News

INRA INFORMER July 2003 A Newsletter for the Inland Northwest Research Alliance

INRA Board of Trustees Meeting Held

INRA held its Annual Board of Trustees Meeting in Idaho Falls at the INRA office on June 23, 2003. One of the agenda items was to elect a new president to suceed Dr. Robert Hoover. Dr. George Dennison, President of the University of Montana, was selected as the second head of the organization.

"In 1999, INRA was formed after my fellow university presidential colleagues saw the many opportunities for partnership among the Northwest’s research universities," said Dennison. "Since then, the organization has garnered over $10 million in research funding and strengthened its parternership with the Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). I look forward to working with the other presidents to broaden INRA’s mission and continue its many successes."

INRA’s research focus is on studies that will result in practical applications, such as water treatments, soil remediation, and forest fire prevention. INRA provides the organizational structure for rapid development of collaborative research and educational programs in technical disciplines for its member institutions. This is accomplished through partnerships with government agencies, national laboratories and businesses. The research is focused in critical areas such as environmental sciences, national security and energy.

Paul Kearns, INEEL vice president and deputy Laboratory director, said, "Together we have developed a relationship among the INRA universities and the INEEL that has produced progress for the nation through key scientific research, a pipeline of advanced educational opportunities and vibrant cooperation among our regional constituencies."

Other agenda items included an update on INRA activities over the last year. The Subsurface Science Research Institute (SSRI) was highlighted regarding its successful development and delivery of core courses in real time at the eight INRA campuses and at Idaho Falls, with three electives to start this fall. Over half of the FY03 funding will fund 25-30 new doctoral students, with the balance supporting ongoing curriculum development and instructional technology design, including hooking up to Access Grid, and support for INEEL researchers to work on campus. Future programs can be modeled on the success of the SSRI.

Linda McCoy (Chief Scientist, DOE-Idaho) also attended and congratulated INRA on its achievements.

INRA is a partner in the management and operation of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in Idaho Falls. INRA/INEEL collaborations are supported in part by DOE Contracts DE-AC07-99ID13727 and DE-FG07-02ID14277.

INRA Grant Results Updated

INRA supports collaborative basic and applied research programs between its member universities and the INEEL by funding 28 multi-year peer-reviewed research projects in the critical mission areas of the Laboratory, including Environmental Management, Energy Sciences, and National Security. INRA committed $4.5 million to these grants. To date, INRA has expended nearly $ 2.2 million of this obligation.

Every quarter, the results of the research projects are tabulated. The cumulative results are:

# 40 accepted or published joint publications in peer-reviewed technical journals, all jointly written by INRA and INEEL researchers.

# Over $ 11 million in new competitively-awarded research projects. To INRA universities: $ 5.7 million; to INEEL: $ 4.3 million; and to other corporate partners: $ 1 million.

# 106 joint presentations at international and national technical society meetings. Some of the recent presentations include:

# Horton (ISU). "Low Temperature Hexavalent Chromium Reduction by a Novel Psychrophilic Enrichment Consortium." Washington, D.C.: American Society of Microbiology, 103rd General Meeting, May 18-22, 2003.

# Viamajala (WSU), Peyton (WSU), Cunningham (MSU), Gerlach (MSU), Apel (INEEL). "Cr(VI) Reduction by Cellulomonas spp.-Batch Kinetics and Meso-Scale Tests." Orlando, FL: 7th International Symposium on In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation, June 2-5, 2003

INRA Hires New Admin. Assistant
Jessica Babbitt started in late June as the INRA Administrative Assistant. She is very excited to be working the INRA staff.

Jessica was born and raised in Oakley, Idaho and moved to Blackfoot 3 and ½ years ago. Previously, she was employed at the Bingham County Courthouse in the Clerk’s office. Her most recent employment experiences were in Salt Lake City as a Stock Broker’s Assistant and a Mechanical Engineering Consulting Firm. She lived in Salt Lake temporarily since moving to Blackfoot. She enjoys being back in her home state of Idaho.

