Engineering Commons^™

Is Feeding Algae To Lab- Grown Chicken The Future Of Agriculture?, Elise Barton, Melanie Mills, Britton Porter, Elizabeth Walker

Research on Capitol Hill

The goal of this ongoing research is to develop a more cost-effective process for culturing cells to produce synthetic or lab grown meat. Cellular agriculture is an emerging technology with potential to have a smaller energy footprint and decrease in land used for livestock compared to traditional meat production. Cellular agriculture will allow Utah to experience continued population growth without hampering the meat production of the state. However, currently the cost of producing synthetic meat is a constraint for expanding production and availability. This project is focused on testing various combinations of hydrolysates to determine a cost-effective alternative to current …

Utah's Food Processing Industry Can Manufacture Products From Cbd-Containing Lipids That Have Superior Texture And Consistency, Joseph Cooney, Isaac Hilton

Research on Capitol Hill

Sophomore Joseph is an Honors student and Undergraduate Research Fellow studying physics. Freshman Isaac, of Kaysville, studies civil and environmental engineering. Joseph and Isaac are exploring how cannabinoids impact the way that lipids function. A common way CBD is packaged is within foods, where it is frequently added to fats like cocoa butter or palm oil, and as the market for such products increase producers need to understand CBD will change the behavior of the fats they are using.In addition to this work, Joseph also volunteers for a physics lab. “Undergraduate research has let me explore fields outside my major …

What Drug Candidates Exist For Treating Covid-19 Variants?, Kolton Hauck

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Kolton studies biological engineering and led this project with funding from a student grant. Kolton’s project has been mapping out all possible protein interactions from known SARS-CoV-2 variants and identifying possible drug treatments. Viruses function through these interactions between their proteins and the host cell’s proteins, and this project is especially valuable because the candidates identified are predicted to help treat all known variants, making them more likely to be effective against future mutations.Kolton’s interest in biological research stems from his own experience managing a genetic health disorder. Past medical research greatly benefited him, and he sees his …

Utilizing Nasa-Funded Biotechnology To Improve Resource Management On Earth And In Space, Tyler Wallentine

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Tyler is a Peak Summer Research Fellow studying biological engineering. Nitrogen, essential in soil fertilizer for crops, is produced traditionally in a way that uses natural gas and produces CO2. Tyler’s project has been to apply methods developed by NASA for astronauts to conserve and reuse resources to create nitrogen using wastewater and bacteria. Using this method would not only take advantage of waste we already have, but doesn’t produce CO2 and contribute to pollution. Tyler hopes to become a chemical engineer in the space industry and credits his undergraduate research experience. “There’s something about having to obtain …

A Tale Of Two Sides: Modeling Great Salt Lake Flows To Help Balance Current Ecosystem Influences, Eric Larsen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Eric, hailing from Spanish Fork, studies mechanical engineering and funded this project through an engineering student grant. While there are several sampling stations that measure the waterflow of the Great Salt Lake, there are gaps in the data they collect that limit our ability to predict how water moves between the north and south sides of the lake. Eric has been developing machine learning models that more accurately portray the flows. This has applications for both GSL ecological preservation and the brine shrimp and salt industries. Eric loved how hands-on this project was, seeing the phenomenon that his …

The Surface Conditions Of Spacecraft Panels May Significantly Affect Spacecraft Survivability, Trace Taylor

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Trace grew up in Brigham City and studies physics and electrical engineering. The majority of spacecraft failure is caused by electron charging on the outer surfaces of the craft. Additionally, contaminants on the craft can cause a film over surface panels, increasing the problem. Trace is studying how roughness on panels can mitigate this contamination as it affects the charging that can lead to craft failure. This research will help determine what optimal panel materials should be used in future spacecraft construction. Trace started research almost as soon as he came to campus in his freshman year, and …

Can Cannibinoids Be Used To Prevent Lung Damage From Utah Air Pollution?, Emily Brothersen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Emily, a Mantua native, is an Honors student and Undergraduate Research Fellow. She studies Biological Engineering and has funded and led this project herself with multiple student grants. Emily has been investigating a way to study cell health that can help future researchers test treatments more quickly and affordably. She has used this method to research the potential of cannabinoids to help protect people from lung damage caused by pollution, an issue topical to Utah with our frequent inversions and growing medical cannabis industry. Emily has been involved in research throughout her time at USU and sees it …

Improving Wastewater Treatment Using Algal Biofilms And Bioenergy, Nathan Guymon

Research on Capitol Hill

This project represents a collaboration between Utah State University, Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF), and WesTech Engineering, Inc. The goal of the project is to help water treatment plants meet state nutrient standards and reduce operating costs. This is being accomplished in three major sections:

1. Wastewater treatment – microalgae is grown to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water.

2. Biogas generation – the microalgae is harvested and processed to produce methane gas used to generate power.

3. Fertilizer production – nutrients are also collected from the wastewater and turned into high-value fertilizer.

By creating systems that remove nutrients …

Developing Silent Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Glen Wright

Research on Capitol Hill

The optimization of a drone propeller’s acoustic signature can play an important role in the Department of Defense, observation of nature, commercial operations, and marine propulsion.

