2005-06 Research Activities Annual Report Offi ce of the Vice President for Research

research on the environment President Provost During my tenure as president In fi ve years our Strategic Plans of this great university, I have have transformed Purdue Uni- watched Purdue’s research en- versity. Growing our research terprise expand to new levels of has been a central focus of excellence. Purdue investigators our plans and, looking forward, create new knowledge through basic research it will continue to be a top priority. To meet our and actively pursue new methods to apply those goals we have added faculty. We have con- discoveries for the betterment of future gen- structed state-of-the-art research facilities. We have erations. The world faces complex challenges grown the infrastructure of our research initiative to safeguarding our environment through new including staff support. We have launched excit- technologies that do not degrade our shared re- ing new centers, many of which live today in sources. Cutting-edge multidisciplinary research Discovery Park. All of this has had an impact. endeavors conducted with the latest technol- The interdisciplinary centers that have grown ogy are required to address the world’s grand over the past fi ve years concentrate in a sub- challenges. Purdue’s faculty leads the way to stantial way to our success in discovery. They answers. At Purdue, we view the entire process provide a compelling vision and attractive environ- of education as an exercise in discovery. Purdue ment for our faculty, staff and students. They are encourages the development of new coursework essential to Purdue’s future. The interdisciplinary and research efforts that will stimulate the next research in Purdue’s Discovery Park will play a generation to join this expanding research enter- key role in opening new horizons and bringing prise of uncompromising excellence. people together. All of Discovery Park is focused on moving our research out into the world around — Martin C. Jischke, President us. Discovery Park is creating a new model for the 21st century land grant university. — Sally Mason, Provost

Research examining how sound in the environment can be used to assess biodiversity and human impacts on ecosystems are being conducted at Purdue University through funding from the Discovery Park Center for the Environment. Bryan Pijanowski, forestry and natural resources, is using state-of-the-art environmental moni- toring equipment to record natural and human-produced sounds in and around Tippecanoe County. Software has been developed that quantifies the intensity and duration of different sounds and then categorizes them into three major sources: biophony (e.g., bird and insect sounds), geophony (e.g., wind and rain) and anthro- phony (e.g., automobiles). Pijanowski and his students are examining how biophony, geophony and anthro- phony vary in different ecosystems and how humans may impact wildlife distributions in different habitats. Vice President for Research At Purdue University, researchers are tackling pressing is- sues concerning the environment. They are working across “The Center for the disciplines leading to the discovery of new technologies and processes that will assist in the remediation of degraded Environment is striving environmental areas and improve our quality of life. Pur- due investigators are keenly aware of the need to examine and inte- to replace the traditional grate environmental integrity with economic development, and new technologies have already spun-off into products that are available notion that environmental for the public good. This year’s annual report highlights some of the research on the stewardship is a cost of environment being pursued at Purdue and introduces the Center for the Environment in Discovery Park. In June 2005, a $2.5 million doing business, ... investment was made to establish the Center for the Environment from a $25 million Lilly Endowment for Discovery Park. By the end of We have a new 2006, in 18 months time, the Center had garnered nearly $19 million in research funding. paradigm — that The multidisciplinary framework of Discovery Park’s Center for the Environment brings together scientists, engineers, political scientists, protecting environmental and economists in new levels of collaboration. These kinds of partner- ships have the potential to result in discoveries that will lead to the integrity is essential best use of our natural resources. Innovative research and discovery cannot happen without an to prosperity.” educated society, and the commitment to teach a new generation of researchers is an important goal of Purdue’s rich multidisciplinary environmental research program. John Bickham At Purdue, we place great value on encouraging partnerships with Director of Purdue’s Discovery Park Center for the Environment local and regional communities, educational institutions, businesses and government agencies. Past experience has taught us that col- laborations enhance outcomes and increase the success rate for all stakeholders working towards a common goal. We look forward to increased opportunities in collaboration that inspire students and re- searchers to seek solutions to the challenges we face together.

— Charles O. Rutledge, Vice President for Research

1 Discovering solutions to environmental Researchers specializing in environmental studies with other factors and incorporate that information extend across Purdue’s colleges and campuses. This into the regulations the agency develops,” Heber Engaging multiple stakeholders to report features only a few of the areas in which Pur- said. “Studying emissions from existing commer- create dynamic synergies in the due investigators are focusing their attention on the cial facilities is the best way to gather data that research and learning process environment. They are actively seeking ways to as- will, in the long term, address air quality and other is a guiding principle at sess the long-term fate and use of materials, establish environmental concerns.” For more information on Purdue University. air emissions standards for livestock industries, miti- this study, visit, http://news.uns.purdue.edu/htm- gate the impact of transportation noise in the environ- l4ever/2005/050302.Heber.epa.html. ment, remediate contamination in our soil, understand Synergy the molecular processes between gene-environment Transportation Noise interactions, establish best management practices in The issue of environmental noise has affected Th e combined eff ect of watersheds, decrease human health risks associated communities across the nation resulting in limiting multiple parties working with exposure to parasites in the environment, as well economic growth in the transportation infrastructure. as map the carbon footprint of fossil fuel emissions Billions of dollars have been spent on remediation together is greater than the in the U.S., and predict and prepare for changes in efforts, and yet, noise continues to fuel community sum of its individual parts. our climate, and many more. resistance to expansion of the transportation infra- Agricultural Air Quality structure, particularly for airports and highways. Patricia Davies and Bob Bernhard from mechanical Indiana state climatologist and Purdue researcher, Experts from multiple fi elds of study engineering have been appointed to the National Dev Niyogi, along with leading researchers from Academy of Engineering’s “Technology for a Qui- work together, build collaborative North Carolina State University, Duke, USDA and the eter America” project. Bernhard and Davies, along teams and engage stakeholders Ecological Society of America wrote an article titled with other experts at Purdue from diverse areas outside the university. “Emerging National Research Needs for Agricultural spanning aviation technology to health sciences, Air Quality” for the newspaper Eos (Transactions, are studying noise generation and propagation, American Geophysical Union, January 2006). The annoyance and complaint levels. The goal is to authors predict that in 50 years the Earth’s popula- reduce the impact of noise in the environment by tion will increase from 6.9 billion to 9 billion, which is changing technologies or operations and making creating an enormous demand for agricultural com- recommendations to Congress and governmental modities. Emissions from confined animal feeding agencies about noise policy. operations are a growing environmental concern leading regulators and policy makers to focus on Life Cycles and the Fate of Materials mitigating the harmful effects. Leading researchers at Purdue recognize the need Al Heber, agricultural to assess the long-term fate of commonly used com- and biological engineering, pounds and emerging materials. Concern over the was selected to lead a $12.9 range of synthetic compounds that have been de- million study over the next tected in wildlife, human blood, air, river water, sedi- fi ve years to help the U.S. ments and sludge brings together researchers from Environmental Protection environmental chemistry, veterinary pathology, biology Agency establish air emis- and engineering to determine the life-cycle of chemical sions standards for the live- compounds in our environment. Linda Lee, agronomy, stock and poultry industries. Al Heber and doctoral student, Jin Liu, along with Loring Nies, To conduct the study, Heber recruited scientists from civil engineering, study synthetic alkyl polyflourintated other universities and deployed monitoring teams compounds that are widely used as stain retardants in with fully equipped mobile labs. They are collecting carpets, upholstery and protective coatings. The re- data at selected farms over a 24-month period on sults from their work provide a scientific base to assist particulate matter emissions, ammonia, hydrogen in making responsible, regulatory decisions concern- sulfi de and volatile organic compounds. Outdoor ing the fate and use of these compounds. manure storage facilities also are monitored. Civil engineers Inez Hua and Thomas Seager, “The EPA will be able to see how emissions and political scientist Leigh Raymond, are collaborat- change with time of day and season in combination 2 concerns ing on an NSF-funded project to investigate life-cycle and policy aspects of brominated fl ame retardants (BFRs). These compounds enable manufacturers of Center for the Environment plastics, furniture, and other products to meet strin- gent fi re-resistance requirements in an economical The Center for the Environment is an interdisciplinary research center in manner. However, there has also been some con- Purdue’s Discovery Park. The Center aims to establish guidelines on how cern about the environmental safety of BFRs. This to protect the environment while sustaining a global economy. Research- research project investigates potential pathways of ers working with the Center study ways to model and predict the impact of BFRs to the environment from products during use human activity on ecosystems, monitor environmental quality, and manage or after disposal, as well as the perspectives of differ- natural resources, with the goal of developing technologies that will create John Bickham ent stakeholder groups involved in the manufacture, a cleaner environment. The Center also serves as a focal point for creating use, and regulation of BFRs and products that contain collaborative partnerships between university researchers, community groups and governmental them. The results of this study will contribute to the agencies to investigate equitable solutions to land-use and environmental issues. development of educational programs in sustainable Within the past 100 years, we have witnessed the degradation of our environment due in engineering and policy, aid regulators with pressing large part to human behavior – from the depletion of natural resources to the alteration of the policy decisions, strengthen ties between academia, government, industry and non-governmental orga- global climate. Some of the challenges we are confronting include: an unprecedented rate nizations, and result in a more robust framework for of extinction of living species; the disappearance of entire ecosystems and communities of investigation of other environmental policy and deci- organisms; the loss of renewable natural resources; and increasing global temperatures that sion making problems. could trigger devastating climatic shifts around the world. As a result of these challenges, we Marisol Sepúlveda, forestry and natural resources face new problems like the emergence of new diseases passed from animals to man, the loss and civil engineering, is an ecotoxi- of agricultural and fi sheries resources necessary to feed our ever-growing population, and the cologist. With funding from the In- loss of the pristine streams, forests, deserts, plains and montane habitats and the wildlife that diana Department of Environmental defi ned and shaped the character of this country from its inception to the present. Management and the EPA, she stud- Solving these problems may seem to be an insurmountable task, but their solutions are not ies how industrial pollutants, such as beyond our reach and require an interdisciplinary approach. Purdue University’s Discovery Park mercury and PCBs, affect Indiana’s represents a new model for the promotion of interdisciplinary research and development. The wildlife. Research results shed light Center for the Environment possesses one of the country’s largest and most talented concen- on how this exposure affects devel- oping embryos in heron populations trations of environmental scientists and engineers, comprised of 132 faculty participants from statewide. The results will help the 30 departments and nine colleges across three campuses. This faculty is helping to meet en- state plan future remediation efforts in the Grand vironmental challenges across the globe by documenting the biodiversity of Central America’s Calumet River basin in northern Indiana and other rain forests; assessing the effects of a 2,000-ton mercury spill on the shore of the Caspian Sea; sites across the state. For more information on this measuring air emissions from swine, poultry, and dairy operations across the United States; study, visit, http://axe.agriculture.purdue.edu/agricul- developing innovative technologies for cleaner soil, air, and water, and the benefi cial use of tures/past/fall2005/spotlight5.htm. wastes; helping create a strategic plan for riverfront development in Lafayette-West Lafayette, Several studies concerning the environmental fate Indiana; and by leading scores of other research projects and educating the next generation of nano-sized materials are being carried out at Pur- of scientists, engineers, teachers and responsible citizens. due. Ron Turco, agronomy, along with colleagues from Since coming to Purdue after a 30-year career on the faculty at Texas A&M University, it food science, earth and atmospheric sciences and 4- was inspiring to me to observe the remarkably optimistic view and entrepreneurial attitude the H, received funding for one of the fi rst major studies people of Indiana have toward environmental issues. In Indiana people seem to say “We can investigating the environmental fate of carbon-based manufactured nanoparticles. The testing of these do things differently, better, and clean up the environment at the same time.” This optimism manufactured nanomaterials looked for toxicity to soil is apparent in the faculty at Purdue, the government, and the people of the state. I believe microbial communities — which often are fi rst indica- that the future will bring solutions to our problems and that this university will lead the way to tors of damage to the ecosystem. Early results from many of them. this study indicate that while the introduction of car- bon-based nanomaterials into a variety of controlled John Bickham soil communities showed little impact on soil microbial Director of Purdue’s Discovery Park activities, long-term observations are still needed. Center for the Environment 3 Human Health and Disease Researchers from the departments of forestry and methods, they answer two important questions natural resources and veterinary pathobiology at (i) which BMP should be selected, and (ii) where Purdue as well as from Ohio State University and should it be placed in a watershed, so that the best Wheaton College are working together to develop possible results are obtained for meeting water a cost-effective treatment regime for controlling quality standards while minimizing costs. the prevalence of raccoon roundworm in rural and urban environments, thereby improving quality of Gene-environment Interactions life for the general populace by decreasing human The environment influences our health and health risks associated with exposure to this para- Soils in a metal contaminated wetland being sam- well-being, and yet, we know that not everyone site. The ultimate goal of the project, led by Gene pled by Darrell Schulze, agronomy. responds to the environment in the same way. Rhodes in forestry and natural resources, is to es- thanum, cerium, and manganese to soils with high Individual responses are due to differences in our tablish a strategy for the distribution of medicated concentrations of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and genes. Researchers are exploring the basis for an baits that when eaten will deworm wild raccoons chromium. They were quite successful in “fixing” individual’s response to a variety of factors in our and minimize the probability of human infection all the metals with the exception of arsenic, which environment, such as chemicals and microbiologi- by this potentially lethal parasite. This project is continues to remain elusive. cal agents in our soil, water, and in the foods we built upon a foundation of previous research by In another study, phytoremediation is used to eat. For instance Debbie Knapp and Larry Glick- members of the research team and has revealed decontaminate cyanide from soil. Cyanide-bear- man, veteri- a wealth of critical information about the ecology ing chemicals can be introduced into soils through nary medicine, of both the parasite and its raccoon host in the the processing of ores, gasification of coal, and study why Scot- agricultural landscapes of northern Indiana. The deicing road salts. Free cyanide is known to be tish Terriers successful development of highly toxic, and suspicions are rising about other are more likely treatment strategies for rac- industrial chemicals containing cyanide. A Purdue than other dog coon roundworm will lead to research team led by Paul Schwab and Gebisa breeds to get improved quality of life for Ejeta from agronomy and Kathy Banks of civil en- bladder can- individuals living in areas gineering has been examining the use of plants cer when they where raccoon roundworm to remove the cyanide from soils and render it are exposed to exposure is a threat and harmless. The plants being studied include cya- common lawn will also provide economic nogenic species – those that accumulate cyanide chemicals and James Beasley development opportuni- during their growth cycle but later degrade them. why hyper- ties through the creation of a service industry for These plants have shown promise for remediating Drs. Debbie Knapp, Andy Abbo, thyroidism in delivering parasite treatments in both rural and cyanide-contaminated soils by removing the con- second year resident, and Albert. older cats is so urban environments. taminant from the soil and accumulating it in the common and has been associated with cats eating plant tissue. The cyanides are decomposed by the foods packaged in cans containing certain chemi- Soil Remediation plant’s unique enzyme system, thus eliminating cals in their lining. By understanding the molecular Contamination of soils with heavy metals is fairly concerns about spreading the contaminant after basis of this process, they hope to improve the common in areas of heavy industry, mining, refin- consumption by grazing animals. The researchers health of companion animals and to translate this ing, and manufacturing. When metal concentra- are looking forward to testing these plant-based information to benefit humans. David Salt, horti- tions exceed regulated limits, the typical approach remediation approaches in the field. culture, studies the genetic basis for how plants is to remove the contaminated soil and bury it in accumulate both essential and toxic mineral ele- a landfill designed for hazardous materials. A Watershed Models Used for ments. This work will identify improved varieties of Purdue research team is pursuing an alterna- Hydrological Processes food plants that could avoid toxic elements while tive to landfilling in which the metals are treated accumulating beneficial mineral nutrients. with benign amendments that fix the metals in Management of sediments and associated con- Gene-environment interaction research at Pur- place and greatly reduce the opportunity for fur- taminant losses over watersheds is an important due examines the genetic variation inherent in all ther spread of the contamination. Paul Schwab, problem for hydrologists and environmental en- living organisms in order to identify traits that can Cliff Johnston, and Darrell Schulze of agronomy gineers. Purdue engineers Mazdak Arabi, Bernie be used to make plants useful for bioremediation and Kathy Banks of civil engineering have been Engel and Rao Govindaraju are very interested or to fuel the development of novel foods and funded by the Department of Defense to study in establishing the benefits of best manage- therapeutic agents that could lead to improved soils highly contaminated with metals. They have ment practices (BMPs) in watersheds. By using human and companion animal health. tested the additions of phosphate fertilizers, lan- state-of-the-art modeling tools and optimization

