Biological Engineering Commons^™

Enhanced Hydrocarbon Biodegradation Using Bioaugmentation With Biowish™-Aqua Fog, Michael Robert Lehrer

Master's Theses

This study was done to determine the effectiveness of a commercially available bioaugmentation product, BiOWiSH^TM-Aqua FOG, for remediating petroleum-contaminated sandy soil. Biodegradation enhancement by BiOWiSH^TM-Aqua FOG was evaluated in laboratory microcosms by directly measuring total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and indirectly using respirometry. Attempts were made to enrich hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in BiOWiSH^TM-Aqua FOG, and the resulting enrichment cultures were screened using respirometry as well. Potential hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in BiOWiSH^TM-Aqua FOG were isolated. Experiments were performed at bench-scale using microcosm bottles containing sand contaminated with either motor oil or No. 2 diesel fuel. The …

The Characterization Of Biofilm Attachment To Metal Interfaces: Effects Of Substratum Properties, Marcel D. Mendes

Master's Theses

Bacteria are among the most abundant microorganisms on earth, and can be found in essentially every environment. When a clean surface is exposed to media containing planktonic bacteria, the bacterial cells will attach to the surface and aggregate to form what is known as a biofilm. Biofilms have been shown to negatively affect many industries including medical, industrial, and food science applications. While biofilms have been well characterized from a microbiology perspective, there has been much less research from a materials science standpoint. It is hypothesized that the material properties of the substratum (such as the micro-structure) have a significant …

Proteomic Analysis Of 17Β-Estradiol Degradation By Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia, Zhongtian Li

Z Li

Microbial degradation plays a critical role in determining the environmental fate of steroid hormones, such as 17β-estradiol (E2). The molecular mechanisms governing the microbial transformation of E2 and its primary degradation intermediate, estrone (E1), are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to identify metabolism pathways that might be involved in microbial estrogen degradation. To achieve the objective, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain ZL1 was used as a model estrogen degrading bacterium and its protein expression level during E2/E1 degradation was studied using quantitative proteomics. During an E2 degradation experiment, strain ZL1 first converted E2 to E1 stoichiometrically. At 16 h …

Computational Design And Characterization Of A Temperature-Sensitive Plasmid Replicon For Gram Positive Thermophiles, Daniel G. Olson, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Temperature-sensitive (Ts) plasmids are useful tools for genetic engineering, but there are currently none compatible with the gram positive, thermophilic, obligate anaerobe, Clostridium thermocellum. Traditional mutagenesis techniques yield Ts mutants at a low frequency, and therefore requires the development of high-throughput screening protocols, which are also not available for this organism. Recently there has been progress in the development of computer algorithms which can predict Ts mutations. Most plasmids currently used for genetic modification of C. thermocellum are based on the replicon of plasmid pNW33N, which replicates using the RepB replication protein. To address this problem, we set out …

Securing Foreign Oil: A Case For Including Military Operations In The Climate Change Impact Of Fuels, Adam Liska, Richard Perrin

Richard K Perrin

Military operations are major industrial activities that use massive amounts of fuel and materials that significantly contribute to climate change. In this article, we assert that military activity to protect international oil trade is a direct production component for importing foreign oil— as necessary for imports as are pipelines and supertankers—and therefore the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from that military activity are relevant to U.S. fuel policies related to climate change. Military security for protection of global maritime petroleum distribution is part of the acquisition process, but in addition, recent Middle Eastern wars may also be related to securing petroleum …

Energy And Climate Implications For Agricultural Nutrient Use Efficiency, Adam J. Liska, Richard K. Perrin

Richard K Perrin

Energy and climate change are beginning to dominate the global political agenda and will drive policy formation that will shape the future of agriculture. Energy issues threaten national security and economic stability, as well as access to low-cost nutrient inputs for agriculture. Climate change has the potential to cause serious disruption to agricultural productivity. Paradoxically, nutrient use in agriculture to increase crop yields has the potential to negatively impact climate. This chapter will discuss recent and future energy and climate trends, the relationships between agricultural nutrient use efficiency and biofuels, and how global land limitations will shape agriculture in the …

Indirect Land Use Emissions In The Life Cycle Of Biofuels: Regulations Vs. Science, Adam Liska, Richard Perrin

