpjA"}},"622616":{"id":"622616","type":"image","title":"Manufacturing and Materials","body":null,"created":"1560971148","gmt_created":"2019-06-19 19:05:48","changed":"1560971148","gmt_changed":"2019-06-19 19:05:48","alt":"Perovskite solar cell material","file":{"fid":"237134","name":"perovskite.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/perovskite.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/perovskite.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":746122,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/perovskite.jpg?itok=3j8HRvGF"}}},"media_ids":["622615","622616"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181547","name":"South Big Data Innovation Hub"},{"id":"15092","name":"big data"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"181549","name":"regional data"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"622103":{"#nid":"622103","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Slothbot Takes a Leisurely Approach to Environmental Monitoring","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, infrastructure maintenance and certain security applications, slow and energy efficient can be better than fast and always needing a recharge. That\u0026rsquo;s where \u0026ldquo;SlothBot\u0026rdquo; comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPowered by a pair of photovoltaic panels and designed to linger in the forest canopy continuously for months, SlothBot moves only when it must to measure environmental changes \u0026ndash; such as weather and chemical factors in the environment \u0026ndash; that can be observed only with a long-term presence. The proof-of-concept hyper-efficient robot, described May 21 at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Montreal, may soon be hanging out among treetop cables in the Atlanta Botanical Garden.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In robotics, it seems we are always pushing for faster, more agile and more extreme robots,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/magnus-egerstedt-0\u0022\u003EMagnus Egerstedt\u003C\/a\u003E, the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and principal investigator for Slothbot. \u0026ldquo;But there are many applications where there is no need to be fast. You just have to be out there persistently over long periods of time, observing what\u0026rsquo;s going on.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on what Egerstedt called the \u0026ldquo;theory of slowness,\u0026rdquo; Graduate Research Assistant Gennaro Notomista designed SlothBot together with his colleague, Yousef Emam, using 3D-printed parts for the gearing and wire-switching mechanisms needed to crawl through a network of wires in the trees. The greatest challenge for a wire-crawling robot is switching from one cable to another without falling, Notomista said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The challenge is smoothly holding onto one wire while grabbing another,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a tricky maneuver and you have to do it right to provide a fail-safe transition. Making sure the switches work well over long periods of time is really the biggest challenge.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMechanically, SlothBot consists of two bodies connected by an actuated hinge. Each body houses a driving motor connected to a rim on which a tire is mounted. The use of wheels for locomotion is simple, energy efficient and safer than other types of wire-based locomotion, the researchers say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESlothBot has so far operated in a network of cables on the Georgia Tech campus. Next, a new 3D-printed shell \u0026ndash; that makes the robot look more like a sloth \u0026ndash; will protect the motors, gears, actuators, cameras, computer and other components from the rain and wind. That will set the stage for longer-term studies in the tree canopy at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where Egerstedt hopes visitors will see a SlothBot monitoring conditions as early as this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe name SlothBot is not a coincidence. Real-life sloths are small mammals that live in jungle canopies of South and Central America. Making their living by eating tree leaves, the animals can survive on the daily caloric equivalent of a small potato. With their slow metabolism, sloths rest as much 22 hours a day and seldom descend from the trees where they can spend their entire lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The life of a sloth is pretty slow-moving and there\u0026rsquo;s not a lot of excitement on a day-to-day level,\u0026rdquo; said Jonathan Pauli, an associate professor in the Department of Forest \u0026amp; Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has consulted with the Georgia Tech team on the project. \u0026ldquo;The nice thing about a very slow life history is that you don\u0026rsquo;t really need a lot of energy input. You can have a long duration and persistence in a limited area with very little energy inputs over a long period of time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s exactly what the researchers expect from SlothBot, whose development has been funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a lot we don\u0026rsquo;t know about what actually happens under dense tree-covered areas,\u0026rdquo; Egerstedt said. \u0026ldquo;Most of the time SlothBot will be just hanging out there, and every now and then it will move into a sunny spot to recharge the battery.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to test SlothBot in a cacao plantation in Costa Rica that is already home to real sloths. \u0026ldquo;The cables used to move cacao have become a sloth superhighway because the animals find them useful to move around,\u0026rdquo; Egerstedt said. \u0026ldquo;If all goes well, we will deploy SlothBots along the cables to monitor the sloths.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEgerstedt is known for algorithms that drive swarms of small wheeled or flying robots. But during a visit to Costa Rica, he became interested in sloths and began developing what he calls \u0026ldquo;a theory of slowness\u0026rdquo; together with Professor Ron Arkin in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Interactive Computing. The theory leverages the benefits of energy efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you are doing things like environmental monitoring, you want to be out in the forest for months,\u0026rdquo; Egerstedt said. \u0026ldquo;That changes the way you think about control systems at a high level.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFlying robots are already used for environmental monitoring, but their high energy needs mean they cannot linger for long. Wheeled robots can get by with less energy, but they can get stuck in mud or be hampered by tree roots, and cannot get a big picture view from the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The thing that costs energy more than anything else is movement,\u0026rdquo; Egerstedt said. \u0026ldquo;Moving is much more expensive than sensing or thinking. For environmental robots, you should only move when you absolutely have to. We had to think about what that would be like.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Pauli, who studies a variety of wildlife, working with Egerstedt to help SlothBot come to life has been gratifying.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is great to see a robot inspired by the biology of sloths,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It has been fun to share how sloths and other organisms that live in these ecosystems for long periods of time live their lives. It will be interesting to see robots mirroring what we see in natural ecological communities.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research through Grant N00014-15-2115. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the ONR.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026quot;The SlothBot: A Novel Design for a Wire-Traversing Robot,\u0026quot; IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, (Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2019)\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ieeexplore.ieee.org\/document\/8642808\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/ieeexplore.ieee.org\/document\/8642808\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, infrastructure maintenance and certain security applications, slow and energy efficient can be better than fast and always needing a recharge. That\u0026rsquo;s where \u0026ldquo;SlothBot\u0026rdquo; comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Slow and energy-efficient SlothBot will handle environmental monitoring and other tasks."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-05-30 18:44:43","changed_gmt":"2019-06-03 18:02:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"622097":{"id":"622097","type":"image","title":"SlothBot on a cable","body":null,"created":"1559241086","gmt_created":"2019-05-30 18:31:26","changed":"1559241086","gmt_changed":"2019-05-30 18:31:26","alt":"Gennaro Notomista with SlothBot","file":{"fid":"236960","name":"slothbot-005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-005.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-005.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":472630,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-005.jpg?itok=WJVw6b6q"}},"622098":{"id":"622098","type":"image","title":"SlothBot on a cable - 2","body":null,"created":"1559241184","gmt_created":"2019-05-30 18:33:04","changed":"1559241184","gmt_changed":"2019-05-30 18:33:04","alt":"SlothBot, robot, cable, monitoring","file":{"fid":"236961","name":"slothbot-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":443202,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-001.jpg?itok=5wOV1Yqp"}},"622099":{"id":"622099","type":"image","title":"Sloth moving along a cable","body":null,"created":"1559241292","gmt_created":"2019-05-30 18:34:52","changed":"1559241292","gmt_changed":"2019-05-30 18:34:52","alt":"SlothBot, robot, cable, monkitoring","file":{"fid":"236962","name":"two-toed.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/two-toed.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/two-toed.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":662236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/two-toed.jpg?itok=L2ofiDnw"}},"622101":{"id":"622101","type":"image","title":"Components of SlothBot","body":null,"created":"1559241403","gmt_created":"2019-05-30 18:36:43","changed":"1559241403","gmt_changed":"2019-05-30 18:36:43","alt":"Components of SlothBot","file":{"fid":"236963","name":"slothbot-007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-007.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-007.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":591827,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-007.jpg?itok=Er3Q4vUe"}},"622102":{"id":"622102","type":"image","title":"Components of SlothBot - 2","body":null,"created":"1559241487","gmt_created":"2019-05-30 18:38:07","changed":"1559241487","gmt_changed":"2019-05-30 18:38:07","alt":"SlothBot, robot, environmental monitoring","file":{"fid":"236964","name":"slothbot-009.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-009.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/slothbot-009.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":405788,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/slothbot-009.jpg?itok=u3johOU1"}}},"media_ids":["622097","622098","622099","622101","622102"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181413","name":"SlothBot"},{"id":"1356","name":"robot"},{"id":"103651","name":"environmental monitoring"},{"id":"181414","name":"energy-efficient"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"620429":{"#nid":"620429","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Smart Communities Address Transportation, Housing, Flooding Challenges","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia communities are exploring innovative technologies and collaborating with local partners and Georgia Institute of Technology research teams to help drive the state\u0026rsquo;s smart development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech leads the pilot \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022\u003EGeorgia Smart Communities Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, which supports one-year projects to develop and implement smart design solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe four selected localities were chosen from a pool of applicants statewide.The cities of Albany and Chamblee and the counties of Chatham and Gwinnett are focusing on pilot projects to improve local housing investments, address traffic and transportation challenges, and develop more targeted flooding forecasts of storms and sea level rise along Georgia\u0026rsquo;s coast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA local government coordinates each project. But community and neighborhood groups, industry, and others are crucial collaborators. A Georgia Tech researcher conducts studies and provides guidance in pursuit of each project\u0026rsquo;s goals, supported by graduate and undergraduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach community has received $50,000 in grants and $25,000 from Georgia Tech in research support. Communities also raised matched funds. Georgia Power is the lead sponsor, with additional financial support from the Atlanta Regional Commission. The work began in September 2018 and will continue through September 2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents are engaged through the research projects but also through two additional summer programs. The \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart-community-corps\u0022\u003EGeorgia Smart Community Corps\u003C\/a\u003E is a full-time, paid summer fellowship for Georgia Tech students to become part of the project team. It is a joint collaboration with the Strategic Energy Institute, Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, Center for Career Discovery and Development, and the Student Government Association.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Civic Data Science Program, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/~ewz\/Welcome.html\u0022\u003EEllen Zegura\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/ledantec\u0022\u003EChristopher Le Dantec\u003C\/a\u003E, competitively recruits students nationally to come to the Atlanta campus for the summer and work in smaller teams with the Georgia Smart community on data analytics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd the competition will soon begin for the next group of communities, to be announced in June.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We define \u0026lsquo;smart development\u0026rsquo; as the integration and application of technologies to improve the quality of life,\u0026rdquo; said Debra Lam, managing director of Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech. These advanced tools can be intelligent infrastructures, information, and communication technologies, Internet of Things devices, and other computational or digital systems, such as data centers and portals, web and smartphone applications, and automated digital services.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a misconception that smart community innovations always must start in a major city and trickle down to smaller places,\u0026rdquo; said Lam. \u0026ldquo;But innovations can trickle up as well. They can be developed more quickly in smaller communities because you have all stakeholders in the room \u0026mdash; the mayor and city manager, public agencies, community and neighborhood groups, industry and business. A next step will be to spread what\u0026rsquo;s learned from these smart development projects to other Georgia communities and beyond.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Sea Level Tools for Emergency Planning and Response\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClimate change is driving sea levels higher, increasing flooding events during coastal storms and extreme high tides in Chatham County. But the county has only one official water level gauge, located at Fort Pulaski. The Georgia coast, however, is a complex environment where rising water impacts can vary dramatically from place to place.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Some neighborhoods are flooding more frequently now, while in other neighborhoods not far away the flooding is more modest or erratic, depending on which way the wind is blowing, how much rain falls, and many other factors,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/russell-clark\u0022\u003ERussell Clark\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech senior research scientist in the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s why residents want more targeted flood warnings and forecasts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChatham County is using its Smart Communities support to partner with Georgia Tech researchers to develop a sensor network partnered with data analytics for more accurate, localized flooding forecasts for improved emergency planning and response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Coastal communities are desperate for solutions,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\/people\/cobb-dr-kim\u0022\u003EKim Cobb\u003C\/a\u003E, the project\u0026rsquo;s faculty leader, Georgia Power Chair, and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;Through many partnerships, Georgia Tech can design strategies to help communities adapt to climate change and sea level rise. We see this pilot as only the first step of a multi-year effort to advance real solutions with different combinations of partners, expertise, and funding.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELocal high school students are helping to build and install a new batch of 30 sensors that will soon augment the 12 units already deployed. The sensor network will transmit data to computer models for analysis and prediction of storm strength and flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Smart Sea Level Sensor Project is a partnership among Chatham Emergency Management Agency officials, City of Savannah officials, and Georgia Tech scientists and engineers. The pilot project\u0026rsquo;s data could be used to plan more resilient bridge, road, and water treatment infrastructure. The sensors could be adapted later to collect other environmental monitoring data, including rainfall and water quality parameters.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Residents are excited to see that localized sensor data will be visible for them,\u0026rdquo; said Clark. \u0026ldquo;We hear a lot of \u0026lsquo;thank you for doing this in my neighborhood.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ocean.eas.gatech.edu\/manu\/\u0022\u003EEmanuele Di Lorenzo\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of ocean and climate dynamics, will integrate sensor data into models for predictive flood-risk assessments specifically for the Chatham County coast. David Frost, Elizabeth and Bill Higginbotham Professor of civil engineering, will provide resilience planning tools for community leaders.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResidents can offer their input during a May 16 showcase for the project sponsored by the Georgia Smart Communities Program. On smartphones and iPads, Georgia Tech undergraduates will guide residents through web-based visualizations of flood-risk scenarios for different coastal locations with augmented reality tools.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We continue to look for community feedback, which is so important,\u0026rdquo; said Cobb. \u0026ldquo;There will be many more opportunities for local community members, students, and educators to get involved.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlbany Housing Data Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy do public investments in housing and infrastructure fail to revitalize some blighted neighborhoods? Albany, a city in the southwest corner of the state, is drawing on Georgia Smart support and guidance to develop and evaluate an automated housing registry that could help answer this question.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As is the case in many communities, housing has fallen into disrepair in some Albany neighborhoods,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/omar-isaac-asensio\u0022\u003EOmar Isaac Asensio\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy and principal investigator for the Albany project. \u0026ldquo;Abandoned or uninhabitable properties have been purchased and cleaned up. But the community says, \u0026lsquo;We\u0026#39;re spending a lot of money on revitalization, but because data are siloed in different city departments and are not easily accessible, it\u0026rsquo;s hard for us to really quantify the benefits of these investments.\u0026rsquo; In an effort to promote transparency, the city wants to integrate and analyze Albany\u0026rsquo;s housing data, which would help the community answer questions about the effectiveness of various policies or programs designed to help neighborhoods.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) assists low- and moderate- income households with up to $25,000 in home repairs that affect the health or safety of those residing in the home. Eligible repairs include costly items such as roof replacement, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and other energy efficiency measures. Today there is no way to link housing investment information with energy performance data in the city. As a result, the data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of housing programs are inaccessible, not just to the public.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAsensio\u0026rsquo;s team is collaborating with the city to bring together multiple databases to map housing address information as well as 10 years\u0026rsquo; worth of utility records held by the city. Additional information from other city departments, including transit, code enforcement data, crime data, and other open data is part of the overall initiative, and will be added later.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Under the leadership of Steven Carter, Albany\u0026rsquo;s chief information officer, we\u0026rsquo;ve already made strides on data collection, aggregation, and curation,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Now an open-data portal needs to be built, and data from more departments will be integrated into one place.\u0026rdquo; Using record linkage and statistical algorithms, the Georgia Tech team will create maps to visualize locations of blight and housing investments and tell the hidden stories behind the data, backed by rigorous analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlbany is hosting participatory design workshops for the public and others to develop priorities about the initiatives that can be run through the portal and ArcGIS Hub in collaboration with Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Christopher Le Dantec and Debra Lam. Project partners include Dougherty County, the city\u0026rsquo;s Department of Community and Economic Development, and the nonprofit Fight Albany Blight.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We need input from both the public and private sectors about what\u0026rsquo;s important to them because ultimately this process is meant to benefit communities,\u0026rdquo; Asensio said. The open-data portal will evolve with new data that the city adds over time, helping officials to do their jobs, improving fiscal efficiency and enhancing transparency throughout city government.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUrban policy scientists are often stymied by lack of access to data. \u0026ldquo;The Albany initiative allows researchers access to granular data about public investment and performance needed for rigorous policy and program evaluation,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;This project could provide a blueprint to other cities to open up and visualize city data in collaboration with the academic research community, the public, government, and industry. Albany\u0026rsquo;s experience will be indispensable for other communities in our state, putting the city on the map for developing the latest analytical tools on open data.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnected Vehicle Technology Master Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESuburban Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, has experienced sprawling growth and increasingly heavy traffic in recent decades. County leaders, looking for solutions, took note of Atlanta\u0026rsquo;s North Avenue Smart Corridor and similar high-tech projects around the country. Smart technologies can improve traffic flow and driver safety when vehicles share real-time locations with each other and with traffic signals. High-tech sensors on vehicles and roadways tell connected vehicles when to maneuver to avoid collisions, reducing crashes and traffic snarls on suburban arteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow Gwinnett County is partnering with Georgia Smart in a project to engage multiple stakeholders across the state to set the standard for application of connected vehicle technology that can improve mobility and traffic safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe county aims to develop and implement a master plan for autonomous real-time data sharing among connected vehicle applications, signals, and other roadway sensors. The Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Corridor has been chosen as the pilot smart corridor for technology deployment, which is scheduled to begin later in 2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, though, the county needs accurate baseline data about current traffic patterns.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve had access to high-fidelity traffic signal data, but data from vehicles on the road are very sparse,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/1251\/overview\u0022\u003EAngshuman Guin\u003C\/a\u003E, the project\u0026rsquo;s faculty leader and senior research engineer in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were only getting a location point for emergency response vehicles every five minutes, but we need GPS points every second to understand the bottlenecks in traffic, as well as where and why the vehicles are losing time on the roadway during an emergency response.\u0026rdquo; He is collaborating with the county fire chief to outfit 15 fire department vehicles with Georgia Tech-designed sensor packages.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are using the fire department data to know exactly where and how long the delays are for emergency response vehicles \u0026mdash; and compare those data to signal data. Was a delay associated with the signal being red? Or was it associated with traffic alone? This study is only possible because of our collaboration with the county, the fire department, and the other partners involved. We would not be able to gather the data we need without them.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGuin will help the county assess the benefits of Connected Vehicle applications such as Emergency Vehicle Preemption, which help responders reach emergency scenes more quickly and safely. He will also simulate traffic operations and apply safety analyses across all systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are helping the county develop strategies, leveraging connected vehicle technology, for extending the benefits of preemption by implementing anticipatory queue flush operations at intersections to reduce the delays experienced by emergency vehicles, and to also improve safety at intersections,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGwinnett County and Georgia Tech are collaborating on the project with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the cities of Berkeley Lake, Duluth, Norcross, and Suwanee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost connected-vehicle pilot efforts focus on interstates or high-density business districts. But many commuters and other drivers in the Atlanta metro spend more miles on suburban roadways than in the city.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESuburban arterials are typically more challenging for smart communications technologies. Heavily traveled suburban roads with higher operating speeds and irregularly spaced intersections make driving more complex and dangerous. That\u0026rsquo;s why the suburban Gwinnett County corridor could form the backbone of the Connected Vehicle Technology Master Plan to improve driving experience with connected vehicle technology across city and county lines throughout the state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChamblee Shared Autonomous Vehicle Study\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe city of Chamblee is attracting young people and others who seek a walkable, lively urban experience without the steep rents of Atlanta\u0026rsquo;s popular, higher-density neighborhoods. The Chamblee MARTA rail station in suburban DeKalb County has been a crucial drawing card for commuters relocating to apartments in the city\u0026rsquo;s redeveloping core.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChamblee has succeeded in redeveloping properties near MARTA with urban apartments and new restaurants. \u0026ldquo;Now the city wants to expand local transit opportunities to link the MARTA station to other nearby neighborhoods, some with redevelopment projects already underway,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/ellen-dunham-jones\u0022\u003EEllen Dunham-Jones\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the Georgia Tech urban design program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChamblee is using Georgia Smart funding to partner with a Georgia Tech team, led by Dunham-Jones, to study how improving urban design and passenger experiences can help build ridership for an experimental mode of transportation \u0026mdash; the shared autonomous vehicle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChamblee anticipates operating an autonomous shuttle along a mile of Peachtree Road with five stops for 10 hours a day, seven days a week. A second phase could extend the shuttle east to Assembly Yards, a mixed-use development under construction in Doraville. At first, the shuttle would operate semi-autonomously with an onboard attendant in case of emergencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team is developing a set of recommendations for the city and a best practices manual to improve the user experience of getting to, waiting for, and riding on autonomous shuttle buses. How might they expand walkability throughout Chamblee and build social capital? Can bus stops serve as community infrastructure? The guide could be applied in other communities in Georgia and around the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDunham-Jones and Ph.D. student Zachary Lancaster studied 18 autonomous shuttle projects in pilot stages worldwide, the great majority of which operate on private streets or in office parks. They interviewed industry experts, visited pilot projects, and surveyed potential passengers of Chamblee\u0026rsquo;s shuttle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe autonomous shuttle experience must be appealing to compete with other transit options including private cars, electric scooters, and ride-share services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once the shuttle is operating, it\u0026rsquo;s important to have a data management plan that allows for feedback from users,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;That will help the city improve the shuttle system by learning more about how people respond to it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pilot project will also develop an operations plan for the shuttle and conduct preliminary engineering while engaging the community through public meetings, city strolls, and other events. Other city partners include the City of Doraville, Stantec, MARTA, and the Assembly Community Improvement District.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIntroducing small autonomous transit vehicles to city streets could eventually transform how people get around.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With autonomous shared vehicles, you could replace the typical big bus that comes once an hour with four or five small shuttles along the same route arriving every 10 minutes, and that would be a game changer for encouraging more people to use transit,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConcluding the Projects and Next Steps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the inaugural Georgia Smart projects draw to a close in September, the team with support from the Strategic Energy Institute will produce a Georgia Smart Community Playbook. Distilling best practices and findings for all communities, the playbook is being developed by Christopher Le Dantec, associate professor in the Digital Media program in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe playbook will include a data guide.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The guide prompts communities to answer a number of questions about data they found useful in their projects,\u0026rdquo; says Le Dantec. \u0026ldquo;Where did these data come from? What are the data standards? What are the data\u0026rsquo;s limitations? What might another community do with similar data and where can it go for help?\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach project concludes in September with a local public event to explain how the community pursued its goals, gained results, and made plans for the future. Each cohort, then, provides a road map for the next one.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut projects supported by Georgia Smart won\u0026rsquo;t necessarily come to an end after one year. They may evolve with new sources of funding.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech scientists and engineers have become part of the local team,\u0026rdquo; said Lam. \u0026ldquo;Many of the researchers want to continue engaging in this work, expanding the pilot projects with new grants and other opportunities.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Smart is supported by the Georgia Power Company\u0026nbsp;and the Atlanta Regional Commission, the lead sponsors, as well as the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Chamber, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Municipal Association, Georgia Planning Association, Global City Teams Challenge, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Technology Association of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about Georgia Smart, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022\u003Ewww.smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe links below have additional information (in PDF format) on each project:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Chatham-final.pdf\u0022\u003EChatham County\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Albany-final.pdf\u0022\u003EAlbany\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Chamblee-final.pdf\u0022\u003EChamblee\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Gwinnett-final.pdf\u0022\u003EGwinnett County\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Tibbetts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia communities are exploring innovative technologies and collaborating with local partners and Georgia Institute of Technology research teams to help drive the state\u0026rsquo;s smart development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four Georgia communities are exploring innovative technologies and collaborating with Georgia Tech and local partners."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-04-15 17:46:57","changed_gmt":"2019-04-16 13:14:15","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"620423":{"id":"620423","type":"image","title":"Sensor network for Chatham County","body":null,"created":"1555349227","gmt_created":"2019-04-15 17:27:07","changed":"1555349227","gmt_changed":"2019-04-15 17:27:07","alt":"Image shows a sensor part of the Chatham County network","file":{"fid":"236235","name":"sensor.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":633583,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sensor_0.jpg?itok=FDT2Y8_h"}},"620424":{"id":"620424","type":"image","title":"Conceptual illustration of shared autonomous vehicles","body":null,"created":"1555349410","gmt_created":"2019-04-15 17:30:10","changed":"1555349410","gmt_changed":"2019-04-15 17:30:10","alt":"Conceptual illustration of autonomous vehicles","file":{"fid":"236236","name":"chamblee-marta.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chamblee-marta.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chamblee-marta.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1060000,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chamblee-marta.jpg?itok=vHpC32A6"}},"620425":{"id":"620425","type":"image","title":"Shared autonomous vehicles","body":null,"created":"1555349557","gmt_created":"2019-04-15 17:32:37","changed":"1555349557","gmt_changed":"2019-04-15 17:32:37","alt":"Autonomous vehicles planned for Chamblee","file":{"fid":"236237","name":"Chamblee_City-Hall.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chamblee_City-Hall.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chamblee_City-Hall.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1975840,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Chamblee_City-Hall.jpg?itok=PCXJOlil"}},"620426":{"id":"620426","type":"image","title":"Sensor placed on a bridge","body":null,"created":"1555349678","gmt_created":"2019-04-15 17:34:38","changed":"1555349678","gmt_changed":"2019-04-15 17:34:38","alt":"Sensor placed on U.S. Highway 17 bridge","file":{"fid":"236238","name":"sensor-placement_6176.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-placement_6176.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-placement_6176.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":720826,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sensor-placement_6176.jpg?itok=MYSLDY5e"}},"620427":{"id":"620427","type":"image","title":"Wireless flooding sensors","body":null,"created":"1555349789","gmt_created":"2019-04-15 17:36:29","changed":"1555349789","gmt_changed":"2019-04-15 17:36:29","alt":"Inside of wireless sensor used in Chatham County","file":{"fid":"236239","name":"sensor-inside.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-inside.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-inside.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":820616,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sensor-inside.jpg?itok=os7WGSUJ"}}},"media_ids":["620423","620424","620425","620426","620427"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168075","name":"smart"},{"id":"173745","name":"smart communities"},{"id":"176970","name":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge"},{"id":"180948","name":"Chatham County"},{"id":"181032","name":"Gwinnett County"},{"id":"181029","name":"Chamblee"},{"id":"181033","name":"Albany"},{"id":"173304","name":"debra lam"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"617068":{"#nid":"617068","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When Coral Species Vanish, Their Absence Can Imperil Surviving Corals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWaves of annihilation have beaten coral reefs down to a fraction of what they were 40 years ago, and what\u0026rsquo;s left may be facing creeping death: The effective extinction of many coral species may be weakening reef systems thus siphoning life out of the corals that remain.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the shallows off\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Fiji\/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6e1990fd703cdc5d:0x9e9c319946ef5b93?ved=2ahUKEwihwZb8wfLfAhWEnOAKHchXAxYQ8gEwFXoECAQQCA\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFiji\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rsquo;s Pacific shores, two marine researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology for\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41559-018-0752-7\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;assembled groups of corals that were all of the same species, i.e. groups without species diversity. When Cody Clements snorkeled down for the first time to check on them, his eyes instantly told him what his data would later reveal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the species had entire plots that got wiped out, and they were overgrown with algae,\u0026rdquo; Clements said. \u0026ldquo;Rows of corals had tissue that was brown \u0026ndash; that was dead tissue. Other tissue had turned white and was in the process of dying.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E36 ghastly plots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClements, a postdoctoral researcher and the study\u0026rsquo;s first author, also assembled groups of corals with a mixture of species, i.e. biodiverse groups, for comparison. In total, there were 36 single-species plots, or monocultures. Twelve additional plots contained polycultures that mixed three species. (More details below.)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of the 16-month experiment, monocultures had faired obviously worse. And the study had shown via the measurably healthier growth in polycultures that science can begin to quantify biodiversity\u0026rsquo;s contribution to coral survival as well as the effects of biodiversity\u0026rsquo;s disappearance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This was a starter experiment to see if we would get an initial result, and we did,\u0026rdquo; said principal investigator Mark\u0026nbsp;Hay, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-hay\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents Professor and Harry and Linda Teasley Chair in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;So much reef death over the years has reduced coral species variety and made reefs more homogenous, but science still doesn\u0026#39;t understand enough about how coral biodiversity helps reefs survive. We want to know more.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe results of the study appear\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41559-018-0752-7\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the February issue of the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature ecology \u0026amp; evolution\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and were made available online in January. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, by the National Institutes of Health\u0026rsquo;s Fogarty International Center, and by the Teasley Endowment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s insights could aid ecologists restocking crumbling reefs with corals -- which are animals. Past replenishing efforts have often deployed patches of single species that have had trouble taking hold, and the researchers believe the study should encourage replanting using biodiverse patches.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E40 years\u0026rsquo; decimation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe decimation of corals Hay has witnessed in over four decades of undersea research underscores this study\u0026rsquo;s importance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s shocking how quickly the Caribbean reefs crashed. In the 1970s and early 1980s, reefs consisted of about 60 percent live coral cover,\u0026rdquo; Hay said. \u0026ldquo;Coral cover declined dramatically through the 1990s and has remained low. It\u0026rsquo;s now at about 10 percent throughout the Caribbean.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You used to find living diverse reefs with structurally complex coral stands the size of city blocks. Now, most Caribbean reefs look more like parking lots with a few sparse corals scattered around.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E84 percent loss\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that the decimation in the Pacific is less grim is bitter irony. About half of living coral cover disappeared there between the early 1980s and early 2000s with declines accelerating since.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;From 1992 to 2010, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.greatbarrierreef.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGreat Barrier Reef\u003C\/a\u003E, which is arguably the best-managed reef system on Earth, lost 84 percent,\u0026rdquo; Clements said. \u0026ldquo;All of this doesn\u0026rsquo;t include the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gbrmpa.gov.au\/the-reef\/reef-health\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elatest bleaching events\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;reported so widely in the media, and they killed huge swaths of reef in the Pacific.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coral_bleaching\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2016 bleaching\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;event also sacked reefs off of Fiji where the researchers ran their experiment. The coral deaths have been associated with extended periods of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iucn.org\/resources\/issues-briefs\/ocean-warming\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eocean heating\u003C\/a\u003E, which have become much more common in recent decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10 times more species\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, there\u0026rsquo;s hope. Pacific reefs support ten times as many coral species as Caribbean reefs, and Clements\u0026rsquo; and Hay\u0026rsquo;s new study suggests that this higher biodiversity may help make these reefs more robust than the Caribbean reefs. There, many species have joined the endangered list, or are \u0026ldquo;functionally extinct,\u0026rdquo; still present but in traces too small to have an ecological impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Caribbean\u0026rsquo;s coral collapse may have been a warning shot on the dangers of species loss. Some coral species protect others from getting eaten or infected, for example.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A handful of species may be critical for the survival of many others, and we don\u0026rsquo;t yet know well enough which are most critical. If key species disappear, the consequences could be enormous,\u0026rdquo; said Hay, who believes he may have already witnessed this in the Caribbean. \u0026ldquo;The decline of key species may drive the decline of others and potentially create a death spiral.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E864 abrasive animals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOff Fiji\u0026rsquo;s shores, Clements transported by kayak, one by one, 48 concrete tables he had built on land. He dove them into place and mounted on top of them 864 jaggy corals in planters he had fashioned from the tops of plastic soda bottles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I scratched a lot of skin off of my fingers screwing those corals onto the tables,\u0026rdquo; he said, laughing at the memory. \u0026ldquo;I drank enough saltwater through my snorkel doing it, too.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClements laid out 18 corals on each tabletop: Three groups of monocultures filled 36 tables (12 with species A, 12 with species B, 12 with species C). The remaining 12 tabletops held polycultures with balanced A-B-C mixtures. He collected data four months into the experiment and at 16 months.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe polycultures all looked great. Only one monoculture species,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coral.aims.gov.au\/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0047\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAcropora\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Emillepora\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, had nice growth at the 16-month mark, but that species is more susceptible to disease, bleaching, predators, and storms. It may have sprinted ahead in growth in the experiment, but long-term it would probably need the help of other species to cope with its own fragility.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Corals and humans both may do well on their own in good times,\u0026rdquo; Hay said. \u0026ldquo;But when disaster strikes, friends may become essential.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso read: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/615030\/swapping-bacteria-may-help-nemo-fish-cohabitate-fish-killing-anemones\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESwapping cooties may help \u0026quot;Nemo\u0026quot; fish cohabitate with fish-killing anemones\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant OCE 0929119), and the National Institutes of Health\u0026rsquo;s Fogarty International Center (grant 2 U19 TW007401-10), and the Teasley Endowment. Any findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding entities.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu?subject=Clownfish%20anemone%20story\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe effective extinction of many coral species may be weakening reef systems thus siphoning life out of the corals that remain. A new study found that corals fared much worse without the company of other coral species.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Off of Fiji, a Georgia Tech study elucidates a potential silent coral reef killer: Disappearing biodiversity appears to threaten the lives surviving corals."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-01-30 18:53:16","changed_gmt":"2019-01-31 18:21:54","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"617062":{"id":"617062","type":"image","title":"Fiji coral biological variety experiment","body":null,"created":"1548872612","gmt_created":"2019-01-30 18:23:32","changed":"1548872612","gmt_changed":"2019-01-30 18:23:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234842","name":"IMG_6748.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6748.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6748.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":941338,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_6748.jpg?itok=09HP_dI4"}},"617063":{"id":"617063","type":"image","title":"Fiji coral plot experiment","body":null,"created":"1548872781","gmt_created":"2019-01-30 18:26:21","changed":"1548872781","gmt_changed":"2019-01-30 18:26:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234843","name":"P damicornis.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/P%20damicornis.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/P%20damicornis.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":541181,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/P%20damicornis.jpg?itok=CA7Ik9oJ"}},"617064":{"id":"617064","type":"image","title":"Fiji coral experiment seaweed table","body":null,"created":"1548872912","gmt_created":"2019-01-30 18:28:32","changed":"1548872912","gmt_changed":"2019-01-30 18:28:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234844","name":"seaweed.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/seaweed.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/seaweed.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1066096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/seaweed.JPG?itok=vkoCHrJL"}},"617065":{"id":"617065","type":"image","title":"Fiji coral experiment biodiverse table","body":null,"created":"1548873030","gmt_created":"2019-01-30 18:30:30","changed":"1548873134","gmt_changed":"2019-01-30 18:32:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234846","name":"IMG_6766.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6766_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6766_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":624908,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_6766_0.jpg?itok=YvwmcnFO"}}},"media_ids":["617062","617063","617064","617065"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7166","name":"coral"},{"id":"169211","name":"coral bleaching"},{"id":"180325","name":"coral conservation"},{"id":"180326","name":"Coral Decline"},{"id":"180327","name":"coral disease"},{"id":"180328","name":"Coral Disease Reef Marine Organisms"},{"id":"180329","name":"Coral Ecology"},{"id":"180330","name":"Coral Ecosystems"},{"id":"180331","name":"coral health"},{"id":"180332","name":"Acropora"},{"id":"180333","name":"Pocillopora damicornis"},{"id":"180334","name":"Padina perindusiata"},{"id":"169448","name":"seaweed"},{"id":"180335","name":"Porites cylindrica"},{"id":"180336","name":"Acropora millepora"},{"id":"180337","name":"Sargassum polycystum"},{"id":"180338","name":"Turbinaria ornata"},{"id":"180339","name":"Polyculture"},{"id":"180340","name":"Monoculture"},{"id":"4320","name":"ecology"},{"id":"180341","name":"Ecology and Environment"},{"id":"91371","name":"Ecology and Evolution"},{"id":"180342","name":"Ecology \u0026 Evolution"},{"id":"180343","name":"environmenntal science"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"615030":{"#nid":"615030","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Swapping Bacteria May Help \u2018Nemo\u2019 Fish Cohabitate with Fish-Killing Anemones","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENemo, the adorable clownfish in the movie\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EFinding Nemo,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;rubs himself all over the anemone he lives in to keep it from stinging and eating him like it does most fish. That rubbing leads the makeup of microbes covering the clownfish to change,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00338-018-01750-z\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a new study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving bacterial cooties in common with anemones may help the clownfish cozily nest in anemones\u0026rsquo; venomous tentacles, a weird symbiosis that life scientists - including now a team from the Georgia Institute of Technology - have tried for decades to figure out. The marine researchers studied how populations of microbes shifted on clownfish who mixed and mingled with fish-killing anemones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s the iconic mutualism between a host and a partner, and we knew that microbes are on every surface of each animal,\u0026rdquo; said Frank Stewart,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/frank-stewart\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;In this particular mutualism, these surfaces are covered with stuff that microbes love to eat: mucus.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESwabbing mucus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EClownfish and anemones swap lots of mucus when they rub. So, the researchers brought clownfish and anemones together and analyzed the microbes in the mucus covering the fish when they were hosted by anemones and when they weren\u0026rsquo;t.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Their microbiome changed,\u0026rdquo; said Zoe Pratte,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/marine-micro.biology.gatech.edu\/?page_id=35\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea postdoctoral researcher in Stewart\u0026rsquo;s lab\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and first author of the new study. \u0026ldquo;Two bacteria that we tracked in particular multiplied with contact with anemones.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;On top of that, there were sweeping changes,\u0026rdquo; said Stewart, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. \u0026ldquo;If you looked at the total assemblages of microbes, they looked quite different on a clownfish that was hosted by an anemone and on one that was not.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers chased 12 clownfish in six fish tanks for eight weeks to swab their mucus and identify microbes through gene sequencing. They published their results\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00338-018-01750-z\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECoral Reefs\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was funded by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.simonsfoundation.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe Simons Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQuestions and Answers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are some questions and answers about the experiment, which produced some amusing anecdotes, along with fascinating facts about anemones and clownfish. For example, fish peeing on anemones makes the latter stronger. Clownfish change genders. And it was especially hard to catch one fish the researchers named \u0026ldquo;Houdini.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDoes this solve the mystery about this strange symbiosis?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo, but it\u0026rsquo;s a new approach to the clownfish-anemone conundrum.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a first step that\u0026rsquo;s asking the question, \u0026lsquo;Is there part of the microbial relationship that changes?\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. The study delivered the answer on the clownfish side, which was \u0026ldquo;yes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn earlier hypothesis on the conundrum held that clownfish mucus was too thick to sting through. Current ideas consider that mucus swapping also covers the clownfish with anemone antigens, i.e. its own immune proteins, or that fish and fish killer may be exchanging chemical messages.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The anemone may recognize some chemical on the clownfish that keeps it from stinging,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. \u0026ldquo;And that could involve microbes. Microbes are great chemists.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGoing forward, the researchers want to analyze mucus chemistry. They also don\u0026rsquo;t yet know to what extent the microbes on the fish change because of bacteria the fish gleans from the anemone. It\u0026rsquo;s possible the fish mucus microbiome just develops differently on the fish due to the contact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do anemones normally do to fish?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKill them and eat them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The anemone evolved to kill fish. It shoots little poison darts into the skin of a fish to kill it then pull it into its mouth,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. \u0026ldquo;The clownfish gets away with living right in that.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy the way, the tentacles are not harmful to people.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you touch an anemone, it feels like they\u0026rsquo;re sucking on your finger,\u0026rdquo; Pratte said. \u0026ldquo;Their little harpoons feel like they\u0026rsquo;re sticking to you. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t hurt.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do the anemones and clownfish get out of the relationship?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor starters, they protect each other from potential prey. But there\u0026rsquo;s lots more. Some clownfish even change genders by living in an anemone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When they start being hosted, the fish make a big developmental switch,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. \u0026ldquo;The first fish in a group that establishes itself in an anemone in the wild transitions from male to female, grows much bigger and becomes the dominant member of the group.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe is then the sole female in a school of smaller male mates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnemones appear to grow larger and healthier, partly because the clownfish urinate on them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When the fish pee, algae in the anemone take up the nitrogen then secrete sugars that feed the anemone and make it grow,\u0026rdquo; Pratte said. \u0026ldquo;Sometimes the fish drop their food, and it falls into the anemone which eats it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAny fun anecdotes from this experiment?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPlenty: It was scientifically straightforward but laborious to carry out, partly because the researchers were taking meticulous care of the fish at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You have to get fish and anemones to pair up, and the fish can host in other places, like nooks in the rock,\u0026rdquo; Pratte said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Clownfish are smarter than other fish, so they\u0026rsquo;re harder to catch, especially when we want to minimize stress on the animals,\u0026rdquo; said Alicia Caughman, an undergraduate research assistant in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/undergrad\/fast-track-research-scholarships\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Science\u0026rsquo;s Fast Track to Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;program. \u0026ldquo;We named one fish \u0026lsquo;Houdini.\u0026rsquo; He could wiggle between nets and tight spaces and usually outsmart whoever was trying to catch him.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We also had \u0026#39;Bubbles,\u0026#39; who blew a lot of bubbles, \u0026#39;Biggie\u0026#39; and \u0026#39;Smalls,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;Broad,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;Sheila,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;Earl,\u0026#39; and \u0026#39;Flounder,\u0026#39; who liked to flounder (flop around),\u0026rdquo; Pratte said. Clownfish have differing sizes and details in their stripes, which allow people to tell them apart.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe anemone side of the microbial question may prove harder to answer because for all Houdini\u0026#39;s wiles, anemones, which are squishy non-vertebrates, are even more trying. They can squeeze into uncomfortable niches or plug up the aquarium drainage, and they also have temperamental microbiomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso\u0026nbsp;READ:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/614516\/when-boy-fish-build-castles-impress-girl-fish-boy-genes-get-rise\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWhen boy fish build castles to impress girl fish, boy genes get a rise\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/tiny-bacteria-do-big-job-huge-fish-tank\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETeeny bacteria do a dirty job to clean a huge fish tank\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe following researchers coauthored the paper: Nastassia V. Patin, Mary E. McWhirt and Darren J. Parris, all of Georgia Tech. DOI: 10.1007\/s00338-018-01750-z. The research was funded by the Simons Foundation (award 346253).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny findings, opinions or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Simons Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404) 660-1408, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu?subject=Clownfish%20anemone%20story\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe fish killer and the fish live in perfect harmony: But how the clownfish thrives in the venomous tentacles of the anemone remains a mystery. A new study tackles the iconic conundrum from the microbial side by watching bacterial colonies shift in fish mucus, as the clownfish cozy up to anemones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Why the fish-killing anemone spares the clownfish is a scientific mystery that Georgia Tech marine microbiologists are now tackling in fish mucus."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-12-05 21:07:25","changed_gmt":"2018-12-14 20:33:33","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"615035":{"id":"615035","type":"image","title":"Clownfish in anemone","body":null,"created":"1544045694","gmt_created":"2018-12-05 21:34:54","changed":"1544045694","gmt_changed":"2018-12-05 21:34:54","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234191","name":"clownfish.peering.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.peering.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.peering.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":641874,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/clownfish.peering.jpg?itok=C1Cry85Y"}},"615036":{"id":"615036","type":"image","title":"Clownfish mingle in anemones","body":null,"created":"1544045795","gmt_created":"2018-12-05 21:36:35","changed":"1544045851","gmt_changed":"2018-12-05 21:37:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234193","name":"clownfish.group_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.group_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.group_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1064766,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/clownfish.group_.jpg?itok=HBjMa63c"}},"615038":{"id":"615038","type":"image","title":"Anemone kills, eats fish","body":null,"created":"1544046260","gmt_created":"2018-12-05 21:44:20","changed":"1544046283","gmt_changed":"2018-12-05 21:44:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234195","name":"Expl7239_(9737462380).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Expl7239_%289737462380%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Expl7239_%289737462380%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1143714,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Expl7239_%289737462380%29.jpg?itok=osQioXlK"}},"615037":{"id":"615037","type":"image","title":"Clownfish in anemone 2","body":null,"created":"1544045966","gmt_created":"2018-12-05 21:39:26","changed":"1544045966","gmt_changed":"2018-12-05 21:39:26","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234194","name":"clownfish.peers2_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.peers2_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/clownfish.peers2_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":639404,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/clownfish.peers2_.jpg?itok=SI-jbk9r"}}},"media_ids":["615035","615036","615038","615037"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179930","name":"Clownfish"},{"id":"179931","name":"Symbiosis"},{"id":"56501","name":"microbiome"},{"id":"7078","name":"microbe"},{"id":"51241","name":"microbial"},{"id":"179932","name":"microbial biochemistry"},{"id":"179933","name":"Anemone"},{"id":"179934","name":"sea anemone"},{"id":"179935","name":"DNA barcode"},{"id":"179936","name":"Mutualism"},{"id":"179937","name":"mutualistic relationships"},{"id":"179938","name":"mutualistic syntrophy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"613465":{"#nid":"613465","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Pilot Project Will Use Campus Wastewater to Grow Vegetables","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEven if you do your best to eat local, chances are most of the fruits and vegetables you consume come from far away -- especially if you live in a big city. Water and land for growing crops are hard to come by in urban areas. Finding more sustainable methods for growing produce in urban areas would have enormous benefits. A pilot project by Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/nanotech-sustainability.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EYongsheng Chen,\u003C\/a\u003E a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to use wastewater from the campus to do just that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The overarching goal is trying to figure out a way to use wastewater nutrients to grow produce in urban areas so we can decentralize vegetable production,\u0026rdquo; Chen said. A grant provides $5 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u0026rsquo;s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to create and operate a hydroponic growing system using domestic wastewater extracted from the Georgia Tech campus sewer system. It is the largest USDA award Georgia Tech has received.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Currently we treat wastewater by taking all the nutrients from it,\u0026rdquo; said Chen. \u0026ldquo;Then we have to use an energy-intensive process to synthesize and add fertilizer to the food production process.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proposed anaerobic membrane biological treatment process will transfer organic contaminants into biogas and remove pathogens such as E. coli to ensure food safety, but the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, for example) will remain. By using a smart membrane or nanomaterials to extract trace contaminants like endocrine disruptors, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals, the nutrients that are left can be pumped through a vertical hydroponic system to grow produce without adding fertilizer. The project will monitor water and produce quality and measure contamination from chemicals and microbes continuously.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe overall goal, said Chen, is to show that using the nutrients and water resources from domestic wastewater (DWW) in an urban controlled environment agriculture system (CEAs) is socially, environmentally and financially sustainable and can easily be replicated in other cities. The project will closely track nutrient requirements, energy needed to produce, handle and transport the fruits and vegetables, and water needs to determine what resources are needed to support this kind of CEA system (DWW-CEAs).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEcological network analysis for DWW-CEA coupling will track material and energy flows across components that produce, consume and recycle food. Using a geodesign approach, Chen\u0026rsquo;s team will then compare data from traditional agriculture and DWW-CEAs to see how the system performs and how it could be designed to perform better in terms of water, energy and nutrient needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our model will have options to calculate energy consumption for the system, water consumption, water balance and nutrient balance,\u0026rdquo; said Chen. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ll conduct a life-cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis to evaluate whether this type of system will be commercially feasible or profitable in different locations, not just Atlanta.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChen will use machine learning in the controlled growing environment to seek a \u0026ldquo;recipe\u0026rdquo; for each plant type: the ideal amount of nutrients, growing temperature and humidity needed for lettuce, for example, so that each head of greens will taste the same. The project also provides an opportunity to test a number of other technologies, such as using solar power for cooling or biogas extracted from the wastewater and discarded food to power a micro chiller.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, showing that such a DWW-CEA system is feasible and profitable is one hurdle \u0026ndash; another is getting consumers on board with the way the produce is produced. \u0026ldquo;If we are going to decentralize this system, what are the implications for policy related issues?\u0026rdquo; Chen asked. \u0026ldquo;Will people buy products produced by wastewater?\u0026rdquo; The project will involve working with a number of collaborators at Georgia Tech and in Atlanta, including Kaye Husbands Fealing, professor and chair of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, and the Mayor\u0026rsquo;s Office of Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to change the current wastewater treatment practice, step back a little bit and think outside the box,\u0026rdquo; Chen said. \u0026ldquo;This could have a big impact locally, regionally or even nationally and internationally.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis research is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u0026rsquo;s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Food Production Systems (Grant 2018-68011-28371).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;John Toon\u0026nbsp;(404-894-6986) (john.toon@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kenna Simmons\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers were awarded a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a hydroponic system that uses wastewater from the campus to grow fruits and vegetables. If successful, it could be a sustainable way to grow produce in urban areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"$5 million grant funds project to test sustainable hydroponic farming in urban areas."}],"uid":"34897","created_gmt":"2018-10-30 13:40:50","changed_gmt":"2018-12-10 21:36:19","author":"Kenna Simmons","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"613477":{"id":"613477","type":"image","title":"Wastewater Grant Researchers","body":null,"created":"1540911287","gmt_created":"2018-10-30 14:54:47","changed":"1540997509","gmt_changed":"2018-10-31 14:51:49","alt":"Three Georgia Tech researchers talking behind a table loaded with lettuce and vegetables.","file":{"fid":"233550","name":"Wastewater _Grant_Researchers_Tomato.300dpi.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater%20_Grant_Researchers_Tomato.300dpi.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater%20_Grant_Researchers_Tomato.300dpi.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":216065,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Wastewater%20_Grant_Researchers_Tomato.300dpi.jpg?itok=UwfBti3c"}},"613464":{"id":"613464","type":"image","title":"Wastewater Grant Vegetables","body":null,"created":"1540906730","gmt_created":"2018-10-30 13:38:50","changed":"1540906730","gmt_changed":"2018-10-30 13:38:50","alt":"Image of lettuce, yellow squash, eggplant and red bell pepper","file":{"fid":"233547","name":"Wastewater_Grant_Colorful_Veggies.horiz_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Colorful_Veggies.horiz_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Colorful_Veggies.horiz_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":148295,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Colorful_Veggies.horiz_.jpg?itok=AHDEk4Mf"}},"613478":{"id":"613478","type":"image","title":"Wastewater Grant Lettuce","body":null,"created":"1540911427","gmt_created":"2018-10-30 14:57:07","changed":"1540911427","gmt_changed":"2018-10-30 14:57:07","alt":"Image of green lettuce leaves","file":{"fid":"233552","name":"Wastewater_Grant_Lettuce.horiz_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Lettuce.horiz_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Lettuce.horiz_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":142900,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Lettuce.horiz_.jpg?itok=TgMY3pjw"}},"613479":{"id":"613479","type":"image","title":"Wastewater Grant Researchers Skyline","body":null,"created":"1540911707","gmt_created":"2018-10-30 15:01:47","changed":"1540997527","gmt_changed":"2018-10-31 14:52:07","alt":"Three Georgia Tech researchers in front of the Atlanta skyline.","file":{"fid":"233553","name":"Wastewater_Grant_Researchers_Skyline.horiz_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Researchers_Skyline.horiz_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Researchers_Skyline.horiz_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":163700,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Wastewater_Grant_Researchers_Skyline.horiz_.jpg?itok=5bQb3ftX"}}},"media_ids":["613477","613464","613478","613479"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179966","name":"hydroponics"},{"id":"174353","name":"wastewater"},{"id":"179967","name":"locally grown"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"614647":{"#nid":"614647","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Solving a 75-Year-Old Mystery Might Provide a New Source of Farm Fertilizer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe solution to a 75-year-old materials mystery might one day allow farmers in developing nations to produce their own fertilizer on demand, using sunlight and nitrogen from the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThanks to a specialized X-ray source at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have confirmed the existence of a long-hypothesized interaction between nitrogen and titanium dioxide (TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) \u0026ndash; a common photoactive material also known as titania \u0026ndash; in the presence of light. The catalytic reaction is believed to use carbon atoms found as contaminants on the titania.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the nitrogen-fixing reaction can be scaled up, it might one day help power clean farm-scale fertilizer production that could reduce dependence on capital-intensive centralized production facilities and costly distribution systems that drive up costs for farmers in isolated areas of the world. Most of the world\u0026rsquo;s fertilizer is now made using ammonia produced by the Haber-Bosch process, which requires large amounts of natural gas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In the United States, we have an excellent production and distribution system for fertilizer. However, many countries are not able to afford to build Haber-Bosch plants, and may not even have adequate transportation infrastructure to import fertilizers. For these regions, photocatalytic nitrogen fixation might be useful for on-demand fertilizer production,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hatzell\u0022\u003EMarta Hatzell\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Ultimately, this might be a low-cost process that could make fertilizer-based nutrients available to a broader array of farmers.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHatzell and collaborator \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/andrew-j-medford\u0022\u003EAndrew Medford\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, are working with scientists at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) to study the potential impacts of the reaction process. The research was reported October 29 in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research began more than two years ago when Hatzell and Medford began collaborating on a materials mystery that originated with a 1941 paper published by Seshacharyulu Dhar, an Indian soil scientist who reported observing an increase in ammonia emitted from compost subjected to light. Dhar suggested that a photocatalytic reaction with minerals in the compost could be responsible for the ammonia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince that paper, other researchers have reported nitrogen fixation on titania and ammonia production, but the results have not been consistently confirmed experimentally.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMedford, a theoretician, worked with graduate research assistant Benjamin Comer to model the chemical pathways that would be needed to fix nitrogen on titania to potentially create ammonia using additional reactions. The calculations suggested the proposed process was highly unlikely on pure titania, and the researchers failed to win a grant they had proposed to use to study the mysterious process. However, they were awarded experimental time on the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/als.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Light Source\u003C\/a\u003E at the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which allowed them to finally test a key component of the hypothesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESpecialized equipment at the lab allowed Hatzell and graduate student Yu-Hsuan Liu to use X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to examine the surface of titania as nitrogen, water and oxygen interacted with the surfaces under near-ambient pressure in the dark and in the light. At first, the researchers saw no photochemical nitrogen fixation, but as the experiments continued, they observed a unique interaction between nitrogen and titania when light was directed at the minerals surface.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat accounted for the initial lack of results? Hatzell and Medford believe that surface contamination with carbon \u0026ndash; likely from a hydrocarbon \u0026ndash; is a necessary part of the catalytic process for nitrogen reduction on the titania. \u0026ldquo;Prior to testing, the samples are cleaned to remove nearly all the trace carbon from the surface, however during experiments carbon from various sources (gases and the vacuum chamber) can introduce trace amount of carbon back onto the sample,\u0026rdquo; Hatzell explained. \u0026ldquo;What we observed was that reduced nitrogen species only were detected if there was a degree of carbon on the sample.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hydrocarbon contamination hypothesis would explain why earlier research had provided inconsistent results. Carbon is always present at trace levels on titania, but getting the right amount and type may be key to making the hypothesized reaction work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We think this explains the puzzling results that had been reported in the literature, and we hope it gives insights into how to engineer new catalysts using this 75-year-old mystery,\u0026rdquo; Medford said. \u0026ldquo;Often the best catalysts are materials that are very pristine and made in a clean room. Here you have just the opposite \u0026ndash; this reaction actually needs the impurities, which could be beneficial for sustainable applications in farming.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope to experimentally confirm the role of carbon with upcoming tests at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which will allow them to directly probe the carbon during the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation process. They also hope to learn more about the catalytic mechanism so that they can better control the reaction to improve efficiency, which is currently less than one percent.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research reported in the journal did not measure ammonia, but Hatzell and her students have since detected it in lab scale tests. Because the ammonia is currently produced at such low levels, the researchers had to take precautions to avoid ammonia-based contamination. \u0026ldquo;Even tape used on equipment can create small quantities of ammonia that can affect the measurements,\u0026rdquo; Medford added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the amounts of ammonia produced by the reaction are currently low, Hatzell and Medford believe that with process improvements, the advantages of on-site fertilizer production under benign conditions could overcome that limitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;While this may sound ridiculous from a practical perspective at first, if you actually look at the needs of the problem and the fact that sunlight and nitrogen from the air are free, on a cost basis it starts to look more interesting,\u0026rdquo; Medford said. \u0026ldquo;If you could operate a small-scale ammonia production facility with enough capacity for one farm, you have immediately made a difference.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHatzell credits cutting-edge surface science with finally providing an explanation to the mystery.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Since earlier investigators looked at this, there have been significant advances made in the area of measurement and surface science,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;Most surface science measurements require the use of ultra-high vacuum conditions which do not mimic the catalytic environment you aim to investigate. The near ambient pressure XPS at Lawrence Berkeley National lab, allowed us to take a step closer to observing this reaction in its native environment.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by startup funds from Georgia Tech to Hatzell and Medford, and by Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Serve-Learn-Sustain initiative. The effort also received a boost from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results (TI:GER\u0026reg;) program, which supported research into potential stakeholders for scale-up of the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research included Marm B. Dixit and Kelsey B. Hatzell from Vanderbilt University and Yifan Ye and Ethan J. Crumlin from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research used resources of the Advanced Light Source, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Benjamin M. Comer, et al., \u0026ldquo;The Role of Adventitious Carbon in Photo-catalytic Nitrogen Fixation by Titania,\u0026rdquo; (Journal of American Chemical Society, 2018). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/jacs.8b08464\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/jacs.8b08464\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe solution to a 75-year-old materials mystery might one day allow farmers in developing nations to produce their own fertilizer on demand, using sunlight and nitrogen from the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Solving a 75-year-old mystery could provide a new way to produce farm fertilizer."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-11-27 15:44:34","changed_gmt":"2018-11-27 16:11:03","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614638":{"id":"614638","type":"image","title":"Titanium dioxide sample","body":null,"created":"1543332136","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 15:22:16","changed":"1543332136","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 15:22:16","alt":"Sample of titanium dioxide","file":{"fid":"233999","name":"photocatalytic-006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-006.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-006.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":222093,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photocatalytic-006.jpg?itok=7IY7w35a"}},"614641":{"id":"614641","type":"image","title":"Studying titania sample","body":null,"created":"1543332288","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 15:24:48","changed":"1543332288","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 15:24:48","alt":"Studying titania sample","file":{"fid":"234002","name":"photocatalytic-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":578277,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photocatalytic-003.jpg?itok=qoBb3-do"}},"614643":{"id":"614643","type":"image","title":"Studying titania sample2","body":null,"created":"1543332557","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 15:29:17","changed":"1543332557","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 15:29:17","alt":"Studying titania sample","file":{"fid":"234005","name":"photocatalytic-004.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-004_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-004_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":454457,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photocatalytic-004_0.jpg?itok=CuCyHiuA"}},"614644":{"id":"614644","type":"image","title":"Researchers study titanium dioxide reaction","body":null,"created":"1543332671","gmt_created":"2018-11-27 15:31:11","changed":"1543332671","gmt_changed":"2018-11-27 15:31:11","alt":"Researchers working on titania catalysis","file":{"fid":"234006","name":"photocatalytic-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photocatalytic-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":710775,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photocatalytic-001.jpg?itok=KT7tM6UX"}}},"media_ids":["614638","614641","614643","614644"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179791","name":"titania"},{"id":"170267","name":"titanium dioxide"},{"id":"10946","name":"fertilizer"},{"id":"167182","name":"solar"},{"id":"2507","name":"catalysis"},{"id":"96881","name":"farm"},{"id":"170556","name":"nitrogen"},{"id":"179793","name":"Andrew Medford"},{"id":"179792","name":"Marta Hatzell"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"613410":{"#nid":"613410","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Finally, a Robust Fuel Cell that Runs on Methane at Practical Temperatures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFuel cells have not been particularly known for their practicality and affordability, but that may have just changed. There\u0026rsquo;s a new cell that runs on cheap fuel at temperatures comparable to automobile engines and which slashes materials costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the cell is in the lab, it has high potential to someday electrically power homes and perhaps cars, say the researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology who led its development. In a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41560-018-0262-5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew study in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Energy\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003Ethe researchers detailed how they reimagined the entire fuel cell with the help of a newly invented fuel catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst has dispensed with high-priced hydrogen fuel by making its own out of cheap, readily available methane. And improvements throughout the cell cooled the seething operating temperatures that are customary in methane fuel cells dramatically, a striking engineering accomplishment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMethane fuel cells usually require temperatures of 750 to 1,000 degrees Celsius to run. This new one needs only about 500, which is even a notch cooler than automobile combustion engines, which run at around 600 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat lower temperature could trigger cascading cost savings in the ancillary technology needed to operate a fuel cell, potentially pushing the new cell to commercial viability. The researchers feel confident that engineers can design electric power units around this fuel cell with reasonable effort, something that has eluded previous methane fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Sensation in our world\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our cell could make for a straightforward, robust overall system that uses cheap stainless steel to make\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1073\/7\/7\/4601\u0022\u003Einterconnectors\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; said Meilin Liu, who led the study and is a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meilin-liu\u0022\u003ERegents\u0026nbsp;Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Interconnectors are parts that help bring together many fuel cells into a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioage.typepad.com\/.a\/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef01b7c760a5ae970b-popup\u0022\u003Estack\u003C\/a\u003E, or functional unit.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Above 750 degrees Celsius, no metal would withstand the temperature without oxidation, so you\u0026rsquo;d have a lot of trouble getting materials, and they would be extremely expensive and fragile, and contaminate the cell,\u0026rdquo; Liu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Lowering the temperature to 500 degrees Celsius is a sensation in our world. Very few people have even tried it,\u0026rdquo; said Ben deGlee, a graduate research assistant in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab and one of the first authors of the study. \u0026ldquo;When you get that low, it makes the job of the engineer designing the stack and connected technologies much easier.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new cell also eliminates the need for a major ancillary device called a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steam_reforming\u0022\u003Esteam reformer\u003C\/a\u003E, which is normally required to convert methane and water into hydrogen fuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiu, deGlee, co-first author Yu Chen, who is a postdoctoral researcher in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab, and co-first author Yu Tang of the University of Kansas,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41560-018-0262-5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epublished the results\u003C\/strong\u003E of their research on October 29, 2018\u003C\/a\u003E. Their work was funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), both in the U.S. Department of Energy. It was also funded by the National Science Foundation\u0026rsquo;s Division of Chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Distributed generation\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was based on a type of fuel cell with high potential for commercial viability, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solid_oxide_fuel_cell\u0022\u003Esolid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)\u003C\/a\u003E. SOFCs are known for their versatility in fuels they can use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it goes to market, though the new cell might not power automobiles for a while, it could land sooner in basements as part of a more decentralized, cleaner, cheaper electrical power grid. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fueleconomy.gov\/feg\/fcv_PEM.shtml\u0022\u003Efuel cell stack\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;itself would be about the size of a shoebox, plus ancillary technology to make it run.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The hope is you could install this device like a tankless water heater. It would run off of natural gas to power your house,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;That would save society and industry the enormous cost of new power plants and large electrical grid expansions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It would make homes and businesses more power independent,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;That kind of system would be called distributed generation, and our sponsors want to develop that.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHomemade hydrogen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHydrogen is the best fuel for powering fuel cells, but its cost is exorbitant. The researchers figured out how to convert methane to hydrogen in the fuel cell itself via the new catalyst, which is made with cerium, nickel and ruthenium and has the chemical formula Ce\u003Csub\u003E0.9\u003C\/sub\u003ENi\u003Csub\u003E0.05\u003C\/sub\u003ERu\u003Csub\u003E0.05\u003C\/sub\u003EO\u003Csub\u003E2,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/sub\u003Eabbreviated CNR.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen methane and water molecules come into contact with the catalyst and heat, nickel chemically cleaves the methane molecule. Ruthenium does the same with water. The resulting parts come back together as that very desirable hydrogen (H\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) and carbon monoxide (CO), which the researchers surprisingly put to good use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;CO causes performance problems in most fuel cells, but here, we\u0026rsquo;re using it as a fuel,\u0026rdquo; Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking electricity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EH\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;and CO continue on to further catalyst layers that make up the anode, the part of the fuel cell that yanks off electrons, making the carbon monoxide and hydrogen positively charged ions. The electrons travel via a wire -\u0026nbsp;creating the electricity flow -\u0026nbsp;toward the cathode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere, oxygen, which is very electron-hungry, sucks up the electrons, closing the electrical circuit and becoming O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;ions. Ionized hydrogen and oxygen meet and exit the system as water condensation; the carbon monoxide and oxygen ions meet to become pure carbon dioxide, which could be captured.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the energy produced, fuel cell technology creates far, far less carbon dioxide than combustion engines.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some fuel cells, the water in the initial reactions must be introduced from the outside. In this new fuel cell, it\u0026rsquo;s replenished in the last reaction phase, which forms water that cycles back to react with the methane.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECatalysts converge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new catalyst, CNR, manufactured by research collaborators at the University of Kansas, is the outer layer of the anode side of the cell and doubles as a protectant against decay, extending the life of the cell. CNR has strong cohort catalysts in inner layers and on the other side of the cell, the cathode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the cathode end, oxygen\u0026rsquo;s reaction and movement through the system are usually notoriously slow, but Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab has recently sped it up to raise the electricity output by using what\u0026rsquo;s called nanofiber cathodes, which Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab developed in a prior study. (\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/ncomms14586\u0022\u003EA tailored double perovskite nanofiber catalyst enables ultrafast oxygen evolution\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The structures of these various catalysts, as well as the nanofiber cathodes, all together allowed us to drop the operating temperature,\u0026rdquo; Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlso read:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/603738\/turbocharging-fuel-cells-multifunctional-catalyst\u0022\u003ETurbocharging Fuel Cells with a Multifunctional Catalyst \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;following people coauthored the research: B\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eote\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Zhao,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EL\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eei\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Zhang,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ES\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eeonyoung\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYoo,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EKai Pei, Jun Hyuk Kim\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYong Ding of Georgia Tech; Yuechang Wei and Franklin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EF\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eeng\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Tao of the University of Kansas, and Z\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eiyun\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Wang and P\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Hu of The Queen\u0026rsquo;s University of Belfast. The research was funded by the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. Department of Energy under the following agencies and programs: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) REBELS program (award DE-AR0000502), and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESECA Core Technology Program (award DE-FE0031201)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, the Catalysis program of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (grant DE- SC0014561). It was also funded by the Division of Chemistry of the National Science Foundation (award 1462121). Any results, conclusions, and opinions are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E10.1038\/s41560-018-0262-5\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408), ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEither exorbitantly expensive fuel or insanely hot temperatures have made fuel cells a boutique proposition, but now there\u0026#39;s one that runs on cheap methane and at much lower temperatures. This is a practical, affordable fuel cell and a \u0026quot;sensation in our world,\u0026quot; the engineers say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Cheap fuel, cool temperatures, low material costs: This fuel cell could spread to homes and cars."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-10-29 15:16:12","changed_gmt":"2018-11-19 19:17:09","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"613412":{"id":"613412","type":"image","title":"Single fuel cell, new, practical, affordable cell","body":null,"created":"1540829880","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 16:18:00","changed":"1540906546","gmt_changed":"2018-10-30 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14:58:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233528","name":"FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2605875,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg?itok=o9oQA-z-"}},"613407":{"id":"613407","type":"image","title":"Yu Chen tests new fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1540824711","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:51:51","changed":"1540824711","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:51:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233527","name":"FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3097585,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg?itok=QI1W7I1y"}},"613404":{"id":"613404","type":"image","title":"New, affordable fuel cell hooked up for testing","body":null,"created":"1540824321","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:45:21","changed":"1540824321","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:45:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233525","name":"FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3218233,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg?itok=1eb2Rb6k"}},"613409":{"id":"613409","type":"image","title":"Fuel cell re-imagined diagram with catalyst innovation","body":null,"created":"1540825446","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 15:04:06","changed":"1540825446","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 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14:43:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233524","name":"GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3261629,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg?itok=-OhC4wAB"}}},"media_ids":["613412","613406","613408","613407","613404","613409","613403"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"179519","name":"fuel cell catalyst"},{"id":"179520","name":"fuel cell efficiency"},{"id":"179521","name":"fuel cell electronic vehicle"},{"id":"179522","name":"Fuel Cell Technologies"},{"id":"179523","name":"fuel cell home energy"},{"id":"179524","name":"methane fuel cel"},{"id":"179525","name":"natural gas fuel cell"},{"id":"48351","name":"interconnect"},{"id":"179526","name":"stainless steel interconnectors"},{"id":"179527","name":"fuel cell stack"},{"id":"179528","name":"Stack"},{"id":"171091","name":"solid oxide fuel cell"},{"id":"177407","name":"SOFC"},{"id":"179529","name":"distributed generation"},{"id":"179530","name":"Steam energy plants"},{"id":"179531","name":"Ce0.9Ni0.05 Ru0.05O2"},{"id":"179532","name":"cnr"},{"id":"179533","name":"Ruthenium"},{"id":"1575","name":"carbon monoxide"},{"id":"7021","name":"cathode"},{"id":"179534","name":"nanofiber cathodes"},{"id":"6531","name":"catalysts"},{"id":"174838","name":"perovskite"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"614079":{"#nid":"614079","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Stripping the Linchpins From the Life-Making Machine Reaffirms Its Seminal Evolution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESo audacious was Marcus Bray\u0026rsquo;s experiment that even he feared it would fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the system inside cells that translates genetic code into life, he replaced about 1,000 essential linchpins with primitive substitutes to see if the translational system would survive and function. It seemed impossible, yet it went swimmingly, and Bray \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/11\/08\/1803636115\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehad compelling evidence\u003C\/a\u003E that the system would have worked as it is today in\u0026nbsp;extremely harsh conditions 4 billion years ago when it evolved.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment\u0026rsquo;s success reaffirmed the translational system\u0026rsquo;s place at the earliest foundations of life on Earth and its robustness through the eons.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe translational system\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery living thing exists because the translational system receives messages from DNA delivered to it by RNA and translates the messages into proteins. The system centers on a cellular machine called the ribosome, which is made of multiple large molecules of RNA and protein and is ubiquitous in life as we know it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s nothing alive without ribosomes,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ww2.chemistry.gatech.edu\/~lw26\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELoren Williams, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;The ribosome is about the oldest and most universal part of biology, and its origins go very far back to a time not too long after Earth had formed and cooled.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMagnesium linchpins yanked\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose linchpins that hold it all together and that Bray yanked out and replaced were metal ions (atoms with charges, in this case positive).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn today\u0026rsquo;s ribosome, and in the whole translational system, the linchpins are magnesium ions, and Bray\u0026rsquo;s experiment replaced them all with iron ions and manganese ions, which were overabundant on primordial Earth. Williams and Jennifer Glass, the principal investigators \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/11\/08\/1803636115\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the new study\u003C\/a\u003E, also had their doubts the system would hold up without the magnesium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I thought, \u0026lsquo;It\u0026rsquo;s not going to work, but we might as well try the moonshot\u0026rsquo;,\u0026rdquo; said Williams who has led similar work before but on simpler molecules. \u0026ldquo;The fact that swapping out all the magnesium in the translational system actually worked was mind-boggling.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s because in living systems today, magnesium helps shape ribosomes and help them work. It is\u0026nbsp;needed in addition to the ribosome for some 20\u0026nbsp;enzymes of the translational system. It\u0026rsquo;s one reason why dietary magnesium (Mg) is so important.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The number of different things magnesium does in the ribosome and in the translational system is just enormous,\u0026rdquo; said Williams. \u0026ldquo;There are so many types of catalytic activities in translation, and magnesium is involved in almost all of them.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELava-belching Earth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen first life evolved, fissures in Earth\u0026rsquo;s crust still belched lava and meteor impacts were still common. There was no breathable oxygen and the planet was brimming with iron and manganese.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis may have made them attractive for the translational system to use as the dominant ions. Magnesium was likely involved, too, though it was probably less available than today.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers wanted to know if the translational system first evolved to function with those other metals as their linchpins. So, Bray, a graduate research assistant in Williams\u0026rsquo;s and in Glass\u0026rsquo;s lab, swapped out the magnesium ions for them, tabula rasa.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We didn\u0026rsquo;t have any substantial reason to believe it would work, and it was a huge surprise to all of us when it did,\u0026rdquo; Bray said. And it strongly corroborated that the translational system would have thrived under early Earth conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBray, co-first author Timothy Lenz and co-principal investigators Glass and Williams \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/11\/08\/1803636115\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their results in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on November 9, 2018\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was funded by the NASA Exobiology program. Glass is an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Textbook-rewriting results\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmazingly, the atomic swaps barely changed the shape of the ribosome.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s totally unbelievable this would work because biology makes very specific use of things. Change one atom and it can wreck a whole protein,\u0026rdquo; Williams said. \u0026ldquo;When we probed the structure, we saw that all three metals do essentially the same thing to the structure.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen they tested the performance of the translational system with iron replacing magnesium, it was 50 to 80 percent as efficient as normal (with magnesium). \u0026ldquo;Manganese worked even better than iron,\u0026rdquo; Bray said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I think these may be textbook-rewriting results since the whole field of ribosome research involves magnesium,\u0026rdquo; Bray said. \u0026ldquo;Now, with what we\u0026rsquo;ve done, it\u0026rsquo;s no longer the case that only magnesium works.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimordial gas tent\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBray incubated ribosomes in the presence of magnesium, iron, or manganese inside a special chamber with an artificial atmosphere devoid of oxygen, like the Earth four billion years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe found that the magnesium replacement went far beyond atoms in the ribosome.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Surrounding the ribosome is also a huge cloud of magnesium atoms. It\u0026rsquo;s called an atmosphere, or shell, and engulfs it completely. I replaced everything, including that, and the whole system still worked.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEons down the road, the evolution of the translational system in the presence of magnesium may have given it an adaptive advantage. As oxygen levels on Earth rose, binding up free manganese and iron, and making them less available to biology, magnesium probably comfortably assumed the thousands of roles it occupies in the translational system today.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/610192\/laughing-gas-may-have-helped-warm-early-earth-and-given-breath-life\u0022\u003ELaughing Gas May Have Helped Warm Early Earth and Given Breath to Life\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese researchers coauthored the study: Jay Haynes, Jessica Bowman, Anton Petrov, Amit Reddi, and Nicholas Hud, all of Georgia Tech. The research was funded by the NASA Exobiology program (grants NNX14AJ87G, NNX16AJ28G, and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENNX16AJ29G). Findings, conclusions, opinions, and recommendations in the material are those of the authors and not necessarily of NASA.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudy in PNAS\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/10\/30\/1810140115\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404) 660-1408, ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis experiment had a good chance of crashing. Instead, it delivered whopping evidence to collaborate the earliest evolution of the translational system, the mechanisms which make\u0026nbsp;life out of our genes. The study swapped out all its magnesium, tabula rasa, and showed that the system\u0026nbsp;would have thrived almost as it is today 4 billion years ago at the earliest foundations of life on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An experiment way too bold delivers whopping evidence of the translational system\u0027s seminal appearance in evolution."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-11-09 17:59:14","changed_gmt":"2018-11-15 03:18:40","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614068":{"id":"614068","type":"image","title":"Ribosome illustration","body":null,"created":"1541783865","gmt_created":"2018-11-09 17:17:45","changed":"1541783865","gmt_changed":"2018-11-09 17:17:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233775","name":"ribosome 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17:52:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232354","name":"Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3794331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg?itok=kHgcY4yv"}},"614074":{"id":"614074","type":"image","title":"Loren Williams portrait photo","body":null,"created":"1541784612","gmt_created":"2018-11-09 17:30:12","changed":"1541784612","gmt_changed":"2018-11-09 17:30:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233779","name":"Loren.portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Loren.portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Loren.portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2571851,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Loren.portrait.jpg?itok=YhMRbHpl"}},"614072":{"id":"614072","type":"image","title":"Translational system illustration","body":null,"created":"1541783996","gmt_created":"2018-11-09 17:19:56","changed":"1541783996","gmt_changed":"2018-11-09 17:19:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233777","name":"How_proteins_are_made_NSF (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/How_proteins_are_made_NSF%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/How_proteins_are_made_NSF%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":368402,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/How_proteins_are_made_NSF%20%281%29.jpg?itok=Yobyk8IU"}},"575821":{"id":"575821","type":"image","title":"The evolution of the ribosome, illustrating growth of the large (LSU) and small (SSU) subunits, first as separate units and eventually as parts of a whole.","body":null,"created":"1473772232","gmt_created":"2016-09-13 13:10:32","changed":"1475895386","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:26","alt":"The evolution of the ribosome, illustrating growth of the large (LSU) and small (SSU) subunits, first as separate units and eventually as parts of a whole.","file":{"fid":"207222","name":"ribosomeevolution.loren_.williams_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ribosomeevolution.loren_.williams_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ribosomeevolution.loren_.williams_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":443280,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ribosomeevolution.loren_.williams_0.jpg?itok=453AlPbq"}}},"media_ids":["614068","614073","610185","614074","614072","575821"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"126571","name":"go-PetitInstitute"},{"id":"179666","name":"translational system"},{"id":"6730","name":"ribosome"},{"id":"179667","name":"ribosomal evolution"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"},{"id":"89971","name":"chemical evolution"},{"id":"34961","name":"iron"},{"id":"174064","name":"iron cycle"},{"id":"34971","name":"magnesium"},{"id":"179668","name":"Manganese"},{"id":"177829","name":"macromolecule"},{"id":"179669","name":"macromolecular machine"},{"id":"919","name":"Biochemistry"},{"id":"11047","name":"Prebiotic Chemistry"},{"id":"9859","name":"Prebiotic"},{"id":"179670","name":"Archean"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"612823":{"#nid":"612823","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Animals Use Their Tails to Swish and Swat Away Insects","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn adult elephant weighs in at nearly five tons. Its peskiest threat is a fraction of that. But in order for a pachyderm to slap away a tiny mosquito once it lands on its backside, an elephant must generate the same amount of torque it takes to accelerate a car.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s one finding in a new Georgia Institute of Technology study that looked at how animals use their tails to keep mosquitoes at bay. The researchers also discovered that mammals swish the tips of their tails at a velocity of one meter per second, nearly the same speed as a mosquito flies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study and its findings could help engineers discover new methods of building robots and energy-efficient machines that protect humans and animals from mosquitoes.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Most people assume that animals use their tails to swat at bugs, but we wanted to know how they do it,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, the Georgia Tech professor who supervised the study. \u0026ldquo;They basically have two methods of attack: the swish and swat.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESwishing at one meter per second, an animal creates enough wind to keep nearly 50 percent of mosquitoes from landing on its rear end.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team determined that success rate by building their own mammal tail simulator. They placed a fan atop an acrylic cylinder filled with 10 mosquitoes, then spun the machine at different speeds to see how many insects reached the top.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Running the fan faster than an animal\u0026rsquo;s tail kept even more mosquitoes away, but it takes a lot more energy to spin that quickly,\u0026rdquo; said Marguerite Matherne, a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emechanical engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student who led the study. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s more efficient to swing their tails at just the right speed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe swish isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect, with about 15 percent of the biters finding their way to the animal\u0026rsquo;s skin. That\u0026rsquo;s why they also rely on the swat, the second layer of defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMatherne went to Zoo Atlanta and pointed a video camera at elephants, zebras and giraffes. She also went to a horse farm. With hours of footage of animals\u0026rsquo; backsides, she noticed that their tails have two parts that sway back and forth: the top part is bone and skin, and the bottom part is mostly hair. She found that the researchers could accurately model the tail as a double pendulum. That\u0026rsquo;s what the mammals use to accurately swat mosquitoes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our model shows that the swatting movement of both segments of the tail can be reproduced by only controlling the hinge at the top. Roboticists have struggled to accurately control double pendulums,\u0026rdquo; said Matherne. \u0026ldquo;By adjusting the torque during our simulations, we could control both movements.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn elephant\u0026rsquo;s tail weighs about 25 pounds. To lift it up and snap it sideways in 1.3 seconds, the huge animal must generate the same amount of torque as the engine of a sedan \u0026mdash; 350 Newton meters to be exact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHumans have used some kind of fly deterrent for centuries. Matherne and Hu\u0026rsquo;s paper also looked at one of the more recent devices \u0026mdash; the ShooAway \u0026mdash; that uses two spinning arms to thwart flying mosquitos. The Georgia Tech team replaced their fan with a ShooAway and found that the product is just as effective as an animal\u0026rsquo;s tail, although it spins faster than necessary.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHu has previously studied how dogs shake to stay dry, how frogs use their sticky tongues to grab prey and how mosquitoes fly in the rain. He chose animal tails after hearing Matherne talk about being hit in the face while riding horses as a child.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;She\u0026rsquo;s been swatted enough times to know that horses can deliver a pretty good sting,\u0026rdquo; said Hu. \u0026ldquo;We wanted to know why the swat had to be so powerful. It turns out they swish their tails at a tip speed that generates a small air flow, then swat away those that manage to land by activating only the muscles at the base of the tail.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe paper, \u0026ldquo;Mammals repel mosquitoes with their tails,\u0026rdquo; is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation through award PHY-1255127.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Marguerite E. Matherne, Kasey Cockerill, Yiyang Zhou, Mihir Bellamkonda, and David L. Hu, \u0026ldquo;Mammals repel mosquitoes with their tails,\u0026rdquo; (Journal of Experimental Biology 2018) http:\/\/jeb.biologists.org\/content\/221\/20\/jeb178905\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jason Maderer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Findings could help engineers build better devices to repel mosquitoes"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows how animals use their tails to keep mosquitoes at bay by combining a swish that blows away most of the biting bugs and a swat that kills the ones that get through.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows how animals use their tails to keep mosquitoes at bay."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-10-16 17:38:29","changed_gmt":"2018-10-16 19:02:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"612817":{"id":"612817","type":"image","title":"Mammal tail simulator","body":null,"created":"1539710617","gmt_created":"2018-10-16 17:23:37","changed":"1539710617","gmt_changed":"2018-10-16 17:23:37","alt":"Researchers with mammal tail simulator","file":{"fid":"233297","name":"animal-tails_9758.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/animal-tails_9758.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/animal-tails_9758.