A Nebraska mathematician is advancing her work in commutative algebra, an area of abstract algebra that\u2019s key to solving real-world problems in robotics, statistics, physics and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elo\u00edsa Grifo, assistant professor of mathematics, is the second Husker mathematician and the first woman in the Department of Mathematics to receive a CAREER award. She earned $425,000 to expand her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grifo\u2019s work focuses on points of irregularity, called singularities, in the geometric shapes described by a system of polynomial equations. Visually, singularities look like a sharp point, a corner or a crinkle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grifo is interested in singularities of complex shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor a 200-dimensional object, I can\u2019t draw it, and you can\u2019t see it, so whatever interesting information I want to extract from it is not something that I can visualize geometrically,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230515_Grifo_044-1024x683.jpg\")
The solution is to convert the problem from one of geometry to one of algebra. To learn about a shape\u2019s singularities, Grifo probes the algebraic properties of the corresponding equations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A hallmark of Grifo\u2019s research is importing tools from other mathematical fields to commutative algebra. She and her collaborators were first to apply a strategy from arithmetic geometry called p-derivations, which may be a mechanism for solving longstanding questions in commutative algebra.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Testing new theory of \u2018Icelandia\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA radical new theory suggests Iceland is the tip of a previously unknown, sunken continent dubbed \u201cIcelandia.\u201d The controversial theory challenges long-held ideas about the North Atlantic\u2019s geology and continental formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Irina Filina, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, is testing the theory with a nearly $750,000 CAREER grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The discovery of continental material in Iceland led to a new tectonic hypothesis that suggests supercontinent Pangaea didn\u2019t fully break up along the mid-Atlantic. Instead, part of it stretched out, leaving Icelandia\u2019s continental crust crossing the divide between Greenland and Scandinavia.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230404_Filina_049-1024x694.jpg\")
Irina Filina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFilina is reviewing existing geophysical data to explore new interpretations about the nature of the crust underlying the Northern Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis analysis will transform our understanding of the Northern Atlantic and will elucidate the tectonic processes responsible for breaking continents and opening new oceans,\u201d Filina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s building a new tectonic model of the Northern Atlantic that will develop a coherent geological story to explain all datasets and observations. It\u2019s an approach she applied to the Gulf of Mexico, another complex tectonic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along the way, she aims to build a robust geophysics program that could position Nebraska as a leader in educating students in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nImproving polymer coating production<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA Nebraska engineer is using artificial intelligence to develop a better way to manufacture polymer coatings, essential components in electronics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Polymers, especially those used in semiconductor technology, have stringent quality requirements. Scale-up, purity and production time present major manufacturing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Bavarian, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received a nearly $580,000 CAREER grant to replace traditional batch manufacturing with a more precise flow chemistry process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The switch will allow better control of polymer properties and structures, reducing defects and improving overall quality.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230207_Bavarian_024-1024x646.jpg\")
Mona Bavarian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIf something goes awry in batch manufacturing, the entire contents may be ruined. The flow process uses advanced control techniques and allows staff to monitor the quality of raw materials and stop the process if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach will allow high-throughput manufacturing of specialty polymers with qualities unattainable by traditional manufacturing, Bavarian said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should also reduce manufacturing waste, making microelectronics eco-friendlier and more sustainable to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpecialty polymers require high-precision manufacturing,\u201d Bavarian said. \u201cThe semiconductor industry has a high need for these materials, especially as electronic devices are becoming smaller and widely used in a variety of products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her research should also apply to other specialty polymers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMaking smart homes even smarter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmart homes can do many things, but they can\u2019t yet locate missing sweaters or tell you\u2019re low on milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Hongzhi Guo aims to make smart homes even smarter. With a nearly $500,000 CAREER award, he\u2019s developing technology that creates a home\u2019s digital twin, including detailed information about everyday items like clothes, books and pantry items.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230420_Guo_021-1024x576.jpg\")
Hongzhi Guo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cThe Internet of Things is a pretty mature technology in that we can connect sensors,\u201d said Guo, assistant professor of computing. \u201cBut still, there is a big gap. If we want to build a virtual model for our life, then we need a technology to connect it with everything in the physical world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guo seeks to expand near-field communication, or NFC, the short-range wireless technology that enables contactless pay and card-access building entry. Expanding NFC would allow new applications, including digital twinning and wearable tags embedded in clothes that transmit information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s building hardware for NFC-linked devices and developing algorithms and software to enable long-range, secure communication in ultra-dense environments, like a crowded closet or a packed mail truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orientation and sensing algorithms would, for example, show you where a tagged water bottle is, how much water it contains and whether it\u2019s tipped over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHarnessing heat in tiny devices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve experienced an overheating laptop, you know tiny electronic parts inside devices can suffer from excessive heat. The physics of near-field thermal radiation limits how small components can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Mohammad Ghashami is helping to propel next-generation nano-devices by advancing knowledge of energy transport in miniaturized components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His research may pave the way to harnessing excess heat and turning it into an asset, such as generating electricity, extending battery life and improving device efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $630,000 CAREER award, Ghashami focuses on systems with multiple components, as opposed to the two-component setups that currently predominate research. Multi-body experiments more closely resemble the configuration of advanced electronic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230405_Ghashami_037-1024x683.jpg\")
Mohammad Ghashami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cAs soon as I have more than two bodies, new physics shows up, and it changes the paradigm,\u201d said Ghashami, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His team is exploring nanoscale radiative transport from a theoretical perspective, using computer modeling and software simulations to determine what is likely to happen under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also developing a first-of-its-kind experimental platform to overcome the challenges of nanoscale experimentation. Their innovative research marks one of the first attempts to experimentally verify the physics of radiative heat transfer in multi-body systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRemoving \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 from water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNebraska\u2019s Nirupam Aich is developing a filtration system to remove \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water, helping to reduce a significant environmental problem and threat to human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PFAS \u2013 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances \u2013 are ubiquitous, commonly found in nonstick pans, electronics, plastic food packaging, firefighting foams and many hydrophobic coatings. They\u2019re difficult to degrade due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $500,000 CAREER award, Aich\u2019s team uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to break these bonds and render PFAS nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/CC2A7600-copy.jpg\")
Nirupam Aich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nAich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/230512_Moore_079-1024x683.jpg\")
Keegan Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMoore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/231031_Rojas_059-1024x613.jpg\")
Clemencia Rojas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Filina is reviewing existing geophysical data to explore new interpretations about the nature of the crust underlying the Northern Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis analysis will transform our understanding of the Northern Atlantic and will elucidate the tectonic processes responsible for breaking continents and opening new oceans,\u201d Filina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s building a new tectonic model of the Northern Atlantic that will develop a coherent geological story to explain all datasets and observations. It\u2019s an approach she applied to the Gulf of Mexico, another complex tectonic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along the way, she aims to build a robust geophysics program that could position Nebraska as a leader in educating students in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Improving polymer coating production<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA Nebraska engineer is using artificial intelligence to develop a better way to manufacture polymer coatings, essential components in electronics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Polymers, especially those used in semiconductor technology, have stringent quality requirements. Scale-up, purity and production time present major manufacturing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Bavarian, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received a nearly $580,000 CAREER grant to replace traditional batch manufacturing with a more precise flow chemistry process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The switch will allow better control of polymer properties and structures, reducing defects and improving overall quality.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nMona Bavarian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIf something goes awry in batch manufacturing, the entire contents may be ruined. The flow process uses advanced control techniques and allows staff to monitor the quality of raw materials and stop the process if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach will allow high-throughput manufacturing of specialty polymers with qualities unattainable by traditional manufacturing, Bavarian said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should also reduce manufacturing waste, making microelectronics eco-friendlier and more sustainable to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpecialty polymers require high-precision manufacturing,\u201d Bavarian said. \u201cThe semiconductor industry has a high need for these materials, especially as electronic devices are becoming smaller and widely used in a variety of products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her research should also apply to other specialty polymers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMaking smart homes even smarter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmart homes can do many things, but they can\u2019t yet locate missing sweaters or tell you\u2019re low on milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Hongzhi Guo aims to make smart homes even smarter. With a nearly $500,000 CAREER award, he\u2019s developing technology that creates a home\u2019s digital twin, including detailed information about everyday items like clothes, books and pantry items.