INSPIRE Track 2: Discovery and Development of Optimized Photonic Systems for High Volume, Low Surface Area Solar Energy Harvesting: Learning from Giant Clams

INSPIRE 轨道 2：发现和开发用于大容量、低表面积太阳能收集的优化光子系统：向巨蛤学习

• 批准号: 1343159
• 负责人: Shu Yang
• 金额: $ 299.93万
• 依托单位: University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1343159&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: INSPIRE; Track; Discovery; Development; Optimized

This INSPIRE award brings together research areas traditionally supported in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems in the Directorate for Biology, in the Materials Research Division in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems in the Directorate for Engineering. Giant clams evolved an elegant system for efficiently harvesting solar energy in areas of extremely high light intensity using algae adapted for much lower light intensities. They do this by arranging algae within their tissues into vertical pillars parallel to incoming sunlight. The surface of the tissue is covered by cells called iridocytes; these function to redistribute light incident on the horizontal surface of the clam tissue evenly over the much larger vertical surfaces of the algal micropillars. The project will explore the wealth of biophysical complexity in the system to understand exactly how the clam optimizes solar energy capture. PI Sweeney will characterize the clams' evolved structural responses to changing light environment over the lifetime of a clam and over evolutionary time as observed in differences between closely related clam species. Co-PI Yang will make new materials inspired by the clam by synthesizing top-down and bottom-up design and fabrication techniques to rival biology in hierarchical structural control. The clam's design will be especially useful for utilizing inexpensive polymer photovoltaics efficiently and with low photodamage in novel devices, and for improved photobioreactor technology. The project includes internships for college students from Palau and Philadelphia to provide pre-college students with cultural knowledge of scientific career paths and concrete lab experiences.The PIs seek to turn new insights from this biophotonic symbiosis into transformative, high volume, low surface area, defect tolerant photovoltaic devices, and algal fuel culture systems. Giant clams in the genus Tridacna support microalgal symbionts with a remarkable photonic arrangement that addresses such design challenges as how to concentrate sunlight into smaller footprint devices while tolerating device imperfections and avoiding overheating and photodamage. The project integrates biological fieldwork, physical/optical modeling, and the development of at least two novel materials/devices. Evolved responses of the clam to shifts in light environment will be explored; this work will generate a matching function between light environment and iridocyte/algal pillar design that will directly inform device design. New materials will be made by synthesizing top-down and bottom-up design and fabrication techniques to rival biology in hierarchical structural control. The project will produce synthetic iridocytes which can be engineered to enhance radiance reaching any arbitrary solar energy absorber, and copy the clam's micropillar + iridocyte arrangement for a paradigm-shifting, micron-scaled photobioreactor for biofuel production. Fieldwork in Palau will allow the investigators to probe the evolution of the clam system in variable light environments.

该启发奖将传统上支持的研究领域汇集在生物学局，数学和物理科学局的材料研究部以及工程局的电气，通信和网络系统的部门。巨型蛤the晶蛤groud鼠使用适合于低光强度的藻类在极高的光强度的区域中有效收集太阳能的优雅系统。他们通过将藻类在组织中排列到平行于传入的阳光的垂直支柱中来做到这一点。组织的表面被称为虹膜细胞的细胞覆盖。这些功能可重新分布光入射在蛤组织的水平表面上，均匀地在藻类微柱的垂直表面上均匀。该项目将探索系统中生物物理复杂性的财富，以准确了解蛤lam如何优化太阳能捕获。 Pi Sweeney将表征蛤lam的进化结构反应对蛤lam寿命变化的变化环境以及在密切相关的蛤种类之间的差异中所观察到的。 Co-Pi Yang将通过将自上而下和自下而上的设计和制造技术合成层次结构控制中的竞争生物学，从而使新材料受到蛤lam的启发。蛤lam的设计对于有效地利用廉价的聚合物光伏和新型设备中的光损伤以及改进的光生反应器技术特别有用。该项目包括针对来自Palau和Philadelphia的大学生的实习，为预科学生提供有关科学职业道路和混凝土实验室经验的文化知识。PIS试图将这种生物生物共生的新见解转化为变革性，高体积，低面积，低表面积，耐受性光伏设备和Algal燃料燃料材料系统。 Tridacna属的巨型蛤s支持具有出色的光子布置的微藻共生体，该挑战涉及诸如如何将阳光集中到较小的足迹设备的同时，同时耐受设备的缺陷并避免过热和光损伤。该项目集成了生物野外工作，物理/光学建模以及至少两种新型材料/设备的开发。将探索蛤对光环境中变化的进化反应；这项工作将在轻度环境和虹膜/藻类支柱设计之间产生匹配功能，该功能将直接为设备设计提供信息。将通过将自上而下的设计和制造技术合成为层次结构控制中的生物学而制造新材料。该项目将产生合成的虹膜细胞，可以设计以增强到达任何任意太阳能吸收器的光芒量，并复制蛤lam的Micropillar +虹膜细胞的排列，以进行范式转移，微米量表的光生反应器以进行生产。帕劳（Palau）的实地调查将使研究人员能够在可变光环境中探测蛤系统的演变。