Passing of Rob Gardner

Rob Gardner, a faculty member in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, passed away in October 2019 at the age of 39. The MnDRIVE Environment team expresses our deepest condolences to Rob’s family, friends and colleagues at this incredible loss.

Rob was an esteemed researcher, published 10 papers, multiple book chapters and posters, as well as leading research from numerous grants while at the University. MnDrive Environment funded his project “Microbial Mediated Nutrient Capture and Recycling from Urban and Agricultural Runoff” in 2017 and which Adriana Alvarez De la Hoz is now working on.

Five Years of Impact – MnDRIVE at 5

After five full years of operation, the MnDRIVE Initiative (Minnesota’s Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy) — a unique State of Minnesota funded partnership with the University of Minnesota — is humming. Designed as a collaborative research partnership meant to align UMN research strength with the state’s key industries, the initiative currently consists of five units: Robotics, Global Food, Environment, Brain Conditions, and Clinical Cancer (added 2017). With state allocations to MnDRIVE over the past five years of nearly $100 million, this investment to attract faculty leaders, hire research staff, renovate lab spaces, purchase equipment, and conduct world-class research has generated tremendous value across all of Minnesota. During the period 2014 through 2019, MnDRIVE-supported researchers have leveraged a $100 million state investment into $360 million in additional research funding from federal agencies and corporate and non-profit partners.

Perhaps the best measure of our success is hearing what our industry partners have to say. Todd DeJournett, a Senior Engineer with Geosyntec and active member of the MnDRIVE Environment Community since the beginning, had this to say in response to our recent announcement of Fall 2019 Seed Grant Awards:

“Having been involved with the MNDRIVE program for several years, I just want to say how impressed I am with the evolution of the projects I’ve seen. This was a really excellent batch of proposals —the best yet — and it was very exciting to review them. The breadth of problems undertaken, the engagement of industry partners, the focus on Minnesota needs — all these things have improved with each cycle. I think that the decision to expand beyond biological processes really opens up the door to greater industry collaboration and really expands the breadth of problems you can tackle for the state. Kudos to you, Paige, Mike, and the faculty for making this program such a success. As a consultant, I can attest to the many benefits of having a vibrant and engaged research community right here in my back yard.”

For further information on the outcomes and impact of five years of MnDRIVE, and highlights of accomplishments from MnDRIVE Environment, please visit the MnDRIVE at 5 webpage.

Chris Cramer
Vice President for Research

Meet MnDRIVE Environment’s Industry & Government Liaison

From basic research to partnerships with industry: It all starts with a conversation

By Lauren Holly

Scientists often approach industry partners hoping to discuss theoretical or applied research and stir interest in commercialization. The path from basic research to full-fledged application is complex, and solutions only hold value if they can be successfully implemented. But what happens if the conversations are flipped and scientists begin by learning about the challenges and barriers facing industry leaders?

Dr. Jeff Standish, MnDRIVE Environment’s new Industry & Government Liaison, understands the power of this approach. He saw it in action as Manager of Corporate Sustainability at the Institute on the Environment (IonE), where he focused on building relationships between academic researchers and industry leaders and practitioners.

Now at MnDRIVE, Standish is building on a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to host additional industry/government agency-focused listening sessions focused on rural water challenges. These events will bring researchers and practitioners together to learn and discuss. He has also added some innovative “reverse pitch sessions” to the fall events calendar, where industry scientists pitch their challenges to UMN researchers. These events are part of a new Strategic Engagement Strategy that is based on the need to ground research relationships with partner organizations with a common understanding of challenges and goals.

“These conversations allow researchers to better understand how viable technologies can be applied for industry scale solutions,” says Standish. “They will benefit our industry partners, the research community, and greater Minnesota as MnDRIVE Environment focuses some attention on rural water systems.”