The aim of this research is to optimize the acoustic signature of propellers by isolating and modifying specific propeller characteristics. Propeller variations being researched in this project include:

• Leading-edge serrations: break up incoming fluid and evenly disperse it along airfoil
• Trailing-edge serrations: minimize vortex occurrences along the trailing edge of airfoil
• Airfoil ribs: force fluid through tangential channels along airfoil
• Winglets: disrupt turbulence and vortices at the tips of the propeller

Successful drone propeller …

Bioproducts From Bacteria: A Synthetic Biology Approach, Andrew Walters, Ron Sims, Charles Miller

Research on Capitol Hill

What can synthetic biology do?

Synthetic biology can solve many of Utah's problems:

1. Health: generate better medicines and treatments

- Insulin, Artemisinin (anti-malaria drug), Cancer

2. Fuel: augment petroleum with biofuels and biogas

3. Electricity: directly generate electricity from waste

4. Food: engineer more nutritious food with higher yields

- Golden rice, Arctic Apples, Corn, Soybeans, Cotton

5. Products: generate necessary products renewably

- Bioplastics, Spider silk, Adhesives, Pigments, Perfumes

Mathematically Predicting The Aleut Tribe Population Using Archaeological Data, Jack Conrad Kiefer Ii, Paden Allen Thompson

Research on Capitol Hill

Sanak Island, located off the southern Alaska Peninsula, was home to the native Aleut peoples for thousands of years. Their hunter-gatherer society depended heavily on the arctic and marine ecosystem for food resources.

In 2015, a team of archaeologists from Idaho State and Utah State universities went to the island and collected data about the Aleut population size and their diet.

This study constructed a dynamical model to mathematically predict the Aleut population over time in order to gain insights into how food resources affected the Aleut people’s ability to survive.

A Collaborative Solution To Harmful Algal Blooms In Utah, Kyle Hillman, Bethany Jensen, Ammon Balle

Research on Capitol Hill

Harmful algal blooms (HABs)…

• affect Utah Lake, Scofield Reservoir, Jordanelle Reservoir, Mantua Lake, and other water bodies throughout Utah
• are toxic to public health, the environment, and the economy

Development Of A Glucose-Powered Biobattery For Implantation And Use In Humans, Carson Sparks, Cody Maughan, Lucas Smith, Carson Sparks

Research on Capitol Hill

With current demands for implantable electrical devices increasing, the need for a more stable and biocompatible source of power is becoming increasingly necessary. Several battery types and materials were evaluated. Ultimately, an abiotic biobattery was designed with the goal of implantation in the human body. Nafion, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and gold were used to create an abiotic biobattery that is powered by glucose.

The SWCNTs were used to create the cathode, the gold was used to fabricate the anode, and the Nafion acted as the separator between the cathode and anode. A thin Nafion membrane was evaluated for overlaying …

Improved Production Of Promising Antioxidant, Resveratrol, In Escherichia Coli, Chad Skidmore

Research on Capitol Hill

Resveratrol is a promising antioxidant natural product. Studies have shown that it is effective against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and harmful UV rays. This health-benefiting molecule is present in plants such as peanuts, berries, and the skin of red grapes.

A growth time of 10 months makes Japanese knotweed an impractical source of resveratrol. A more efficient way to produce resveratrol has been found by using E. coli as tiny biological factories.

Zeta Potential: Key To Harvesting Algae For Biofuels And Bioproducts, Celeste Hancock, Michael Flores

Research on Capitol Hill

• Algae is an effective and sustainable resource for creating a broad spectrum of bioproducts.
• Scientists have found it challenging to harvest algae due to the difficulty of collecting algae when in an aqueous solution such as wastewater.
• Rotating Algal Biofilm Reactors (RABRs) coated with carbon nanotubes have proved effective. The RABR floats in an aqueous environment and attracts charged algal particles in suspension.
• The tendency for algae to favor suspension over coagulation occurs only when particles of algae are sufficiently charged. This charge can be measured by analyzing the electric potential at the interface between the surface of a particle …

Beyond The Fiber: Novel Spider Silk Coatings And Adhesives, Danielle A. Gaztambide, Breton A. Day

Research on Capitol Hill

Natural spider silks have long been recognized for their combination of incredible strength and elasticity. Spider silk is more elastic than nylon, tougher than Kevlar, and stronger than steel by weight. Due to an inability to farm spiders, much work has been done to produce spider silks in transgenic hosts for large -scale production. Our work was done using recombinant spider silk proteins produced in transgenic goats and the bacteria E. coli.

More recently spider silks have also been recognized for their biocompatibility and lack of immunogenicity. Spider silks' incredible strength and ability to be implanted safely within the body …

Transitioning The Benefits Of Algal Growth To The Byproducts Of Oil And Natural Gas Production, Alan Hodges, Tyler Gladwin, Cody Maxfield, Jonathan Wood

Research on Capitol Hill

No abstract provided.