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nHongzhi Guo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cThe Internet of Things is a pretty mature technology in that we can connect sensors,\u201d said Guo, assistant professor of computing. \u201cBut still, there is a big gap. If we want to build a virtual model for our life, then we need a technology to connect it with everything in the physical world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guo seeks to expand near-field communication, or NFC, the short-range wireless technology that enables contactless pay and card-access building entry. Expanding NFC would allow new applications, including digital twinning and wearable tags embedded in clothes that transmit information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s building hardware for NFC-linked devices and developing algorithms and software to enable long-range, secure communication in ultra-dense environments, like a crowded closet or a packed mail truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orientation and sensing algorithms would, for example, show you where a tagged water bottle is, how much water it contains and whether it\u2019s tipped over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHarnessing heat in tiny devices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve experienced an overheating laptop, you know tiny electronic parts inside devices can suffer from excessive heat. The physics of near-field thermal radiation limits how small components can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Mohammad Ghashami is helping to propel next-generation nano-devices by advancing knowledge of energy transport in miniaturized components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His research may pave the way to harnessing excess heat and turning it into an asset, such as generating electricity, extending battery life and improving device efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $630,000 CAREER award, Ghashami focuses on systems with multiple components, as opposed to the two-component setups that currently predominate research. Multi-body experiments more closely resemble the configuration of advanced electronic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nMohammad Ghashami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cAs soon as I have more than two bodies, new physics shows up, and it changes the paradigm,\u201d said Ghashami, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His team is exploring nanoscale radiative transport from a theoretical perspective, using computer modeling and software simulations to determine what is likely to happen under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also developing a first-of-its-kind experimental platform to overcome the challenges of nanoscale experimentation. Their innovative research marks one of the first attempts to experimentally verify the physics of radiative heat transfer in multi-body systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRemoving \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 from water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNebraska\u2019s Nirupam Aich is developing a filtration system to remove \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water, helping to reduce a significant environmental problem and threat to human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PFAS \u2013 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances \u2013 are ubiquitous, commonly found in nonstick pans, electronics, plastic food packaging, firefighting foams and many hydrophobic coatings. They\u2019re difficult to degrade due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $500,000 CAREER award, Aich\u2019s team uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to break these bonds and render PFAS nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nNirupam Aich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nAich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nKeegan Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMoore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nClemencia Rojas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
If something goes awry in batch manufacturing, the entire contents may be ruined. The flow process uses advanced control techniques and allows staff to monitor the quality of raw materials and stop the process if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach will allow high-throughput manufacturing of specialty polymers with qualities unattainable by traditional manufacturing, Bavarian said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should also reduce manufacturing waste, making microelectronics eco-friendlier and more sustainable to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpecialty polymers require high-precision manufacturing,\u201d Bavarian said. \u201cThe semiconductor industry has a high need for these materials, especially as electronic devices are becoming smaller and widely used in a variety of products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her research should also apply to other specialty polymers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Making smart homes even smarter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSmart homes can do many things, but they can\u2019t yet locate missing sweaters or tell you\u2019re low on milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Hongzhi Guo aims to make smart homes even smarter. With a nearly $500,000 CAREER award, he\u2019s developing technology that creates a home\u2019s digital twin, including detailed information about everyday items like clothes, books and pantry items.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nHongzhi Guo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cThe Internet of Things is a pretty mature technology in that we can connect sensors,\u201d said Guo, assistant professor of computing. \u201cBut still, there is a big gap. If we want to build a virtual model for our life, then we need a technology to connect it with everything in the physical world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guo seeks to expand near-field communication, or NFC, the short-range wireless technology that enables contactless pay and card-access building entry. Expanding NFC would allow new applications, including digital twinning and wearable tags embedded in clothes that transmit information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s building hardware for NFC-linked devices and developing algorithms and software to enable long-range, secure communication in ultra-dense environments, like a crowded closet or a packed mail truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orientation and sensing algorithms would, for example, show you where a tagged water bottle is, how much water it contains and whether it\u2019s tipped over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHarnessing heat in tiny devices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve experienced an overheating laptop, you know tiny electronic parts inside devices can suffer from excessive heat. The physics of near-field thermal radiation limits how small components can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Mohammad Ghashami is helping to propel next-generation nano-devices by advancing knowledge of energy transport in miniaturized components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His research may pave the way to harnessing excess heat and turning it into