“We’re thrilled to have Jeff join us,” says Paige Novak, co-director of MnDRIVE Environment. “He brings a level of professionalism and creativity to the position that will connect us to new audiences and partners. With Jeff on the team, we can truly advance the work that we are able to do for the State of Minnesota.”

Director’s Letter 2019

Dear MnDRIVE Colleagues,

Five years ago, the Minnesota State Legislature and the University of Minnesota embarked on an ambitious partnership to support research in areas critical to the state’s well-being and economic future. The new Minnesota Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy initiative (MnDRIVE) identified bioremediation, the use of microbes or their enzymes to clean and protect the environment, as one of four core areas for research. As we reflect on the first five years and the body of work we’ve produced to date, we’d first like to thank you for contributing your energy and talents. Together we have created a world-class hub for bioremediation research, enhanced by hiring five bioremediation experts across five departments and two campuses. From the treatment of municipal wastewater and agricultural runoff to the remediation of arsenic at Superfund sites, MnDRIVE researchers are partnering with stakeholders from agriculture, the chemical industry, state government, and others on homegrown, research-based solutions to pressing environmental challenges.

We are proud of our large portfolio of applied research. Through our Seed Grant Program, we have supported over 65 innovative pilot research projects studying the use of microbes or enzymes to mitigate the impact of human activity on our environment. Our Demonstration Grant Program has supported promising and scalable research, initiated in the lab, that is now being deployed and tested in the field.

Examples of implementable solutions include:

Randall Hicks (UMD) and Mikael Elias (UMN) have developed an enzyme-based coating that inhibits biofilm formation and is being used to protect steel-based port infrastructure in the Duluth-Superior Harbor.
In Wilmar, MN Gary Feyereisen, Carl Rosen, and Satoshi Ishii (UMN) are adapting inexpensive woodchip bioreactors for use in cold climates.
Closer to home, Timothy LaPara and Bo Hu are working with Second Harvest Heartland to convert food waste into energy, while Cara Santelli partners with Geosyntec to develop solutions to clean up selenium-contaminated soils.

Looking forward, we are expanding our research focus beyond bioremediation to include plant and chemical remediation strategies. We’re also excited to launch a new multi-year engagement strategy designed to build research capacity across the University system, increase our engagement with industry and government partners, and move new remediation technologies from the lab into the field.

In pursuit of these goals we will:

work closely with State agencies to identify areas of need, potential funding sources and collaborative opportunities across MN
increase the number, breadth and depth of partnerships between industry and university stakeholders
explore and develop new research, IP licensing and patent opportunities.

To support our effort to grow the MnDRIVE Environment community and make it easier for you to engage and follow our collective progress, we will initially be focusing effort on:

standardizing our annual funding calendar with two RFPs each year, one in October and a second in April
enhancing communications efforts through the publication of an annual summary report, spring and fall newsletters, and an events calendar
increasing industry and state engagement through events, sponsorship, and collaborative research opportunities.

Lastly, we’re also pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, Dr. Jeff Standish, who will help execute this strategy in his role as industry and government liaison. Jeff’s background is grounded in research and project management, within both academia and the private sector. His prior work as Manager of Corporate Sustainability for the University’s Institute on the Environment has focused on building research connections through public/private partnerships. We are excited to add Jeff’s expertise and capacity to the MnDRIVE team.

In closing, thank you for your ongoing support of MnDRIVE. We very much look forward to working with you into the future by stimulating your great ideas and sponsoring your research – to better our environment for all Minnesotans.

Sincerely yours,

Michael Sadowsky & Paige Novak

Co-directors, MnDRIVE Advancing Industry, Conserving our Environment

Seed Grant Recipients Summer 2019

MnDRIVE Environment is pleased to announce two new Seed Grant recipients. The Seed Grant program provides early-stage funding for promising new bioremediation research. For more information about funding opportunities through MnDRIVE Environment, please see our Funding Page or contact mndrive-env@umn.edu.

Exploring multiple operating scenarios to identify low-cost, high nitrate removal strategies for electrically-stimulated surface flow wetlands

Principal Investigator: Sebastian Behrens

This project explores the possibility of merging microbial electrochemical technologies with constructed wetlands offering a new option for enhanced wetland nutrient capture that will maintain a high performance at a lower footprint. Constructed wetlands have been extensively investigated as a best management practice to reduce nitrogen loads in effluents from agricultural lands. Wetland systems are considered to be a robust and cost-effective technology that requires low operation and maintenance efforts. However, the major drawbacks of implementation are area footprint and cold temperature performance. The objectives of this study are the development of an microbial electrochemically-stimulated, constructed wetland system and the evaluation of its nitrate removal cost. An improved design that increase electron availability to microbial denitrification will result in increased denitrification efficiency, and reduce the removal cost for nitrate per unit surface area.

Bioremediation of Polluted Waters Using Microorganisms – Enhancing Cold Temperature Nitrification During Wastewater Treatment

Principal Investigator: Tim LaPara

Co-Principal Investigator: Sebastian Behrens

This project will investigate the activity of nitrifying microbial populations during the winter months in Minnesota’s wastewater treatment facilities. These microorganisms are critically important for protecting Minnesota’s surface water quality. Nitrifying bacteria are exceptionally sensitive to cold temperatures, such that ammonia discharges from wastewater treatment facilities are typically not regulated from November through April. Research is needed to better understand these microorganisms to better protect Minnesota’s surface water quality, to optimize energy consumption for wastewater treatment, and to better remove nutrients and other contaminants of emerging concern from Minnesota’s wastewaters. Ammonia is a critically important environmental pollutant because of its toxicity to fish, its contribution to eutrophication (i.e., excessive growth of weeds and algae in lakes and streams), and its cost of treatment. Ammonia is not typically a primary pollutant (i.e., directly released to the environment), but instead forms as proteins decompose. Because municipal wastewater contains a substantial quantity of protein, ammonia is a particularly important pollutant to wastewater treatment plant operators. Ammonia is one of the most difficult pollutants to remove from wastewater because it requires significant aeration to fully treat (which is expensive) and the organisms that consume ammonia are very slow-growing. The data generated in this project will enable the development of predictive performance models that will improve bioreactor design and operational conditions for wastewater treatment plants in temperate climate zones to help them achieve reliable nitrification performance at all seasons.

MnDRIVE researchers develop a sustainable enzyme-based coating to protect vulnerable port infrastructure

Duluth’s shipping industry is vital to the state’s economy, but its port infrastructure is under threat from biocorrosion. Researcher Mikael Elias (Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics,UMN-TC), and Randall Hicks (Professor, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, UMN-Duluth).were awarded a MnDRIVE Demonstration Grant to study the use of an enzyme known to disrupt bacterial communication and inhibit biofilm formation, a key driver of biocorrosion. The enzyme is stable, fully biodegradable, and can be added to inexpensive acrylic coatings. With support from a MnDRIVE Bioremediation demonstration grant, Elias and Hicks have confirmed the long-term efficacy of the enzyme-coating in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, and have patented their results. They have partnered with Ecolab throughout the process, and are pursuing the possibility of commercial applications.

Economic and Environmental Impact

The $60 billion global market for antifouling coatings, used to protect port infrastructure, has long been dominated by copper oxide paints. While effective, copper oxide is also a potent environmental toxin harmful to aquatic ecosystems. Its use as a paint additive was banned by the U.S. Congress 2011, but the ban has been postponed while the antifouling industry searches for suitable alternatives.

Research Results

Engineered to be stable at a wide range of temperatures, this enzyme can be mixed into inexpensive acrylic coatings and applied to virtually any submerged surface. The demonstration grant enabled the team to submerge steel blocks with a variety of coatings over a two-year period. Blocks with the enzyme-coating showed no signs of biofouling, demonstrating efficacy and its potential as a viable alternative to copper oxide coatings.