2021 UMS IURC Program:
Funded by two 2021 UMS RRF Grants and one 2020 Maine ADG grant, we are pleased to announce the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Collaboratives (IURC) Program to support up to five (5) highly motivated undergraduate students to participate in a Summer Interdisciplinary Biochar Research & Industry Internship Program. The students will work with faculty and graduate students in the participating laboratories or biochar plants. Professional field trips, ethic workshops, research seminars, guest lectures, and recreational activities will be arranged. Upon the completion of the research, the students will be encouraged to attend state- or nation-wide conferences and workshops with a financial support.
Benefits & Activities:
Eligibility Criteria:
Requirements:
*Participating Laboratories & Industry Partners:
Biomass Energy Lab (SFR) ¶ Nanomaterials & Nanomechanics Lab (ME) ¶ Plant Physiology Lab (SBE) ¶ Biology Lab (UMPI) ¶ USDA Forest Services FPL ¶ Standard Biocarbon ¶ Maine Woods Pellets Co.
Funded by two 2021 UMS RRF Grants and one 2020 Maine ADG grant, we are pleased to announce the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Collaboratives (IURC) Program to support up to five (5) highly motivated undergraduate students to participate in a Summer Interdisciplinary Biochar Research & Industry Internship Program. The students will work with faculty and graduate students in the participating laboratories or biochar plants. Professional field trips, ethic workshops, research seminars, guest lectures, and recreational activities will be arranged. Upon the completion of the research, the students will be encouraged to attend state- or nation-wide conferences and workshops with a financial support.
Benefits & Activities:
- $12.65/hr (up to 40 hrs/week)
- Field trips
- Opportunity to conduct biochar research at participating labs
- Opportunity to attend state-/nation-wide conference
Eligibility Criteria:
- Sophomore or junior outstanding;
- Women, minorities, students with disabilities, & rural individuals are encouraged;
- Maintain 3.0 GPA or higher;
- Strong interests in biomass conversion to bioenergy, biochar, nanotechnology, environmental conservation, global warming and climate change, or sustainable renewable energy.
Requirements:
- Recipients must submit a final report to summarize the research or intern experience;
- Recipients are expected to present the product of their research at the 6th Annual UMaine Student Symposium in April 2022 or other professional conferences;
- Recipients are encouraged to publish their work in peer-reviewed articles.
*Participating Laboratories & Industry Partners:
Biomass Energy Lab (SFR) ¶ Nanomaterials & Nanomechanics Lab (ME) ¶ Plant Physiology Lab (SBE) ¶ Biology Lab (UMPI) ¶ USDA Forest Services FPL ¶ Standard Biocarbon ¶ Maine Woods Pellets Co.
Research projects:
1. Industrial Biomass Pyrolysis Conversion Technology to Manufacture Biochar and Bioenergy at Standard Biocarbon
Standard Biocarbon Corp. is a newly founded Maine-based company, who is building a biocarbon processing plant at the former paper mill site in East Millnocket ME. Standard Biocarbon possesses the state-of-the-art biomass pyrolysis technology currently deployed in Europe to produce biochar approved for high-value applications. Clean biomass feedstock is the key factor to produce consistent, high-quality biochar products. A student will be working at Standard Biocarbon’s biochar plant to learn the industrial biomass pyrolysis technology and collect biomass feedstocks and biochar products for a couple of weeks. Then, he or she will do a character analysis of biomass feedstocks and biochar products to examine the element compositions, ash content, chloride concentration, surface area, pore size and distribution, gas adsorption capacity, etc., at UMaine’s biomas energy lab. The student will expose to the industrial bioenergy production and quality control of biomass feedstocks and biochar products.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Industry mentor: Standard Biocarbon
2. Waste Biochar for Wastewater Treatment
Biomass from different sources shows a very large variation in many properties. Various thermochemical conversion techniques also affect the physicochemical properties of biochar (such as pore size, surface area, and functional groups), which govern the performance of biochar in end uses. One undergraduate student will be working on waste biochar for wastewater treatment. The waste biochar will be collected from the combined heat and power plant of Maine Woods Pellets Co. The physicochemical properties of the waste biochar will be examined using BET, MIP, SEM, and FTIR, etc. Then, the efficiency of biochar in wastewater filtration will be examined by conducting lab experiments at UMaine’s Bioenergy lab. The amount of bacterial and fungal communities in wastewater samples before and after biochar filtration will be examined using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique in the Biology laboratory at UMPI. The student will gain knowledge in natural resources, biochar production, bioenergy in environmental protection.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Yingchao Yang, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Larry Feinstein, College of Arts and Sciences (UMPI)
3. Biochar Products for Mitigating the Effects of Climate Warming on Wild Blueberries
Our results showed that climate warming would enhance the water stress and nutrient deficits of wild blueberries in Maine. This project will study the effects of biochar to mitigate the water deficits resulted from warming. Different biochar products produced will be mixed with soils from a wild blueberry field. Their effects on enhancing soil water-holding capacity and crop water status will be tested. A controlled experiment in the field of Blueberry Hill Research Farm, Jonesboro, ME will be carried out to study the effects of biochar in enhancing soil moisture, nutrient availability, wild blueberry growth, and mitigating warming-induced crop water stress. One (1) student will work with a graduate student to carry out the proposed laboratory soil testing, field sample collection, and field physiological measurements. The student will get training in soil testing, plant physiological and growth measurements, and data analyses.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Yongjiang Zhang, School of Biology and Ecology; Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources
Graduate student: Rafa Tasnim, Ph.D. student, School of Biology and Ecology
4. Advanced biochar/Nano-Carbon Hybrid Materials for Air Filtration
Trees and other biomass are with particularly interesting 3D hierarchical structures. The project focuses on converting abundant biomass into 3D porous carbon and growth selected nanostructures for capturing viruses and/or bacteria to promote a safer indoor environment. Compared to microbe size, pores in the biomass-converted carbon might be too big, resulting in the microbes passing through freely. Growing selected nanostructures would be a promising way to refine the pore size in order to allow air to pass through but block/trap microbes. Two nanostructures, CNTs and MOFs, will be grown in the porous carbon during the project. The hybrid carbon materials will be manufactured into sheets in order to be compatible with conventional air filters. One (1) student will carry out the proposed project at UMaine’s Nanomaterials and Nanomechanics Laboratory to gain knowledge on nanotechnology applied in biochar. The efficiency of filtration of biochar filter will be examined using harmless bacteria via a qPCR technique in Dr. Feinstein’s laboratory and UMPI.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Yingchao Yang, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Larry Feinstein, College of Arts and Sciences (UMPI); Dr. Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Graduate student: Akhter Zia, Ph.D. student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
5. Nutrient-Loaded Biochar Pellets as Soil Amendment to Improve the Quality of Sandy Soils in Wild Blueberry Fields
In Maine, wild (or lowbush) blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) crops have played an important role in the economy of the state for centuries. Since the wild blueberry is a leading source of antioxidant phytonutrients, it takes a considerably large market share as a health food supplement. Production of wild blueberries in Maine shows a large fluctuation, which is caused by many factors. One factor that gains our attention is the rainfall deficit that has occurred frequently during the blueberry growing season. We have developed a new type of nutrient-loaded biochar pellets using forest biomass residuals, which is expected to be used as a soil amendment to increase the water holding capacity and reduce the nutrient leaching of sandy soils in wild blueberry fields. The undergraduate student will be working on the evaluation the effects of the new biochar pellet product on the water holding capacity and nutrient leaching of sandy soils and the growth and production of wild blueberries by assist a graduate student in conducting a greenhouse test. The student will gain hands-on experience of soil moisture measurement, crop physiology measurement (leaf chlorophyll content, leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf transpiration), data collection and analysis, technical report writing, etc.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Yongjiang Zhang, School of Biology and Ecology; Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Graduate student: Abby Novak, School of Forest Resources
1. Industrial Biomass Pyrolysis Conversion Technology to Manufacture Biochar and Bioenergy at Standard Biocarbon
Standard Biocarbon Corp. is a newly founded Maine-based company, who is building a biocarbon processing plant at the former paper mill site in East Millnocket ME. Standard Biocarbon possesses the state-of-the-art biomass pyrolysis technology currently deployed in Europe to produce biochar approved for high-value applications. Clean biomass feedstock is the key factor to produce consistent, high-quality biochar products. A student will be working at Standard Biocarbon’s biochar plant to learn the industrial biomass pyrolysis technology and collect biomass feedstocks and biochar products for a couple of weeks. Then, he or she will do a character analysis of biomass feedstocks and biochar products to examine the element compositions, ash content, chloride concentration, surface area, pore size and distribution, gas adsorption capacity, etc., at UMaine’s biomas energy lab. The student will expose to the industrial bioenergy production and quality control of biomass feedstocks and biochar products.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Industry mentor: Standard Biocarbon
2. Waste Biochar for Wastewater Treatment
Biomass from different sources shows a very large variation in many properties. Various thermochemical conversion techniques also affect the physicochemical properties of biochar (such as pore size, surface area, and functional groups), which govern the performance of biochar in end uses. One undergraduate student will be working on waste biochar for wastewater treatment. The waste biochar will be collected from the combined heat and power plant of Maine Woods Pellets Co. The physicochemical properties of the waste biochar will be examined using BET, MIP, SEM, and FTIR, etc. Then, the efficiency of biochar in wastewater filtration will be examined by conducting lab experiments at UMaine’s Bioenergy lab. The amount of bacterial and fungal communities in wastewater samples before and after biochar filtration will be examined using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique in the Biology laboratory at UMPI. The student will gain knowledge in natural resources, biochar production, bioenergy in environmental protection.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Yingchao Yang, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Larry Feinstein, College of Arts and Sciences (UMPI)
3. Biochar Products for Mitigating the Effects of Climate Warming on Wild Blueberries
Our results showed that climate warming would enhance the water stress and nutrient deficits of wild blueberries in Maine. This project will study the effects of biochar to mitigate the water deficits resulted from warming. Different biochar products produced will be mixed with soils from a wild blueberry field. Their effects on enhancing soil water-holding capacity and crop water status will be tested. A controlled experiment in the field of Blueberry Hill Research Farm, Jonesboro, ME will be carried out to study the effects of biochar in enhancing soil moisture, nutrient availability, wild blueberry growth, and mitigating warming-induced crop water stress. One (1) student will work with a graduate student to carry out the proposed laboratory soil testing, field sample collection, and field physiological measurements. The student will get training in soil testing, plant physiological and growth measurements, and data analyses.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Yongjiang Zhang, School of Biology and Ecology; Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources
Graduate student: Rafa Tasnim, Ph.D. student, School of Biology and Ecology
4. Advanced biochar/Nano-Carbon Hybrid Materials for Air Filtration
Trees and other biomass are with particularly interesting 3D hierarchical structures. The project focuses on converting abundant biomass into 3D porous carbon and growth selected nanostructures for capturing viruses and/or bacteria to promote a safer indoor environment. Compared to microbe size, pores in the biomass-converted carbon might be too big, resulting in the microbes passing through freely. Growing selected nanostructures would be a promising way to refine the pore size in order to allow air to pass through but block/trap microbes. Two nanostructures, CNTs and MOFs, will be grown in the porous carbon during the project. The hybrid carbon materials will be manufactured into sheets in order to be compatible with conventional air filters. One (1) student will carry out the proposed project at UMaine’s Nanomaterials and Nanomechanics Laboratory to gain knowledge on nanotechnology applied in biochar. The efficiency of filtration of biochar filter will be examined using harmless bacteria via a qPCR technique in Dr. Feinstein’s laboratory and UMPI.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Yingchao Yang, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Larry Feinstein, College of Arts and Sciences (UMPI); Dr. Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Graduate student: Akhter Zia, Ph.D. student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
5. Nutrient-Loaded Biochar Pellets as Soil Amendment to Improve the Quality of Sandy Soils in Wild Blueberry Fields
In Maine, wild (or lowbush) blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) crops have played an important role in the economy of the state for centuries. Since the wild blueberry is a leading source of antioxidant phytonutrients, it takes a considerably large market share as a health food supplement. Production of wild blueberries in Maine shows a large fluctuation, which is caused by many factors. One factor that gains our attention is the rainfall deficit that has occurred frequently during the blueberry growing season. We have developed a new type of nutrient-loaded biochar pellets using forest biomass residuals, which is expected to be used as a soil amendment to increase the water holding capacity and reduce the nutrient leaching of sandy soils in wild blueberry fields. The undergraduate student will be working on the evaluation the effects of the new biochar pellet product on the water holding capacity and nutrient leaching of sandy soils and the growth and production of wild blueberries by assist a graduate student in conducting a greenhouse test. The student will gain hands-on experience of soil moisture measurement, crop physiology measurement (leaf chlorophyll content, leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf transpiration), data collection and analysis, technical report writing, etc.
Faculty mentors: Dr. Ling Li, School of Forest Resources; Dr. Yongjiang Zhang, School of Biology and Ecology; Jinwu Wang, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Graduate student: Abby Novak, School of Forest Resources
Meet with us
Dr. Ling li, School of Forest resourcesBiomass characteristics, conversion, bioenergy
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dr. yingchao yang, mechanical engineeringNanomaterials and nanotechnology, biocarbon
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dr. yongjiang zhang, school of biology & ecologyPlant physiology, climate warming & drought
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Dr. larry feinstein, UmpiBiology
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Dr. jinwu wang, usda fplBiomass processing, nanocellulose
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Ms. Abby Novak, project coordinatorGraduate student, School of Forest Resources
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