Sustainability through Science

Project Overview

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

An interdisciplinary team of chemists, materials engineers, chemical engineers, biological engineers and agricultural engineers will, through research, address the challenges of lignin chemistry for sustainability using a bi-directional approach that relies on the complementary skills and research infrastructure of the institutions. In this approach, lignin mimetic oligomers (assembled from lignin monomers, or "beads") serve as a link between lignin monomers and natural lignin for the design of lignin deconstruction to desired value-added products and functional materials interfaces. Research capacity will be increased through a coordinated research structure that strengthens existing expertise and develops new research partnerships and opportunities, the mentoring of early career faculty, and the broader engagement of the institutions in the synergistic research themes of this proposal. The impact of the research will be maximized through education, outreach, and workforce development that link agriculture, science, and sustainability. The outreach education component on this project is to develop and conduct outreach activities and curricula to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education via the science of plant building blocks and sustainability in the context of Food, Water, and Energy Systems into secondary agricultural education classes, 4-H programs and other educational avenues.

Research Objectives

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

The outreach education component of the EPSCoR Track 2 RII project is to develop and conduct outreach activities and curricula to integrate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education via the science of plant building blocks and sustainability in the context of Food, Water, and Energy Systems into secondary agricultural education classes and 4-H programs. Our goal is to promote interest in STEM by providing agricultural education teachers and 4-H and youth development county agents with tools to engage and train the future STEM workforce and to promote a broader awareness of the interface between agriculture, science and engineering. It is essential to fuel the STEM pipeline in both Kentucky and Louisiana. Furthermore, we are providing research training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at both the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University and LSUAg Center. For more information, contact Tanya Dvorak, Ph.D., STEM Outreach Education Coordinator, at tcdv222@uky.edu.

Resources for all Educators

STEM Resources for Educators

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

Learn about STEM educational opportunities for youth by checking out theKentucky Girls STEM Collaborative(KGSC) website by checking out the seasonal event guides with programming for youth and teachers in Kentucky. Also see the Resources section and feel free to sign up for theKGSCmailing list to receive updates to your email address.

Energy and Sustainability Resources

• Check outK20alt Authentic Learning & TeachingCurriculumfor these lessons:
  • Energy Water Bucket Brigadeis a lab to help students discover how energy is transferred to ecosystems.
  • Planting Fuel: Photosynthesisis a lesson where students analyze the process of energy transfer between sunlight and plants as they explore the photosynthesis process. Also check out other Agriculture, Mathematics and Sciencelessons related to food, water, and energy.
• Check out the U. S. Department of EnergyNational Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) STEM Educationfor multiple educational resources for elementary through high school teachers, as well as for students and parents. STEM instructional activity resources, professional development/training, contests and competitions, and extracurricular STEM opportunities are listed. Internship opportunities are also available on this website.
• The U. S Department of EnergyGirls of Energywebsite contains lessons, activities and videos within various realms of energy.
• A short 4 minute video titledWhat is Sustainability?is made available by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Education, PBS Learning Media.

Biotechnology Resources

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

STEM and Other Careers Explored

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

• Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. David Hayes (https://youtu.be/DSzGZh_rGIg)
• Consultant, Former State Representative, and Farmer, Jonathan Shell (https://youtu.be/Q7JgtRBb8FY)
• Nurse Practitioner, Tonya Hatfield (https://youtu.be/vrj31ImG_WA)
• Lexington Police Detective, Steve Cobb (https://youtu.be/5ReO5lgkNr8)
• Occupational Therapist, Emily Dowd (https://youtu.be/Vv9Ar-UeSUA)
• Minister, Mike Denney (https://youtu.be/a0YerCEI6eg)
• Herpetologist, Kristen Wiley (https://youtu.be/Fb2ywmod88k)
• Botanist, Tara Littlefield (https://youtu.be/9nAz-_ZQDco)
• Board Certified Psychiatrist, Dr. Hettinger (https://youtu.be/nhHRaWHIjEk)
• Survival Instructor, Craig Caudill (https://youtu.be/xZjXMXXjgp4)
• Biological Consultant, Mark Gumbert (https://youtu.be/754WSaFM94c)
• Professional Photographer, Sabrina Hounshell (https://youtu.be/FN6iSXB8Gv0)
• Assistant Director for 4-H Youth Development, Dr. Mark Mains (https://youtu.be/oA4yA0Cllh0)