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UTSA East Asia Institute offers free Korean language and culture class
Non-credit, 10-week course will run Feb. 21-May 4 at UTSA Main Campus
UTSA student Brittany Morales named Gilman scholar for spring 2012
International scholarship takes student to Ireland this semester
UTSA sponsors Feb. 16 half-day international trade mini-conference
Small business owners can learn about free-trade opportunities with Colombia
Buffalo Soldier Day is Saturday, Feb. 11 at Institute of Texan Cultures
Day's events give look at 1870s army regiments that won the West
UTSA Black Student Leadership Council presents original play Feb. 11
Part of Black History Month, 'Our Reins Reclaimed' centers on self-respect
UTSA Graduate School hosts information sessions in South Texas
Information sessions are in Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Corpus Christi
Nursing honor society hosts Feb. 22 health-care research conference
Conference email registration deadline is Feb. 15
UT System Research Cyberinfrastructure Initiative to bring analysis growth
New initiative creates technical, cultural environment for data warehousing, analysis
S.A. Metro Health honors UTSA Roadrunner Cafe for healthy food choices
Main Campus eatery designated 'Por Vida!' healthy restaurant
University Excellence Awards: Nomination deadline extended to Feb. 10
Ceremony combines University Excellence Awards and Faculty Honors Convocation
Coordinating Board approves UTSA psychology doctorate in military health
New program is first in Texas, second in nation with emphasis on military support
Free or low-cost workshops: Learn from UTSA's small business experts
Learn about planning, government contracting, international trade, sustainability
Dinner and smart chat: Buy 'Great Conversation!' tickets now
UTSA fundraiser benefiting Honors College scholarships is Feb. 29
Easier recycling: UTSA adopts new single-stream recycling process
Recycle paper, aluminum, plastics, cardboard in blue bins formerly paper only
UTSA gallery presents prints by 19th century Mexican illustrator
Broadsheets entertained masses with tantalizing headlines, intrigue, verse, graphics
UTSA hosts distinguished urban planner Alexander Garvin for Feb. 2 lecture
Veteran of five city administrations, Garvin to speak on public parks, livable cities
UTSA engineers win $350K in stimulus funds to develop synthetic roots
Share this Story(Sept. 22, 2009)--The University of Texas at San Antonio has received a three-year, $354,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve soil reinforcement by injecting living plant roots with plastic polymers to develop synthetic root systems. The synthetic root systems have widespread applications in dams, levees, embankments, landfills and other soil-based structures.
"The root structures of plants and trees are often used to reinforce soil. But, when those plants and trees die or are damaged by animals or bad weather, we get holes in the soil where the roots should be. The result is a weakened soil system prone to erosion," said Drew Johnson, UTSA assistant professor of civil engineering and the study's principal investigator.
To develop a solution for soil erosion, UTSA researchers will create and test liquid polymers by injecting them into the roots of plants. Once injected, the polymers will solidify in the shape of the plant's roots and as the live roots decompose over time, the plastic root structure will remain, keeping the soil in place and protecting it from erosion.
Johnson will conduct the research in collaboration with UTSA's Mark Appleford, assistant professor of biomedical engineering; Paul Jurena, assistant professor of geological sciences; Valerie Sponsel, associate professor of plant physiology; and Sazzad Bin-Shafique, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, as well as six student researchers. The team will determine which chemicals should be included in the polymer injections, which types of live roots lead to the best synthetic roots and how stable they are able to make soil samples using synthetic root structures.
In response to the proposal, one NSF reviewer noted, "This research is a beginning, in its infancy, high-risk, highly innovative, but with tremendous future potential."
Obtaining NSF funding is a very competitive process. The NSF Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, which funded the UTSA proposal, is expected to receive approximately 2,300 proposals by the end of the year with only 10-15 percent of them receiving funding.
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