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":610829,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/animal-tails_9758.jpg?itok=LsrYRrtM"}},"612819":{"id":"612819","type":"image","title":"Researchers of animal tail motion","body":null,"created":"1539710758","gmt_created":"2018-10-16 17:25:58","changed":"1539710758","gmt_changed":"2018-10-16 17:25:58","alt":"Researchers with animal tail simulator","file":{"fid":"233298","name":"animal-tails-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/animal-tails-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/animal-tails-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":468047,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/animal-tails-003.jpg?itok=UnvUjVkS"}},"612820":{"id":"612820","type":"image","title":"Horse swatting an insect","body":null,"created":"1539710878","gmt_created":"2018-10-16 17:27:58","changed":"1539710878","gmt_changed":"2018-10-16 17:27:58","alt":"Horse swatting an insect","file":{"fid":"233299","name":"Horse_swat.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Horse_swat.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Horse_swat.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":456468,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Horse_swat.jpg?itok=KW2hoVkx"}},"612822":{"id":"612822","type":"image","title":"Mosquito close-up","body":null,"created":"1539711249","gmt_created":"2018-10-16 17:34:09","changed":"1539711249","gmt_changed":"2018-10-16 17:34:09","alt":"Mosquito in horse tail","file":{"fid":"233300","name":"mosquito-tail.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito-tail.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito-tail.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":273215,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mosquito-tail.jpg?itok=uceBGoy2"}}},"media_ids":["612817","612819","612820","612822"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"35131","name":"mosquitoes"},{"id":"170499","name":"animal"},{"id":"179398","name":"animal tail"},{"id":"7470","name":"insect"},{"id":"179401","name":"insect repellent"},{"id":"297","name":"David Hu"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"558891":{"#nid":"558891","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Global Warming, a Dead Zone and Mysterious Bacteria","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn ocean expanses where oxygen has vanished, newly discovered bacteria are diminishing additional life molecules.\u0026nbsp;They are helping make virtual dead zones even deader.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s natural for bacteria to deplete nitrogen in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), ocean regions that have no detectable O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E.\u0026nbsp; But as climate change progresses, OMZs are ballooning, and that nitrogen depletion is also on the rise, drawing researchers to study it and possible ramifications for the global environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, a team led by the Georgia Institute of Technology has discovered members of a highly prolific bacteria group known as SAR11 living in the world\u0026rsquo;s largest oxygen minimum zone. The team has produced unambiguous evidence that the bacteria play a major role in denitrification.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E7 questions, 7 answers\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new bacteria impact global nutrient supplies and greenhouse gas cycles. Below are questions and answers that illuminate the discovery and its significance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/nature\/journal\/vaop\/ncurrent\/full\/nature19068.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their findings in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E on Wednesday, August 3, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E. They produced genomic and enzyme analyses that pave the way for further study of carbon and nitrogen cycles in oxygen minimum zones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the NASA Exobiology Program, the Sloan Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E1. Why does denitrification matter?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile melting ice caps and dying polar bears splash across headlines, climate change is stressing oceans in other ways, too \u0026ndash; such as warming and acidifying waters. Loss of ocean oxygen and nitrogen are pieces of that bigger puzzle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs to nitrogen: Anyone who has picked up a bag of fertilizer knows it as a building block of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s an essential nutrient,\u0026rdquo; said Frank Stewart, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences, who headed the team. \u0026ldquo;Nitrogen is used by all cells for proteins and DNA.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking it away makes it harder for algae and other organisms to grow, or even live. But it doesn\u0026rsquo;t stop there. Algae absorb carbon dioxide, so, when algae are diminished, that leaves more of that greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it\u0026rsquo;s not yet clear how heavily this particular loss of CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E absorption weighs in the global balance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E2. How do these newly discovered bacteria deplete nitrogen?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn OMZs, with O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E gone, the newly discovered strains of SAR11 bacteria (and some other bacteria) respire NO\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E (nitrate) instead, the Georgia Tech researchers found.\u0026nbsp;They kick off a chemical chain that leads to nitrogen disappearing out of the ocean.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;They take nitrate, convert it into nitrite (NO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E), and that can ultimately be used to produce gaseous nitrogen,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. Plain nitrogen, N\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, and nitrous oxide, N\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO, would result.\u0026nbsp; \u0026ldquo;Both of those gases have the potential to bubble out of the system and leave the ocean.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat makes the oxygen-barren waters even less hospitable to life while putting more nitrogen into the air, as well as nitrous oxide, a key greenhouse gas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe newly discovered members of the SAR11 bacteria clade \u0026ndash; clade means a branch of living species -- appear to be the single largest contingent of bacteria in OMZs. That makes them a very significant player in nitrogen loss.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E3. Ocean zones with no oxygen? Sounds wild. Did climate change do that?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo. Oxygen minimum zones are natural. The issue is that global warming is making them grow, just like it\u0026rsquo;s making ice caps shrink.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOMZs form mostly in the tropics, off coastlines where wind pushes surface waters out to sea, allowing deeper waters to rise up. These are full of nutrients and boost the growth of simple aquatic life like algae.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Eventually, the algae die and sink slowly,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. \u0026ldquo;Bacteria munch on it, and in the process, they breathe oxygen.\u0026rdquo; There\u0026rsquo;s so much algae that the bacteria consume oxygen at a dizzying rate, depleting the water of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGlobal warming is causing OMZs to spread because it makes seawater less able to hold oxygen.\u0026nbsp;As OMZs expand, so does the potential for denitrification, tipping global balances of nitrogen, greenhouse gases, and nutrients.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E4. I\u0026rsquo;ve heard of the disease SARS, but what is SAR11?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two are unrelated.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESARS is caused by a virus and is potentially deadly. SAR11 bacteria are not only harmless to humans; hypothetically, we might starve without them. They\u0026rsquo;re at the base of an oceanic food chain, which is very important to the global food supply.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;After they eat dissolved organic carbon (dead stuff), then the bacteria are eaten by bigger cells, which are eaten by larger plankton, and so on up the food chain,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPreviously known SAR11 are so incredibly widespread in the ocean, it\u0026rsquo;s surprising they\u0026rsquo;re not a household name.\u0026nbsp; They may even comprise the largest number of living organisms on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder the microscope, SAR11 bacteria pretty much look the same. \u0026ldquo;They\u0026rsquo;re usually short little slightly bent rods,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said.\u0026nbsp;Until now, SAR11 have been known to require oxygen to live, so finding SAR11 that respire nitrate is new and surprising.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E5. Where did the team get these new nitrate breathing SAR11 strains?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStewart and his team sailed for four days aboard a research vessel from San Diego, California, to an area off the Pacific coast of Mexico\u0026rsquo;s Calimo state. There, they dropped a carousel of tube-like bottles about four feet long down to the center of the world\u0026rsquo;s largest OMZ 1,000 feet below.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The bottoms and tops of the bottles are open,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said. \u0026ldquo;When you get to the depth you want, you close them to get your sample.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new bacteria don\u0026rsquo;t have species names yet, but their genomes, which were sequenced in the study, indicate they\u0026rsquo;re members of the SAR11 bacteria clade.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E6. Why is this discovery scientifically significant?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt upends quite justified scientific doubts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists thought SAR11 wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have strains that flourish in the harsh OMZ environment, because the SAR11 clade doesn\u0026rsquo;t have a reputation for being very adaptable. \u0026ldquo;When their genomes do change, they\u0026rsquo;re usually very subtle changes,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMany other bacteria, by contrast, plunk in and out big chunks of their DNA, making them widely adaptable. Also, though researchers had already detected genetic signatures of SAR11 bacteria in OMZs, they didn\u0026rsquo;t think the bacteria were actually at home there.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese facts put Stewart and his team under a heavy burden of proof.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E7. How did the scientists answer the doubts?\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey flushed out the genomes of 15 individual new bacteria strains they had captured as intact single cells. Surprisingly, the researchers found the blueprints for an enzyme, nitrate reductase, which could allow the bacteria to breathe nitrate in place of oxygen.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the novel bacteria have not yet been grown in the lab, the researchers inserted their nitrate reduction gene sequences into E. coli bacteria to see if they would use the DNA to produce the enzyme and if the enzyme would then work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt did.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Not all studies that do this kind of genome-based analysis take that extra step,\u0026rdquo; Stewart said with a long exhale. But it nailed nagging doubts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe thorough analyses produced a critical dataset for science to build upon. More research will be needed to find out what adaptations allow SAR11 bacteria to exist under such harsh conditions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EThe following researchers coauthored the study: Despina Tsementzi, Jieying Wu, Luis M. Rodriguez-R, Andrew S. Burns, Piyush Ranjan, Cory C. Padilla, Neha Sarode, Jennifer B. Glass and Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis from Georgia Tech; Samuel Deutsch, Sangeeta Nath, Rex R. Malmstrom and Tanja Woyke from the U.S. Department of Energy; Benjamin K. Stone from Bowdoin College; Laura A. Bristow from the Max Planck Institute; Bo Thamdrup and Morten Larsen from the University of Southern Denmark. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grants 1151698 and 1416673), the NASA Exobiology Program (grant NNX14AJ87G), the Sloan Foundation (RC944), and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Community Science Program. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Climate change focuses research on ocean areas depleted of oxygen, leading to discovery that topples tough doubts"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGlobal warming is expanding ocean regions where oxygen has already vanished. There, newly discovered bacteria deplete waters of nitrogen, a nutrient essential to life. Though nitrogen depletion itself is natural, it appears to be expanding along with burgeoning dead zones. That could add to greenhouse gas production and cause other imbalances, and\u0026nbsp;newly discovered bacteria play a major role.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While global warming shrinks ice caps, it\u0027s expanding \u201coxygen minimum zones,\u201d where newly discovered bacteria are depleting waters of nitrogen, a nutrient essential to life. This could be creating imbalances."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2016-08-03 12:45:05","changed_gmt":"2018-09-24 22:37:24","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"558741":{"id":"558741","type":"image","title":"Deep sea microbe collector","body":null,"created":"1470238964","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 15:42:44","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Deep sea microbe collector","file":{"fid":"218256","name":"collector_dives.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collector_dives.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collector_dives.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2770468,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/collector_dives.jpg?itok=vR9jcfI3"}},"558751":{"id":"558751","type":"image","title":"Deep sea microbe collector readied","body":null,"created":"1470239209","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 15:46:49","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Deep sea microbe collector readied","file":{"fid":"218257","name":"collectors.scis_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collectors.scis_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collectors.scis_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2584203,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/collectors.scis_.jpg?itok=RdbCPb1w"}},"558781":{"id":"558781","type":"image","title":"Lead researcher Frank Stewart","body":null,"created":"1470240298","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 16:04:58","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Lead researcher Frank Stewart","file":{"fid":"218258","name":"frank_stewart_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frank_stewart_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frank_stewart_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2071729,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/frank_stewart_portrait.jpg?itok=DhZqUMlg"}},"558811":{"id":"558811","type":"image","title":"Frank Stewart and Bo Thamdrup","body":null,"created":"1470240537","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 16:08:57","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Frank Stewart and Bo Thamdrup","file":{"fid":"218260","name":"stewart_thamdrup.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stewart_thamdrup.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stewart_thamdrup.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2067757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stewart_thamdrup.jpg?itok=7zsvMRkt"}},"558861":{"id":"558861","type":"image","title":"Reseach vessel sailed to the world\u0027s largest OMZ","body":null,"created":"1470241212","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 16:20:12","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Reseach vessel sailed to the world\u0027s largest OMZ","file":{"fid":"218262","name":"dscf7397.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dscf7397.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dscf7397.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1736464,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dscf7397.jpg?itok=ZZl17Jub"}},"558831":{"id":"558831","type":"image","title":"Carrousel of collector tubes prepares for submersion","body":null,"created":"1470240703","gmt_created":"2016-08-03 16:11:43","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Carrousel of collector tubes prepares for submersion","file":{"fid":"218261","name":"collectors_crain.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collectors_crain.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/collectors_crain.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2625472,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/collectors_crain.jpg?itok=7jqOGf7f"}}},"media_ids":["558741","558751","558781","558811","558861","558831"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"170551","name":"bacteria genomes"},{"id":"7454","name":"CO2"},{"id":"170552","name":"collector"},{"id":"170553","name":"denitrification"},{"id":"25111","name":"Frank Stewart"},{"id":"7078","name":"microbe"},{"id":"170554","name":"N2O"},{"id":"170555","name":"nitrate"},{"id":"170556","name":"nitrogen"},{"id":"170557","name":"NO3"},{"id":"170502","name":"O2"},{"id":"170558","name":"OMZ"},{"id":"170559","name":"oxygen minimum zone"},{"id":"170560","name":"SAR11"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter and contact: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"611297":{"#nid":"611297","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Trailblazing Molecular Jungles with New Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Consortium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThey may look a little like space capsules, but nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers stay planted on the floor and use potent magnetism to explore opaque constellations of molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThree Atlanta area universities jointly launched a nuclear magnetic resonance collaboration called the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/atlantanmr.com\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta NMR Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E to optimize the use of this technology that provides insights into relevant chemical samples containing so many compounds that they can otherwise easily elude adequate characterization. The consortium has been operating since July 2018.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrab pee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETake, for example, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/600559\u0022\u003Ecrab urine\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u0026rsquo;s packed with hundreds to thousands of varying metabolites, and researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology wanted to nail down one or two of them that triggered a widespread crab behavior. Without access to NMR they may not have found them at all even after an extensive search.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe spectrometer pulled the right two needles out of the haystack, so the researchers could test them on the crabs and confirm that they were initiating the behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEmory University, Georgia State University and Georgia Tech already have NMR technology, but the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/atlantanmr.com\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta NMR Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E will enable them to fully exploit it while cost-effectively staying on top of upgrades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;NMR continues to grow and develop because of technological advances,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chemistry.emory.edu\/home\/people\/faculty\/lynn-david.html\u0022\u003EDavid Lynn\u003C\/a\u003E, a chemistry professor at Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat means buying new machines every so often, and one new NMR spectrometer can run into the millions; annual maintenance for one machine can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, reducing costs and maximizing usage makes good sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedicine, geochemistry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe human body, sea-side estuaries, and rock strata present huge collections of compounds. NMR takes inventory of complex samples from such sources via the nuclei of atoms in the molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA nucleus has a spin, which makes it magnetic, and NMR spectrometry\u0026rsquo;s own powerful magnetism detects spins and pinpoints nuclei to feel out whole molecules. These can be large or small, from mineral compounds with three or four component atoms to protein polymers with tens of thousands of parts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in medicine, biochemistry, ecology, geology, food science \u0026ndash; the possible list is exhaustive -- turn to NMR to untangle their particular molecular jungles. The consortium wants to leverage that diversity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As we go in different directions, we will benefit from a cohesive community of people who know how to use NMR for a wide range of problems,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/anant-paravastu\u0022\u003EAnant Paravastu\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The most important goal for us is the sharing of our expertise,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gsu.edu\/profile\/markus-germann\/\u0022\u003EMarkus Germann\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of chemistry at Georgia State.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConsortium members will benefit the most from the pooled NMR resources, but \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/nmr.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Enon-partners can also book access\u003C\/a\u003E. Read more about the Atlanta NMR Consortium \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/607396\u0022\u003Ehere on Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s College of Sciences website\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Emory University, Georgia State University and Georgia Tech team up to optimize use of NMR spectrometry"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do crab urine, human lymph samples, and eons-old rock records\u0026nbsp;have in common? Hundreds, thousands or more kinds of molecules\u0026nbsp;make them up, so many\u0026nbsp;a postdoc or graduate researcher have pulled\u0026nbsp;their hair out\u0026nbsp;trying to isolate one or two compounds. NMR is so much faster and more\u0026nbsp;efficient, but it can be pricey, so Atlanta area universities have partnered up to optimize use and costs, and to offer use to outside researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nature is chock full of chemical labyrinths that NMR helps navigate, but the technology is pricey, so teaming up to optimize use and share costs makes great sense."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-09-11 14:48:44","changed_gmt":"2018-09-11 16:24:38","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"600552":{"id":"600552","type":"image","title":"Julia Kubanek NMR with Serge Lavoie","body":null,"created":"1515442321","gmt_created":"2018-01-08 20:12:01","changed":"1515442321","gmt_changed":"2018-01-08 20:12:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228937","name":"KUBANEK DSC_4316.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":312167,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg?itok=Wom-Y0L2"}},"581932":{"id":"581932","type":"image","title":"Leslie Gelbaum and Johannes Leisen during unpacking of new NMR instruments in July 2016. Photo by Julia Kubanek.","body":null,"created":"1475185129","gmt_created":"2016-09-29 21:38:49","changed":"1475185129","gmt_changed":"2016-09-29 21:38:49","alt":"Leslie Gelbaum and Johannes Leisen during unpacking of new NMR instruments in July 2016. Photo by Julia Kubanek.","file":{"fid":"221818","name":"LeslieGelbaum.JohannesLeisen.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/LeslieGelbaum.JohannesLeisen.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/LeslieGelbaum.JohannesLeisen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":68714,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/LeslieGelbaum.JohannesLeisen.jpg?itok=VqwDhgPg"}},"611314":{"id":"611314","type":"image","title":"Bruker AVIII-400","body":null,"created":"1536683041","gmt_created":"2018-09-11 16:24:01","changed":"1536683041","gmt_changed":"2018-09-11 16:24:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232733","name":"bruker400_jaba.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bruker400_jaba.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bruker400_jaba.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":90724,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bruker400_jaba.jpg?itok=JQxuYGQt"}},"607397":{"id":"607397","type":"image","title":"Atlanta NMR Consortium","body":null,"created":"1530222652","gmt_created":"2018-06-28 21:50:52","changed":"1530222652","gmt_changed":"2018-06-28 21:50:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231687","name":"2018 Atlanta NMR Consortium banner.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Atlanta%20NMR%20Consortium%20banner.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Atlanta%20NMR%20Consortium%20banner.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":303096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2018%20Atlanta%20NMR%20Consortium%20banner.jpg?itok=Rn5972Ed"}}},"media_ids":["600552","581932","611314","607397"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2305","name":"Emory University"},{"id":"5063","name":"Georgia State University"},{"id":"178973","name":"nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers"},{"id":"176713","name":"metabolites"},{"id":"178974","name":"nucleus spin"},{"id":"178975","name":"proton spin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInstitute Communications \/ Research News \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences \/ communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Maureen Rouhi,\u0026nbsp;maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriters:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ben Brumfield \/ Maureen Rouhi\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"610192":{"#nid":"610192","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Laughing Gas May Have Helped Warm Early Earth and Given Breath to Life","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than an eon ago, the sun shone dimmer than it does today, but the Earth stayed warm due to a strong greenhouse gas effect, geoscience theory holds. Astronomer Carl Sagan coined this \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/418310\/a-solution-to-the-faint-young-sun-paradox\/\u0022\u003Ethe Faint Young Sun Paradox\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; and for decades, researchers have searched for the right balance of atmospheric gases that could have kept early Earth cozy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/gbi.12311\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew study\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;led by the Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that nitrous oxide, known for its use as the dental sedative\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mouthhealthy.org\/en\/az-topics\/n\/nitrous-oxide\u0022\u003Elaughing gas\u003C\/a\u003E, may have played a significant role.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team carried out experiments and atmospheric computer modeling that in detail substantiated an existing hypothesis about the presence of nitrous oxide (N\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO), a powerful greenhouse gas, in the ancient atmosphere. Established research has already pointed to high levels of carbon dioxide and methane, but they may not have been plentiful enough to sufficiently keep the globe warm without the help of N\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Glass,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022\u003Ean assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, and Chloe Stanton, formerly an undergraduate research assistant in the Glass lab at Georgia Tech, published\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/gbi.12311\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe study in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EGeobiology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Their work was funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Stanton is now a graduate research assistant at the Pennsylvania State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo \u0026lsquo;boring billion\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study focused on the middle of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ucmp.berkeley.edu\/precambrian\/proterozoic.php\u0022\u003EProterozoic Eon\u003C\/a\u003E, over a billion years ago. The proliferation of complex life was still a few hundred million years out, and the pace of our planet\u0026rsquo;s evolution probably appeared deceptively slow.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;People in our field often refer to this middle chapter in Earth\u0026rsquo;s history roughly 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago as the \u0026lsquo;boring billion\u0026rsquo; because we classically think of it as a very stable period,\u0026rdquo; said Stanton, the study\u0026rsquo;s first author. \u0026ldquo;But there were many important processes affecting ocean and atmospheric chemistry during this time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChemistry in mid-Proterozoic ocean was heavily influenced by abundant soluble\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ferrous\u0022\u003Eferrous iron\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Fe\u003Csup\u003E2+\u003C\/sup\u003E) in oxygen-free deep waters.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAncient iron key\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The ocean chemistry was completely different back then,\u0026rdquo; said Glass, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. \u0026ldquo;Today\u0026rsquo;s oceans are well-oxygenated, so iron rapidly rusts and drops out of solution. Oxygen was low in Proterozoic oceans, so they were filled with ferrous iron, which is highly reactive.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn lab experiments, Stanton found that Fe\u003Csup\u003E2+\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;in seawater reacts rapidly with nitrogen molecules, especially nitric oxide, to yield nitrous oxide in a process called chemodenitrification. This nitrous oxide (N\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO) can then bubble up into the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Stanton plugged the higher fluxes of nitrous oxide into the atmospheric model, the results showed that nitrous oxide could have reached ten times today\u0026rsquo;s levels if mid-Proterozoic oxygen concentrations were 10 percent of those today. This higher nitrous oxide would have provided an extra boost of global warming under the Faint Young Sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreathing laughing gas\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENitrous oxide could have also been what some ancient life breathed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEven today, some microbes can breathe nitrous oxide when oxygen is low. There are many similarities between the enzymes that microbes use to breathe nitric and nitrous oxides and enzymes used to breathe oxygen. Previous studies have suggested that the latter evolved from the former two.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech model provides a plentiful source of nitrous oxide in ancient iron-rich seas for this evolutionary scenario. And prior to the Proterozoic, when oxygen was extremely low, early aquatic microbes could have already been breathing nitrous oxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s quite possible that life was breathing laughing gas long before it began breathing oxygen,\u0026rdquo; Glass said. \u0026ldquo;Chemodenitrification might have supplied microbes with a steady source of it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/599760\/cold-suns-warm-exoplanets-and-methane-blankets\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECold Suns, Warm Exoplanets, and Methane Blankets\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe paper was co-authored by Chris Reinhard of Georgia Tech, James Kasting of the Pennsylvania State University, Nathaniel Ostrom and Joshua Haslun of Michigan State University, and Timothy Lyons of the University of California Riverside. The research was funded by grant NNA15BB03A from the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Findings, opinions, and conclusions are those of the authors and not necessarily of the NASA Astrobiology Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404) 660-1408, ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaughing gas and the mystery of Carl Sagan\u0026#39;s Faint Young Sun Paradox: When the sun shone dimmer an eon ago, and was stingy with heat, Earth remained warm in spite of it likely thanks to a mix of greenhouse gases. Biogeochemists have now shown how nitrous oxide, known today for its use as a dental anesthetic, may have made it into the mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An eon ago, the sun was stingy with heat, but Earth stayed warm; maybe laughing gas in the atmosphere helped out. Here\u0027s how."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-08-22 18:11:46","changed_gmt":"2018-08-23 16:39:15","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-08-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-08-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"610179":{"id":"610179","type":"image","title":"Tiger eye BIF rock","body":null,"created":"1534957652","gmt_created":"2018-08-22 17:07:32","changed":"1534957652","gmt_changed":"2018-08-22 17:07:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232352","name":"Rock.fingers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rock.fingers.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Rock.fingers.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2844560,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Rock.fingers.jpg?itok=prpZkHH6"}},"610185":{"id":"610185","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Glass in her lab","body":null,"created":"1534960341","gmt_created":"2018-08-22 17:52:21","changed":"1534960341","gmt_changed":"2018-08-22 17:52:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232354","name":"Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3794331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jen.lab_.rock_.jpg?itok=kHgcY4yv"}},"610182":{"id":"610182","type":"image","title":"Raised sea floor banded iron formations","body":null,"created":"1534960141","gmt_created":"2018-08-22 17:49:01","changed":"1534960141","gmt_changed":"2018-08-22 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ironstone.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stromatolitic%20ironstone.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stromatolitic%20ironstone.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2783071,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stromatolitic%20ironstone.jpg?itok=Hh3wL3mp"}},"610189":{"id":"610189","type":"image","title":"Chloe Stanton in Jennifer Glass\u0027s lab","body":null,"created":"1534960686","gmt_created":"2018-08-22 17:58:06","changed":"1534960686","gmt_changed":"2018-08-22 17:58:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232356","name":"7-116cmd6 2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/7-116cmd6%202.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/7-116cmd6%202.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76662,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/7-116cmd6%202.jpg?itok=PXrupc9G"}},"610190":{"id":"610190","type":"image","title":"Raised sea floor BIF Karijini National Park, Australia","body":null,"created":"1534960879","gmt_created":"2018-08-22 18:01:19","changed":"1534960879","gmt_changed":"2018-08-22 18:01:19","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232357","name":"IMG_6168.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6168.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_6168.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1322980,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_6168.jpg?itok=lAvXykFC"}}},"media_ids":["610179","610185","610182","610187","610189","610190"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170507","name":"Proterozoic Eon"},{"id":"84401","name":"biogeochemistry"},{"id":"178812","name":"nitrous oxide"},{"id":"170554","name":"N2O"},{"id":"178813","name":"laughing gas"},{"id":"178814","name":"ferrous iron"},{"id":"174064","name":"iron cycle"},{"id":"178815","name":"nitrogen cycle"},{"id":"178816","name":"nitrogen breathing microbes"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"606884":{"#nid":"606884","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Making the Oxygen We Breathe, a Photosynthesis Mechanism Exposed","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArguably, the greatest fueler of life on our planet is photosynthesis, but understanding its labyrinthine chemistry, powered by sunlight, is challenging. Researchers recently illuminated some new steps inside the molecular factory that makes the oxygen we breathe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThough chlorophyll is the best-known part, for the vivid green it colors nature, many compounds work together in photosynthesis. And Georgia Tech chemists devised clever experiments to inspect a small metal catalyst and an amino acid intimately involved in the release of O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E from water\u0026nbsp;in what\u0026#39;s known as photosystem II (PSII).\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPSII is a complex protein structure found in plants and algae. It has a counterpart called\u0026nbsp;photosystem I, an equally complex light-powered producer of oxygen and biomaterials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotosynthesis Q \u0026amp; A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome questions and answers below will help elucidate the researchers\u0026rsquo; findings about\u0026nbsp;O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E production inside PSII.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Photosynthesis in plants and algae can be compared to an artificial solar cell,\u0026rdquo; said principal investigator \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/barry\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBridgette Barry\u003C\/a\u003E, who is a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprofessor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;But, in photosynthesis, light energy fuels the production of food (carbohydrates) instead of charging a battery. O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E is released from water as a byproduct.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBarry, first author Zhanjun Guo, and researcher Jiayuan He \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/05\/10\/1800758115\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their research on May 11, 2018, in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Their work was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does photosynthesis II release oxygen from water?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMany details are still unknown, but here are some basic workings that were already well-established going into this new study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPS II is a biochemical complex made mostly of large amino acid corkscrew cylinders and some smaller such cylinders strung together with amino acid strands. The reaction cycle that extracts the O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E from H\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO occurs at a\u0026nbsp;tiny spot, which the study focused on.