Muddy Waters

Conditions in southern Minnesota streams have deteriorated, and UMN senior Katie Kemmitt hopes to find out why.

by Kelsey Dahlgren

“The purpose of my work is to study nutrient cycling and concentrations in streams in Southern Minnesota,” says Kemmitt, a biology major working with Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior professor Jacques Finlay. Her goal is to identify the reasons for the deterioration, which leaves some streams smelly, turbid, and lacking biodiversity. Funded by a MnDRIVE undergraduate fellowship, she travels to streams throughout southern Minnesota to collect water and sediment samples. Back in the lab, she analyzes the samples for nutrients such as nitrate, phosphorous, and carbon. Kemmitt hopes that her data will help determine the cause of the stream deterioration and assist in the development of tools to restore damaged streams and prevent further deterioration. “Working on the Minnesota River Project has been the single most influential thing I’ve done as an undergrad,” said Kemmitt. “I learned what I want to do with my life. I definitely want to work in water management and water resources.” Citing her research project in Dr. Finlay’s lab as the major influence, Kemmitt will continue working in the lab through the summer and apply to graduate ecology programs this fall.

Mining, Minerals, and Microbes in Minnesota

On March 5-6, MnDRIVE: Advancing industry, conserving the environment sponsored Mining, Metals, and Microbes in Minnesota, the first in a series of workshops including participants from the mining industry and experts in metals transformation, acid mine drainage, and bioremediation.

BTI members Jeff Gralnick and Paige Novak hosted the conference, designed to identify challenges and potential solutions to acid mine drainage and other environmental challenges related to mineral extraction. Daniel Bond, Mike Sadowsky, and Brandy Toner were among the U.S. and Canadian investigators who discussed research and analytical tools relevant to the bioremediation of mining waste. The forum opened the door for frank discussion and potential collaborative research involving practitioners, the state of Minnesota, and University-based experts in the U.S. and Canada.

MnDRIVE Environment Funding

BTI receives funding from Minnesota Discovery, Research and InnoVation Economy (MnDrive) to support new postdoctoral, graduate student and faculty hires

In October 2012, when the University of Minnesota approached the legislature with an ambitious new initiative aimed at tackling some the state’s most complex environmental and technical challenges, BTI researchers helped lead the charge. The legislature responded with a $18 million annually recurring investment to support research in the state’s most promising industries, including bioremediation and food security where the BioTechnology Institute is well positioned to become a national and global leader.

Beginning in 2013, MnDrive funding will be used to support postdoctoral and graduate research while future funding will support up to 16 new faculty cluster hires in bioremediation.

MnDrive to Support Food Safety and Bioremediation

Foodborne illnesses cost the state of Minnesota $2.5 billion annually, while the lack of proper nutrition contributes to the increasing rate of chronic disease and escalating health care costs.

Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, a BTI member and professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, advocated for a comprehensive approach to food safety and security, including innovation in supply chain management, food processing and animal health.

Diez-Gonzalez’s work, which focuses on foodborne pathogens, analyzes gene expression in common foodborne pathogens like enterohemorrhagic E. coli and salmonella—responsible for increasingly frequent and well-publicized outbreaks of food contamination In the U.S. and abroad. A better understanding of the basic metabolic processes through which pathogens interact with plant and animal tissue can lead to novel approaches to remediation, including the use of bacteriophages to kill E. coli on lettuce leave and food preparation surfaces like plastic and steel.

Agricultural run off and mining activities have high costs. The Lincoln Pipestone Water Systems have spent millions to remove nitrates and are working with farmers to reduce run off and fertilizer use. A solution is desperately needed.

Mike Sadowsky, Distinguished McKnight Professor and Director of the BioTechnology Institute, argued the case for bioremediation, the use of microbial systems to treat and prevent contamination from agriculture runoff, sulfide mining, and more recently, fracking. Existing projects within the The BioTechnology Institute include the encapsulation of bacteria in silica substrate to create biofilters capable of removing the agricultural chemical atrazine, arsenic and other industrial toxins improve the quality of Minnesota’s major watersheds and pave the way for clean mining technologies, which could help boost the economy of the state’s Iron Range.

New faculty and postdoctoral support from the MnDrive Initiative will allow BTI to build on its interdisciplinary, approach and deliver technology to startups and industry to solve environmental challenges more effectively, while creating opportunities in Minnesota’s energy, agricultural and mining industries.