Proyectos

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Identificación de bacterias de ralves de la región de O'Higgins para el estudio de posibles funciones biotecnológicas.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]La Piscirickettsiosis es una grave enfermedad bacteriana que resulta en altos niveles de mortalidad en diferentes especies de salmónidos. Las pérdidas totales, incluidos los costos de vacunación y los tratamientos antimicrobianos se han estimado en alrededor de $ 450 millones de dólares por año en Chile. Desafortunadamente, las vacunas contra este patógeno han mostrado ser poco efectivas para prevenir esta enfermedad, lo que se ha asociado a fenómenos de coinfección de Caligus, variabilidad del patógeno y del hospedero. Recientes estudios muestran, además, que los mecanismos de respuesta inmune innata son los responsables de otorgar protección a los peces frente a un desafío con esta bacteria. De esta manera, la falta de tratamientos eficaces contra Piscirickettsia salmonis fundamentan la necesidad de buscar nuevas alternativas de tratamientos profilácticos, las que deberían estar orientados a reforzar el sistema inmune innato del hospedador. En base a estas necesidades nosotros proponemos evaluar proteínas nanoestructuradas, también conocidas como cuerpos de inclusión como inmunoestimulantes para el control de P. salmonis en salmón del Atlántico (Salmo salar). Estas proteínas nanoestructuradas pueden expresar cualquier proteína con una función de interés, la cual es liberada gradualmente en el tiempo. Además, son muy estables y resisten duras condiciones fisicoquímicas manteniendo su funcionalidad por lo que no es necesario su encapsulación. Debido a que la producción de estas proteínas es altamente escalable en biorreactores bacterianos surgen entonces como una herramienta de biotecnología viable de llegar a ser una solución comercial. Recientemente he evaluado con éxito el uso de proteínas nanoestructuradas de citoquinas como inmunoestimulantes en trucha arcoíris (Onchorhynchuss mykiss) y el pez cebra (Danio rerio). La prueba de concepto de esta tecnología mostró que los cuerpos de inclusión pueden estimular una respuesta inmune en macrófagos de trucha arcoíris. Además, las proteínas nanoestructuradas administrados por vía intraperitoneal protegen al pez cebra frente a una infección bacteriana letal y al ser administrados oralmente son absorbidos por células presentes en la mucosa intestinal. En base a esto, proponemos como proyecto desarrollar proteínas nanoestructuradas como inmunoestimulantes contra Piscirickettsia, para ello contaremos con la asesoría técnica de tres laboratorios de la PUCV. Como primer objetivo realizaremos la clonación de los genes que expresan las proteínas de interés y la producción de los plásmidos para ser expresados en bacterias. Este objetivo se llevará a cabo en el Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Aplicada. En el segundo objetivo, produciremos las proteínas recombinantes con la asesoría técnica y en las instalaciones del Laboratorio de Cultivo de Células Microbianas. Este grupo es experto en la producción de proteínas recombinantes en biorreactores de bacterias. Como tercer objetivo cuantificaremos y caracterizaremos las proteínas producidas con la asesoría y en el laboratorio del Grupo de Marcadores Inmunológicos de Organismos Acuáticos. Este laboratorio es especialista en la purificación, cuantificación y caracterización de proteínas. Además, contaremos con la asesoría del Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Aplicada en cuanto a cómo dar continuidad al presente proyecto e introducir el producto en la industria. Nosotros esperamos como resultado de este proyecto desarrollar proteínas nanoestructuradas que sean administradas a peces como inmunoestimulantes contra Piscirickettsia. El desarrollo de un método profiláctico efectivo contra P. salmonis permitirá disminuir las pérdidas económicas asociadas a la Piscirickettsiosis y disminuir el uso excesivo de antibióticos en la industria de cultivo de salmones en Chile.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]La Fundación financió las excavaciones arqueológicas y paleontológicas del yacimiento Tagua Tagua 3[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]La Fundación financió las excavaciones arqueológicas y paleontológicas del yacimiento Tagua Tagua 3[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Stochasticity in optimization and game theory is a very important aspect to model more accurately real-world problems in many different areas (see for instance [6]). In optimization problems as well as in one-level games, namely, Nash equilibrium problems, stochasticity aspects have received quite a lot of attention for a while and have also been well studied [22]. However, for the branch of bilevel games quite few studies have included in their analysis stochastic aspects in their models. A bilevel game is basically to split a finite set of players into two levels: the leaders