Richard K Perrin

Recent legislative mandates have been enacted at state and federal levels with the purpose of reducing life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels. This legislation encourages the substitution of fossil fuels with “low-carbon” fuels. The burden is put on regulatory agencies to determine the GHG-intensity of various fuels, and those agencies naturally look to science for guidance. Even though much progress has been made in determining the direct life cycle emissions from the production of biofuels, the science underpinning the estimation of potentially significant emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC) is in its infancy. As legislation requires …

Robust Dynamic Balance Of Ap-1 Transcription Factors In A Neuronal Gene Regulatory Network., Gregory M Miller, Babatunde A Ogunnaike, James S Schwaber, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

BACKGROUND: The octapeptide Angiotensin II is a key hormone that acts via its receptor AT1R in the brainstem to modulate the blood pressure control circuits and thus plays a central role in the cardiac and respiratory homeostasis. This modulation occurs via activation of a complex network of signaling proteins and transcription factors, leading to changes in levels of key genes and proteins. AT1R initiated activity in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), which regulates blood pressure, has been the subject of extensive molecular analysis. But the adaptive network interactions in the NTS response to AT1R, plausibly related to the development of …

Engineering Design Of A Prototype Ammonia Absorption Tower, Andrew Warren Calogero

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Implementation Of A Shoulder Simulator, Chelsea Lynn Kowal

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The main objective of this thesis project is to build a shoulder simulator to be able to understand the mechanics of the shoulder, specifically the rotator cuff and deltoid muscles. The shoulder simulator should be able to mimic the important motions of the human shoulder by pulling on tendons of cadaver shoulders and moving the shoulder in various specified motions. In my thesis project, I worked on creating a shoulder simulator that would control the rotator cuff muscles along with the three deltoid muscles. In order to do this, I needed to design and test the shoulder simulator using cadaver …

Aptamer-Based Spr Biosensor For Detection Of Avian Influenza Virus, Hua Bai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid and specific detection of avian influenza (AI) virus is urgently needed with the concerns over the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in animal and human infection. Aptamers are artificial oligonucleic acid that can specifically bind to target molecules. They show comparable affinity for target virus and better thermal stability than monoclonal antibodies. Those advantages make aptamers promising candidates in diagnostic and detection applications. The goal of this research was to use DNA&ndashaptamer as the specific recognition element in a portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for detection of AI H5N1 virus in poultry.

A SPR biosensor was …

Substrate Stiffness And Adhesivity Influence Neuron Axonal Growth, Eben Grant Estell

Honors College

The nervous system is a complex organ system that coordinates all of the actions of an animal. The transmission of signals between different body parts by this organ system allows the body to function as a whole and interact with the external environment. It is clear then that the nervous system is integral to the function and survival of those organisms in which it has developed; and yet much is lacking in our understanding of the system’s key constituents: neuronal cells or, neurons. In satisfaction of the Honors Thesis, this research investigates how certain conditions of the extracellular environment …

Fluidized-Bed Gasification Of Dairy Manure By Box–Behnken Design, Hanjing Wu, Milford A. Hanna, David D. Jones

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Application of excessive animal manure to the land may cause some environmental problems such as eutrophication of surface waters, degradation of ground water quality, and threats to human health. This paper reports an experimental study on the technology of biomass gasification to treat animal waste by analyzing the effects of key operating parameters on gasification. In this research, dairy manure from the University of Nebraska dairy farm was first collected and dried, and then gasified in a fluidized-bed, laboratory-scale gasifier to generate syngas. The effects of three parameters, namely temperature, steam to biomass ratio (SBR) and the equivalence ratio (ER), …

Real-Time Face Detection And Recognition, Parker Hill, Brendan Morris

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

The face has become a popular biometric for identification due to the wide range of features and difficulty in manipulation of the metric. In order to work towards a robust facial recognition system, this work contains a foundation for using the face as a recognition metric. First, faces are detected from still images using a Viola-Jones object detection algorithm. Then, Eigenfaces is applied to the detected faces. The system was tested on face databases as well as real-time feed from a web camera.

Living In An Age Of Technology: College Students' Perception Of The Role Of Genetic Engineering And Reproductive Technology In Today's Society, Kayla Quadros

Honors Projects

This study examines attitudes about prevalent issues in genetics and reproduction among the college population. Eighteen interviews were conducted with students at Rhode Island College. Respondents were asked questions about their moral standpoints concerning utilizing genetic engineering for disease control and aesthetic purposes, employing assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), regulation of such procedures, and also about media sources for which they have heard of these topics. Findings suggest that, generally, participants felt that genetic engineering for health issues is permissible, yet reprehensible for the purpose of aesthetically "designing" a baby, though four students (three of which were female) found the enhancement …

Accounting For Indirect Land-Use Change In The Life Cycle Assessment Of Biofuel Supply Chains, Susan Tarka Sanchez, Jeremy Woods, Mark Akhurst, Matthew Brander, Michael O'Hare, Terence P. Dawson, Robert Edwards, Adam J. Liska, Rick Malpas

Adam Liska Papers

The expansion of land used for crop production causes variable direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions; and other economic, social and environmental effects. We analyze the use of life cycle analysis (LCA) for estimating the carbon intensity of biofuel production from indirect land-use change (ILUC). Two approaches are critiqued; direct, attributional life cycle analysis (ALCA) and consequential life cycle analysis (CLCA). A proposed hybrid “combined model” of the two approaches for ILUC analysis relies on first defining the system boundary of the resulting full LCA. Choices are then made as to the modeling methodology (economic equilibrium or cause-effect), data inputs, …

Development Of Porous Polymeric Implants For Use In Orthopedic Research And Development Applications, Alexander Caddell

Honors College

Current orthopedic implants comprised of plastic, ceramic, or metal alloys are susceptible to surface degradation at the implant-implant interface. The resulting microscopic fragments cause tissue irritation that can lead to osteolysis. In addition, existing percutaneous implants, such as pins used to stabilize fractures, are prone to bacterial infections due to the inability of the surrounding soft tissue to adhere to the implant and form a biologic seal. The goal of this Honors Thesis was to develop porous polymeric implants for orthopedic research and development applications that improve upon current designs in an attempt to remedy the issues detailed above. A …

First Long-Term, Direct Measurements Of Evapotranspiration And Surface Water Balance In The Nebraska Sandhills, David P. Billesbach, Timothy J. Arkebauer

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The Nebraska SandHills is a vast grassland ecoregion that also serves as the main recharge zone for the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer. Despite the national importance of this region in supplying irrigation water and supporting the US cattle industry, there have, until now, been no long-term, direct measurements of the components of the surface water balance. We have addressed this issue by installing energy balance/Bowen ratio (EBBR) flux towers in three key ecosystems. We report here the results of 7 years of measurements and interpret them in terms of annual weather variability. Additionally, these data have allowed us to make …

Removing 17Β-Estradiol From Drinking Water In A Biologically Active Carbon (Bac) Reactor Modified From A Granular Activated Carbon (Gac) Reactor, Zhongtian Li

Z Li

Estrogenic compounds in drinking water sources pose potential threats to human health. Treatment technologies are needed to effectively remove these compounds for the production of safe drinking water. In this study, GAC adsorption was first tested for its ability to remove a model estrogenic compound, 17β-estradiol (E2). Although GAC showed a relatively high adsorption capacity for E2 in isotherm experiments, it appeared to have a long mass transfer zone in a GAC column reactor, causing an early leakage of E2 in the effluent. With an influent E2 concentration of 20 μg/L, the GAC reactor was able to bring down effluent …

Chemical Modification Of Polysaccharides Using Reactive Extrusion, Pratik Bhandari

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this dissertation was to study the use of reactive extrusion for the chemical modifications of starch and cellulose. A carboxymethyl derivative of starch and carboxymethyl and acetate derivatives of cellulose were prepared using reactive extrusion.

Carboxymethyl starch with rapid swelling properties in water was prepared using reactive extrusion. This was achieved by controlling the gelatinization and through the use of NaOH by controlling the water/ethanol ratio. The effects of NaOH, H₂O, temperature, ethanol, sodium mono chloro acetate, sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, epichlorohydrin and extruder screw configuration on the degree of substitution of carboxymethyl starch were …