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor scale, if PSII were a fairly tall, very wide building, the spot might be the size of a large door in about the lower center of the building, and the metal cluster would be located there. Intertwined in the proteins would be sprawling molecules that include beta-carotene and chlorophyll, a great natural photoelectric semiconductor.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Photons from sunlight bombard photosystem II and displace electrons in the chlorophyll,\u0026rdquo; Barry said. \u0026ldquo;That creates moving negative charges.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the metal catalyst?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe metal catalyst acts like a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/science\/physics\/circuits-topic\/circuits-with-capacitors\/v\/capacitors-and-capacitance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecapacitor\u003C\/a\u003E, building up charge that it uses to expedite four chemical reactions that release the O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E by removing four electrons, one-by-one, from two water molecules. In the process, water also spins off four H+ ions, i.e. protons, from two H\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn additional highly reactive compound near the metal cluster acts as a \u0026quot;switch\u0026quot; to drive the electron movement in each step of the reaction cycle. It\u0026#39;s a common amino acid called tyrosine, a little building block on that mammoth protein building.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat does the \u0026lsquo;switch\u0026rsquo; do?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is where the new study\u0026rsquo;s insights come in to describe details of what\u0026#39;s going on between the tyrosine and the cluster.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe light reactions remove one electron from tyrosine, making it what\u0026rsquo;s called an unstable \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radical_(chemistry)\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eradical\u003C\/a\u003E, and the radical version of tyrosine strongly attracts a new electron.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt very quickly gets that new electron from the metal cluster. As PSII absorbs photons, the taking of an electron from tyrosine and its radical\u0026rsquo;s grabbing of a new one from the cluster repeats rapidly, making the tyrosine a kind of flickering switch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The tyrosine radical drives the cycle around, and what they (Guo and He) did in the lab was to develop a way of seeing the radical reaction in the presence of the metal cluster,\u0026rdquo; Barry said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGuo and He also found that the calcium atom in the cluster has key interactions with tyrosine.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did they observe that single chemical component in a living system?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFiguring out how to make the reactions observable was painstaking. The researchers isolated some PSII from spinach, and they slowed it way down by cooling it in the dark.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen they gave it a burst of red light to prepare one step in the reaction cycle, then a green flash to take the electron from tyrosine. Then the electrons slowly returned to the tyrosine.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers observed the processes via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/study.com\/academy\/lesson\/vibrational-spectroscopy-definition-types.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Evibrational spectroscopy\u003C\/a\u003E, which revealed qualities of tyrosine\u0026rsquo;s chemical bonds. The researchers also examined the calcium and discovered a special interaction between it and tyrosine.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A new thing we saw was that the calcium ion made the tyrosine twist a certain way,\u0026rdquo; Barry said. \u0026ldquo;It turns out that the tyrosine may be a very flexible switch.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also swapped out calcium for other metals and found that the calcium fulfills this role quite optimally.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo, why is understanding photosynthesis important?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Oxygen photosynthesis really is the great fueler life on our planet,\u0026rdquo; Barry said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout two billion years ago, the photosynthesis that generates O\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E exploded, and as breathable oxygen filled Earth\u0026rsquo;s oceans and atmosphere, life began evolving into the complex variety we have today. There are also pragmatic reasons for studying photosynthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You could work with it to make crops more productive,\u0026rdquo; Barry said. \u0026ldquo;We may have to repair and adapt the photosynthesis process someday, too.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental stresses could possibly weaken photosynthesis in the future, calling for biochemical tweaks. Also, natural photosynthesis is an exceptionally good model for photoelectric semiconductors like those used in emerging energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGet our email newsletter here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant MCB-14-11734). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOxygen photosynthesis has to be the greatest giver of life on Earth, and researchers have cracked yet another part of its complex but efficient chemistry. The more we know about it, the better we may be able to tweak photosynthesis, if it comes under environmental duress. It\u0026#39;s also a great teacher of how to harvest\u0026nbsp;sheer unlimited energy from the sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Life on Earth as we know it never would have existed without oxygen photosynthesis, and researchers have cracked a new part of its code."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-06-11 16:05:57","changed_gmt":"2018-06-27 13:43:57","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"606869":{"id":"606869","type":"image","title":"Photosystem II artwork","body":null,"created":"1528729369","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:02:49","changed":"1528729406","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:03:26","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231473","name":"Sun.leaves.chem_.big_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sun.leaves.chem_.big_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sun.leaves.chem_.big_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1684238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sun.leaves.chem_.big_.jpg?itok=mTwFqSqR"}},"606873":{"id":"606873","type":"image","title":"Global oxygen photosynthesis","body":null,"created":"1528730577","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:22:57","changed":"1528730577","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:22:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231476","name":"Seawifs_global_biosphere.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Seawifs_global_biosphere.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Seawifs_global_biosphere.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":502320,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Seawifs_global_biosphere.jpg?itok=BflE5Pcg"}},"606870":{"id":"606870","type":"image","title":"Photosystem II rights-free","body":null,"created":"1528730128","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:15:28","changed":"1528730128","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:15:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231474","name":"PhotosystemII.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/PhotosystemII.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/PhotosystemII.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":929873,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/PhotosystemII.jpg?itok=8H_w5VBE"}},"606882":{"id":"606882","type":"image","title":"Metal cluster and tyrosine at the core of O2 creation in photosystem II","body":null,"created":"1528732225","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:50:25","changed":"1528732317","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:51:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231481","name":"photosyn.pnas_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photosyn.pnas_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photosyn.pnas_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125480,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photosyn.pnas_.jpg?itok=8QUQOw6k"}},"606877":{"id":"606877","type":"image","title":"Zhanjun Guo, Ph.D.","body":null,"created":"1528731147","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:32:27","changed":"1528731147","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:32:27","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231478","name":"Pho.syn_.1.auth_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pho.syn_.1.auth_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pho.syn_.1.auth_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":458093,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Pho.syn_.1.auth_.jpg?itok=Uq4vUU90"}},"606883":{"id":"606883","type":"image","title":"Trees","body":null,"created":"1528732480","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 15:54:40","changed":"1528732480","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 15:54:40","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231482","name":"trees.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trees.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trees.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2022276,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trees.JPG?itok=8lq6hCAO"}},"606885":{"id":"606885","type":"image","title":"Sun in the leaves","body":null,"created":"1528733227","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 16:07:07","changed":"1528733227","gmt_changed":"2018-06-11 16:07:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231483","name":"Sun.leaves.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sun.leaves.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sun.leaves.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1733597,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sun.leaves.jpg?itok=oa6-D1IP"}}},"media_ids":["606869","606873","606870","606882","606877","606883","606885"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"178247","name":"PS II"},{"id":"18541","name":"photosystem II"},{"id":"178248","name":"PS 2"},{"id":"18531","name":"photosynthesis"},{"id":"1657","name":"oxygen"},{"id":"178249","name":"tyrosine"},{"id":"178250","name":"vibrational spectroscopy"},{"id":"176272","name":"breathable oxygen"},{"id":"170502","name":"O2"},{"id":"178251","name":"calcium"},{"id":"178252","name":"metal cluster"},{"id":"172794","name":"ligand"},{"id":"18521","name":"manganese cluster"},{"id":"178253","name":"chlorophyll"},{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"63611","name":"electrocatalyst"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"607024":{"#nid":"607024","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Faculty Win Research Awards to Advance Concentrated Solar Power","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers are part of a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative to develop the next generation of concentrated solar power (CSP), a technology that uses heat from the sun to turn power-generating turbines. CSP is an alternative to the better known photovoltaic technology, which produces electricity directly from sunlight.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESix Georgia Tech researchers will receive a portion of a $72 million DOE investment that will ultimately lead to construction and demonstration of an operating Generation 3 CSP facility. The Georgia Tech researchers will collect information on the thermophysical properties of molten salts used in concentrated solar facilities and study particle flows and heat transfer that may be part of thermal storage applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Concentrated solar power is another option that allows us to generate electricity from sunlight,\u0026rdquo; said Shannon Yee, assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and one of the award recipients. \u0026ldquo;Concentrated solar allows storage of the sun\u0026rsquo;s heat, so we can generate electricity even when the sun isn\u0026rsquo;t shining \u0026ndash; at night, for example.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EConcentrated solar facilities use mirrors to concentrate sunlight that is then captured by solar receivers installed at the top of towers. Some existing installations use the heat to generate steam, which then drives a turbine to produce electric power. Engineers want to operate the facilities at higher temperatures \u0026ndash; 700 degrees Celsius or above \u0026ndash; to more effectively use the concentrated sunlight from fields of mirrors (i.e., heliostat fields) that deliver more concentrated sunlight to solar receivers than the widely used parabolic troughs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have to move to higher and higher temperatures, which means we have to use materials that are more and more exotic,\u0026rdquo; said Yee, whose research team will receive a total of about $2 million during the five-year program. \u0026ldquo;We really don\u0026rsquo;t have the information we need about the thermophysical properties of these materials. Our goal will be to learn more about these materials, and to disseminate that information to the organizations that will be designing the new facility.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn alternative to using molten salts is to use solid particle flows as a thermal energy carrier and storage medium to transfer thermal energy from the receiver to a working fluid to produce electricity. Understanding these materials will be the work of Associate Professors Peter Loutzenhiser and Devesh Ranjan, and Professor Zhuomin Zhang, all faculty members in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We will be working together to characterize flow and model the heat transfer for different particles under different conditions as they are applied to CSP applications,\u0026rdquo; said Loutzenhiser, whose team will receive $1.4 million from the DOE over three years. \u0026ldquo;The end goal will be supporting the use of particles as solar energy storage and carrier media to provide on-demand electricity derived from supercritical CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E and\/or Air Brayton cycles. Solid particles are advantageous because they have high energy densities and can operate to higher temperatures without much degradation compared to molten salts.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERanjan compared the particle flow to that of volcanic lava. \u0026ldquo;The particles can absorb a lot of heat and allow us to move the thermal energy,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We will be looking at these particle flows in detail.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work will include both theoretical and applied aspects, Loutzenhiser noted. \u0026ldquo;We will examine fundamental behavior of the particle flows and heat transfer for different solar particle heating receiver configurations. This work will then be used to support the design and development of real technologies at scale-up that are being pursued by other Generation 3 researchers within the scope of the program. The project will culminate in a suite of experiments that will use our high-flux solar simulator to closely mimic the conditions that the particle flows would experience under sunlight in an actual solar receiver.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Yee, Loutzenhiser, Ranjan and Zhang, the overall DOE project will also include Said Abdel-Khalik and Sheldon Jeter, also mechanical engineering professors, who will support the development of the demonstration CSP facility proposed by Sandia National Laboratories. The proposed Sandia design will use particle heating technology. The team led by Abdel-Khalik and Jeter has been developing particle heating CSP technology in collaboration with Sandia and others for several years.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately one test facility will be built by a team to be chosen from among Sandia or competitors Brayton Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Those three organizations received preliminary awards from the DOE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new DOE funding will extend previous research on high-temperature components, develop them into integrated assemblies, and test these components and systems through a wide range of operational conditions, the agency said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, the DOE expects that this will result in reducing the cost of a CSP system by approximately $0.02 per kilowatt-hour, which is 40 percent of the way to the 2030 cost goals of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for baseload CSP plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;DOE has led the world in CSP research,\u0026rdquo; said Daniel Simmons, principal deputy assistant secretary for the DOE\u0026rsquo;s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. \u0026ldquo;These projects will help facilitate the next wave of new technologies and continue the effort to maintain American leadership in this space.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough the Generation 3 CSP program, three teams will compete to build an integrated system that can efficiently receive solar heat and deliver it to a working fluid at a temperature greater than 700 degrees Celsius, while incorporating thermal energy storage, the agency said in its news release.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the first two-year period, those teams will work to de-risk various aspects of diversified CSP technology pathways, prepare a detailed design for a test facility, and be subjected to a rigorous review process to select a single awardee to construct their proposed facility. If selected, they will receive an additional $25 million over the subsequent three years to build a test facility that allows diverse teams of researchers, laboratories, developers and manufacturers to remove key technological risks for the next generation CSP technology, the DOE said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers are part of a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative to develop the next generation of concentrated solar power (CSP), a technology that uses heat from the sun to turn power-generating turbines. CSP is an alternative to the better known photovoltaic technology, which produces electricity directly from sunlight.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has won a portion of a new Department of Energy initiative on concentrated solar power."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-06-13 16:44:55","changed_gmt":"2018-06-13 16:50:07","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"607020":{"id":"607020","type":"image","title":"Concentrated solar team","body":null,"created":"1528907840","gmt_created":"2018-06-13 16:37:20","changed":"1528907840","gmt_changed":"2018-06-13 16:37:20","alt":"Researchers working on new concentrated solar projects","file":{"fid":"231538","name":"concentrated-solar345.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/concentrated-solar345.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/concentrated-solar345.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1372385,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/concentrated-solar345.jpg?itok=Kiz0R6KJ"}},"607023":{"id":"607023","type":"image","title":"High-flux solar simulator research","body":null,"created":"1528907960","gmt_created":"2018-06-13 16:39:20","changed":"1528907960","gmt_changed":"2018-06-13 16:39:20","alt":"Researchers with high-flux solar simulator","file":{"fid":"231540","name":"concentrated-solar361.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/concentrated-solar361.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/concentrated-solar361.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1211463,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/concentrated-solar361.jpg?itok=Fx3pRCNQ"}}},"media_ids":["607020","607023"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168825","name":"CSP"},{"id":"178291","name":"concentrated solar power"},{"id":"167182","name":"solar"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"178292","name":"thermophysical"},{"id":"3441","name":"DOE"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"606987":{"#nid":"606987","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lifting Communities with Smart Technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile the four Georgia communities represent different parts of the state, their leaders expressed a similar goal: improve the quality of life for residents.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cities of Albany and Chamblee and the counties of Chatham and Gwinnett will soon embark on year-long projects to address housing blight, traffic and transportation woes and sea level rise along Georgia\u0026rsquo;s coast. These projects are supported through the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge, a Georgia Tech-led initiative that brings together industry and public agencies to support large and small neighborhoods in their efforts to implement cutting-edge smart technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President G.P. \u0026ldquo;Bud\u0026rdquo; Peterson and other state leaders traveled to Albany Tuesday to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2018\/06\/11\/four-communities-selected-inaugural-georgia-smart-communities-challenge\u0022\u003Eannounce the four winners\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech is very proud to have played a role in this program, which we believe will improve the quality of life in the participating communities and also provide models for other communities throughout our state to consider as they strive to make life better for their citizens,\u0026rdquo; Peterson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program provides seed funding and access to technical assistance, expert advice and a network of peers. A Georgia Tech researcher will advise and conduct research in support of each group\u0026rsquo;s goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe teams will each receive $50,000 in grants and $25,000 from Georgia Tech in research support. The selected communities each raised an additional $50,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Power is the lead sponsor of the program, with additional financial support from the Atlanta Regional Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Albany, the city and its collaborators will establish an efficient inventory of key community housing and associated infrastructure conditions. City leaders said this housing resiliency project will provide them with the data to make sure resources are being spent and allocated in ways that will result in the biggest positive impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This program allows us to be part of work that is on the cutting edge and will prepare our community for the future,\u0026rdquo; Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard said. \u0026ldquo;It means so much for the community to know we have Georgia Tech behind us and that this is a project we should be doing.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Gwinnett County project will evaluate traffic management technologies for improved vehicle mobility throughout the region. The technology will improve safety and connectivity. For this project to succeed, the county needs to make sure it\u0026rsquo;s investing in the right hardware and technology, said Vince Edwards, project coordinator with the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This an opportunity for us to work with the premier research institution in the state and have access to world-class talent,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We know working with Georgia Tech and the other partners will help us make sure we are successful.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Smart organizers expect the strategies developed by the selected communities will serve as models that could be implemented elsewhere across the state.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program is just one part of the work Georgia Tech is doing in this area. The Institute has partnered with the city of Atlanta since 2015 to design, implement and study Smart City initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For us, Georgia Smart represents a great opportunity to branch out to other parts of our state,\u0026rdquo; Peterson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWork on the projects will begin in September and continue through September 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will conduct site visits to the four communities and hold workshops, conference calls and other activities to support the projects, said Debra Lam, managing director of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESmart Cities and Inclusive Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Creating and implementing smart communities is hard work and it\u0026rsquo;s difficult,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;But we know we\u0026rsquo;re on the right path when we are purposely empowering local communities themselves with data and technology.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional Georgia Smart partners include: Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Centers for Innovation, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Municipal Association, Global City Challenges, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Technology Association of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge helps small and large cities improve quality of life."}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge helps small and large cities improve quality of life."}],"uid":"27918","created_gmt":"2018-06-12 21:50:44","changed_gmt":"2018-06-12 21:50:44","author":"Laura Diamond","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"606867":{"id":"606867","type":"image","title":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Winners Map","body":null,"created":"1528725524","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 13:58:44","changed":"1528803986","gmt_changed":"2018-06-12 11:46:26","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231472","name":"Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1937103,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png?itok=OqTspXPo"}}},"media_ids":["606867"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart","title":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167987","name":"smart cities"},{"id":"176970","name":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor media inquiries about Georgia Smart,\u0026nbsp;contact Laura Diamond,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor all other inquiries, email\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:scii@ipat.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Escii@ipat.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.diamond@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"606895":{"#nid":"606895","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Communities Selected for Inaugural Georgia Smart Communities Challenge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia communities developed and will implement smart design solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the state. The projects, which tackle housing, traffic congestion, sea level rise and shared autonomous vehicles, are supported through the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022\u003EGeorgia Smart Communities Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis new Georgia Tech-led initiative brings together industry and public agencies to help local governments implement smart development. The strategies developed by the selected communities will serve as models that could be implemented elsewhere across Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program provides seed funding and access to technical assistance, expert advice and a network of peers. A Georgia Tech researcher will advise and conduct research in support of each group\u0026rsquo;s goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe winning proposals are:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlbany Housing Data Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E. Led by the city of Albany the project will evaluate an automated housing registry. The system will allow for improved neighborhood infrastructure and revitalization and encourage a safe and sustainable housing inventory for the city. Assigned Georgia Tech researcher: Omar Isaac Asensio, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShared Autonomous Vehicle Study\u003C\/strong\u003E. Led by the city of Chamblee the project will study improvements in mobility through the use of autonomous vehicles that travel from MARTA stations into the community. This will reduce road congestion and increase pedestrian and traveler safety. Assigned Georgia Tech researcher: Ellen Dunham-Jones, professor in the School of Architecture.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Sea Level Tools for Emergency Planning and Response\u003C\/strong\u003E. Led by Chatham County, this project will develop and test a pilot sensor network for measuring sea level flood risk during natural disasters and storms. The network will improve flood warnings, emergency response action plans and predictions for future flood events. Assigned Georgia Tech researcher: Kim Cobb, Georgia Power Chair and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnected Vehicle Technology Master Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E. Led by Gwinnett County, this project will evaluate traffic management technologies for improved vehicle mobility throughout the region. The technology will improve safety and connectivity. Assigned Georgia Tech researcher: Angshuman Guin, senior research engineer in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech is excited at the opportunity to collaborate with four of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s dynamic communities in this inaugural Georgia Smart Communities Challenge,\u0026rdquo; President G.P. \u0026ldquo;Bud\u0026rdquo; Peterson said. \u0026ldquo;The enthusiasm for this new program has been gratifying, and we look forward to seeing how Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s research expertise and the communities\u0026rsquo; vision of smart development mesh together to improve the lives of their citizens. These groundbreaking projects have the potential to become models for other communities around our state.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Smart supports communities of all sizes, including smaller towns, which may not have been as prominent in smart development because of a lack of resources. Seventeen communities applied for the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile each selected team is led by a local government, the work will be a collaboration between different government agencies and nonprofits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe teams will each receive $50,000 in grants and $25,000 from Georgia Tech in researcher support. The selected communities each raised an additional $50,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Power is the lead sponsor of the program, with additional financial support from the Atlanta Regional Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;At Georgia Power, we\u0026rsquo;re committed to investments in smart technologies and collaborative partnerships that improve service to our customers, as well as the quality of life in local communities,\u0026rdquo; said Latanza Adjel, vice president for sales at Georgia Power, who leads the company\u0026rsquo;s efforts in energy efficiency and other areas. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re proud to have worked with some of the most innovative public leaders in the state as part of this project, and congratulate the winners of the Smart Communities Challenge for exploring and embracing new technologies that can benefit thousands of our Georgia neighbors.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDoug Hooker, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, noted the diversity and quality of the applications for the program. The winners emphasized a highly collaborative approach that includes working across multiple jurisdictions and agencies, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional partners include: Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Centers for Innovation, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Municipal Association, Global City Teams Challenge, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Technology Association of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and some of the Georgia Smart partners will celebrate the winners during a special event in Albany Tuesday morning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWork on the projects will begin in September and continue through September 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The four selected communities show cities of all sizes can work on smart development and that these projects are strongest when done through collaboration,\u0026rdquo; said Debra Lam, managing director of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESmart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Other cities will not be excluded from the broad Georgia Smart community as we remain committed to supporting smart development across the state and beyond.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Albany, Chamblee, Chatham County and Gwinnett County will implement smart development through a Georgia Tech-led program."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlbany, Chamblee, Chatham County and Gwinnett County will implement smart development the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge, a Georgia Tech-led initiative that brings together industry and public agencies to support local governments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Albany, Chamblee, Chatham County and Gwinnett County will implement smart development through a Georgia Tech-led program."}],"uid":"27918","created_gmt":"2018-06-11 17:46:15","changed_gmt":"2018-06-12 17:23:10","author":"Laura Diamond","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"606867":{"id":"606867","type":"image","title":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Winners Map","body":null,"created":"1528725524","gmt_created":"2018-06-11 13:58:44","changed":"1528803986","gmt_changed":"2018-06-12 11:46:26","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231472","name":"Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1937103,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Georgia-Smart-Challenge-map-01.png?itok=OqTspXPo"}}},"media_ids":["606867"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart","title":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge"},{"url":"http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu","title":"Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167987","name":"smart cities"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"1690","name":"rural economic development"},{"id":"170779","name":"smart tech"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor media inquiries about Georgia Smart,\u0026nbsp;contact Laura Diamond,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor all other inquiries, email\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:scii@ipat.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Escii@ipat.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.diamond@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"605295":{"#nid":"605295","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Severe Storms Research Center Works to Improve Tornado Warning Time","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor John Trostel, Madeline Frank, Jessica Losego, and Tom Perry, a day without clouds isn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily an ideal day.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe four researchers are part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u0026rsquo;s\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/severestorms.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESevere Storms Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E (SSRC), and for them, a day without clouds is a day without new information on how deadly tornadoes and severe thunderstorms develop and move across the Peach State.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETornadoes in the Southeast United States can differ dramatically from those popularized by storm chasers in the Midwest. In the Southeast, severe tornadoes may not stay on the ground for long, often dropping out of clouds and disappearing with only a relatively short, but deadly and destructive ground track. They also often occur at night, may be wrapped in rain, and embedded in larger squall line structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese characteristics mean that tornadoes in the Southeast can be difficult to forecast using conventional weather radar, especially for storms near the edges of a radar\u0026rsquo;s coverage area. But the measurement of lightning can be done more easily and can be useful because an increase in lightning activity can indicate an intensifying storm that could spawn a tornado. So to supplement existing National Weather Service warning technologies, the SSRC has been focusing on measuring lightning in north Georgia, in collaboration with the local National Weather Service office in Peachtree City.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When lightning occurs in the clouds or from the clouds to the ground, it produces bursts of radio-frequency energy,\u0026rdquo; explained Trostel, the center\u0026rsquo;s director. \u0026ldquo;Our sensors pick up those bursts of energy and by looking at the times when each sensor receives the signal, we can calculate a 3-D path to the source. That allows us to map the lightning in near real-time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo capture the lightning data, the SSRC has built the North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array, a network of 12 sensors located around the metropolitan Atlanta area, extending as far south as Newnan and McDonough, and as far north as Acworth and Duluth. The array feeds into a monitoring system that consolidates and transmits the information to the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) and ultimately to the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to know which storms are active enough to produce lightning because that gives us information about the dynamics of what\u0026rsquo;s going on inside the clouds,\u0026rdquo; Trostel said. \u0026ldquo;Total lightning, which includes both cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground activity, often jumps before severe weather begins, so this can provide a more advanced warning. By collecting information from our array, we expect to be able to determine which storms are likely to become severe.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach lightning measurement sensor, based on a design developed by engineers at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, includes an antenna, a small Linux computer, two 12-volt batteries, and a transmitter \u0026ndash; all in a weather-proof box. The earliest systems relied on power and network connections from the organizations hosting the sensors, but SSRC personnel have now converted most of the sensors to use solar power and wireless transmitters that can operate independently of a host building.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team builds and maintains the equipment, relying on assistance from other entities such as Emory University, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and local public safety organizations to provide locations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a really big scientific collaboration and research partnership,\u0026rdquo; said Perry, who is a GTRI electrical engineer at the SSRC.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 12 locations transmit data every minute to provide real-time forecasting information and also store more detailed information useful to the researchers. The real-time data goes first to GTRI, then to Huntsville, Alabama, where it is processed and sent to Dallas, Texas, for inclusion in data feeds that can be used by National Weather Service forecasters. The data is also posted in real time at the website (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/nglma.