Dissimilatory Iron-Reducing & Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

Contributed by Gill Geesey, MSU

Gill Geesey, Professor of Microbiology at Montana State University, Bozeman, Ph.D. student Catherine Reardon from Burley, Idaho and INEEL Principal Scientist David Cummings are evaluating the use of biofilm coupons to sample mineral surface-associated microbial communities at a pristine subsurface site and a uranium-contaminated site at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Tennessee Reservation as part of a collaboration with Professor Brent Peyton at Washington State University (Fig 1). The coupons contain representative minerals from these sites, which, when deployed and incubated in the saturated zone of wells at the sites, become colonized by different populations of bacteria present in the groundwater. The mineral surfaces in the biofilm coupons are intended to serve as a surrogate for mineral surfaces of the surrounding geological matrix, but are easier and less costly to recover than core material from the formation. Colonization of the mineral surfaces results in the concentration of those bacterial populations in the groundwater that are able to coexist in close proximity to each other and, in some instances, develop synergistic interactions to promote their survival, some of which may promote degradation or biotransformation of contaminants that may be present.

The INRA research team has also developed a technique referred to as Gradient Intact Biofilm Polymerase Chain Reaction (GIB-PCR) to facilitate characterization of the microbial communities that develop on the mineral surfaces in the biofilm coupons. This technique eliminates the bias associated with a separate DNA extraction step and a single annealing temperature for amplification of a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene carried by the different populations of bacteria, and used to construct a 16S rDNA clone library that is then used to identify and relate the different types of bacteria that are detected by this molecular biological approach.

By combining the biofilm coupon and GIB-PCR, we have generated a profile of the microbial community at the pristine site that reveals much greater community diversity than was revealed through the conventional approach involving DNA extraction of core material collected from this site. Whereas, the conventional approach suggested a microbial community composed of seven distinct operational taxonomic units (OTU), the biofilm coupon/GIB-PCR approach yielded 65 clones, representing distinct OTUs, from the same site.

A comparison of the microbial community diversity at the pristine site with that obtained from the uranium-contaminated site based on the biofilm coupon/GIB-PCR approach, revealed that the diversity at the latter was significantly less (17 OTUs) than that at the pristine site. DNA sequence information also indicated that the members of each community were, for the most part, unique to each site. A follow-up experiment revealed that the populations of bacteria recovered from the mineral surfaces in the biofilm coupons changed over time in the wells. Of the 17 OTUs recovered after incubation of biofilm coupons for eight weeks at the uranium contaminated site, only four were recovered from biofilm coupons recovered after only a short period of exposure to the groundwater at that site, and only seven of the 65 OTUs recovered after incubation of biofilm coupons for eight weeks at the pristine were recovered after only a short period of exposure to the groundwater at that site. These results emphasize the importance of site conditions and time of exposure to subsurface conditions on the structure of the microbial community that is associated with mineral surfaces in the subsurface. These results establish a baseline for the community structure that will be used to assess its stability upon in-situ stimulation of uranium bioreduction at the contaminated site. Future studies planned using this approach to microbial community sampling and characterization include assessment of community stability following suspension of biostimulation and the relationship between community structure and uranium chemistry and mobility. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by INRA for this graduate research project.

Figure 1. Biofilm coupon consisting of stainless steel mesh filled with mineral particles and capped at both ends. Coupons are sterilized prior to deployment with fishing line into the saturated zone of wells where they are incubated to allow the mineral surfaces to become colonized by groundwater populations and subsequently retrieved for characterization of the mineral surface-associated microbial community.

(Please see site for visuals- Russ)
http://www.inra.org/new%20inra%20web/INRA%20NEWS,%20EVENTS%20PAGES/Newsletters%20-%20pdf,%20html/July%202003/INRA%20Informer%20-%20July%202003%20web.htm

Generation IV Nuclear Technology

As the United States’ lead laboratory for nuclear reactor research and development, INEEL will be at the epicenter of development for Gen IV nuclear reactor systems. Gen IV promises safe, economically competitive, proliferation-resistant nuclear power without the danger of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

From the early beginnings of nuclear energy in the 1940s to the present, three generations of nuclear power reactors have been developed: early prototype reactors, commercial power reactors and advanced light water reactors. These three generations of nuclear energy systems have been successful in many ways. For example:

• Nuclear power accounts for 16 percent of global energy production. More than 435 reactors in 31 countries produce 356 billion watts of electricity without the emission of greenhouse gases.

