Pollutant removal in soils, for example through bioremediation, has long been touted as a potential solution to anthropogenically induced climate change impacts by improving soil health. Yet, these efforts are not often implemented at large-scales, and when they are, pollutant run-off and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions outpace existing attempts. As atmospheric GHGs continue to rise outside of the safe operating space, it becomes crucial to search for avenues that offset them. Soils have huge potential to store carbon long-term, but when soils are polluted, it impacts their carbon storage capacity. It is clear we are in dire need of sustainable solutions that remove soil pollutants, increase soil carbon storage, and promote a healthy soil community. The physiological pathways that exist in plants, bacteria, and fungi are often interlinked, and evidence shows that certain interactions can ultimately lead to the storage of carbon in soils. Therefore, we hypothesize that the delivery of synergistic bacteria, fungi, and biochar via hydrogel beads will promote plant and soil communities’ ability to increase soil nutrients for plant uptake while removing pollutants and facilitating carbon storage. Preliminary data from our study, in which we applied mixed fungal-bacterial-char hydrogel beads to polluted soils growing Sorghum bicolor or Helianthus anuus, demonstrated that our novel biotechnology has potential to decrease heavy metal concentrations and toxic compounds. Additionally, we have begun analyzing the carbon storage potential through Loss on Ignition methodology, which provides measures of soil organic and inorganic carbon. Preliminary measurements show that soils that received hydrogels with an encased fungal-microbial-char consortia also increase soil carbon. These studies will not only inform the efficacy of hydrogel-delivered biofertilizers in terms of plant growth and productivity, but will also build a foundation for future research into how to promote soil health to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.

Half of the earth's photosynthetic activity occurs in the ocean. However, marine ecosystems generally have lower rates of carbon sequestration when compared to terrestrial ones. This is an opportunity to enable large scale carbon sequestration. The waters of the open ocean are nutrient deficient and can have low primary productivity. Supplying the limiting nutrients can theoretically enable rapid growth of photosynthetic cells but this growth must be contained or it will be lost to the ocean. By preparing these missing nutrients in hydrogels with efficient photosynthetic consortia, the growth process and inputs can be contained and the biomass harvested. The Winkler Lab is using this method to develope biological systems for carbon sequestration. I am researching the efficiency of microalgae and cyanobacteria consortia in seawater with native microbes. I aim to form cultures of photosynthetic marine microbes by inoculating hydrogels containing chlorella sp. in seawater samples. The objective is to optimize squestration with naturally occurring microbial consortia. Through multiple trials I have identified a mix of microbes and macroalgae cultured from the Puget Sound that exhibits rapid biomass production. Data is collected via microscopy, imaging and by measuring chemical oxygen demand and chlorophyll content. My aim is to compare this wild microbial mix to the Winkler lab's established mixes of cyanobacteria and microalgae and determine which is more effective in fixing carbon. Expected results will demonstrate this wild culture more efficient in low nutrient environments than the lab culture. Success in this project could help refine commercializable methods to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and fight climate change.