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Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship

102 Roudebush Hall • Phone: 513-529-3600• Fax: 513-529-3762

Miami University Interdisciplinary Technology Development Challenge (MUITDC) 07-08

Congratulations to our Tied Winning Teams

Next year's challenge Recovered Energy Systems

Team picture Team picture

Bio-hydrogen Production in a Photobioreactor

Advisor(s): Susan R. Barnum, Botany
Linda S. Hartmann, Botany
Team Members:
Daniel R. Krzmarzick, Finance
Emma R. Witte, Engineering Management
Seth W. Buckwalter, Mechanical Engineering
Kathryn L. Kadlec, Zoology
Joseph E. Stevenot, History
Sara J. Katz, Architecture
Dirk E. Long, Mech. Engr & Engineering Physics
Michael Schwieterman, Zoology and Botany

Synthesis of Ethanol from Switch Grass

Advisor(s): Marvin E. Thrash, Paper & Chemical Engineering
Annette Bollmann, Microbiology
Team Members:
Chelsie D. Goyings, Microbiology
Nicholas Anderson, Mass Communication
Sheryl Kavetza, Chemical Engineering
Lauren R. Kepple, Microbiology
Maroui S. Lalvani, English Literature
Kari B. Noble, Chemical Engineering
Alison R. Simerlein, Microbiology

MUITDC 2007-2008 Guidelines

Objectives
This contest fosters interdisciplinary development research by providing an opportunity for teams of undergraduate students to develop and demonstrate a technology at the laboratory scale, to provide fiscal projections that indicate a financial viability, and to identify policy issues that incorporate esthetic and societal concerns.

Academic Year 07-08 Topic
Given the Ohio Governor's interest in energy and particular alternative energy, the topic for academic year 07-08 is “Biomass: Promising Energy and Chemical Raw Material Supply Industry.”

Background
Biomass is proposed as a means to create an improved, sustainable economy.  There are significant challenges to bring about workable solutions.  This year's topic addresses these significant challenges facing an economically viable microorganism-based industry that may create future wealth and deliver on the biomass promise.
  
Our current understanding of microorganisms and chemical conversion technology suggests feasibility of an economical microorganism biomass production and conversion process.  Although we can envision a new microorganism industry, we do not have a significant number of promising prototypes.

IT Development Challenge organizers believe the solution to the biomass challenge of energy efficient production and chemical conversion requires a new synergistic approach combining knowledge and techniques from biology, chemistry, economics, and marketing.

Why we expect solutions to the challenges: 

  1. Microorganisms create biomass between 100 –- 100,000 times faster than plant mass.
  2. Biological chemical conversions occur at low temperature by using catalysts.
  3. Natural systems only use about 1% of the available light due to reflection and limited spectra width.
  4. Carbon dioxide utilization is advantageous for microorganism growth and mitigating its contribution to global warming.
  5. Energy utilization by the chemical industry has become a major cost concern.
  6. Chemical industry desires to reduce its dependence on oil-derived raw material feedstock.
  7. Algae lipids and proteins can be converted to higher value chemicals in addition to their use in making biodiesel.
  8. Little work has been done to evaluate microorganisms as a biomass source for chemicals.

Based on our current understanding of the biomass challenge, it will take an interdisciplinary solution to deliver on the potential.  In other words, a breakthrough in one discipline is unlikely to result in a viable, self-sustaining biomass industry.  Consequently, one goal of this contest is to provide the incentive to build the foundation for a new wealth-creating biomass industry.

Guidelines
A contest team must:

  1. Have at least five and no more than eight student members, and
  2. Include at least one student that majors in each of these fields: engineering, science, business, design, and a department that studies societal acceptance/concerns of new technology, and
  3. Have at least one faculty mentor who will be responsible for oversight of the project.  Individual departments or programs may wish to consider providing independent study credit for this project. 

SUBMISSION PROCESS - PHASE I FALL SEMESTER

September 30, 2007 by 5:00 p.m.- Entry Deadline
Submit the MUITDC Entry Form that identifies the team members and faculty mentor(s) as an e-mail attachment to Martha Weber (weberme@muohio.edu in the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS).  Additional resource individuals and guidelines for the November presentation will be provided to each team after entry.
Week of November 12, 2007 - Technical Presentation
Each team will create and present to a judging panel a project overview, including:

  1. An explanation of the technology.
  2. A timetable for building the lab prototype.
  3. A business analysis process.
  4. A method for identifying societal concerns.
  5. A plan for designing the system in an environmentally and esthetically acceptable way.

The judging panel will select teams to move on to the Phase II of the contest to be conducted during Spring Semester’

PRODUCTION PROCESS - PHASE II
SPRING SEMESTER

April 16, 2008 - Prototype Production Deadline 
Each selected team will build a working laboratory scale prototype during the spring semester. Teams will demonstrate the prototype to the judging panel at the Undergraduate Research Forum.   Teams must also submit to OARS a business plan and a technical plan of the prototype by 5:00 p.m. on April 9, 2008. The business plan should include the societal issues along with the normal data in a business plan.  The technical plan should have all the technical specification and production data along with scale-up costs and issues.  The design and environmental issues should be part of the technical plan.

Resources and Project Budget
In early spring semeser, the selected teams can adjust the team rosters and add other faculty expertise.  Any adjustments should be reported to OARS.  Each team's faculty mentor will receive a $3,000 grant to support the cost of the prototyping project.  At this time any research compliance issues will have to be addressed by the students and faculty mentor.

Invention Disclosure/Intellectual Property
All invention disclosures must be made during the process. Given the inclusion of faculty mentors and other faculty consultants, the intellectual property developed by these projects will be owned by Miami University.  Consistent with the Miami University Policy, all participants would share in any revenues generated.

Awards
All team members will receive a participation certificate.  The top three teams will receive the following cash awards:  $1,000 for third, $2,500 for second, and $5,000 for first place.  Faculty mentors will receive recognition and their home departments will receive a plaque indicating their success.

 

Contact the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship at 529-3600
 or
visit the OARS website for further details
 http://www.muohio.edu/oars/