2020 MTRAC AgBio Awardees

AWARDEE INSTITUTION Project information TYPE
Albrecht, John Michigan State University PFAS Inactivation. Following the successful completion of a Starter grant project in 2019, Dr. John Albrecht (Michigan State University) and colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute received a grant focused on developing an electrochemical process for the complete destruction of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances using boron-doped diamond electrodes. The project seeks to provide a means for treating PFAS-enriched concentrates from commercial ion exchange and reverse osmosis processes to permanently eliminate the substances from the environment. Full
Benjamin, Madonna Michigan State University Animal Mobility Monitoring Using Visual AI Systems. Dr. Madonna Benjamin and colleagues from Michigan State University received funding to implement and evaluate a computer vision-based, biometric assessment system for monitoring livestock body conformations and locomotion patterns. The AI-based system provides a potential framework for assessing real-time animal health, wellness, quality, and productivity metrics. Full
Bonito, Gregory Michigan State University Microalgae Purification by Fungal Capture. Microalgae and cyanobacteria provide a rich source of high-value oil, protein, and secondary metabolite products for human nutrition, health supplements, and a range of food and industrial products. The isolation of these microorganisms can be costly and problematic on an industrial scale. Professor Gregory Bonito (Michigan State University) and team have developed a living biofiltration system employing fungal cultures grown over a pass-through filter system. The immobilized fungal filters serve as a high-efficiency affinity matrix for isolating the microalgae. The project seeks to assess a variety of process and scaling metrics needed for commercialization. Full
Fan, Qi Hua Michigan State University Electrophoretic PFAS Adsorption. Dr. Qi Hua Fan (Michigan State University) was awarded a Full grant to continue developing a high-efficiency electrophoretic flow cell technology that accelerates the movement and capture of PFAS compounds on adsorptive surfaces using asymmetric electric fields. The method seeks to improve both the rate and range of PFAS molecules that can be captured on a variety of adsorptive matrices. Full
Song, Guo-qing Michigan State University Corn Improvement By Incorporation of Early Flowering (“K-Domain”) Trait. Dr. Guo-qing Song received a Full MTRAC award for conducting two rounds of breeding and testing of his previously developed K-Domain gene into the well-characterized, commercially relevant B71 maize germline. He has developed this plant technology and demonstrated early flowering and reduced plant height in demonstration plants in the first generation of transgenic lines. These additional rounds of breeding will enable him to further develop the lines, quantify the benefits of the trait, and de-risk the technology for eventual commercialization. Full
Li, Hui Michigan State University Development of Innovative Nano-Reactor Technology for Rapid and Complete Defluorination of PFAS Starter
Rabnawaz, Muhammad Michigan State University Plastic-free Thermally Sealable Paper Substrates for Packaging Applications Starter
Swain, Greg Michigan State University Identifying Infectious Bacteria in Animal Wounds Using Electrochemical Detection of Metabolites Starter
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