Sustainability through Science

The University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, representing the EPSCoR states of Kentucky and Louisiana, formed an integrated partnership for the rational design of lignin-based chemicals and advanced materials. These institutions were awarded funding by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the fall of 2016 for the four-year EPSCoR Track 2 RII Project, Assembling Successful Structures: Lignin Beads for Sustainability of Food, Energy and Water Systems.

An interdisciplinary team of chemists, materials engineers, chemical engineers, biological engineers and agricultural engineers will, through research, address the challenges of lignin chemistry for sustainability using a bi-directional approach that relies on the complementary skills and research infrastructure of the institutions. In this approach, lignin mimetic oligomers (assembled from lignin monomers, or "beads") serve as a link between lignin monomers and natural lignin for the design of lignin deconstruction to desired value-added products and functional materials interfaces.

Research capacity will be increased through a coordinated research structure that strengthens existing expertise and develops new research partnerships and opportunities, the mentoring of early career faculty and the broader engagement of the institutions in the synergistic research themes of this proposal.

The impact of the research will be maximized through education, outreach and workforce development that link agriculture, science and sustainability. The outreach education component on this project is to develop and conduct outreach activities and curricula to integrate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education via the science of plant building blocks and sustainability in the context of Food, Water and Energy Systems into secondary agricultural education classes, 4-H programs and other educational avenues.

Research Objectives

Create designer lignin through strategic inter-jurisdictional collaboration, the expansion of research capacity and mentoring early career faculty.
Establish links between designer lignin construction and depolymerization with the goal of directing deconstruction of natural lignin to desired chemical profiles.
Manipulate the interfacial surface properties using lignin bead chemistry to advance the science of lignin-based products for advanced material applications.
Develop and assess new curriculum for secondary agricultural education teachers in the context of Agribiotechnology/STEM in the context of Food, Water and Energy Systems; and develop and conduct outreach activities to engage and train the future STEM workforce and inform the general public by interconnecting the science of plant building blocks and sustainability.

Outreach

The outreach education component of the EPSCoR Track 2 RII project is to develop and conduct outreach activities and curricula to integrate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education via the science of plant building blocks and sustainability in the context of Food, Water and Energy Systems into secondary agricultural education classes and 4-H programs.

Our goal is to promote interest in STEM by providing agricultural education teachers and 4-H and youth development county agents with tools to engage and train the future STEM workforce and to promote a broader awareness of the interface between agriculture, science and engineering. It is essential to fuel the STEM pipeline in both Kentucky and Louisiana.

Furthermore, we are providing research training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University and LSUAg Center. For more information, contact Tanya Dvorak, Ph.D., STEM Outreach Education Coordinator.

Resources for Educators

Classroom Resources (lesson plans, activities, etc., on science subjects) are available on the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) website.
Science News Magazine of the Society for Science & the Public – Check out news and science articles on atom and cosmos, earth and environment (agriculture and sustainability are integrated), genes and cells, math and technology, matter and energy and more! There is also a Science News for Students section containing articles and how to use the site in the classroom for teachers.
The National Geographic website has a host of opportunities for literacy as well as photographs and videos across the disciplines that can be a great resource.
The Plant Health Instructor Index is a journal of peer-reviewed instructional materials, including K-12 laboratory exercises, and teaching scholarship for plant pathology and closely related disciplines.
The Kentucky 4-H Science, Engineering & Technology website provides links to curriculum in the areas of ATV safety, Aerospace, Biotechnology, Bicycle, Energy/Electricity, Geospatial, National Youth Science Day, Robotics, Physical Sciences and Petroleum Power. Contact your county’s 4-H Extension Agent for more information.
4-H Science Programs for Club and School Enrichment – A multitude of STEM resources and curriculum are available from the Oklahoma State University 4-H Youth Development Program’s website, including lesson plans, activities, STEM Lab Videos, etc.
4-H Polymers Curriculum for youth/Cloverbuds (K-2) – Six lesson modules are free to use. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Polymers.
4-H Inspire Kids to Do Activity Guide (PDF) – Many fun skill-building activities are provided in this document that are great for classrooms, club activities or to do at home!

Learn about STEM educational opportunities for youth by checking out the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative (KGSC) and its the seasonal event guides with programming for youth and teachers in Kentucky. And sign up for the KGSC email list to receive updates.

Check out K20alt Authentic Learning & Teaching Curriculum for these lessons:
- Energy Water Bucket Brigade is a lab to help students discover how energy is transferred to ecosystems.
- Planting Fuel: Photosynthesis is a lesson where students analyze the process of energy transfer between sunlight and plants as they explore the photosynthesis process. And check out other Agriculture, Mathematics and Science lessons related to food, water and energy.
Check out the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) STEM Education for multiple educational resources for elementary through high school teachers, as well as for students and parents. STEM instructional activity resources, professional development/training, contests and competitions and extracurricular STEM opportunities are listed. Internship opportunities are also available.
The U.S. Department of Energy Girls of Energy website contains lessons, activities and videos within various realms of energy.
A short What is Sustainability? video is made available by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Education, PBS Learning Media.