4 Predicting and Preparing for Climate Change

Climate Modeling There is a global effort to quantify the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide in the northern hemi- The Purdue Climate Change Research Center “Th e Earth’s climate is sphere, including the mysterious removal of a (PCCRC) brings together researchers from all changing, and the results are large amount of carbon dioxide from the Earth’s academic units to develop an integrated under- having an enormous impact atmosphere known as the “missing sink”. PCCRC standing of the global and regional impacts of on the biology of our planet ...” scientists are approaching this problem from a climate variability and change. Mapping the car- Paul Shepson, director of the Purdue Climate variety of ways and at scales that span from the bon footprint of fossil fuel emissions in the U.S., Change Research Center molecular to the global. In a collaborative effort simulating sub-daily extreme rainfall events in between aviation technology, chemistry, and earth future climates, and reconstructing past climates and atmospheric sciences, Paul Shepson has to better understand future modern global warm- developed a light aircraft platform that is used to ing are a few of the many research investigations measure the impact that nitrogen compound de- being carried out in the center. position from the atmosphere has on the uptake Matt Huber, earth and atmospheric sci- of carbon dioxide in forests. Through fl ight cam- ences, and doctoral student Ryan Sriver de- paigns planned across North America, from the veloped climate change models based on new Midwest to the Alaskan Boreal Forest, Shepson’s calculations from data collected over the last measurements will provide data that investigators 40 years. Their model confi rms reports by two like Qianlai Zhuang and Kevin Gurney, agronomy other leading research institutions (MIT and and earth and atmospheric sciences, incorporate the Georgia Institute of Technology) conclud- into global and regional scale models to better ing that rising sea-surface temperatures are understand the carbon exchanges between ter- linked to a trend of more globally intense tropi- restrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. cal cyclone activities. Huber’s research fi ndings provide a tool for offi cials and scientists seeking insights into the potential damage that could be caused by storms. (http://news.uns.purdue.edu/ html4ever/2006/060530.Huber.cyclones.html) Urbanization is altering the global landscape at an unprecedented rate. Utilizing both simu- lated and observed streamfl ows from several large urbanized watersheds and their sub-basins within the Upper Great Lakes region, the work by Laura Bowling, agronomy, explores how chang- ing spatial extents of urban and forested areas A large-scale, NSF-funded Biocomplexity in affect episodic, hydrometeorological events both the Environment research project aimed at under- for current and projected land use.The central standing how societies in East Africa cope with objective of this project is to study the interac- The above graphics illustrate some of the changes in climate climate change is in progress by Bryan Pijanowski tions between land cover change, weather, and predicted for the 21st century by Purdue University’s Noah and his students in forestry and natural resources surface hydrometeorology, with a specifi c focus Diffenbaugh and his team of scientists using a computer (pictured above). Research is being conducted on the impacts of urbanization within the Upper simulation. The colored bar for the top graphic indicates the that combines complex computer simulations number of days per year where temperatures are projected Great Lakes region. coupled to role playing games — an approach that In another study funded by the National Sci- to rise above the current daily maximum temperatures for a given area. The simulation indicates that the entire continen- assigns individuals roles where they act out their ence Foundation, Noah Diffenbaugh, earth and tal United States will experience more intense heat waves, decisions under certain circumstances — across atmospheric sciences, quadrupled the amount most dramatically in the desert Southwest. The figure below agricultural intensive areas of Kenya, Uganda and of spatial data collected to create climate mod- indicates that several areas, notably the Gulf Coast, will experi- Tanzania. The work is one of the fi rst that will in- ence more storms that bring heavy precipitation. The colored els of unprecedented detail. The climate model tegrate how society responds to both climate and forecast confi rms an accumulating body of sci- bar indicates the contribution of the heaviest precipitation to the total precipitation, as a fraction. Regions that are white are land use changes at a regional scale. Early work entifi c evidence that suggests that changes in not expected to change. (Purdue graphic/Diffenbaugh Lab) suggests that cropping livelihoods are less resil- our climate will be signifi cant enough to disrupt ient to climate changes than traditional pastoral- our national economy and infrastructure. The matic change in the U.S.” by Stanford professor, ist ways of life and that highly diverse agricultural climate change model generated at Purdue has Stephen Schneider. (http://news.uns.purdue.edu/ strategies lead to less vulnerable livelihoods given been cited as the “most detailed simulation of cli- html4ever/2005/051017.Diffenbaugh.model.html) uncertain climate changes.