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Englma.gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If a storm is developing, forecasters might not see the next radar image for as much as six minutes, so the more frequent updates we provide can help forecasters issue an earlier warning,\u0026rdquo; said Frank, who is a GTRI research meteorologist.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA tornado can form and drop from the clouds within the time required for a single sweep of weather radar, noted Losego, who is also a GTRI research meteorologist. The North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array can help forecasters focus attention on which storms should be watched more closely.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We don\u0026rsquo;t issue forecasts, but the information from the array can help forecasters determine which storms to watch based on their lightning activity,\u0026rdquo; Losego explained. \u0026ldquo;Forecasters may not know exactly which storm may produce a tornado, so having lightning data can help inform their decision-making.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond lightning, the center is also studying infrasonics, very low frequency sound waves produced by severe storms. The signals, which are below the range of human hearing, can travel long distances and may one day provide an additional source of early warning data.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SSRC was created after a tornado touched down in Gainesville, Georgia, March 20, 1998. The early morning storm killed 12 people in Georgia and caused extensive damage. The storm dropped out of the clouds quickly, preventing forecasters from issuing a timely warning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SSRC launch was supported by the state of Georgia, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to its interest in severe weather, the SSRC also supports other weather-related projects at GTRI. It has supplied meteorological forecasting to a military program focused on air-dropping supplies, and to designers of inflatable antenna dishes where information about atmospheric pressure is critical.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;We have been able to see how wind events, temperature drops, and rain rates affect the antennas,\u0026rdquo; explained Frank. \u0026ldquo;For the designers, we are assessing the correlation between weather conditions and performance.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd the center is part of GTRI\u0026rsquo;s outreach to K-12 schools. Researchers produce weather programs for schools and use high school students in their field work. High schools were also involved in an earlier project to build \u0026ldquo;electric field mills\u0026rdquo; to detect changes in electromagnetic energy caused by charged clouds and lightning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;High schools students are quite capable and showed us they were able to build complex instruments that really worked,\u0026rdquo; said Trostel. \u0026ldquo;Our K-12 outreach helps get students excited about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We think that will pay off in the long term.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Josh Brown (404-385-0500) (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Severe Storms Research Center at the Georgia Tech Research Instiute is helping improve the ability to forecast tornados and other severe storms by monitoring lighting activity that indicates intensifying storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Severe Storms Research Center is helping improve the ability to forecast tornados and other severe storms."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-04-19 14:28:20","changed_gmt":"2018-04-19 14:37:17","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"605290":{"id":"605290","type":"image","title":"Sensor for Severe Storms Research Center","body":null,"created":"1524147302","gmt_created":"2018-04-19 14:15:02","changed":"1524147302","gmt_changed":"2018-04-19 14:15:02","alt":"John Trostel with lightning detection sensor","file":{"fid":"230782","name":"severe-storms-105.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-105.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-105.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":346259,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/severe-storms-105.jpg?itok=eeEqTsbG"}},"605293":{"id":"605293","type":"image","title":"Equipment for North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array","body":null,"created":"1524147562","gmt_created":"2018-04-19 14:19:22","changed":"1524147562","gmt_changed":"2018-04-19 14:19:22","alt":"John Trostel and Madeline Frank","file":{"fid":"230786","name":"severe-storms-106.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-106.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-106.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":646917,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/severe-storms-106.jpg?itok=MgTacRvZ"}},"605292":{"id":"605292","type":"image","title":"North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array","body":null,"created":"1524147423","gmt_created":"2018-04-19 14:17:03","changed":"1524147423","gmt_changed":"2018-04-19 14:17:03","alt":"Researchers with lightning mapping array","file":{"fid":"230785","name":"severe-storms-110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-110.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-110.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":315443,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/severe-storms-110.jpg?itok=Ni0EojUO"}},"605294":{"id":"605294","type":"image","title":"North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array2","body":null,"created":"1524147708","gmt_created":"2018-04-19 14:21:48","changed":"1524147708","gmt_changed":"2018-04-19 14:21:48","alt":"Equipment for lightning mapping array","file":{"fid":"230787","name":"severe-storms-109.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-109.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/severe-storms-109.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":548209,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/severe-storms-109.jpg?itok=rhcdPVWU"}}},"media_ids":["605290","605293","605292","605294"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"177742","name":"SSRC"},{"id":"169457","name":"Severe Storms Research Center"},{"id":"1233","name":"tornado"},{"id":"171162","name":"severe storms"},{"id":"23261","name":"John Trostel"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"603861":{"#nid":"603861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Southface Gives Fulcrum Award to Kendeda Building Project","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEarthmovers are still preparing the site and already the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design is winning awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESouthface, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance, presented one of its Fulcrum Awards to the Georgia Institute of Technology for the Kendeda Building project. The award was presented at the Greenprints conference March 12-14 at Georgia State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The Kendeda Building has captured the imagination of the campus, sustainability advocates, design professionals and the construction world,\u0026rdquo; said Howard Wertheimer, Institute Architect. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s truly an honor to be recognized with a Fulcrum Award at this stage in the project, and we look forward to seeing an even greater impact as we realize the complete vision for this first-of-its kind building in the Southeast.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in November 2017, the Kendeda Building aims to become the first Living Building Challenge 3.1-certified facility of its size and function in the Southeast. It is being funded by a $30 million gift from The Kendeda Fund. The building should be completed in early 2019, with Living Building Challenge 3.1 certification expected in 2020. To be certified under the program, a building must meet all the program requirements over a full 12-month period of continued operations and full occupancy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the conference, Southface also presented Fulcrum Awards to Georgia State\u0026rsquo;s Leafy Green Machine and Live Thrive Atlanta\u0026rsquo;s Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, and the Len Foote Hike Inn for a Lifetime Achievement Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Though diverse in scope, each Fulcrum Award recipient exemplifies our vision to promote a regenerative economy, responsible resource use, social equity, and a healthy built environment for all,\u0026rdquo; Southface president Andrea Pinabell said. \u0026ldquo;We are proud to honor these projects that bring us all closer to a better future.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESouthface presented one of its Fulcrum Awards to the Georgia Institute of Technology for the Kendeda Building project.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Kendeda Building is already receiving accolades before construction is completed."}],"uid":"28797","created_gmt":"2018-03-15 18:48:20","changed_gmt":"2018-03-15 19:59:33","author":"Lance Wallace","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"594094":{"id":"594094","type":"image","title":"Living Building: Northwest View  ","body":null,"created":"1501873819","gmt_created":"2017-08-04 19:10:19","changed":"1501873819","gmt_changed":"2017-08-04 19:10:19","alt":"Living Building at Georgia Tech ","file":{"fid":"226438","name":"NW View LBC FINAL 2017.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NW%20View%20LBC%20FINAL%202017.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NW%20View%20LBC%20FINAL%202017.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5678798,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NW%20View%20LBC%20FINAL%202017.jpg?itok=5hWUXXlm"}}},"media_ids":["594094"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/livingbuilding.kendedafund.org\/","title":"Living Building Chronicle"},{"url":"http:\/\/livingbuilding.gatech.edu\/","title":"Kendeda Building website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"594545","name":"Recycling - Living Building"},{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"383831","name":"Infrastructure and Operations"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"477091","name":"Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education"},{"id":"594724","name":"Office of Sustainability"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"177012","name":"kendeda building for innovative sustainable design"},{"id":"167463","name":"southface"},{"id":"177422","name":"fulcrum awards"},{"id":"73161","name":"Howard Wertheimer"},{"id":"166867","name":"living Building"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Elance.wallace@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lance.wallace@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"603738":{"#nid":"603738","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turbocharging Fuel Cells with a Multifunctional Catalyst","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPowering clean, efficient cars is just one way fuel cell technology could accelerate humanity into a sustainable energy future, but unfortunately, the technology has been a bit sluggish. Now, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eengineers may be able to essentially turbocharge fuel cells\u003C\/a\u003E with a new catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sluggishness comes from a chemical bottleneck, the rate of processing oxygen, a key ingredient that helps fuel cells, which are related to batteries, produce electricity. The new catalyst, a nanotechnology material developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, markedly speeds up oxygen processing and is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe subject of a new study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPartly to accommodate oxygen\u0026rsquo;s limitations, fuel cells usually require pure hydrogen fuel, which reacts with the oxygen taken in from the air, but the costs of producing the hydrogen have been prohibitive. The new catalyst is a potential game-changer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It can easily convert chemical fuel into electricity with high efficiency,\u0026rdquo; said Meilin Liu, who led the study and is a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meilin-liu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents\u0026rsquo; Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Material Science and Engineering.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026ldquo;It can let you use readily available fuels like methane or natural gas or just use hydrogen fuel much more efficiently,\u0026rdquo; Liu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECatalyst 8 times as fast\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst achieves the efficiency by rushing oxygen through a fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s system. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s more than eight times as fast as state-of-the-art materials doing the same thing now,\u0026rdquo; said Yu Chen, a postdoctoral research associate in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab and the study\u0026rsquo;s first author.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are a few types of fuel cells, but the researchers worked to improve solid oxide fuel cells, which are found in some prototypical fuel cell cars. The research insights could also aid in honing \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.explainthatstuff.com\/how-supercapacitors-work.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esupercapacitors\u003C\/a\u003E and technology paired with solar panels, thus advancing sustainable energy beyond the new catalyst\u0026rsquo;s immediate potential to improve upon fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiu and Chen published their study\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the March issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EJoule\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Their research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and by the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Program. The fuel cell work from Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab has already attracted significant energy industry and automotive industry interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENaturally sluggish oxygen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough they work differently from fuel cells and are much less efficient and clean, combustion engines make a useful metaphor to aid in understanding how fuel cells and the new catalyst work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a combustion engine, fuel from a tank and oxygen from the air come together to react in an explosion, producing energy that turns a crankshaft. Adding a turbocharger speeds the process up by mixing fuel and oxygen together more quickly and rushing them to combustion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hydrogen.energy.gov\/pdfs\/doe_fuelcell_factsheet.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efuel cells, hydrogen fuel from a tank and oxygen\u003C\/a\u003E from the air also drive a process that produces energy, in this case, electricity. The two ingredients do come together in a reaction, but one very different from combustion, and much cleaner.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne end of the fuel cell, the anode, removes electrons from the hydrogen atoms in what\u0026rsquo;s called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lQ6FBA1HM3s\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoxidation\u003C\/a\u003E and sends the electrons through an external circuit as electric current to the cathode on the other side. There, oxygen, which is notoriously electron hungry, sucks the electrons up in what\u0026rsquo;s called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lQ6FBA1HM3s\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereduction\u003C\/a\u003E, and that keeps the electricity flowing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hydrogen, now positively charged, and the oxygen, now negatively charged, meet up to form water, which is the fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s exhaust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn that reaction chain, oxygen is the slow link in two ways: Oxygen\u0026rsquo;s reduction takes longer than hydrogen\u0026rsquo;s oxidation, and the reduced oxygen moves more slowly through the system to meet with hydrogen. Analogous to the turbocharger, the new catalyst pushes the oxygen forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOxygen rush nanotech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst is applied as a sheer coating only about two dozen nanometers thick and is comprised of two connected nanotechnology solutions that break both oxygen bottlenecks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, nanoparticles highly attractive to oxygen grab the O\u003Csub\u003E2 \u003C\/sub\u003Emolecule and let inflowing electrons quickly jump onto it, easily reducing it and tearing it into two separate oxygen ions (each one an O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E). Then a series of chemical gaps called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/post\/what_is_the_true_definition_of_Oxygen_vacancy_in_magnetic_nanoparticles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoxygen vacancies\u003C\/a\u003E that are built into the nanoparticles\u0026rsquo; structures suck up the oxygen ions like chains of vacuum cleaners passing the ions hand to hand to the second phase of the catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second phase is a coating that is full of oxygen vacancies that can pass the O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E even more rapidly toward its final destination.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The oxygen goes down quickly through the channels and enters the fuel cell, where it meets with the ionized hydrogen or another electron donor like methane or natural gas.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ions meet to make water, which exits the fuel cell. In the case of methane fuel, pure CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E is also emitted, which can be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.nationalgeographic.com\/news\/energy\/2011\/08\/110811-turning-carbon-emissions-into-fuel\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecaptured and recycled back into fuel\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInteresting rare metals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first stage, there are two different flavors of nanoparticle at work. Both have cobalt, but one contains barium and the other praseodymium, a rare-earth metal that can be pricey in high quantities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/praseodymium.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPraseodymium\u003C\/a\u003E is in such very small amounts that it doesn\u0026rsquo;t impact costs,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;And the catalyst saves lots of money on fuel and on other things.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHigh operating temperatures in existing fuel cells require expensive protective casings and cooling materials. The researchers believe the catalyst could help lower the temperatures by reducing electrical resistance inherent in current fuel cell chemistry. That could, in turn, reduce overall material costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProtective cathode coating\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second stage of the catalyst is a lattice that contains praseodymium and barium, as well as calcium and cobalt (PBCC). In addition to its catalytic function, the PBCC coating protects the cathode from degradation that can limit the lifetime of fuel cells and similar devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe underlying original cathode material, which contains the metals lanthanum, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/strontium.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estrontium\u003C\/a\u003E, cobalt, and iron (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lanthanum_strontium_cobalt_ferrite\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELSCF\u003C\/a\u003E), has become an industry standard but comes with a caveat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s very conductive, very good, but the problem is that strontium undergoes a diminishment called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.corrosionpedia.com\/definition\/1017\/segregation-materials\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esegregation\u003C\/a\u003E in the material,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;One component of our catalyst, PBCC, acts as a coating and keeps the LSCF a lot more stable.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELSCF manufacturing is already well-established, and adding the catalyst coating to production could be likely reasonably achieved. Liu also is considering replacing the LSCF cathode completely with the new catalyst material, and his lab is developing a yet another catalyst to boost fuel oxidation reactions at the fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s anode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGet our email newsletter here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022\u003EAlso \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EREAD:\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E Nanogenerators boost mass spectrometry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECoauthors of the study were: Seonyoung Yoo, Yong Ding, Ruiqiang Yan, Kai Pei, Chong Qu, Lei Zhang, Ikwhang Cha, Bote Zhao, Ben deGlee, and Ryan Murphy of Georgia Tech; YongMan Choi from the SABIC Technology Center in Saudi Arabia; Yanxiang Zhang from the Harbin Institute of Technology in China; Huijun Chen, Yan Chen, Chenghao Yang and Jiang Liu from the South China University of Technology. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SECA Core Technology Program (grants FC FE0026106 and DE-FE0031201) and the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program (grant 2014ZT05N200). Any opinions or findings are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EZero-emissions cars zipping into a sustainable energy future are just one dream powered by fuel cells. But\u0026nbsp;cell technology has been a little sluggish and\u0026nbsp;fuel prohibitively pricey. This new catalyst could offer a game changer. And there are more developments to come.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Zero-emission cars and recyclable fuel are dreams powered by fuel cells, and this new catalyst brings the dream a little closer."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-03-13 20:31:36","changed_gmt":"2018-03-14 16:33:19","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"603760":{"id":"603760","type":"image","title":"Nissan fuel cell vehicle","body":null,"created":"1521037756","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:29:16","changed":"1521037756","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:29:16","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230114","name":"Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":860674,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg?itok=fL6FfvcL"}},"603750":{"id":"603750","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu and Yu Chen with catalyst-coated disc","body":null,"created":"1521035447","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 13:50:47","changed":"1521038201","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:36:41","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230108","name":"CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3417735,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg?itok=w7479N1p"}},"603756":{"id":"603756","type":"image","title":"Multiphase catalyst coats disc for fuel cell cathode","body":null,"created":"1521036485","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:08:05","changed":"1521038165","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:36:05","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230112","name":"Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1861246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg?itok=zAkDOOrs"}},"603754":{"id":"603754","type":"image","title":"Multiphase catalyst with barium and praseodymium","body":null,"created":"1521035950","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 13:59:10","changed":"1521035950","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 13:59:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230110","name":"cata.2phase.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":626217,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg?itok=NjXL2jIW"}},"603758":{"id":"603758","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu nanomaterial catalyst lab","body":null,"created":"1521037132","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:18:52","changed":"1521042618","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 15:50:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230113","name":"fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3385267,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg?itok=b_F1DDv0"}},"603763":{"id":"603763","type":"image","title":"Regents\u0027 Professor Meilin Liu","body":null,"created":"1521038551","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:42:31","changed":"1521038551","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:42:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230117","name":"Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2703440,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg?itok=_UpyLSvP"}},"603762":{"id":"603762","type":"image","title":"Fuel cell simple diagram from Smithsonian edu","body":null,"created":"1521038106","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:35:06","changed":"1521038106","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:35:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230116","name":"Smithson.fuel cell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43869,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg?itok=nbc07kdH"}},"603761":{"id":"603761","type":"image","title":"Nissan fuel cell vehicle on the road","body":null,"created":"1521037859","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:30:59","changed":"1521037859","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:30:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230115","name":"Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014 (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":972024,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg?itok=MAhsq-Uw"}}},"media_ids":["603760","603750","603756","603754","603758","603763","603762","603761"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"177382","name":"oxygen vacancy"},{"id":"177383","name":"o2-"},{"id":"170502","name":"O2"},{"id":"1703","name":"co2 capture"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"177384","name":"hydrogen fuel cell"},{"id":"171091","name":"solid oxide fuel cell"},{"id":"177385","name":"carbon recycling"},{"id":"177386","name":"co2 recycling"},{"id":"177387","name":"oxygen reduction"},{"id":"177388","name":"oxygen transport"},{"id":"177389","name":"praseodymium"},{"id":"177390","name":"lanthanides"},{"id":"177391","name":"strontium"},{"id":"177392","name":"cobalt"},{"id":"177393","name":"lanthanum"},{"id":"177394","name":"hydrogen oxidation"},{"id":"177395","name":"PBCC"},{"id":"177396","name":"LSCF"},{"id":"177397","name":"barium"},{"id":"175831","name":"supercapacitor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"602809":{"#nid":"602809","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Supporting Smart Communities Across Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new program will help local governments across Georgia plan and implement smart development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is leading the effort that brings together industry and public agencies to support communities in their efforts to implement cutting-edge technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022\u003EGeorgia Smart Communities Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E is open to\u0026nbsp;large cities and\u0026nbsp;smaller towns, which have not been as prominent in smart development because of a lack of access to resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe program, also called \u0026ldquo;Georgia Smart,\u0026quot;\u0026nbsp;will provide seed funding and access to technical assistance, expert advice and a network of peers. A Georgia Tech researcher will advise each team and conduct research in support of their needs and goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve spent the past year in workshops and dialogue with local governments across Georgia to better understand their challenges and priorities,\u0026rdquo; said Debra Lam, managing director, Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;From these communications, we developed a program that is sensitive to the local context while fast-tracking smart communities. We aim to create more models for smart development that can be shared and applied across the state and beyond.\u0026rdquo; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Smart is seeking proposals in the areas of smart mobility and smart resilience. Applications are due May 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELocal Georgia governments of any size --\u0026nbsp;cities, counties or consolidated city-county governments --\u0026nbsp;will lead selected teams. Each of the four winning teams will receive direct grant funding of up to $50,000, in addition to a required local match.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Power is the lead sponsor of the program, with additional financial support from the Atlanta Regional Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional partners include: Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Centers for Innovation, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Municipal Association, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Technology Association of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Creating a better-connected Georgia requires research and collaboration from many stakeholders across every layer of the public and private sector,\u0026rdquo; said Christine Primmer, strategic manager of the Georgia Power Smart Cities initiative. \u0026ldquo;We are proud to be a leading partner in the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge as one component of our larger commitment to improving every community we serve while also building the future of energy with a more reliable and adaptive power grid.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESmart community opportunities can help local governments and the entire region address multiple issues including mobility and economic development, said Doug Hooker, executive director, Atlanta Regional Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Community initiatives can be more successful through collaborative, people-focused approaches, and those qualities are what make the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge an important effort for the region,\u0026rdquo; Hooker said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA series of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/timeline\u0022\u003Eworkshops and webinars\u003C\/a\u003E will take place in March and April, including an April 9 event on campus, to assist communities with the application process. Each team is required to send at least one representative to at least one of these events.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge, click\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech leads a multi-agency initiative to help local governments adopt cutting-edge smart technologies. Applications for the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge are due May 1.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech leads a multi-agency initiative to help local governments adopt cutting-edge smart technologies.  "}],"uid":"27918","created_gmt":"2018-02-23 13:58:58","changed_gmt":"2018-02-23 15:05:55","author":"Laura Diamond","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"512011":{"id":"512011","type":"image","title":"GA Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1458923712","gmt_created":"2016-03-25 16:35:12","changed":"1475895275","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:35","alt":"GA Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"204997","name":"techtower_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/techtower_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/techtower_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2516795,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/techtower_2_0.jpg?itok=DxRg67A2"}},"597134":{"id":"597134","type":"image","title":"Smart Cities Initiative","body":null,"created":"1507573652","gmt_created":"2017-10-09 18:27:32","changed":"1507573652","gmt_changed":"2017-10-09 18:27:32","alt":"Banner for new Smart Cities Website","file":{"fid":"227585","name":"smart.cities.web_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/smart.cities.web_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/smart.cities.web_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":428958,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/smart.cities.web_.jpg?itok=Rt4yBjp4"}}},"media_ids":["512011","512011","597134"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/smartcities.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart","title":"Georgia Smart Communities Challenge"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167987","name":"smart cities"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor media inquiries about Georgia Smart,\u0026nbsp;contact Laura Diamond, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor all other inquiries, email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:scii@ipat.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Escii@ipat.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.diamond@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"600559":{"#nid":"600559","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Hide or Get Eaten, Urine Chemicals Tell Mud Crabs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPsssst, mud crabs, time to hide because blue crabs are coming to eat you! That\u0026rsquo;s the warning the prey get from the predators\u0026rsquo; urine when it spikes with high concentrations of two chemicals, which\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1713901115\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eresearchers have identified in a new study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond decoding crab-eat-crab alarm triggers, pinpointing these compounds for the first time opens new doors to understanding how chemicals invisibly regulate marine wildlife. Insights from the study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology could someday contribute to better management of crab and oyster fisheries, and help specify which pollutants upset them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn coastal marshes, these urinary alarm chemicals, trigonelline and homarine, help to regulate the ecological balance of who eats how many of whom -- and not just crabs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBlue crabs, which are about hand-sized and are tough and strong, eat\u0026nbsp;mud crabs, which are about the size of a silver dollar\u0026nbsp;and thin-shelled. Mud crabs, on the other hand, eat a lot of oysters, but when blue crabs are going after mud crabs, the mud crabs hide and freeze, so far fewer oysters get eaten than usual.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHumans are part of the food chain, too, eating oysters as well as blue crabs that boil up a bright orange. The blue refers to the color of markings on their appendages before they\u0026rsquo;re cooked. Thus, the blue crab urinary chemicals influence seafood availability for people, as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPredator pee-pee secrets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that blue crab urine scares mud crabs was already known. Mud crabs duck and cover when exposed to samples taken in the field and in the lab, even if the mud crabs can\u0026rsquo;t see the blue crabs yet. Digestive products, or metabolites, in blue crab urine trigger the mud crabs\u0026rsquo; reaction, which also makes them stop foraging for food themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Mud crabs react most strongly when blue crabs have already eaten other mud crabs,\u0026rdquo; said Julia Kubanek, who co-led the study with fellow Georgia Tech professor Marc Weissburg. \u0026ldquo;A change in the chemical balance in blue crab urine tells mud crabs that blue crabs just ate their cousins,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFiguring out the two specific chemicals, trigonelline and homarine, that set off the alarm system, out of myriad candidate molecules, is new and has been a challenging research achievement.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;My guess is that there are many hundreds of chemicals in the animal\u0026rsquo;s urine,\u0026rdquo; said Kubanek, who is a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/julia-kubanek\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprofessor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences, in its School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, and who is also\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAssociate Dean for Research in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s College of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers applied technology and methodology from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ebi.ac.uk\/training\/online\/course\/introduction-metabolomics\/what-metabolomics\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emetabolomics\u003C\/a\u003E, a relatively new field used principally in medical research to identify small biomolecules produced in metabolism that might serve as early warning signs of disease. Kubanek, Weissburg, and first author Remington Poulin published their\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1713901115\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eresults the week of January 8, 2017, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Edle in a haystack\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETrigonelline has been studied, albeit loosely, in some diseases, and is known as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.coffeechemistry.com\/chemistry\/alkaloids\/trigonelline-in-coffee\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone of the ingredients in coffee beans\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that, upon roasting, breaks down into other compounds that give coffee its aroma. Homarine is very similar to trigonelline, and, though apparently less studied, it\u0026rsquo;s also common.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These chemicals are found in many places,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said. But picking them out of all those chemicals in blue crab urine for the first time was like finding two needles in a haystack.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOften, in the past, researchers trying to narrow down such chemicals have started out by separating them out in arduous laboratory procedures then testing them one at a time to see if any of them worked. There was a good chance of turning up nothing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech researchers went after all the chemicals at one time, the whole haystack, using\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tOGM2gOHKPc\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emass spectrometry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nuclear_magnetic_resonance_spectroscopy\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We screened the entire chemical composition of each sample at once,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said. \u0026ldquo;We analyzed lots and lots of samples to fish out chemical candidates.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrabs are \u0026lsquo;walking noses\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers discovered spikes in about a dozen metabolites after blue crabs ate mud crabs. They tested out those pee chemicals that spiked on the mud crabs, and trigonelline and homarine distinctly made them crouch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Trigonelline scares the mud crabs a little bit more,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMore specifically, high concentrations of either of the two did the trick. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s clear that there was a dose-dependent response,\u0026rdquo; said Weissburg, who is a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/marc-weissburg\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprofessor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Mud crabs have evolved to hone in on that elevated dose.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Most crustaceans are walking noses,\u0026rdquo; Weissburg said. \u0026ldquo;They detect chemicals with sensors\u0026nbsp;on their claws, antennae and even the walking legs. The compounds we isolated are pretty simple, which suggests they might be easily detectable in a variety of places on a crab. This redundancy is good because it increases the likelihood that the mud crabs get the message and not get eaten.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEcological and fishery effects\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEvolution preserved the mud crabs with the duck-and-cover reaction to the two chemicals, which also influenced the ecological balance, in part by pushing blue crabs to look for more of their food elsewhere. But it influenced other animal populations as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These chemicals are staggeringly important,\u0026rdquo; Weissburg said. \u0026ldquo;The scent from a blue crab potentially affects a large number of mud crabs, all of which stop eating oysters, and that helps preserve the oyster populations.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of that also impacts food sources for marine birds and mammals: Just by the effects of two chemicals, and there are so many more chemical signals around. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s hard for us to appreciate the richness of this chemical landscape,\u0026rdquo; Weissburg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs scientists learn more, influencing these systems could become useful to ecologists and the fishing industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We might even be able to use these chemicals to control oyster consumption by predators to help preserve these habitats, which are critical, or to help oyster farmers. That\u0026rsquo;s becoming important in Georgia fisheries,\u0026rdquo; Weissburg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPollutants in pesticides and herbicides are known to interfere with estuaries\u0026rsquo; ecologies. \u0026ldquo;It will be a lot easier to test how strong this is by knowing specific ecological chemicals,\u0026rdquo; Weissburg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFear-o-mone small molecules\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy the way, trigonelline and homarine are not pheromones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Pheromones are signaling molecules that have a function within the same species, like to attract mates,\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said. \u0026ldquo;And blue crabs and mud crabs are not the same species.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In this case, the mud crabs have evolved to chemically eavesdrop on the blue crabs\u0026rsquo; pee. You might call trigonelline and homarine fear-inducing cues.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIdentifying such metabolites, also called small molecules, and their effects is the latest chapter in constructing the catalog of life molecules. \u0026ldquo;Everyone knows about the human genome project, identifying genomes; then came transcriptomes (molecules that transcribe genes),\u0026rdquo; Kubanek said. \u0026ldquo;Now we\u0026rsquo;re pretty far along with proteomics (identifying proteins), but we\u0026rsquo;re just now figuring out metabolomes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe paper was co-authored by Serge Lavoie, Katherine Siegel, and David Gaul. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences (grant OCE-1234449).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMud crabs hide for their lives if blue crabs, which prey upon them, pee anywhere near them. Pinpointing urine compounds for the first time that warn the mud crabs of predatory peril initiates a new level of understanding of how chemicals invisibly regulate undersea wildlife and ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Pinpointing two crab urine chemicals out of hundreds opens new doors of understanding of how marine chemical messaging works."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-01-08 20:56:53","changed_gmt":"2018-01-19 21:35:49","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"600546":{"id":"600546","type":"image","title":"Blue crab and mud crabs - horizontal","body":null,"created":"1515440715","gmt_created":"2018-01-08 19:45:15","changed":"1515440715","gmt_changed":"2018-01-08 19:45:15","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228932","name":"Crab 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#2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Blue%20crab%20urine%20collection%20photo%20%232_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Blue%20crab%20urine%20collection%20photo%20%232_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3137475,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Blue%20crab%20urine%20collection%20photo%20%232_0.jpg?itok=DwThx_5V"}},"600548":{"id":"600548","type":"image","title":"Mud crabs hide from urine chemicals","body":null,"created":"1515441111","gmt_created":"2018-01-08 19:51:51","changed":"1515441162","gmt_changed":"2018-01-08 19:52:42","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228934","name":"Mud crabs hiding among oyster 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2015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Remington%20Poulin%20in%20the%20lab%202015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Remington%20Poulin%20in%20the%20lab%202015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":207119,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Remington%20Poulin%20in%20the%20lab%202015.jpg?itok=oYb6LsVr"}},"600552":{"id":"600552","type":"image","title":"Julia Kubanek NMR with Serge Lavoie","body":null,"created":"1515442321","gmt_created":"2018-01-08 20:12:01","changed":"1515442321","gmt_changed":"2018-01-08 20:12:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228937","name":"KUBANEK DSC_4316.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":312167,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/KUBANEK%20DSC_4316.jpg?itok=Wom-Y0L2"}}},"media_ids":["600546","600547","600551","600554","600548","600555","600553","600556","600552"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176713","name":"metabolites"},{"id":"176710","name":"trigonelline"},{"id":"176711","name":"homarine"},{"id":"176724","name":"signaling chemicals"},{"id":"176725","name":"signaling mechanism"},{"id":"176726","name":"mud crab"},{"id":"176727","name":"Blue Crab"},{"id":"176728","name":"Estuaries"},{"id":"176729","name":"Estuarine research"},{"id":"176730","name":"Marine Aquaculture"},{"id":"176731","name":"Marine Biodiversity"},{"id":"176732","name":"marine signaling"},{"id":"176733","name":"Urine"},{"id":"11538","name":"Metabolomics"},{"id":"6366","name":"oyster"},{"id":"176734","name":"Fisheries"},{"id":"176735","name":"Fisheries and aquaculture"},{"id":"176736","name":"Pesticides"},{"id":"176121","name":"herbicide"},{"id":"176737","name":"Marine Ecology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599931":{"#nid":"599931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"One in Five Materials Chemistry Papers May be Wrong, Study Suggests","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECan companies rely on the results of one or two scientific studies to design a new industrial process or launch a new product? In at least one area of materials chemistry, the answer may be yes \u0026mdash; but only 80 percent of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe replicability of results from scientific studies has become a major source of concern in the research community, particularly in the social sciences and biomedical sciences. But many researchers in the fields of engineering and the hard sciences haven\u0026rsquo;t felt the same level of concern for independent validation of their results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new study that compared the results reported in thousands of papers published about the properties of metal organic framework (MOF) materials \u0026ndash; which are prominent candidates for carbon dioxide adsorption and other separations \u0026ndash; suggests the replicability problem should be a concern for materials researchers, too.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne in five studies of MOF materials examined by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology were judged to be \u0026ldquo;outliers,\u0026rdquo; with results far beyond the error bars normally used to evaluate study results. The thousands of research papers yielded just nine MOF compounds for which four or more independent studies allowed appropriate comparison of results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;At a fundamental level, I think people in materials chemistry feel that things are reproducible and that they can count on the results of a single study,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/david-s-sholl\u0022\u003EDavid Sholl\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor and John F. Brock III School Chair in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;But what we found is that if you pull out any experiment at random, there\u0026rsquo;s a one in five chance that the results are completely wrong \u0026ndash; not just slightly off, but not even close.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether the results can be more broadly applied to other areas of materials science awaits additional studies, Sholl said. The results of the study, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, were published November 28 in the ACS journal \u003Cem\u003EChemistry of Materials.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl chose MOFs because they\u0026rsquo;re an area of interest to his lab \u0026ndash; he develops models for the materials \u0026ndash; and because the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) had already assembled a database summarizing the properties of MOFs. Co-authors Jongwoo Park and Joshua Howe used meta-analysis techniques to compare the results of single-component adsorption isotherm testing \u0026ndash; how much CO\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E can be removed at room temperature.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat measurement is straightforward and there are commercial instruments available for doing the tests. \u0026ldquo;People in the community would consider this to be an almost foolproof experiment,\u0026rdquo; said Sholl, who is also a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Energy Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers considered the results definitive when they had four or more studies of a given MOF at comparable conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe implications for errors in materials science may be less than in other research fields. But companies could use the results of a just one or two studies to choose a material that appear to be more efficient, and in other cases, researchers unable to replicate an experiment may simply move on to another material.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The net result is non-optimal use of resources at the very least,\u0026rdquo; Sholl said. \u0026ldquo;And any report using one experiment to conclude a material is 15 or 20 percent better than another material should be viewed with great skepticism, as we cannot be very precise on these measurements in most cases.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy the variability in results? Some MOFs can be finicky, quickly absorbing moisture that affect adsorption, for instance. The one-in-five \u0026ldquo;outliers\u0026rdquo; may be a result of materials contamination.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the materials we studied is relatively simple to make, but it\u0026rsquo;s unstable in an ambient atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; Sholl explained. \u0026ldquo;Exactly what you do between making it in the lab and testing it will affect the properties you measure. That could account for some of what we saw, and if a material is that sensitive, we know it\u0026rsquo;s going to be a problem in practical use.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther factors that may prevent replication include details that were inadvertently left out of a methods description \u0026ndash; or that the original scientists didn\u0026rsquo;t realize were relevant. That could be as simple as the precise atmosphere in which the material is maintained, or the materials used in the apparatus producing the MOFs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl hopes the paper will lead to more replication of experiments so scientists and engineers can know if their results really are significant.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As a result of this, I think my group will look at all reported data in a more nuanced way, not necessarily suspecting it is wrong, but thinking about how reliable that data might be,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Instead of thinking about data as a number, we need to always think about it as a number plus a range.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl suggests that more reporting of second, third or fourth efforts to replicate an experiment would help raise the confidence of data on MOF materials properties. The scientific publishing system doesn\u0026rsquo;t currently provide much incentive for reporting validation, though Sholl hopes that will change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe also feels the issue needs to be discussed within all parts of the scientific community, though he admits that can lead to \u0026ldquo;uncomfortable\u0026rdquo; conversations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have presented this study a few times at conferences, and people can get pretty defensive about it,\u0026rdquo; Sholl said. \u0026ldquo;Everybody in the field knows everybody else, so it\u0026rsquo;s always easier to just not bring up this issue.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, of course, Sholl would like to see others replicate the work he and his research team did. \u0026ldquo;It will be interesting to see if this one-in-five number holds up for other types of experiments and materials,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;There are other certainly other areas of materials chemistry where this kind of comparison could be done.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through grant DE-FE0026433 and by the Center for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award #DE-SC0012577. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jongwoo Park, Joshua D. Howe, and David S. Sholl, \u0026ldquo;How Reproducible Are Isotherm Measurements in Metal-Organic Frameworks?,\u0026rdquo; (Chemistry of Materials, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.chemmater.7b04287\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.chemmater.7b04287\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECan companies rely on the results of one or two scientific studies to design a new industrial process or launch a new product? In at least one area of materials chemistry, the answer may be yes \u0026mdash; but only 80 percent of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study assesses scientific papers in materials chemistry."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-12-14 19:22:23","changed_gmt":"2017-12-14 19:23:35","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599928":{"id":"599928","type":"image","title":"Study suggests one in five materials chemistry papers may be wrong","body":null,"created":"1513278809","gmt_created":"2017-12-14 19:13:29","changed":"1513278809","gmt_changed":"2017-12-14 19:13:29","alt":"Diagram of MOF materials","file":{"fid":"228716","name":"mofs_7290.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3322865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg?itok=6qNLKXU0"}},"599929":{"id":"599929","type":"image","title":"Study suggests one in five materials chemistry papers may be wrong2","body":null,"created":"1513278882","gmt_created":"2017-12-14 19:14:42","changed":"1513278882","gmt_changed":"2017-12-14 19:14:42","alt":"Diagram of MOF materials","file":{"fid":"228717","name":"mofs_7297.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3344567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg?itok=3EWFLOXT"}}},"media_ids":["599928","599929"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176532","name":"MOF"},{"id":"176534","name":"metal organic framework"},{"id":"176535","name":"study replication"},{"id":"38811","name":"David Sholl"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599760":{"#nid":"599760","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Cold Suns, Warm Exoplanets and Methane Blankets","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESomewhere in our galaxy, an exoplanet is probably orbiting a star that\u0026rsquo;s colder than our sun, but instead of freezing solid, the planet might be cozy warm thanks to a greenhouse effect caused by methane in its atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENASA astrobiologists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a comprehensive new model that shows how planetary chemistry could make that happen. The model, published in a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41561-017-0031-2\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew study in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Geoscience\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was based on a likely scenario on Earth three billion years ago\u0026nbsp;and was actually built around its possible geological and biological chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sun produced a quarter less light and heat then, but Earth remained temperate, and methane may have saved our planet from an eon-long deep-freeze, scientists hypothesize. Had it not, we and most other complex life probably wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be here today.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new model combined multiple microbial metabolic processes with volcanic, oceanic and atmospheric activities, which may make it the most comprehensive of its kind to date. But while studying Earth\u0026rsquo;s distant past, the Georgia Tech researchers aimed their model light-years away, wanting it to someday help interpret conditions on recently discovered exoplanets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers set the model\u0026rsquo;s parameters broadly so that they could apply not only to our own planet but potentially also to its siblings with their varying sizes, geologies, and lifeforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth and its siblings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We really had an eye to future use with exoplanets for a reason,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/reinhard.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s possible that the atmospheric methane models that we are exploring for the early Earth represent conditions common to biospheres throughout our galaxy because they don\u0026rsquo;t require such an advanced stage of evolution like we have here on Earth now.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReinhard and first author Kazumi Ozaki\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41561-017-0031-2\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Geoscience\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;paper on December 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was supported by the NASA Postdoctoral Program, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrevious models have examined the mix of atmospheric gases needed to keep Earth warm in spite of the sun\u0026rsquo;s former faintness, or studied isolated microbial metabolisms that could have made the needed methane. \u0026ldquo;In isolation, each metabolism hasn\u0026rsquo;t made for productive models that accounted well for that much methane,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech researchers synergized those isolated microbial metabolisms, including ancient photosynthesis, with geological chemistry to create a model reflective of the complexity of an entire living planet. And the model\u0026rsquo;s methane production ballooned.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s important to think about the mechanisms controlling the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases in the framework of all biogeochemical cycles in the ocean and atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; said first author Ozaki, a postdoctoral assistant.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/555171\/animals-evolution-waited-eons-inhale\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: The Earth is not a lab beaker; it\u0026rsquo;s a shifty, humongous lab\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarl Sagan and the faint Sun\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech model strengthens a leading hypothesis that attempts to explain a mystery called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/418310\/a-solution-to-the-faint-young-sun-paradox\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe \u0026ldquo;faint young Sun paradox\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;pointed out by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/solarsystem.nasa.gov\/people\/saganc\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eiconic late astronomer Carl Sagan\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and his Cornell University colleague George Mullen in 1972.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAstronomers noticed long ago that stars burned\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu\/~infocom\/The%20Website\/evolution.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebrighter as they matured and weaker in their youths\u003C\/a\u003E. They calculated that about two billion years ago, our sun must have shone about 25 percent fainter than it does today.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat would have been too cold for any liquid water to exist on Earth, but paradoxically, strong evidence says that liquid water did exist. \u0026ldquo;Based on the observation of the geological record, we know that there must have been liquid water,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard said, \u0026ldquo;and in some cases, we know that temperatures were similar to how they are today, if not a little warmer.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESagan and Mullen postulated that Earth\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere must have\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/phenomena.nationalgeographic.com\/2013\/01\/03\/life-under-a-faint-sun\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecreated a greenhouse effect\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that saved it. Back then, they suspected ammonia was at work, but chemically, that idea proved less feasible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Methane\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/1999JE001134\/abstract;jsessionid=7AFBDB9A699016C22D162AB519D5A6FC.f04t04\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehas taken a lead role\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in this hypothesis,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard said. \u0026ldquo;When oxygen and methane enter the atmosphere, they chemically cancel each other out over time in a complex chain of chemical reactions. Because there was extremely little oxygen in the air back then, it would have allowed for methane to build up much higher levels than today.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIron, and rust photosynthesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the core of the model are two different types of photosynthesis. But three billion years ago, the dominant type of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/51720-photosynthesis.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ephotosynthesis we know today\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that pumps out oxygen may not have even existed yet.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, two other very primitive bacterial photosynthetic processes likely were essential to Earth\u0026rsquo;s ancient biosphere. One transformed iron in the ocean into rust, and the other photosynthesized hydrogen into formaldehyde.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The model relied on lots of volcanic activity spewing out hydrogen,\u0026rdquo; Ozaki said. Other bacteria fermented the formaldehyde, and other bacteria, still, turned the fermented product into methane.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two photosynthetic processes served as the watch spring of the model\u0026rsquo;s clockwork, which pulled in 359 previously established biogeochemical reactions spanning land, sea and air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3,000,000 runs and raging methane\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe model was not the type of simulation that produces a video animation of Earth\u0026rsquo;s ancient biogeochemistry. Instead, the model mathematically analyzed the processes, and the output was numbers and graphs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOzaki ran the model more than 3 million times, varying parameters, and found that if the model contained both forms of photosynthesis operating in tandem, that 24 percent of the runs produced enough methane to create the balance needed in the atmosphere to maintain the greenhouse effect and keep ancient Earth, or possibly an exoplanet, temperate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That translates into about a 24 percent probability that this model would produce a stable, warm climate on the ancient Earth with a faint sun or on an Earth-like exoplanet around a dimmer star,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard said. \u0026ldquo;Other models that looked at these photosynthetic metabolisms in isolation have much lower probabilities of producing enough methane to keep the climate warm.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re confident that this rather unique statistical approach means that you can take the basic insights of this new model to the bank,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther explanations for the \u0026ldquo;faint young Sun paradox\u0026rdquo; have been more cataclysmic and perhaps less regular in their dynamics. They include ideas about routine asteroid strikes stirring up seismic activity thus resulting in more methane production, or about\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/418310\/a-solution-to-the-faint-young-sun-paradox\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe sun consistently firing coronal mass ejections\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eat Earth, heating it up.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/584985\/climate-change-potentially-good-news-methane-and-peat-carbon\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: Some good news on climate change and methane\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was co-authored by Eiichi Tajika, Peng K. Hong and Yusuke Nakagawa of the University of Tokyo. The research was supported by the NASA Postdoctoral Program, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grant 25120006), the NASA Astrobiology Institute (grant NNA 15BB03A) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (grant FR-2015-65744). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of those sponsors\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Visionary model builds on the legacy of Carl Sagan\u2019s \u2018faint young Sun paradox\u2019 hypothesis"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree billion years ago, the sun shone weaker, but Earth stayed surprisingly warm. Carl Sagan thought a greenhouse effect must have been to thank for what was called the \u0026quot;faint young Sun paradox.\u0026quot; A model built on 359 chemical processes has finally arrived at scenarios with a reasonable chance of producing enough methane to do the trick of warming a planet threatened by deep-freeze.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Early Earth probably would have frozen solid, if not for greenhouse gasses, and a new model shows how they could have feasibly arisen."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-12-11 16:22:33","changed_gmt":"2017-12-12 20:08:37","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599747":{"id":"599747","type":"image","title":"Carl Sagan portrait NASA","body":null,"created":"1513007692","gmt_created":"2017-12-11 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Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599531":{"#nid":"599531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AAAS Honors Cola, Fox and Weitz as Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named three researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology as fellows for 2017 for their contributions to the advancement of science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBaratunde Cola, Mary Frank Fox, and Joshua Weitz, who are members of AAAS, were elected by their peers to receive the honor and join hundreds of their contemporaries who became fellows this year. \u0026ldquo;This year 396 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications,\u0026rdquo; the AAAS wrote in its announcement of this year\u0026rsquo;s fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll three Georgia Tech fellows saw the AAAS Fellowship as encouragement to continue serving science and humanity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three have excelled in research in the following fields, according to AAAS: Cola in nanoscale engineering, Fox in the participation and performance of women and men in science, and Weitz in virus dynamics in populations and in ecosystems. Here are summaries of the researchers\u0026rsquo; achievements and interests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBaratunda Cola\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E may be best known for engineering the first-ever optical rectenna. A rectenna, or rectifying antenna, turns electromagnetic waves into direct current electricity, and Cola\u0026rsquo;s invention was the first known to work with sunlight instead of radio waves, making it an innovation in efficient solar energy generation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola, who is an associate professor in The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, is currently focused on the transfer of heat, and the conversion of energy in nanostructures, particularly those based on carbon nanotubes. He holds three carbon nanotube related patents and is interested in making his innovations producible on a large scale for practical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I was honored that AAAS chose to recognize my contributions to science over the years,\u0026rdquo; Cola said. \u0026ldquo;The fellowship gives a bigger platform to my work so it can reach more people and be useful to them.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola\u0026rsquo;s vision transcends arbitrary confines of a research field. \u0026ldquo;I think of myself less as being a mechanical engineer and more as a person concerned with the advancement and well-being of people, and I appreciate the power of science to positively affect lives through practical applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn April, Cola \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/590379\/georgia-tech-researcher-honored-alan-t-waterman-award\u0022\u003Ereceived the highest honor awarded by the National Science Foundation to up-and-coming scientists and engineers\u003C\/a\u003E. Like the AAAS Fellowship, the Alan T. Waterman award also recognized Cola\u0026rsquo;s achievements in transforming light and heat into electricity on the nanoscale, and it added $1 million in funding to his research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola also serves as CEO of Carbice Corporation, a Georgia Tech spinoff company that has developed a heat-conducting tape that helps prevent electronic devices from overheating.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/fox\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMary Frank Fox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is known for her research on women and men in scientific organizations and occupations. She is nationally recognized as a leader on issues of diversity, equity, and equity in science, and her work has had a significant influence on science and technology policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFox, who is an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.advance.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EADVANCE Professor\u003C\/a\u003E at the School of Public Policy in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, is particularly interested in how social and organizational settings, in which scientists are educated and work, influence their performance. She holds multiple board of director positions in societies connected to science and technology policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m deeply honored by the AAAS award,\u0026rdquo; Fox said. \u0026ldquo;I value that it recognizes my years of research on women and men in sciences and the policy implications for equity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFox sees the award as recognition that her work advances science and is aligned with AAAS\u0026rsquo;s commitments. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m one of the founders of this area of science, and I value this award recognizing this research that advances science,\u0026rdquo; Fox said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ecotheory.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E uses models to predict the effects of viruses on populations and on ecosystems, but his work encompasses many complex biological systems. His group combines methods from physics, math, computational biology, and bioinformatics to develop in-depth analytical models of biological dynamics to understand experimental and environmental data.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the field of virology, he applies this approach to the molecular workings of viruses, their spread through a population and their evolution into new strains. His work is theoretical, but he uses his detailed computational methods to collaborate with experimentalists. Weitz is a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences, Courtesy Professor of Physics and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When AAAS first informed me, I was honored and humbled.\u0026nbsp; And I was proud of my group and its collective effort in the last 10 years at Georgia Tech to study viral ecology,\u0026rdquo; Weitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The mission of the AAAS is ever more important in these times, and being a fellow gives us a greater responsibility to communicate our research beyond the scientific community, to let the public know how it serves society\u0026rsquo;s betterment by improving public health and environmental health.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science lays claim to the distinction of being \u0026ldquo;the world\u0026rsquo;s largest general scientific society.\u0026rdquo; AAAS was founded in 1848 and publishes the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E as well as many other prestigious research periodicals. The AAAS Fellowship began in 1874.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three Georgia Tech researchers honored as AAAS Fellows for 2017 for their contributions to the advancement of science."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-12-04 23:08:37","changed_gmt":"2017-12-04 23:24:48","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599529":{"id":"599529","type":"image","title":"Mary Frank Fox AAAS Fellow 2017","body":null,"created":"1512428091","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:54:51","changed":"1512428091","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:54:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228566","name":"MaryFrankFox.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":576361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg?itok=p6Ex56AY"}},"599528":{"id":"599528","type":"image","title":"Joshua Weitz AAAS Fellow","body":null,"created":"1512427820","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:50:20","changed":"1512427820","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:50:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228565","name":"Weitz.bboard.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241085,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg?itok=45GUazon"}},"599530":{"id":"599530","type":"image","title":"Baratunde Cola AAAS Fellow 2017","body":null,"created":"1512428369","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:59:29","changed":"1512428369","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:59:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228567","name":"cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1096193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg?itok=Dj1oiAkz"}}},"media_ids":["599529","599528","599530"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11701","name":"AAAS Fellows"},{"id":"167053","name":"sociology"},{"id":"713","name":"Gender"},{"id":"176413","name":"virus in populations"},{"id":"140461","name":"Computational Biology"},{"id":"176412","name":"virus ecology"},{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"142851","name":"optical rectenna"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"598195":{"#nid":"598195","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Environmental Engineer\u0027s Natural Herbicide Project Wins National Campus Sustainability Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years, newly minted alumna Grace Brosofsky has been driven to find a safe, organic way to control weeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow she\u0026rsquo;s been recognized for her efforts as a Georgia Tech student with the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.aashe.org\/get-involved\/awards\/past-winners\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStudent Sustainability Leadership award for 2017\u003C\/a\u003E from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Brosofsky was honored at the group\u0026rsquo;s annual conference earlier this month for her natural herbicides project with Engineers for a Sustainable World.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I was humbled and honored to receive the AASHE Student Sustainability Leadership Award and enjoyed the chance to meet so many amazing people dedicated to devising and implementing different ways to further sustainability,\u0026rdquo; said Brosofsky, who graduated in the spring and now studies law at Cornell University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an undergraduate environmental engineering student, Brosofsky worked with Engineers for a Sustainable World to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/how-combo-vinegar-and-citrus-fruit-oil-could-help-georgia-tech-reduce-herbicide-use\u0022\u003Etest several natural herbicides on the Georgia Tech campus\u003C\/a\u003E. In their second trial, supported by a President\u0026rsquo;s Undergraduate Research Award, they found they could make an effective \u0026mdash; and economical \u0026mdash; herbicide from acetic acid and d-Limonene, the bulk of the oil that\u0026rsquo;s squeezed out of the skins of citrus fruits when they\u0026rsquo;re juiced.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In our second, larger-scale experiment, we found that 20 percent, 40 percent and 60 percent concentrations of an acetic acid and d-Limonene solution performed better over time than the organic herbicides currently on the market,\u0026rdquo; Brosofsky said, \u0026ldquo;and that the 40 percent and 60 percent concentrations worked as well as the chemical herbicide RoundUp.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team taught students and gardeners in low-income communities how to make and use the natural herbicide, and they worked with Students Organizing for Sustainability to control weeds in the club\u0026rsquo;s garden.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the project was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/how-combo-vinegar-and-citrus-fruit-oil-could-help-georgia-tech-reduce-herbicide-use\u0022\u003Ebased on research Brosofsky has been doing since high school\u003C\/a\u003E on organic weed control, Engineers for a Sustainable World will continue the work now the she has finished her degree. Environmental engineering student Emmeline Yearwood and chemical engineering major Ilinca Birlea plan to collaborate with Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s facilities team on the landscaping for the new Living Building.