or upper-level players, and the followers or lower-level players. In the model, the followers react in a passive way to the leaders' actions, while the leaders compete in the upper level trying to actively anticipate the followers' reaction. Moreover, in each level, the interaction is non-cooperative as in Nash equilibrium problems. Bilevel games have been recognized as one of the most complex and at the same time very useful models in the literature [17]. Bilevel games, and more precisely the problem of the leaders in a bilevel game, face an ambiguity/uncertainty whenever the followers' reaction is not necessarily uniquely determined for each leaders' decision. To deal with this ambiguity two main approaches are well-known the optimistic and the pessimistic. The weakness of these two approaches is that both are quite extreme and the optimistic one lacks of real modeling foundations, putting the leaders in a quite naive position. Recently, in [9] a general stochastic approach has been proposed to solve this ambiguity, which is seen as an uncertainty of the problem, providing also a specific approach that seems to be more reasonable than the optimistic one, from a modeling point of view. The stochasticity in the stochastic approach is an endogenous one since it corresponds to a decision-dependent uncertainty [1, 23]. But, of course, stochasticity might also come from an exogenous side, that is, when some of the parameters defining the game, such as future demand and prices, 1 forecasts of winds and clouds, are uncertain and possibly follow some probability distribution. This has been considered in [34, 12, 13, 16]. In the second part of the project, which is the applied part, we are interested in using the developed theoretical framework of bilevel games with stochastic aspects to a problem of contaminated water resource management, which has high levels of stochasticity. The scarcity of water resource and its efficient use has been recognized as an extremely important problem in Chile and the whole world, for agricultural, industrial, and human use. Moreover, after any use, there is an outflow of water which has generally more contaminants than the inflow. Depending on the type and quantity of contaminants the outflow of water could be reused, but sometimes giving less profit to the entity. The general situation is full of uncertainties, since the entities do not share their information. Moreover, the main source of information for us will be measurements on the quality of water at different strategic points and punctual events of contamination registered by inspection, which is simply a qualitative data. Therefore, we propose first to apply predictive models and machine learning to do inverse engineering in order to understand the game played by the different actors. Then we want to study the underlying one-level game and study the design of mechanisms (bilevel game) so that we can move the equilibrium to a desired goal. In a somehow similar spirit, in [30, 31, 10] game theory techniques have been used to analyze the behavior of companies sharing contaminated water in the context of eco-industrial parks, while in [36] also a bilevel model is used for a water resource optimal allocation problem.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Stochasticity in optimization and game theory is a very important aspect to model more accurately real-world problems in many different areas (see for instance [6]). In optimization problems as well as in one-level games, namely, Nash equilibrium problems, stochasticity aspects have received quite a lot of attention for a while and have also been well studied [22]. However, for the branch of bilevel games quite few studies have included in their analysis stochastic aspects in their models. A bilevel game is basically to split a finite set of players into two levels: the leaders or upper-level players, and the followers or lower-level players. In the model, the followers react in a passive way to the leaders' actions, while the leaders compete in the upper level trying to actively anticipate the followers' reaction. Moreover, in each level, the interaction is non-cooperative as in Nash equilibrium problems. Bilevel games have been recognized as one of the most complex and at the same time very useful models in the literature [17]. Bilevel games, and more precisely the problem of the leaders in a bilevel game, face an ambiguity/uncertainty whenever the followers' reaction is not necessarily uniquely determined for each leaders' decision. To deal with this ambiguity two main approaches are well-known the optimistic and the pessimistic. The weakness of these two approaches is that both are quite extreme and the optimistic one lacks of real modeling foundations, putting the leaders in a quite naive position. Recently, in [9] a general stochastic approach has been proposed to solve this ambiguity, which is seen as an uncertainty of the problem, providing also a specific approach that seems to be more