• In the United States, nuclear energy provides 20 percent of the electricity – and improved efficiency in existing power plants over the past decade, has provided an increase in electrical power equivalent to building 20 new nuclear plants.

• Europe obtains 35 percent of its electricity from nuclear power – more than from any other source. The long-term use of nuclear power is an important part of the clean air and climate change prevention strategies in many European nations.

• Nuclear power is second only to hydropower for low-cost generation of electricity. In 2001, 103 nuclear plants in the U.S. had an average cost of 1.68 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Challenges face the nuclear industry in the form of nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and at Chernobyl, high capital costs of constructing new plants, and the need to establish final repositories for spent nuclear fuel. Proliferation of materials suitable for making nuclear weapons has also been a great concern.

In spite of this, the nuclear energy industry has experienced economic and regulatory recovery in many parts of the world in recent years. For example, nearly all of the 103 commercial light water reactors in the U.S. are expected to file for 20-year license extensions. Thirty-five new reactors are under construction around the world. And nations that have not used nuclear-generated electricity before, have announced their intent to begin constructing new nuclear power plants. These things, and the fact that the world’s population is expected to increase by 60 percent (from 6 billion to 10 billion) by the year 2050 – demonstrate that nuclear power has an important role to play in securing energy security and economic stability for the world. There is a profound need for a new generation of nuclear reactors. Gen IV will meet that need.

Ten nations have joined together in the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), agreeing on a framework for international cooperation in research. Their goal is to develop future-generation nuclear energy systems that can be licensed, constructed, and operated in an economically competitive way while addressing the issues of safety, proliferation, and other public perception concerns. The object is for the Gen IV systems to be available for deployment by 2030.

Using more than 100 nuclear experts from its 10 member nations, the GIF has developed a Gen IV Technology Roadmap to guide the research and development of the world’s most advanced, efficient and safe nuclear power systems. The Gen IV Technology Roadmap calls for extensive research and development of six different potential future reactor systems. These include water-cooled, gas-cooled, liquid metal-cooled and nonclassical systems. One or more of these reactor systems will provide the best combination of safety, reliability, efficiency and proliferation resistance at a competitive cost.

There are eight simple goals for the Gen IV Nuclear Energy Systems:

* Provide sustainable energy generation that meets clean air objectives and promotes long-term availability of systems and effective fuel use for worldwide energy production.

* Minimize and manage their nuclear waste and noticeably reduce the long-term stewardship burden in the future, improving the protection of public health and the environment.

* Have a clear life-cycle cost advantage over other energy sources.

* Have a level of financial risk comparable to other energy projects.

* Excel in safety and reliability.

* Have a low likelihood and degree of reactor core damage.

* Eliminate the need for off-site emergency response.

* Increase the assurance that these reactors are very unattractive and the least desirable route for diversion or theft of weapons-usable materials, and provide increased protection against acts of terrorism.

INEEL – Birthplace of Peaceful Atomic Power, Incubator for Gen IV— The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory’s (INEEL) Nuclear Energy Systems organization is engaged in leading the nation toward successful development and deployment of Gen IV nuclear energy systems. Some 150 Nuclear Energy employees and more than 800 additional engineers and scientists use their specialties to execute all aspects of nuclear plant design, testing and operation.

Their expertise and the historic role of INEEL in developing America’s nuclear reactor technologies go hand in hand. The 890 square mile INEEL Site was originally established in 1949 as the National Reactor Testing Station. For more than 50 years it has lived up to its original name.

Fifty-two nuclear reactors have been developed and built at the INEEL – including the first reactor to generate usable electricity and the U.S. Navy’s first prototype nuclear propulsion plant. The INEEL is renowned for its ability to convert scientific ideas into actual operating equipment and to provide science and engineering solutions to complex nuclear safety, energy and security problems.