Various biotechnology resources, including case studies, curriculum, modules, laboratory protocols, etc., for K-14 educators may be found on the Iowa State University Office of Biotechnology website.
Locate Genetic Engineering (GE) videos on the Iowa Public Television public broadcasting network.
Introduction to Biotechnology: A Georgia Teachers Resource Manual provides resources to implement in current classes or to start a new introduction to biotechnology course.
Read about the new crop biotechnology curriculum for high schools published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The curriculum includes Science and Our Food Supply: Exploring Food Agriculture and Biotechnology, Teacher’s Guide for High School Classrooms. More about Agricultural Biotechnology hosted by the U.S. FDA is available at Feed Your Mind.
Activities and lessons on biotechnology are located at Bio-Technology & the Future, Lessons and Resources from Oklahoma State University 4-H Youth Development.
Using Biotechnology to Detect and Treat Disease lesson with videos and photos is available from Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Education, PBS Learning Media. Check out other Biotechnology videos and resources at KET.
Check out the Classroom Materials (bioenergy and biofuel-related lessons and activities for elementary, middle school and high school levels) and Education Research (continuous education for K-12 educators) materials provided by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.
Strawberry DNA Extraction Lab high school lesson plan published by NGSS Life Science.
DNA Fingerprinting Crime Scene lesson plan for high school available from NGSS Biology.
DNA Extraction lesson student handout and teacher notes for high school available from NGSS Biology.
Biotechnology for Middle School Students activities and resources are posted at BIOTECH PROJECT at The University of Arizona.
Science Buddies has a host of biotechnology lessons and experiments for all grade levels.
Generation Genius has Biotechnology resources in the forms of a lesson plan, video (with questions), reading material, teacher guide, DIY activity guide and assessment.
Kids Biotech Basics Activity Book (elementary level) provided by the Council for Biotechnology Information

Check out the interviews by Eric Comley, Garrard County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, with individuals from various careers to learn more about their careers and how they became interested in their professions.

Researchers

Dorin Boldor, Ph.D.
Project Investigator/Professor
Project Investigator/Louisiana Team Leader
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
LSU AgCenter
dboldor@agcenter.lsu.edu

Sue Nokes, Ph.D., P.E.
UK Team Leader/Professor/Associate Dean
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
University of Kentucky
sue.nokes@uky.edu

Bert Lynn, Ph.D.
Professor
Director, UK Mass Spectrometry Facility
Department of Chemistry
University of Kentucky
bclynn2@uky.edu

Barbara Knutson, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
University of Kentucky
bknut2@uky.edu

Stephen Rankin, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
University of Kentucky
stephen.rankin@uky.edu

Jian Shi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Food and Bioprocess Engineering
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
University of Kentucky
j.shi@uky.edu

Dorel Moldovan, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Louisiana State University
dmoldo1@lsu.edu

Cristina Sabliov, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
LSU AgCenter
csabliov@agcenter.lsu.edu

Carlos Astete, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Louisiana State University
castete@agcenter.lsu.edu

Lavrent Khachatryan, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Chemistry
Louisiana State University
lkhach1@lsu.edu

Elizabeth Martin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological and Agricutural Engineering
Louisiana State University
Emart93@lsu.edu

Jangwook (Philip) Jung, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Louisiana State University
jjung1@lsu.edu

Tanya Dvorak, Ph.D.
STEM Outreach Education Coordinator & Principal Extension Specialist
Department of Biosytems and Agricultural Engineering
University of Kentucky
tcdv222@uky.edu

Joey Blackburn, Ph.D.
Project Collaborator, Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation
LSU AgCenter
JBlackburn@agcenter.lsu.edu

University of Kentucky

Poorya Kamali
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Chemistry
Lynn Lab
kimberly.dean@uky.edu

Kimberly Dean
Doctoral Student
Department of Chemistry
Lynn Lab
kimberly.dean@uky.edu

Masoumeh Dorrani
Doctoral Student
Department of Chemistry
Lynn Lab
M.dorrani@uky.edu

Mahsa Moradipour
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Knutson and Rankin Labs
mahsa.moradipour93@uky.edu

Ryan Kalinoski
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Biosytems and Agricultural Engineering
Shi Lab
mka223 @g.uky.edu

Louisiana State University

Jorge Belgodere
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
jbelgo1@lsu.edu

Candice Ellison, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of Louisiana State University,
Department of Biological Agricultural Engineering
Employed by National Energy Technology Laboratory

Pranjali Muley, Ph.D.
Former Postdoctoral Researcher, LSU AgCenter,
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Employed by National Energy Technology Laboratory

Dideolu Daniel
M.S. Graduate of Louisiana State University,
Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering

Shardrack Asare, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of University of Kentucky
Department of Chemistry

Xinjie Tong, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of Louisiana State University,
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Mohamad Barekati-Goudarzi, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of Louisiana State University,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Employed by Louisiana State University, Department of Mechanical Engineering as a Post-doctoral Researcher

C. Ethan Byrne, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of Louisiana State University,
Department of Biological Agricultural Engineering
Employed by Tulane University, Department of Biomedical Engineering as a Postdoc in Dr. Mark Mondrinos' Lab

Joe Stevens, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Graduate of University of Kentucky,
Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Employed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

College Resources

Contact Information

Search the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment