April 3, 2023

$2 Million Award from National Science Foundation Will Support Team to Develop 3D-printed Microorganisms for Sustainable Construction Materials

An interdisciplinary research team led by University of Washington Chemistry Professor Alshakim Nelson received $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program. The funding will be used to combine engineered microorganisms with 3D printing to create materials for sustainable built environments. This grant will provide funding to researchers at UW, the University of Texas at Austin, and University of California Davis over four years.

In addition to Nelson, the team also includes professor Ayokunle Olanrewaju, a microfluidics expert at the UW in Mechanical and Bioengineering, professor Gundula Proksch, an expert in sustainable urban infrastructures in the UW Department of Architecture, and professor Shota Atsumi who is a leader in engineering cyanobacteria at UC Davis. Both Nelson and Olanrewaju are also affiliated with the UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, which aims to catalyze these types of interdisciplinary collaborations.

Continue reading at the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute.