Professors Todd Mlsna, Debra Mlsna and colleagues at Mississippi State University host an REU Site: INFEWS: Food, Energy, and Water Security. This project is funded by the REU Site Program of the Division of Chemistry. Students focus on bio-product research for water, energy, and soil systems. The 10-week program allows 8 students per summer to pursue collaborative research projects at the nexus of Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science. Young scientists join research teams focused on solving real world problems. Educational experiences focus on understanding environmental issues with an emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches, leading to the development of environmentally-engaged scientists and a better-trained workforce. Seminars and educational components encourage entrepreneurial thinking for future careers.
This project focuses on renewable bio-products. Specific student projects include the conversion of biomass and energy crops into biofuels, with an emphasis on bio-syngas production and bio-oil; the utilization of biochar (a biofuel production by-product) for water purification and soil amendment, and the uses of biochar and desalination approaches to efficiently clean wastewater. The instrumentation used by the students includes: gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to characterize the biochar interface with adsorbents. Seminars on career paths and entrepreneurship support a focus toward small business and regulatory concerns in environmental industries. This site supports and trains students in areas related to crucial food, energy and water security concerns. The projects develop globally engaged scientists.
