Department
of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences
The
Environmental
Molecular Science Institute (EMSI) proposes
projects for two area high school teachers to participate
in full time summer research for up to 8 weeks. The teachers
will carry out research with a faculty mentor on a research
topic agreeable to both mentor and teacher. The participating
teachers will be positioned to translate this experience
into a new laboratory and classroom curriculum, which is
essential to attract young students into science careers.
As well as publishing the scientific results in peer-reviewed
journals, the teacher participants will be encouraged and
supported to publish or present their new curriculum at
the regional or national level. The teachers
will have an ongoing partnership with the Notre Dame faculty
mentor which will result in classroom visits by the professor,
equipment loans, visits to Notre Dame, etc. The teachers
will also be encouraged and supported to present the material
they develop at regional or national meetings, or publish
in a science education journal. Teachers will be able to
choose from the following mentors and projects. There
is significant flexibility where a teacher can design his
or her own project or work on an existing project in the
research laboratory.
Project
Descriptions:
ARCHIVES
- Environmental
mineralogy pertaining to actinide transport.
- Biotoxicity
to bacteria of adsorbed metal ions.
- Metal
interactions with natural organic matter and mineral
surfaces.
- Effects of natural organic matter and bacteria on formation
of mineral nano-particles.
- Environmental Biotechnology.
Further
Information. The
stipends for these two position are expected to be $5000
each for the 8 weeks. The possibility of college credit
for the 60 hours of Geological Science/Environmental
Molecular Science that the teachers will pursue is
being explored.
- Environmental
mineralogy pertaining to actinide transport. The
mineralogy and crystal chemistry of uranium is understood
reasonably well, whereas that of neptunium is almost
completely unknown. The projects will focus on exploring
the crystal chemistry of neptunium, and its relationships
with uranium. Applications of the research will be
a better understanding of the impact on actinide transport
of co-precipitation of neptunium in uranium phases.
This research will also be a foundation for development
of an understanding of the solution chemistry of neptunium
under environmental conditions. Directed by Dr. Peter
C. Burns.
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- Biotoxicity
to bacteria of adsorbed metal ions. Many metals such
as Zn, Cu, and Pb are known to be toxic to bacteria.
If these metals adsorb to mineral surfaces or form nano-particles,
then are they still bioavailable and toxic? Directed
by Dr. Patricia A. Maurice.
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- Metal
interactions with natural organic matter and mineral
surfaces. Natural organic matter forms from
decay of plant debris in oils and wetlands and it binds
metals, thus having a profound impact on metal mobility.
This project would involve lab work, and potentially
some field research to collect different types of natural
organic matter. Directed by Dr. Patricia A. Maurice.
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- Effects of natural organic matter
and bacteria on formation of mineral nano-particles. Initial formation of minerals
often involves creation of very small nano-particles.
Research will include finding out how natural organic
matter and bacterial surfaces affect the formation and
ultimate growth of these nano-particles. Directed by
Dr. Patricia A. Maurice.
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- Environmental
Biotechnology. Bromate
(BrO3-) is a drinking-water contaminant produced during
treatment with ozone. Bromate is stable and difficult
to remove from solution, but some bacteria can transform
it to innocuous bromide (Br-). Preliminary tests
show that a novel, hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor
(MBfR) can carry out bromate reduction. The goals
of this study are to investigate bromate reduction
in the MBfR and learn more about the bacteria responsible
for this transformation. Directed by Dr. Robert Nerenberg.
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