5 Learning Effective discovery and learning in the envi- Inez Hua, civil engineering, serves as founding ronmental area requires collaboration among interim head of the new Division of Environmental biological, chemical, computational, physical, and Ecological Engineering. The division will help health, and social scientists, mathematicians, foster research, offer seminars and give students Understanding the and engineers. Courses at the undergraduate a greater overall understanding of how engineer- and graduate level are opening new avenues for ing can improve the environment. dynamic, complex processes learning and discovery by examining the inter- A newly developed freshman Pre-Environ- that link human activity faces between these disciplines. mental Studies Program has recently been es- At the graduate level, the Ecological Sciences tablished and will be administered through the and ecological systems is and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Pro- College of Agriculture. The Pre-Environmental essential to improving gram provides students with an interdisciplinary/ Studies program is intended to serve as a single interdepartmental educational experience that portal for students entering Purdue with an inter- the way we manage our integrates the science and engineering concepts est in environmental studies who are uncertain as natural resources and needed to understand environmental and ecologi- to the particular area or specifi c program of study cal phenomena. in which they want to enroll. We believe this is the develop solutions. Interest in the environmental and ecological fi rst of its kind in the country. This program will field is increasing, and it is projected that there allow students during their fi rst year at Purdue will be a 27 percent increase in the number of en- to take courses and explore more than a dozen vironmental engineering positions in the current majors related to the environment that Purdue decade. Purdue’s College of Engineering has cre- offers. Students will be advised by a team of fac- ated a new academic division in the environmen- ulty representing programs from the colleges of tal and ecological fi eld in response to that need. agriculture, science, and engineering. Sustainable Purdue A course offered by PCCRC members, Leigh Raymond, political science, and Kevin Gurney, agronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences, incorporates the activities of discovery and learning into a gradu- ate level course in public policy. The course is called Carbon Neutrality at Purdue, and the objective is to determine the magnitude of Purdue University’s carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of human activities on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide units. The final project is a carbon management plan for the campus aimed towards achieving “carbon neutrality” at Purdue.

Revitalizing “Our Town” An environmental outreach program from Purdue promotes turning hazardous sites into economic opportunities.“Our Town” is an EPA-sponsored program with the goal of educating K-12 students about brownfi elds in their community and what can be done about them. Brownfi elds are sites that are not being redeveloped or reused because of real or perceived contamination. The Our Town Program cre- ated a curriculum for use in schools, which is broken down into fi ve modules spanning late elementary through high school aged students. “Ours is the fi rst of its kind in terms of actually implementing brownfi eld redevelopment into a K-12 education program,” says Dan Somerville, Purdue’s Our Town program manager, but he and Kathy Banks, Our Town program director, hope to see schools working to reclaim brownfi elds on a nationwide basis. “The basic initiative behind the whole idea was to help communities develop economic zones in areas that were unproductive,” says Banks. “It’s an interesting aspect because you think of brownfi eld development from an environmental perspective, but to be honest it is really an effort at economic development.” https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Research/Focus/RevitalizingOurTown/

6 In addition to a university-wide dialog on the environment, experts at Purdue reach out to local and regional communities, businesses and industry, and government agencies.

Engagement Helping Communities and Businesses An essential component of the discovery and  Utilizing Upper Wabash Basin predic- Improve Environmental Performance learning activities at Purdue includes sharing the tive model of land use change on The Indiana Clean Manufacturing Technology & knowledge gained from research and creating natural resources to assist in making Safe Materials Institute (CMTI) at Purdue, directed educational opportunities for larger communities. local planning decisions; by Lynn Corson, began operations in 1994 with the Purdue’s Office of Engagement plays a critical  Development and evaluation of purpose of serving as the state’s focal point for co- role in this mission. Vic Lechtenberg, provost for ecosystem indicators for urbanizing ordinating and deploying technical assistance, out- engagement at Purdue, and Sam Cordes, both Midwestern watersheds; reach, education, planning services and research co-directors of the Purdue Center for Regional to facilitate the adoption of pollution prevention/  Research examining seven watersheds Development (PCRD), invited Bob McCormick clean manufacturing strategies by Indiana manu- in central Indiana that are in transition from forestry and natural resources to speak at facturing facilities. CMTI has provided technical from rural to urban. a workshop for regional development community assistance to thousands of Indiana manufactur- The Purdue Extension Land Use Team leaders that examined innovative ideas for eco- ers in all manufacturing sectors and offers special and the Indiana Conservation Partnership nomic development and governance. McCormick expertise in plastics (including fiber reinforced also are partners in Planning with POWER. introduced a new program, Planning with POW- plastic), wood products, metal finishing, metal and Seed funding for the program originated ER (Protecting Our Water and Environmental plastic coatings, foundries and motor vehicle parts from Purdue’s Discovery Park Center for Resources), at a state-wide educational program manufacturing. CMTI has helped manufacturers the Environment. linking land use planning with wa- reduce the generation of environmental waste tershed and natural resources by over 7,400 tons while reducing costs for these planning at the local level. same companies by an estimated $14 million. Communities can choose how much involvement and help they require to address their interests Working with the Community — a and needs. Purdue investigators provide Center for the Environment project the following expertise to assist Researchers from landscape architecture, soil local decision makers with envi- microbiology, forestry and natural resources, en- ronmental assessments: gineering, and chemistry are working together  Long-Term Hydrologic Impact with community leaders and the public to create Assessment (L-THIA) — a a strategic plan for establishing the Wabash as a tool that provides estimates healthy major river that could provide quality rec- of changes in surface runoff, recharge and reation and economic value to the state. The project, led by Kim Wilson in landscape nonpoint source pollution resulting from past architecture and Ron Turco in agronomy, is called Living Laboratories on the Wabash. or proposed land use changes; It is focused on river corridor planning and restoration design that connects natural processes and cultural needs, ultimately leading to informed choices about land use  Photos by Jonah Duckles Residential on-site wastewater alternatives; and management practices. The living  Urban forestry and on-site tree conservation laboratory will be used by researchers management; implementing new technologies for  Stormwater, natural resource planning, and monitoring and detecting water quality. green infrastructure; In addition, community-based research will share information about restoration  Engaging Citizens as Stewards of initiatives and applications, and a learn- Ecosystems (ECASE); ing environment will provide a variety of instructional settings on the river where students of all ages can learn about the Wabash River Corridor.

Quality of life issues directly impact economic performance. Discovery to Commercialization UV Water Disinfection System InMass Technologies, Inc. Purdue’s Offi ce of Technology Three investigators from across campus created Because wetlands cannot be drained or developed, the right combination for developing a cost-effec- there is much interest in defining whether a specific Commercialization assists tive UV water disinfection system that can elimi- tract of land qualifies as a wetland. A device was in- scientists with the process nate microorganisms that threaten drinking water vented by Purdue agronomists, Donald Franzmeier supplies. Ernest “Chip” Blatchley III (seated), civil and Byron Jenkinson, that indicates if tested ground of moving new technologies engineering; Don- meets the criteria of a wetland soil. The instrument, developed at Purdue into the ald Bergstrom called the Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) is be- public sector. Listed here are (center), medici- ing marketed by InMass Technologies, Inc., a start-up nal chemistry and company located in the Purdue Research Park. some examples of technologies molecular phar- that have the potential to macology; and Agri Processing Services, LLC improve water quality. J. Paul Robinson Purdue researcher, Bud Harmon, animal sciences, (right), biomedi- and Timothy Ortman, Agri Processing Services LLC, cal engineering won second place in the Opportunity for Indiana and immuno- Business Plan Competition hosted by Purdue in pharmacology, and director of Purdue’s cytom- 2005 for their plan to develop Agri Processing LLC. etry laboratory formed a research collaboration The plan was based on Harmon’s patented cost- to develop a method to measure the distribution effective process that allows food processing plants of UV doses. The ability of a UV system to disin- to recover fats, proteins, phosphorus and/or carbo- fect drinking water depends on the “dose” of UV hydrates from their wastewater stream. Advantages delivered to the microorganisms in the water. include cleaner wastewater, reduced tipping fees Patents are in the works, and there is widespread at landfills, and a valuable by-product that can be interest in the process from water utilities across sold as an animal feed supplement. Agri Processing the country. Services, LLC, is located in Carmel, Indiana.

