Recipient Organization
GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCES, INC
512 LIBERTY LN
WEST KINGSTON,RI 02892-1502
Performing Department
School of Freshwater Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Nanomaterials are being developed for use in several applications including coatings, antimicrobials, components in sunscreens, electronics, catalysts, and other products. With their growing use is the potential that these materials may cause environmental harm. However, other uses of nanomaterials include technologies for monitoring the health of the environment, environmental cleanup, and water treatment which will ultimately positively impact the environment. This 5th Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Nanotechnology will focus on advancing the understanding of how nanomaterials may interact with environmental systems and how they may be developed toward beneficial uses to help manage our water and environment. The Environmental Nanotechnology GRC is one of the most interactive conferences on this topic, and often is a platform for the generation of new ideas that go on to heavily influence the field. Participants include researchers from graduate students to professors, industry and government representatives, and international scientists which encourages stimulating discussions concerning the latest developments in the field from across the globe. The research presented and developed in relation to the Environmental Nanotechnology GRC is key to the sustainable development of this technology. The open exchange of ideas is a GRC hallmark and the collaborations and ideas that originate at this conference is fundamental in advancing the science of the biological and environmental interactions of nanoscale materials. The activities of the GRC and the affiliated Graduate Research Seminar build opportunities for early-career scientists by integrating these new scientists into a non-intimidating environment to discuss their current research and build informal networks with their peers that may lead to a lifetime of collaboration and scientific achievement.This 5th GRC on the topic will discuss the next steps in the field and focus on topics such as advances in nanomaterial design, developments towards creating the next generation of materials, as well as new, advanced applications related to the environment including nano- enabled sensing technologies, environmental cleanup, and water and wastewater treatment. The potential environmental impacts of the use of nanomaterials continues to be a theme in this meeting with special attention to the interaction at the interfaces of nanomaterials and biological components. The 2019 GRC will also include a session on modeling and the development of predictive tools that probe nanoparticle behavior, transport and transformation. In addition, the development and application of in situ characterization techniques to reliably measure nanomaterial presence, transport, and interaction in the often-complex surrounding environment, will be explored. The meeting will be held from June 2-7, 2019 in Newry, Maine (Sunday River Ski Resort). This will also be the third time we develop and promote the associated Graduate Research Seminar (GRS), which brings together graduate students, and early career scientists to engage in discussions concerning the scientific advances in research and development. Opportunities for career development and mentoring will also be available at the seminar..?
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goals of the 2019 Environmental Nanotechnology Gordon Conferenceare to highlight the needs and insight to harness the potential environmental benefits of nanoscale materials and technologies while managing potential risk of implementation - so as to avoid historical mistakes/liabilities that arose with earlier 'advanced' materials/chemical research and application (such as those involving DDT, leaded gasoline, PCBs, CRCs and numerous others). This is a critical research area and particularly relevant to the missions of USDA and particularly to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture as there are a number of engineered nanomaterials/technologies specifically developed for the agricultural food and fiber sectors, which is anticipated to grow with the newest technological advances. However, there still exists a number of important unresolved questions concerning the potential environmental and health impacts of the use and production of these materials. Of particular interest to agriculture and food nanoscience are new methodologies for in-situ measurement(s) of nanomaterials in complex matrices. Without such toolkits, quantifying exposure remains uncertain. Fundamental questions also remain with regard to how these materials move through various environmental or biological matrices over the their life cycle.In addition, cutting-edge research is underway to determine the molecular interactions of these materials with biological entities, including plants. Further, nanomaterials may also provide new solutions to pressing environmental problems - especially those associated with the food-water-energy nexus. Nanomaterials/technologies have already been developed for the remediation of contaminants in water, soil, and air, and they are now being incorporated into next-generation sensors for humidity, nutrients, water quality, and biological and chemical contamination - which are all applicable to agriculture and food science sectors. Nanoscience is also being used to develop the next generation of crop plants, which are being designed to be even more resistant to drought and pests. Historically, this Environmental Nanotechnology Gordon Research Conference has been a tremendous forum to foster cross-disciplinary and intense scientific discussions involving leaders across scientific fields. These meetings have been successful in generating ideas and new fields of research, fostering creative discussions and problem solving sessions, and providing professional development opportunities for new faculty, postdoctoral candidates, and graduate students. In this spirit, the overall objective of the 2019 Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar on Environmental Nanotechnology is to bring together and foster engagement of prominent investigators who are at the forefront of their research fields and provide unique opportunities for early career investigators, postdoctoral, and graduate students to present their work to and engage the larger community.
Project Methods
Gordon Research Conference: Conference planning is almost complete with all speakers finalized and accepted. Speakers include excellent representation of women (half of the speakers) and minorities. Selected speakers also represent both domestic and international academic, government, and industrial sectors. The program and speakers were selected by the steering committee based upon visibility, view points, skills as presenters, and area of expertise. The program is finalized with most speakers accepting invitations to speak at the event. The final agenda for the meeting including speakers and planned sessions for 2019 Environmental Nanotechnology GRC can be found athttps://www.grc.org/environmental-nanotechnology-conference/2019/The meeting will be conducted following the classic GRC format, which involves morning presentations and discussion. Afternoons consist of free time and poster sessions, which will be organized before dinner. We encourage all participants to have posters and we will give recognition to the best posters and the best young investigator poster/presentations. After dinner, and evening presentation and discussion session will be held. All meals are done on-site, as a group, providing maximum time for scientific and non-scientific collaborations, debates, and discussions. The GRC has clear policies about documentation from the workshop, which excludes publication after the meeting. The purpose for this is to present new data and pro-active insight(s).The GRC is being led by Professor Rebecca Klaper (Chair of GRC) from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Freshwater Sciences and Professor John Fortner (Vice-Chair) from Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering. The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected positions. To support the organizing effort, a steering committee was also formed. This steering committee has been highly committed to having diversity (ethnicity, gender, age, employment) among the speakers and participants. Details of the Steering Committee are provided below. Additionally, one of our top goals for the 2019 conference is to exceed the diversity of our previous GRC meetings on Environmental Nanotechnology. To help achieve our diversity goals, we will offer partial travel and registration fees awards. Our goal is to fund approximately 40 junior scholars (students, post-docs, assistant faculty) in addition to GRC and GRS discussion leaders and speakers. These resources will be used to accomplish our diversity goals. The USDA has generously provided previous support for GRC or GRS on Environmental Nanotechnology in 2017. Gordon Research Seminars offer a unique forum for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career scientists to engage in networking, scientific discussion, and professional development prior to the start of the affiliated GRC. Each seminar is held in conjunction with a related GRC and begins the weekend immediately prior to the GRC, with nearly all attendees expected to participate in the GRC that follows. GRS meetings solicit scientific presentations from students and postdocs that highlight exceptional and cutting-edge research. The discussions that take place throughout the seminars enable new collaborations to be established and encourage early-career scientists to take an active role in the conversations that shape the future of their fields. GRS attendees are able to build their professional networks in an inclusive and informal setting, which features an international community of students and postdocs with a variety of research experiences. In addition to supporting scientific development, the professional development component of GRS meetings allow early-career scientists to receive direct mentorship from senior researchers who will be attending the affiliated GRC, empowering GRS attendees to actively contribute to discussions at the GRC.The 2019 GRS on Environmental Nanotechnology will continue expanding on the efforts of the first two seminars held in this field. The 2019 theme will be "Exploring the emerging applications and implications of nanomaterials in the environment". Based on the feedback from the attendees of the previous GRS, the 2019 seminar will include an additional session of technical presentations, as well as more opportunities for small-group mentoring from individuals who come from diverse career paths. A total of 11 technical presentations will be selected from submitted abstracts, which will be organized into three sessions that will each be followed by discussions led by early-career scientists. In addition, all GRS attendees will present their research in poster format, with some highlighted at the GRC in five-minute presentations. We are expanding the focus of previous seminars to include an opening science session focused on public policy and educational outreach as it applies to nanotechnology to inspire GRS attendees to consider the larger context of their research. The second science session will feature research related to the detection of nanomaterials in complex matrices, a topic that is critical to USDA research goals that require tracking nanomaterials in soil, plants, and food products. The final science session will focus on novel environmental applications of nanotechnology, with the goal that one or more presentations in this session will be directly related to the contributions of nanomaterials to the next generation of agricultural technologies. Mentorship will be integrated into the GRS in two ways: i) senior personnel attending the GRC will be invited to lunch on the final day of the GRS to network with attendees, and ii) focus sessions will be offered featuring invited guest mentors from multiple career paths. The program for the GRS can be found athttps://www.grc.org/environmental-nanotechnology-grs-conference/2019/