reasonable than the optimistic one, from a modeling point of view. The stochasticity in the stochastic approach is an endogenous one since it corresponds to a decision-dependent uncertainty [1, 23]. But, of course, stochasticity might also come from an exogenous side, that is, when some of the parameters defining the game, such as future demand and prices, 1 forecasts of winds and clouds, are uncertain and possibly follow some probability distribution. This has been considered in [34, 12, 13, 16]. In the second part of the project, which is the applied part, we are interested in using the developed theoretical framework of bilevel games with stochastic aspects to a problem of contaminated water resource management, which has high levels of stochasticity. The scarcity of water resource and its efficient use has been recognized as an extremely important problem in Chile and the whole world, for agricultural, industrial, and human use. Moreover, after any use, there is an outflow of water which has generally more contaminants than the inflow. Depending on the type and quantity of contaminants the outflow of water could be reused, but sometimes giving less profit to the entity. The general situation is full of uncertainties, since the entities do not share their information. Moreover, the main source of information for us will be measurements on the quality of water at different strategic points and punctual events of contamination registered by inspection, which is simply a qualitative data. Therefore, we propose first to apply predictive models and machine learning to do inverse engineering in order to understand the game played by the different actors. Then we want to study the underlying one-level game and study the design of mechanisms (bilevel game) so that we can move the equilibrium to a desired goal. In a somehow similar spirit, in [30, 31, 10] game theory techniques have been used to analyze the behavior of companies sharing contaminated water in the context of eco-industrial parks, while in [36] also a bilevel model is used for a water resource optimal allocation problem.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]La Piscirickettsiosis es una grave enfermedad bacteriana que resulta en altos niveles de mortalidad en diferentes especies de salmónidos. Las pérdidas totales, incluidos los costos de vacunación y los tratamientos antimicrobianos se han estimado en alrededor de $ 450 millones de dólares por año. Desafortunadamente, las vacunas contra este patógeno han mostrado ser poco efectivas para prevenir esta enfermedad, lo que se ha asociado según estudios de nuestro laboratorio a fenómenos de coinfección de Caligus, variabilidad del patógeno y del hospedero. Recientes estudios muestran, además, que los mecanismos de respuesta inmune innata son los responsables de otorgar protección a los peces frente a un desafío con esta bacteria. De esta manera, la falta de tratamientos eficaces contra Piscirickettsia salmonis fundamentan la necesidad de buscar nuevas alternativas de tratamientos profilácticos, las que deberían estar orientados a reforzar el sistema inmune innato del hospedador. En base a estas necesidades nosotros proponemos evaluar cuerpos de inclusión como inmunoestimulantes de administración oral para el control de P. salmonis en salmón del Atlántico (Salmo salar). Los cuerpos de inclusión son agregados de proteínas recombinantes nanoestructuradas funcionales expresados usualmente en el citoplasma de bacterias recombinantes. Los cuerpos de inclusión pueden expresar cualquier proteína con una función de interés, la cual es liberada gradualmente en el tiempo. Además, son muy estables y resisten duras condiciones fisicoquímicas manteniendo su funcionalidad por lo que no es necesario su encapsulación. Debido a que la producción de los cuerpos de inclusión es altamente escalable en biorreactores bacterianos surgen entonces como una herramienta de biotecnología susceptible de llegar a ser una solución comercial. Recientemente he evaluado con éxito el uso de cuerpos de inclusión de citoquinas como inmunoestimulantes en trucha arcoíris (Onchorhynchuss mykiss) y el pez cebra (Danio rerio). La prueba de concepto de esta tecnología mostró que los cuerpos de inclusión pueden estimular una respuesta inmune en macrófagos de trucha arcoíris. Además, los cuerpos de inclusión administrados por vía intraperitoneal protegen al pez cebra frente a una infección bacteriana letal y al ser administrados oralmente son absorbidos por células presentes en la mucosa intestinal. Postulamos como hipótesis que los cuerpos de inclusión administrados por vía oral otorgan protección al salmón del atlántico contra P. salmonis. Como primer objetivo de este estudio proponemos realizar la producción y caracterización de los cuerpos de inclusión de dos proteínas relacionadas al sistema inmune innato de salmón del Atlántico. En el segundo objetivo, evaluaremos la capacidad de inmunomodulación del sistema inmune por parte de los cuerpos de inclusión al ser administrados en diferentes dosis a través de la intubación de los peces. Para ello usaremos RT-qPCR donde analizaremos la capacidad moduladora de los cuerpos de inclusión a través de la expresión génica de citoquinas proinflamatorias (TNFα, IL-1β, IFNγ), antiinflamatorias (IL-10), enzima proinflamatoria (COX-2), y receptor tipo Toll (TLR9). También analizaremos TNFα e IL-10 a través de ELISA. Igualmente, se analizará si los cuerpos de inclusión marcados con un fluoróforo son endocitados por células intestinales y si son trasladados al bazo a través de citometría de flujo. En el tercer objetivo, analizaremos la eficacia de los cuerpos de inclusión para el control de P. salmonis en salmón del Atlántico administrados a través del alimento en un desafío experimental. Se evaluará a través de técnicas moleculares (RT-qPCR y ELISA) citoquinas proinflamatorias, antiinflamatorias, enzima proinflamatoria, y receptor tipo Toll para analizar la capacidad inmunomoduladora de los cuerpos de inclusión durante un desafío bacteriano. Asimismo, evaluaremos sobrevivencia, carga de P. salmonis y necropsia de los tejidos. Nosotros esperamos como resultado de esta investigación que los cuerpos de inclusión aumenten la sobrevivencia de salmón del Atlántico frente a un desafío de P. salmonis. El desarrollo de un método profiláctico efectivo contra P. salmonis permitirá disminuir las pérdidas económicas asociadas a la Piscirickettsiosis y disminuir el uso excesivo de antibióticos en la industria de cultivo de salmones en Chile.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]The importance of water for life is indisputable. Nevertheless, water quality and availability are affected by increases in consumption and climate change. Indeed, several areas of Chile are suffering acute water scarcity. Consequently, there is a critical need to develop efficient technologies for wastewater recovery. However, considerations must be given to the fact that some wastewaters have toxic recalcitrant pollutants requiring complex treatments, such as landfill leachate (LL). The general goal of the project is to evaluate the viability of experimentally improving LL quality by conjointly using the solar photo-Fenton process and ultrasound (US), thereby enhancing photocatalysis, ultimately reducing wastewater toxicity. The specific goals are to (i) measure the H2O2 and UV irradiation produced by US in LL (laboratory scale); (ii) evaluate the hydroxyl radicals generated during treatment processes (laboratory scale); (iii) maximize organic-pollutant removal in LL by defining the optimal operating conditions for the photo-Fenton/US process (laboratory scale); (iv) maximize organic-pollutant removal in LL by defining optimal US power/frequency in the sonolytic process (pilot-plant scale); and (v) evaluate toxicity elimination and energy consumption in LL treatments with solar-photocatalytic and US processes (laboratory and pilot-plant scales). The proposed investigation will use a scientific methodology, developing reproducible methods to observe the effects of diverse parameters, all with a focus on maximizing contaminants removal. To characterize LL, several parameters will be evaluated, including chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total organic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen, pH, metals, ammonia, colour, biodegradability, toxicity, total suspended solids, conductivity and humic acid. To determine the amount of H2O2 generated by US in a simulated LL, a set of experiments will be run to produce the sonochemical process, applying different US frequencies (100 kHz, 200 kHz and 300 kHz) and powers (100 W, 170 W and 250 W), thus obtaining the kinetic reaction to H2O2 production. The amount of UV irradiation formed due to sonoluminescence will be quantified in the same beaker in the simulated LL. Sonoluminescence intensity during the runs will be measured using a spectro-radiometer. To evaluate the hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated in the simulated LL during treatment processes, a method based on the oxidation of 2-proponol will be used. To determine the optimal operating conditions for the photo-Fenton/US process to maximize the removal of organic pollutants present in the simulated LL, a set of experiments will be carried out in the same photoreactor (1 L), applying different reagent concentrations, treatment times, and pH levels. To establish optimal US power and frequency in the sonolytic process to maximize the removal of organic pollutants present in a real LL (after its pretreatment), a set of runs will be carried out at pilot-plant scale in a solar photoreactor compound parabolic concentrator (CPC; 12 L useful volume). To evaluate toxicity elimination from the real LL an Aliivibrio fischeri test, respirometer assay, and phytotoxicity assay will be used, followed by determining median effective concentrations (EC50) according to the Probit model. Since a main disadvantage of the proposed treatments is high-energy consumption, specific energy consumption (SEC) and electrical energy per order (EEO) will be determined for all processes. All experiments will be done in triplicate, and filtration and coagulation/flocculation processes as a pretreatment will be used prior to all runs. The expected results of the proposed project are to (i) obtain new knowledge related to joint photo- Fenton and ultrasound wastewater treatments, (ii) demonstrate treatment synergies, and (iii) validate the use of advanced oxidation processes for improving LL. Project results will be reported in papers, through thesis work, and at scientific congresses, strengthening national and international research networks.