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe AASHE sustainability awards recognize campuses and individuals who are helping lead sustainability efforts in higher education. This year, the group gave out 10 awards from more than 200 nominees. Brosofsky\u0026rsquo;s project won the only student award.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecent graduate Grace Brosofsky been recognized for her efforts to develop a natural herbicide for the Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Recent graduate Grace Brosofsky been recognized for her efforts to develop a natural herbicide for the Georgia Tech campus."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2017-11-01 14:56:40","changed_gmt":"2017-11-01 15:05:10","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"598192":{"id":"598192","type":"image","title":"Grace Brosofsky, BSEnvE 2017, with Student Sustainability Leadership Award","body":null,"created":"1509547696","gmt_created":"2017-11-01 14:48:16","changed":"1509547734","gmt_changed":"2017-11-01 14:48:54","alt":"Grace Brosofsky, BSEnvE 2017, stands with her Student Sustainability Leadership award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.","file":{"fid":"228039","name":"Grace.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Grace.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Grace.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":753918,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Grace.jpg?itok=3lLwMFhq"}}},"media_ids":["598192"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.aashe.org\/get-involved\/awards\/past-winners\/","title":"AASHE Sustainability Awards 2017"},{"url":"https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/how-combo-vinegar-and-citrus-fruit-oil-could-help-georgia-tech-reduce-herbicide-use","title":"More about Brosofsky\u0027s project"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.esw.gtorg.gatech.edu\/","title":"Engineers for a Sustainable World - Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1253","name":"School of Civil and Envrionmental Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176120","name":"Grace Brosofsky"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"1287","name":"enivronmental sustainability"},{"id":"176121","name":"herbicide"},{"id":"24561","name":"association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:joshua.stewart@ce.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["joshua.stewart@ce.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"596207":{"#nid":"596207","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Running Roaches, Flapping Moths Create a New Physics of Organisms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESand-swimming lizards, slithering robotic snakes, dusk-flying moths and running roaches all have one thing in common: They\u0026#39;re increasingly being studied by physicists interested in understanding the shared strategies these creatures have developed to overcome the challenges of moving though their environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy analyzing the rules governing the locomotion of these creatures, \u0026quot;physics of living systems\u0026quot; researchers are learning how animals successfully negotiate unstable surfaces like wet sand, maintain rapid motion on flat surfaces using the advantageous mechanics of their bodies, and fly in ways that would never work for modern aircraft. The knowledge these researchers develop could be useful to the designers of robots and flying vehicles of all kinds.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Locomotion is a very natural access point for understanding how biological systems interact with the world,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/simon-sponberg\u0022\u003ESimon Sponberg\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;When they move, animals change the environment around them so they can push off from it and move through it in different ways. This capability is a defining feature of animals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESponberg has spent his career bridging the gap between physics and organismal biology \u0026ndash; the study of complex creatures. His work includes studying how hawk moths slow their nervous systems to maintain vision during low-light conditions, and how muscle is a versatile material able to change function from a brake to a motor or spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe recently published a feature article, the cover story for the September issue of the American Institute of Physics magazine \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/physicstoday.scitation.org\/doi\/10.1063\/PT.3.3691\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhysics Today\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, on the role of physics in animal locomotion. The article was not intended as a review of the entire field, but rather to show how organismal physics \u0026ndash; integrating complex physiological systems, the mechanics and the surrounding environment into a whole animal \u0026ndash; has inspired his career.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The intersection of physics and organismal biology is a very exciting one right now,\u0026rdquo; said Sponberg, who is also a researcher with the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech said. \u0026ldquo;The assembly and interaction of multiple natural components manifests new behaviors and dynamics. The collection of these natural components manifests different patterns than the individual parts, and that\u0026rsquo;s fascinating.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by new initiatives at such organizations as the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.arl.army.mil\u0022\u003EArmy Research Office\/Army Research Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026ndash; which are embracing these frontiers \u0026ndash; Georgia Tech scientists are learning the equations that dictate how snakes move, understanding how the hair spacing on the bodies of bees help them stay clean, and using X-ray equipment to see how an unusual African lizard \u0026ldquo;swims\u0026rdquo; through dry sand.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a really exciting time to be working at the intersection of evolutionary organismal biology that is realized in these living systems that have come about through the process of evolution, composed of seemingly very complex systems,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Biological systems are inescapably complex, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean there aren\u0026rsquo;t simple patterns of behavior that we can understand. We now have the modern tools, approaches and theory that we need to be able to extract physical patterns from biological systems.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his article, Sponberg makes predictions about the research that will be needed for the physics of living systems to advance as a field:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EHow feedback transforms physiological dynamics,\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EHow aggregations of living components, from humans to ants to molecular motors, arise at multiple scales, and\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EHow robo-physical models of these complex systems can lead to new discoveries and advance engineering.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEngineered systems use feedback about the effects of their actions to adjust their future activities, and animals do the same to control their movement. Scientists can manipulate this feedback to understand how complex systems are put together and use the feedback to design experiments rather than just analyzing what is there.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We use feedback all the time to move through our environment, and feedback is a really special thing that fundamentally affects how dynamics occur,\u0026rdquo; said Sponberg. \u0026ldquo;But using feedback to design experiments is really sort of new.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, in the study of how hawk moths track flowers during low-light conditions, he and his colleagues used feedback dynamics to isolate how the moth\u0026rsquo;s brain adjusts its processing in dim light. The moths can still accurately track flower movements that occur less than two times per second \u0026ndash; which matches the frequency at which the flowers sway in the wind.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnimals are composed of many systems operating at multiple time scales simultaneously \u0026ndash; brain neurons, nerves and the individual fibers of muscles with molecular motors. These muscle fibers are arranged in an active crystalline lattice such that X-rays fired through them create a regular diffraction pattern. Understanding these multiscale living assemblages provides new insights into how animals manage complex actions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, Sponberg notes in his article that robots are playing a larger and larger role in the physics laboratory as functional models that can examine principles of movement by interacting with the real world. In the laboratory of Georgia Tech Associate Professor Dan Goldman \u0026ndash; one of Sponberg\u0026rsquo;s colleagues \u0026ndash; robotic snakes, turtles, crabs and other creatures help scientists understand what they\u0026rsquo;re observing in the natural world.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Moving physical models \u0026ndash; robots \u0026ndash; can be very powerful tools for understanding these complex systems,\u0026rdquo; Sponberg said. \u0026ldquo;They can allow us to do experiments on robots that we couldn\u0026rsquo;t do on animals to see how they interact with complex environments. We can see what physics in these systems is essential to their behaviors.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESponberg was inspired to study the interaction of organismal biology and physics by the remarkable diversity of animal movement and by nonlinear dynamics, a field made popular when he was a young student by the 1987 best-selling book \u003Cem\u003EChaos: Making a New Science,\u003C\/em\u003E authored by former New York Times reporter James Gleick. Sponberg hopes today\u0026rsquo;s students \u0026ndash; readers of \u003Cem\u003EPhysics Today\u003C\/em\u003E \u0026ndash; will also be inspired.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I voted on this with my career choice, so I think this is a very exciting areas of science,\u0026rdquo; he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESand-swimming lizards, slithering robotic snakes, dusk-flying moths and running roaches all have one thing in common: They\u0026#39;re increasingly being studied by physicists interested in understanding the shared strategies these creatures have developed to overcome the challenges of moving though their environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are interested in the strategies creatures have developed to overcome the challenges of moving though their environments."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-09-19 20:47:43","changed_gmt":"2017-09-27 20:52:05","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-09-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-09-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"596193":{"id":"596193","type":"image","title":"Hawk moth on robotic flower2","body":null,"created":"1505852306","gmt_created":"2017-09-19 20:18:26","changed":"1505852306","gmt_changed":"2017-09-19 20:18:26","alt":"Hawk moth landing on robotic flower","file":{"fid":"227209","name":"hawkmoth6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hawkmoth6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hawkmoth6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":327015,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hawkmoth6_0.jpg?itok=LQsvnpdg"}},"596194":{"id":"596194","type":"image","title":"Hawk moth on natural flower","body":null,"created":"1505853283","gmt_created":"2017-09-19 20:34:43","changed":"1505853283","gmt_changed":"2017-09-19 20:34:43","alt":"Hawk moth and natural flower","file":{"fid":"227211","name":"Manduca and flower.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Manduca%20and%20flower.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Manduca%20and%20flower.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":237321,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Manduca%20and%20flower.jpg?itok=U68Cita_"}},"596196":{"id":"596196","type":"image","title":"Simon Sponberg and hawk moth","body":null,"created":"1505853417","gmt_created":"2017-09-19 20:36:57","changed":"1505853417","gmt_changed":"2017-09-19 20:36:57","alt":"Simon Sponberg holds hawk moth","file":{"fid":"227212","name":"hawkmoth12.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hawkmoth12.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hawkmoth12.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":285420,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hawkmoth12.jpg?itok=eYA8Von_"}}},"media_ids":["596193","596194","596196"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175601","name":"haw moth"},{"id":"129701","name":"physics of living systems"},{"id":"175602","name":"living systems"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"},{"id":"377","name":"locomotion"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"595443":{"#nid":"595443","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Was the Primordial Soup a Hearty Pre-Protein Stew?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe primordial soup that sloshed around billions of years ago, and eventually led to first life on our planet, might have been teeming with primal precursors of proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAncestors of the first protein molecules, which are key components of all cells, could have been bountiful on pre-life Earth, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2017\/08\/22\/1711631114.abstract\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study led by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, who formed hundreds of possible precursor molecules in the lab. Then they meticulously analyzed the molecules with latest technology and new algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey found that the molecules, called depsipeptides, formed quickly and abundantly under conditions that would have been common on prebiotic Earth, and with ingredients that would have likely been plentiful.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd some of the depsipeptides evolved into new varieties in just a few days, an ability that, eons ago, could have accelerated the birth of long molecules, called peptides, that make up proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWithout cataclysm, please\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new NASA-affiliated research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the first polymers of life may have arisen in variations of daily processes still observed on Earth today, such as the repeated drying and refilling of pond water. They may not have all zapped into existence as a result of blazing cataclysms, an image often associated with the creation of the first chemicals of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to stay away from scenarios that are not readily possible,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fernandez\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFacundo Fern\u0026aacute;ndez, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, and one of the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigators. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t deviate from conditions that would have been realistic and reasonably common on prebiotic Earth. Don\u0026rsquo;t invoke any unreasonable chemistry.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists have long puzzled over how the very first proteins formed. Their long-chain molecules, polypeptides, can be tough to make in the lab under abiotic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome researchers have toiled to build tiny chains, or peptides, sometimes under more extreme scenarios that probably occurred\u0026nbsp;less often on early Earth. The yields have been modest, and the resulting peptides have had only a couple of component parts, whereas natural proteins have a large variety of them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStep-by-step evolution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut complex molecules of life likely did not arise in one dramatic step that produced final products. That\u0026rsquo;s the hypothesis that drives the research of Fern\u0026aacute;ndez and his colleagues at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/centerforchemicalevolution.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENSF\/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution\u003C\/a\u003E, headquartered at Georgia Tech and based on close collaboration with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScripps Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, multiple easier chemical steps produced plentiful in-between products that were useful in subsequent reactions that eventually led to the first biopolymers. The depsipeptides produced in this latest study could have served as such a chemical stepping stone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey look a lot like regular peptides and can be found today in biological systems. \u0026ldquo;Many antibiotics, for example, are depsipeptides,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFern\u0026aacute;ndez, his Georgia Tech colleagues \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/grover.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMartha Grover\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hud\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENicholas Hud\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/research\/faculty\/krishnamurthy\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERam Krishnamurthy\u003C\/a\u003E from Scripps published their \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2017\/08\/22\/1711631114.abstract\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy on August 28, 2017, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. First author \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chemistry.cofc.edu\/about\/faculty-staff-listing\/jay-g.-forsythe.php\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJay Forsythe\u003C\/a\u003E, formerly a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Tech, is now an assistant professor at the College of Charleston. Research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the NASA Astrobiology Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new study joins similar work about the formation of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/525171\/missing-links-brewed-primordial-puddles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERNA precursors\u003C\/a\u003E on prebiotic Earth, and about possible \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/582355\/was-secret-spice-primal-gene-soup-thickener-0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Escenarios for the formation of the first genes\u003C\/a\u003E. The collective insights may someday help explain how first life arose on Earth and also aid astrobiologists in determining the probability of life existing on other planets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding depsipeptide Lego\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo understand depsipeptides and the significance of the researchers\u0026rsquo; results, it\u0026rsquo;s helpful to start by looking at peptides, which are chains of amino acids. When the chains get really long they are called polypeptides, and then\u0026nbsp;proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiving cells have machinery that reads instructions in DNA on how to link up amino acids in a specific order to build very specific peptides and proteins that have functions in a living cell. For a protein to have function in a cell, its polypeptide chains have to clump up like sticky yarn to form useful shapes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore cells and DNA existed on an Earth devoid of life, for polypeptides to form, amino acids had to somehow jostle together in puddles or on the banks of rivers or lakes to form chains. But \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/terms\/peptide_bond.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epeptide bonds\u003C\/a\u003E can be tough to form, especially long chains of them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmino stand-in double\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther bonds, called \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com\/Ester+bond\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eester bonds\u003C\/a\u003E, form more easily, and they can link up amino acids with very similar molecules called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hydroxy_acid\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehydroxy acids\u003C\/a\u003E. Hydroxy acids are so much like amino acids that they can, in some cases, function as their stand-in doubles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers mixed three amino acids with three hydroxy acids in a water solution and they formed depsipeptides, chains of amino acids and hydroxy acids held together by intermittent ester and peptide bonds. The hydroxy acids acted as an enabler to put the chains together that would have otherwise been difficult to form.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe primordial soup may have lapped its depsipeptides onto rocks, where they dried out in the sun, then rain or dew dissolved them back into the soup, and that happened over and over. The researchers mimicked this cycle in the lab and watched as the depsipeptide\u0026nbsp;chains further developed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeath Valley heat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We call it an environmental cycling approach to making these early peptides,\u0026rdquo; said Fern\u0026aacute;ndez, who is Vasser Woolley Foundation Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry. Like nature: Make the soup, dry it out, repeat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab, the drying temperature was 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Fahrenheit), although the reaction has been shown to work at temperatures of 55 \u0026nbsp;and 65 degrees Celsius (131 to 149 degrees Fahrenheit). \u0026ldquo;If you think about early Earth having a lot of volcanic activity and an atmospheric mix that promoted warming, those temperatures are realistic on many parts of an early Earth,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarly Earth took hundreds of millions of years to cool, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/climate-qa\/whats-hottest-earths-ever-been\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etemperatures in the hundreds of degrees\u003C\/a\u003E are hypothesized to have been commonplace for a long time. Even today, the hottest deserts can reach over 55 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEster do-si-do\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince ester bonds break more easily, in the experiment, the chains tended to come apart more at the hydroxy acids and hold together between the amino acids, which were connected by the stronger peptide bonds. As a result, chains could re-form and link up more and more amino acids with each other into sturdier peptides.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a kind of square-dance, the stand-in hydroxy acids often left their amino acid\u0026nbsp;partners in the chain, and new amino acids latched onto the chain in their place, where they held on tight. In fact, a number of the depsipeptides ended up being composed almost completely of amino acids and had only remnants of hydroxy acids.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Now\u0026nbsp;we know how peptides can form easily,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said. \u0026ldquo;Next, we want to find out what\u0026rsquo;s needed to get to the level of a functional protein.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/525171\/missing-links-brewed-primordial-puddles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EREAD: Possible precursor of RNA forms spontaneously in water\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10,000,000,000,000 depsipeptides\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo identify the more than 650 depsipeptides that formed, the researchers used mass spectrometry combined with ion mobility, which could be described as a wind tunnel for molecules. Along with mass, the additional mobility measurement gave the researchers data on the shape of the depsipeptides.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlgorithms created by Georgia Tech researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/anton-petrov\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAnton Petrov\u003C\/a\u003E processed the data to finally identify the molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo illustrate how potentially bountiful depsipeptides could have been on prebiotic Earth: The researchers had to limit the number of amino acids and hydroxy acids to three each. Had they taken 10 each instead, the number of theoretical depsipeptides could have climbed over 10,000,000,000,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Ease and bounty are key,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said. \u0026ldquo;Chemical evolution is more likely to progress when components it needs are plentiful and can join together under more ordinary conditions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/582355\/was-secret-spice-primal-gene-soup-thickener-0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: Was the Secret Spice in Primal Gene Soup a Thickener?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/what-came-chicken-or-egg\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: The work of the NSF\/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Calvin Millar and Sheng-Sheng Yu also coauthored this study. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the NASA Astrobiology Program, under the NSF\/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution (CHE-1504217). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHow proteins evolved\u0026nbsp;billions of years ago, when Earth was devoid of life, has stumped many a scientist. A little do-si-do between amino acids and their chemical lookalikes may have\u0026nbsp;done the trick. Evolutionary chemists tried it, and got results by the boatload.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Proteins are tough to make outside a living cell, so how did their components evolve on pre-life Earth? Perhaps easier than thought."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-09-01 18:29:59","changed_gmt":"2017-09-15 18:31:32","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"555151":{"id":"555151","type":"image","title":"Exoplanets NASA depictions","body":null,"created":"1469472913","gmt_created":"2016-07-25 18:55:13","changed":"1504298027","gmt_changed":"2017-09-01 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evolution"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"175401","name":"depsipeptide"},{"id":"175402","name":"proto-peptide"},{"id":"12289","name":"NASA Astrobiology"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"592677":{"#nid":"592677","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Wildfires Pollute Much More Than Previously Thought","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESummer wildfires boost air pollution considerably more than previously believed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENaturally burning timber and brush launch what are called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pm-pollution\/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efine particles\u003C\/a\u003E into the air at a rate three times as high as levels officially noted in emissions inventories at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/2016JD026315\/full\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a new study\u003C\/a\u003E. This does not mean that burning biomass produces more pollution than it previously did, but the new research makes clearer how much and what pollutants are inside a wildfire plume.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFine particles, the microscopic, sooty specks that form \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\/Features\/Aerosols\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaerosols\u003C\/a\u003E, are a hazard to human health, particularly to the lungs and heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Burning biomass produces lots of pollution. These are really bad aerosols to breathe from a health point of view,\u0026rdquo; said researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\/people\/Greg_Huey\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGreg Huey from the Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, which led the study. The research also describes other chemicals in wildfire smoke, some never before measured, and it will likely raise\u0026nbsp;the EPA estimated annual emission of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pm-pollution\/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efine particles, or particulate\u0026nbsp;matter,\u003C\/a\u003E in the western United States significantly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe previous \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www3.epa.gov\/airnow\/wildfire_may2016.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEPA\u003C\/a\u003E data had been based on plume samples taken in controlled burns ignited by forestry professionals. Measuring naturally occurring plumes so thoroughly, from the sky, directly in the thick of a wildfire had not been possible before this study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlunging into plumes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnique research missions deployed planes to plow through the plumes of three major wildfires, including the 2013 Rim Fire, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/thetwo-way\/2013\/09\/07\/220024867\/rim-fire-is-third-largest-wildfire-in-californias-history\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe third-largest wildfire in California history.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; An ensemble of instruments bristling from the flanks of NASA and U.S. Department of Energy aircraft allowed teams of researchers on board to measure chemicals and particles in real time and cull masses of data, which the new study is based on.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We actually went to measure, right above the fire, what was coming out,\u0026rdquo; said Huey, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, which he also chairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hs.umt.edu\/chemistry\/people\/researchFaculty.php?s=Yokelson\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBob Yokelson, a professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of Montana\u003C\/a\u003E has taken a leadership role in many aspects of the research and was in a group of about 20 scientists who selected the instruments to be installed on the large NASA plane. \u0026ldquo;We really didn\u0026rsquo;t have to go without anything we wanted really badly,\u0026rdquo; he said. Yokelson also helped design the flight paths.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech had instruments and scientists on the NASA DC-8 plane. Researchers associated with a total of more than a dozen universities and organizations participated in data collection or analysis. The scientists published their findings on June 14 in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/2016JD026315\/full\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This paper is expected to serve as a basis for the next NASA fire chemical monitoring mission,\u0026rdquo; Huey said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERefinery in flames\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMethanol, benzene, ozone precursors and other noxious emissions collected from wildfire plumes may make it sound like an oil refinery went up in flames. That\u0026rsquo;s not so far-fetched, as oil and other fossil fuels derive from ancient biomass.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You can see the smoke, and it\u0026rsquo;s dark for a reason,\u0026rdquo; Huey said. \u0026ldquo;When you go measuring wildfires, you get everything there is to measure. You start to wonder sometimes what all is in there.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study found many organic chemicals in the wildfire plumes, and technological advancements allowed them to detect certain nitrates in the smoke for the first time. But burning biomass does not appear to be a dominant source of these chemical pollutants.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe major findings of the study involved the fine particles, which are dusty, sooty particles much thinner than a grain of sand or a human hair. They can go airborne, as aerosols, on their own or combined with moisture.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen people can inhale them. Some particulate matter contains oxidants that cause genetic damage. They can drift over long distances and pollute populated areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIndustrial sources also expose people to harmful aerosols, but fires produce more aerosol per amount of fuel burned. \u0026ldquo;Cars and power plants with pollution controls burn things much more cleanly,\u0026rdquo; Huey said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVarious aerosols also rise up in the atmosphere, but their net effect on global warming or cooling is still uncertain, as some aerosols reflect sunlight away from the Earth, and others, in contrast, trap warmth in the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/591979\/smoke-wildfires-can-have-lasting-climate-impact\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso read: Brown carbon from wildfires may boost climate change\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrescribed burnings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs global warming expands wildfires in size and number, the ensuing pollution stands to grow along with them. Stepping up professionally controlled man-made burnings may help cut these emissions, the study suggests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo-called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fs.fed.us\/fire\/management\/rx.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprescribed burnings\u003C\/a\u003E prevent or reduce wildfires, and they appear to produce far less pollution per unit area than wildfires.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A prescribed fire might burn five tons of biomass fuel per acre, whereas a wildfire might burn 30,\u0026rdquo; said Yokelson, who has dedicated decades of research to biomass fires. \u0026ldquo;This study shows that wildfires also emit three times more aerosol per ton of fuel burned than prescribed fires.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile still more needs to be known about professional prescribed burnings\u0026rsquo; emissions, this new research makes clear that wildfires burn much more and pollute much more. The data will also help improve overall estimates of wildfire emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFire prevention professionals follow stringent rules to carry out prescribed burns to avoid calamity and sending pollution downwind into populated areas. The researchers do not recommend that inexperienced people burn biomass, as this contributes to air pollution and can trigger tragic blazes, including wildfires.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaunting flights\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExperiments like these, in real natural disasters, are uncommon not only because of the challenge of assembling so many great instruments and taking them airborne. The flights are also potentially dangerous. Plumes are not only filled with toxins, but their turbulence tosses planes about, rattling technology and researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The smoke leaks into the cabin and makes you nauseous,\u0026rdquo; said Yokelson, who started flying plume missions many years ago. \u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;re trying to take notes, run your instrument, look at the fire, talk on the headset, and get pictures. And at the same time, it\u0026rsquo;s crazy bumpy. Normally, if you\u0026rsquo;re in a smaller plane, your stomach is not too happy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso, wildfires pop up unannounced, so flight schedules must be hammered out on short notice around strict regulations that normally prohibit flights near wildfires. Research aircraft also have to coordinate with regional authorities to avoid crossing paths with fire-fighting planes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rare data the flights from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/seac4rs\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENASA\u0026rsquo;s SEAC\u003Csup\u003E4\u003C\/sup\u003ERS mission\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.arm.gov\/research\/campaigns\/aaf2013bbop\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy\u0026rsquo;s BBOP mission\u003C\/a\u003E have provided stand to greatly increase understanding of the pollutants naturally burning biomass flings into the air.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECitation:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFlight projects that collected the data and also tropical storm data were: SEAC\u003Csup\u003E4\u003C\/sup\u003ERS by NASA and BBOP by the U.S. Department of Energy. SEAC4R stands for Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys. BBOP stands for Burning Biomass Observation Project.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe following researchers associated with these institutions also contributed to research included in this paper: Xiaoxi Liu (first author), Laura King and David Tanner, Georgia Tech; Vanessa Selimovic and Markus M\u0026uuml;ller, University of Montana (M\u0026uuml;ller also University of Innsbruck); Armin Wisthaler, University of Innsbruck and University of Oslo; Isobel Simpson, Donald Blake and Simone Meinardi, University of California, Irvine; Jose Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Weiwei Hu, Brett Palm, Jeff Peischl and Illana Pollack, University of Colorado, Boulder, (Peischl also NOAA; Pollack also NOAA and Colorado State University); Glen Sachse, Andreas Beyersdorf, Thomas Hanicso and Glenn Wolfe, NASA (Beyersdorf also California State University; Wolfe also University of Maryland); Glenn Diskin, California State University; Zachary Butterfield and Manvendra Dubey, Los Alamos National Laboratory (Butterfield also University of Michigan); John D. Crounse, Jason St. Clair, Alexander Teng and Paul Wennberg, California Institute of Technology (St. Clair also NASA and University of Maryland); Edward Fortner and Timothy Onasch, Aerodyne Research Inc.; Lawrence Kleinman, Arthur Sedlacek and Stephen Springston, Brookhaven National Laboratory; Tomas Mikoviny, University of Oslo; Thomas Ryerson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and John Shilling, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this paper was funded by NASA via grants: NNX12AB77G, NNX15AT90G, NNX12AC06G, and NNX14AP46GACCDAM. Findings and opinions are those of the authors and not of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudy DOI: 10.1002\/2016JD026315\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires are major polluters. Their plumes are three times as dense with aerosol-forming fine particles as previously believed. For the first time, researchers have flown an orchestra of modern instruments through brutishly turbulent wildfire plumes to measure emissions in real time. A study led by Georgia Tech has also exposed other\u0026nbsp;toxins, some never before measured.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Data from flights through wildfire plumes reveal three times the officially noted levels for fine particles"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-06-13 20:33:31","changed_gmt":"2017-09-08 21:42:36","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"592670":{"id":"592670","type":"image","title":"Blazing wildfire","body":null,"created":"1497382936","gmt_created":"2017-06-13 19:42:16","changed":"1497382936","gmt_changed":"2017-06-13 19:42:16","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225894","name":"climate-fire-lg 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