CEE 200: Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Seminar

Speaker:
Affiliation:

CEE 200: Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Seminar

Biomolecular Connections in Water and Carbon Cycles in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Dr. Ludmilla Aristilde

Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University

Abstract:  Applications of molecular to nanoscale approaches are of particular interest towards understanding the long-term residence of moisture and carbons in environmental matrices. Carbohydrates, which include small compounds (sugars) and complex biopolymers (cellulose, starch, alginate), are intimately involved in the cycling of water and carbon. Biological secretions of carbohydrates are implicated in the retention of hydrated soil pores near plant roots and microbial cells despite severe dryness in the bulk soil. The processing of carbohydrates in soil microorganisms is important for carbon turnover and the subsequent efflux of greenhouse gases. My research group has employed a combination of experimental techniques and theoretical simulations to unravel the responsible mechanisms in these processes. This presentation will highlight two relevant research efforts: (1) water trapping within mineral pores populated with carbohydrates; (2) bacterial metabolism of carbohydrates to carbon dioxide. Our molecular insights advance our understanding of how to quantify and predict the critical role of carbohydrates in soil physical and biological processes, and how to exploit this understanding for environmental engineering purposes.

Biography: Dr. Ludmilla Aristilde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. She received a dual degree in B.S. and B.F.A. from Cornell University in 2003, and M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley, respectively in 2004 and 2008. Prior to starting her faculty position at Cornell in 2012, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Grenoble France and an NSF postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. The Aristilde Research Group focuses on investigating the molecular chemodynamics of biomolecules in water, on minerals, and through metabolism to address critical problems at the interface of environmental processes and environmental technology.

Tuesday, May 21, 1 PM to 2 PM, 5249 Boelter Hall

Date/Time:
Date(s) - May 21, 2019
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Location:
Boelter Hall 5249
UCLA, Boelter Hall 5249 Los Angeles CA 90095