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Far from simple steric repulsion, i.e., volumetric repulsion, the dynamics of granular systems are driven by a menagerie of interactions: dissipative collisions, van der Waals forces, electrostatic Coulomb and polarization forces, viscous drag and, in the presence of even minute amounts of liquid, capillary bridges or ice coatings. Despite its importance and the development of many powerful experimental, numerical and theoretical tools, until now, a unified description of granular media is lacking, even for the simplest model situation of perfectly spherical, impenetrable and dissipative particles. One of the most important topics in granular media research is clustering, for both fundamental and applied reasons. Clustering produces large gradients, which makes usual gradient perturbations schemes more difficult, which even poses questions about the validity of continuum approaches for these systems. Clustering and coarsening are also relevant for many industrial applications, including grain and powder storage, transport and manipulation, in the food, mining and chemical industries, to mention a few. Electrostatically–induced granular clustering has emerged as a mechanism with fundamental and practical implications. The electrification of such systems occurs through tribocharging—the exchange of charge between contacting surfaces. Despite its importance, how insulators transfer such large amounts of charge during contact is not well-understood. How this can also occur for identical materials during contact is puzzling as well. Furthermore, the nature of the charge carrier is also not settled. Concerning applications, just recently electrostatically–induced granular clustering has been revealed as a possible enhancing mechanism for granular coarsening in a very important and unsolved issue: the formation of planetesimals, which can be considered as baby planets (from 1 km size it is expected that gravity should be the driving accretion force). Indeed, despite clear evidence, our current theoretical understanding is that rocky planets should not exist; a basic ingredient seems to be missing for explaining the clustering of grains in the sub- mm to cm range. We propose that electrification through tribocharging is the missing ingredient. Thus, the main objective of this proposal is to address how different pair-wise interactions and, in general, particle and collisional properties, lead to sustained cluster growth. We are developing two experimental systems to make concrete steps toward this goal. In the first, we are using a free-fall apparatus to observe collisions between sub-mm particles in vacuum and zero-gravity conditions. In the second, we are forging into the new territory of interactions between millimeter-scale particles or clusters with a controlled acoustic levitation setup. In order to understand the microphysics of grain growth in the sub-mm to cm range, our immediate objective is to characterize the sticking efficiencies and dominant forces—including the possibility of same-material tribocharging—in a variety of conditions. In the first experimental setup, we will focus on few-particle interactions and clustering. In the second, we will study controlled collisions between a few up to many-particle clusters. Working on these two experiments in tandem will enable us to characterize collisions over decades of data in cluster size and impact energy, and quantify same-material tribocharging. For both experiments we will use standard dielectric materials (as ZrO2:SiO2 composites) as a benchmark. Then, we will use analog meteorite materials (e.g. San Carlos Olivine) in both setups, and original meteorite grains (Allende meteorite) with the ultrasonic setup, where controlled collisions can be done for smaller amounts of material. The outcome of such experiments will be a phase portrait of collisional aggregation efficiency covering features ranging from particle and cluster size to particle interactions, particle composition and impact energy. One particular contribution we will focus on is the effect of tribocharging on the formation efficiency of larger clusters, which should be relevant toward our current understanding of asteroid and planetesimal formation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]