The nuclear power safety record in the United States relates directly to the years of fuel testing performed with Power Burst and Loss of Fluid Test programs, and the extensive INEEL analysis of fuel failures. Several unique facilities are currently in operation at the INEEL to support new reactor designs. These include the Advanced Test Reactor, Radiation Measurements and Thermophysical Materials Characterization Laboratories, the Remote Analytical Laboratory and fuel examination hot cells.

Subsurface Science Symposium 2003

The 2003 Subsurface Science Symposium is only a few months away. Planning is steady effort. It will be held October 5-8, 2003, at the Salt Palace, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The keynote speaker for this year’s event will be Dr. Harrison (Jack) Schmitt whose experience is geologist; Apollo astronaut; Lunar Module Pilot; the only scientist to set foot on the Moon, and former senator from New Mexico.

If you have not registered, the registration website is at: https://www.b-there.com/breg/inra.

The 2003 theme is Advances in Understanding and Modeling Subsurface Processes.

Plenary speakers include:

* Dr. Terry Hazen from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who is the Head of the Microbial Ecology and Environmental Engineering Department at LBNL

* Dr. Rosemary Knight from Stanford University who is Professor of Geophysics at Stanford, specializing in environmental geophysics.

* Presentations will be programmed into sessions: Geophysics, Hydrology, Modeling, Bioremediation, Geochemistry, Technology Transfer, Environmental Policy and Management

The Symposium has grown beyond the INRA states of Idaho, Utah, Montana, Washington, and Alaska. There will be attendees and speakers from California, Puerto Rico, Arizona, and Massachusetts.

We anticipate about 300 attendees, with over 100 invited presentations in 6 technical symposia during the three conference days. In addition to the invited presentations, research posters have been solicited from both INRA and non-INRA university students to participate in a judged competition, where the top three poster winners will receive cash awards totaling $1750. Also, a separate poster session for non-student research posters will be organized. We expect a total of between 50 and 75 posters to be displayed at the 2003 Symposium.

The Symposium will provide you with an unmatched networking opportunity with researchers in several diverse and complimentary technical fields and policymakers who shape the national research agenda. Past Symposia have resulted in collaborative research teams being formed and competitive research proposals being awarded from a variety of federal sources. Diana Washington, a doctoral student at Washington State University, describes the importance of how INRA and the Symposium foster communication and networking with professionals in this field.

"INRA and the INRA Symposium have given me the opportunity to meet and discuss my research with professionals, from a variety of disciplines and institutions, in the area of subsurface science. The subsurface is a very heterogeneous system and if we are to solve the problems of contaminant transport and contaminant remediation in this complex environment we will need to continue to bring together scientist and engineers with diverse expertise. INRA is opening the lines of communication between these players that will bring forth the technology needed to solve the complex problem of contaminant transport in the subsurface."

– Diana Washington, Ph.D. Student, Washington State University, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

INRA Programs

Professional Leave Incentive Program: INRA faculty may contact [email protected], or see our web site (www.inra.org) to find out how to earn $1250/month in addition to regular salary for participating in INEEL’s Faculty Fellowship Program. You can apply online at:

http://education.inel.gov/university/faculty.asp

Salaried Research Training Program: Through this program, post-graduates are recruited and hired to work at the INEEL. All are hired as non-tenure track employees of Washington State University under an agreement with INRA, a managing partner of the INEEL. Anyone interested in learning more about this program, or to apply for a position, may do so at:

http://www.inel.asp.wsu.edu

Copyright © 2003. Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA) Inc. 151 North Ridge Avenue, Suite 140. Idaho Falls, ID 83402. Tel: (208) 524-4800. Fax: (208) 524-4994. All rights reserved.

http://www.inra.org/new%20inra%20web/INRA%20NEWS,%20EVENTS%20PAGES/Newsletters%20-%20pdf,%20html/July%202003/INRA%20Informer%20-%20July%202003%20web.htm

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.