A National Science Foundation-supported Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network (NSF SRS RN): Closing the Loop on the Oil—Plastics—Recycling Nexus to Forge a Resilient Circular Economy
RESURGE promotes a culture of inclusion and respect created by a diverse team who aims to develop a connected network and provide leadership among private and public stakeholders to build a system-scale approach toward research, while influencing policy and fostering opportunity for growth in investments, industries, and jobs to achieve a sustainable circularity at the nexus of energy, economy, and resources within the Gulf-Coast.
The goal is to include diverse topics that will inform and inspire ideas for future sustainable materials designs that address transportation, health/biotech, energy, climate and other high-tech societal needs.
A primary mission is to map materials and energy flows across the Gulf Coast and identify fundamental scientific research priorities, technology development gaps, possible policy interventions, workforce development needs, and opportunities for private-public partnerships that facilitate reinvention of the region in the face of impending disruption.
Due to the interdependency of urban and rural communities in the Gulf Coast, RESURGE aims to implement a convergent research approach that will enable sustainable management of regional inland and coastal water systems whilst preparing the local economy for a once-in-a-century energy transition.
The RESURGE approach to preparing the Gulf-Coast region for an imminent energy shift will include investigation into at least three identified research areas:
Firstly, harvesting critical metals during coincident water purification/desalination to occur at pipeline and offshore infrastructure, which will be explored as circular economy components vital to clean hydrogen transportation and as loci for wind farms, solar energy harvesting, solar desalination.
Secondly, efforts will be undertaken to harness biological systems for circular chemical feedstocks, bioplastics production and plastic recycling. This effort aims to increase the sustainability of and develop a circular economy regarding recycling plastic materials and reducing the petroleum-based feedstock dependence of the chemical industry.
Lastly, we will capitalize upon fundamental materials science to further the preparation of next-generation sustainable, adaptable, dynamically-reconfigurable infrastructure materials imbue resilience against environmental events, to monitor water quality throughout the region, and develop methods of harvesting, cleaning, and transporting water at high rates.
Primary Contact: Karen L. Wooley (Lead PI, TAMU Chemistry, TAMU Chemical Engineering, TAMU Materials Science and Engineering, wooley@tamu.edu), for more information on the project or upcoming events.
Co-PIs: Sarbajit Banerjee (TAMU Chemistry); Bjorn Birgisson (UGA Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering); Michael de Miranda (TAMU Education and Human Development); Arnold Vedlitz (TAMU Bush School of Government and Public Service).
Senior Personnel: Ankur Dayal (TAMU Innovation Partners), Mark Holtzapple (TAMU Chemical Engineering), Benjamin Kalscheur (TAMU Office of Sustainability), Sivaranjani Kumarsrinivasan (TAMU Chemistry), Kayla Rollins (TAMU Education and Human Development), Chavis Stackhouse (TAMU Chemistry), Jacqueline Stillisano (TAMU Education and Human Development) and Jeffery Tomberlin (TAMU Entomology).