A Look Underground A New Class of Detector For Joe Sinfield, an assistant professor in civil engineer- A technique developed at Purdue, called desorption ing, the chance to quickly identify compounds underground electrospray ionization (DESI) eliminates the pre- is the driving force behind his desire to miniaturize laboratory equipment that can be taken treatment steps to prepare samples for mass spec- straight to the fields. Shown above in the lab with Oliver Colic, a graduate student in electrical trometer analysis enabling accurate identification and computer engineering, Sinfield is very much a cross-disciplinarian pursuing the develop- of pathogens in a matter of seconds. The combina- ment of a real-time, mobile in situ sensing system capable of monitoring levels of compounds tion of the DESI pretreatment method with portable such as nitrogen and phosphorous in farmland effluent, animal wastes, and cultivated soils mass spectrometers, which are under development using optical spectroscopic techniques. at Purdue, promises a new class of compact detec- “Traditionally,” he says, “to do this type of assessment, we’d collect fi eld samples at a lim- tors. Such a detector could quickly analyze foods, ited number of dispersed locations and perform in-laboratory analysis using a range of wet medical cultures and the air in hospitals, subway chemistry and bench-top spectroscopic techniques. That approach, however, is expensive, stations and airports, says Graham Cooks, chem- time-consuming, and limited in value due to the inherent spatial variability of the quantities istry, and leading developer of the shoebox-sized under investigation and the limited amount of information gathered from the few samples that mass spectrometer. can be cost-effectively analyzed.” Much of the research funding was provided by This work, utilizing recent advances in diode laser technology and fi ber optics, promises real-time ca- NSF, the Offi ce of Naval Research and by Proso- pabilities on site, provides greater spatial resolution and convenience at as little as one-tenth the cost. lia through the Indiana 21st Century Research and — by Lisa Hunt Tally Technology Fund. https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/Feature/LookUnderground/

8 2005-06 Research Data Each year, researchers at Purdue compete for funding from a variety of state Offi ce of Technology and federal agencies, foundations and industry. Proposals are developed by individuals and increasingly through collaborative partnerships with faculty Commercialization at both Purdue and with other institutions. Creative minds working alone or in teams have resulted in years of consistent growth in sponsored program Summary funding. Purdue’s commitment to research and discovery is reflected in the The 2005-06 fiscal year has been highly suc- following research expenditures for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. cessful for the Purdue Research Foundation Systemwide Research Expenditures in the arena of technology commercialization. The Office of Technology Commercialization $425M 2005-06 (OTC) continues to establish itself as a strong $420,425,530 $400M and committed partner to Purdue’s efforts to ^ 3% become a preeminent technology transfer or- $375M 2004-05 ganization and an important driver of economic $350M $407,837,600 development and value for the state of Indiana. ^ .5% $325M  Start-ups in FY 2005-2006: 5  $300M 2003-04 Licensing revenue: $3.2 million $405,974,686  $275M Number of licenses: 85 ^ 17%  $250M Provisional patent applications fi led: 134 2002-03  Regular patent applications fi led: 78 $225M $347,083,312  Patents issued: 33 $200M ^ 8.2 % 100 $5.0M $175M 2001-02 90 $4.5M $150M $320,760,700 ^ 12 % 80 $4.0M $125M 70 $3.5M $100M 60 $3.0M $75M 50 $2.5M $50M 40 $2.0M $25M 30 $1.5M

2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 20 $1.0M Fiscal Year 10 $.50M

Sources of Research Funding by Sponsor 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 85 Licenses & Options in FY 2005-06 State & Industrials 21% Local Govt. 8% 5 Start-ups in FY 2005-06 Foreign Govt. 1% Other Licensing Income: $3.2 million in FY 2005-06 Federal 3% PRF/Purdue 4% Ed 3% USDA 5% DOT 1% EPA 1% NSF 18% DOE 5%

DOD 8% NASA 4% DHHS 19%

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This report is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of environment-related research activities at Purdue University. Purdue University News Service, Agriculture Communications, and the Engineering Communications Offi ce contributed to this report. Please visit the urls listed below for more information on research activities at Purdue. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/ http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agricultures/ https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/ http://www.purdue.edu/dp

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