an asset, such as generating electricity, extending battery life and improving device efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $630,000 CAREER award, Ghashami focuses on systems with multiple components, as opposed to the two-component setups that currently predominate research. Multi-body experiments more closely resemble the configuration of advanced electronic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nMohammad Ghashami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cAs soon as I have more than two bodies, new physics shows up, and it changes the paradigm,\u201d said Ghashami, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His team is exploring nanoscale radiative transport from a theoretical perspective, using computer modeling and software simulations to determine what is likely to happen under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also developing a first-of-its-kind experimental platform to overcome the challenges of nanoscale experimentation. Their innovative research marks one of the first attempts to experimentally verify the physics of radiative heat transfer in multi-body systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRemoving \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 from water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNebraska\u2019s Nirupam Aich is developing a filtration system to remove \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water, helping to reduce a significant environmental problem and threat to human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PFAS \u2013 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances \u2013 are ubiquitous, commonly found in nonstick pans, electronics, plastic food packaging, firefighting foams and many hydrophobic coatings. They\u2019re difficult to degrade due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $500,000 CAREER award, Aich\u2019s team uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to break these bonds and render PFAS nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nNirupam Aich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nAich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nKeegan Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMoore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nClemencia Rojas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cThe Internet of Things is a pretty mature technology in that we can connect sensors,\u201d said Guo, assistant professor of computing. \u201cBut still, there is a big gap. If we want to build a virtual model for our life, then we need a technology to connect it with everything in the physical world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guo seeks to expand near-field communication, or NFC, the short-range wireless technology that enables contactless pay and card-access building entry. Expanding NFC would allow new applications, including digital twinning and wearable tags embedded in clothes that transmit information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s building hardware for NFC-linked devices and developing algorithms and software to enable long-range, secure communication in ultra-dense environments, like a crowded closet or a packed mail truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orientation and sensing algorithms would, for example, show you where a tagged water bottle is, how much water it contains and whether it\u2019s tipped over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Harnessing heat in tiny devices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve experienced an overheating laptop, you know tiny electronic parts inside devices can suffer from excessive heat. The physics of near-field thermal radiation limits how small components can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska engineer Mohammad Ghashami is helping to propel next-generation nano-devices by advancing knowledge of energy transport in miniaturized components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His research may pave the way to harnessing excess heat and turning it into an asset, such as generating electricity, extending battery life and improving device efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $630,000 CAREER award, Ghashami focuses on systems with multiple components, as opposed to the two-component setups that currently predominate research. Multi-body experiments more closely resemble the configuration of advanced electronic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nMohammad Ghashami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\u201cAs soon as I have more than two bodies, new physics shows up, and it changes the paradigm,\u201d said Ghashami, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His team is exploring nanoscale radiative transport from a theoretical perspective, using computer modeling and software simulations to determine what is likely to happen under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also developing a first-of-its-kind experimental platform to overcome the challenges of nanoscale experimentation. Their innovative research marks one of the first attempts to experimentally verify the physics of radiative heat transfer in multi-body systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRemoving \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 from water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNebraska\u2019s Nirupam Aich is developing a filtration system to remove \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water, helping to reduce a significant environmental problem and threat to human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PFAS \u2013 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances \u2013 are ubiquitous, commonly found in nonstick pans, electronics, plastic food packaging, firefighting foams and many hydrophobic coatings. They\u2019re difficult to degrade due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $500,000 CAREER award, Aich\u2019s team uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to break these bonds and render PFAS nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nNirupam Aich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nAich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nKeegan Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMoore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nClemencia Rojas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cAs soon as I have more than two bodies, new physics shows up, and it changes the paradigm,\u201d said Ghashami, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His team is exploring nanoscale radiative transport from a theoretical perspective, using computer modeling and software simulations to determine what is likely to happen under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also developing a first-of-its-kind experimental platform to overcome the challenges of nanoscale experimentation. Their innovative research marks one of the first attempts to experimentally verify the physics of radiative heat transfer in multi-body systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Removing \u2018forever chemicals\u2019 from water<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNebraska\u2019s Nirupam Aich is developing a filtration system to remove \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water, helping to reduce a significant environmental problem and threat to human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PFAS \u2013 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances \u2013 are ubiquitous, commonly found in nonstick pans, electronics, plastic food packaging, firefighting foams and many hydrophobic coatings. They\u2019re difficult to degrade due to strong carbon-fluorine bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a $500,000 CAREER award, Aich\u2019s team uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to break these bonds and render PFAS nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nNirupam Aich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nAich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nKeegan Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMoore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n
\nClemencia Rojas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The challenge has been manufacturing nanomaterials for use in treating water, said Aich, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. His team is also developing a safe and cost-effective nanomaterial-based water filtration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can help Nebraska in, first, <\/span>understanding this emerging contaminant pollution, <\/span>then fighting this pollution even before it happens,\u201d Aich said. <\/span>\u201cThen, if we develop those technologies and a resilient infrastructure, <\/span>that can help the world, too, because it\u2019s a global problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aich\u2019s research is receiving international attention. He\u2019s participating in the Science History Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for Oral History<\/a> to document his perspectives, particularly as a Bangladeshi engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aich received the award in 2022 while at State University of New York at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2011, one of America\u2019s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles crashed. In 2013, a train accident in Paris killed seven. And in 2016, a Union Pacific train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling 42,000 gallons of crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those are just three dramatic examples of how one of the most vexing and little understood phenomena of basic mechanics \u2014 the loosening of bolts over time \u2014 can create havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keegan Moore, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has a $727,000 CAREER grant to study how loosening happens and how it could be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n Moore is investigating rotational loosening caused by vibrations in structures. He measures interface contact conditions \u2013 the surfaces the bolt holds together \u2013 using high-speed digital cameras that capture thousands of frames per second. The strains measured around the bolt head or nut can be mapped to the contact conditions inside the interface around the bolt hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis will hopefully give us a new window to what\u2019s going on in the interface that we\u2019ve never had before, and we\u2019ll be able to measure how that changes dynamics as the bolt loosens and as the structure shakes,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to develop modeling frameworks to reproduce the dynamics of loosening and determine how a structure\u2019s dynamics influence how quickly that occurs. Moore\u2019s research could be used to predict maintenance needs for transportation infrastructure. Predictive modeling would be more efficient than monitoring individual bolts on a bridge to determine which ones have loosened over time, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bacterial plant pathogens are a major driver of devastating diseases in crops, which threaten global food security as the world\u2019s population heads toward a projected 10 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clemencia Rojas, associate professor of plant pathology, is using a $900,000 CAREER grant to explore the complex interplay between microbes and plants. Though plants have sophisticated means of warding off disease \u2013 physically strengthening their cell walls and releasing antimicrobial proteins, for example \u2013 pathogens can circumvent these defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are trying to understand what happens in the plant, but also how pathogens try to hijack the plant\u2019s strategies,\u201d Rojas said.<\/p>\n\n\n Rojas is using a multidisciplinary approach to pinpoint how different proteins behave during this process. She has used a variety of techniques \u2013 including live-cell imaging, proteomics technologies and biological, genetic and biochemical assays \u2013 to delve into the molecular and cellular aspects of the plant-microbe interaction. So far, she\u2019s identified two proteins, AtNHR2A and AtNHR2B, as key players in the plant defense system and is working to uncover more details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basic research like Rojas\u2019 will provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for combating crop loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rojas is also launching an online microbiology course for students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which includes an in-person summer research experience in her lab. She\u2019s also developing a robust partnership between UNL and the University of the Andes in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, where Rojas received her undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nebraska researchers are solving mysteries and engineering solutions for vexing problems with prestigious early career awards. Their work is helping to build next-generation electronics, making homes and computer models even smarter, removing \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from contaminated water and investigating a controversial new theory about Iceland. In 2023, seven Nebraska faculty received five-year Faculty Early Career […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[150,158,151,154,152,157,155,153,12,156],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","tag-career-awards","tag-early-career-awards","tag-eloisa-grifo","tag-hongzhi-guo","tag-irina-filina","tag-keegan-moore","tag-mohammad-ghashami","tag-mona-bavarian","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nirupam-aich"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nUnwinding causes, solutions to bolt loosening<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to prevent crop loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n