Jessica Swanson, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Utah, has been named a 2024 Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.
PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE TITENSOR, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Jessica Swanson, assistant professor of chemistry
This prestigious award recognizes early-career faculty who are advancing innovation in both research and education. As part of her award, Swanson will receive $120,000 over three years to advance her bioenergy research, which explores bacterial methane oxidation in search of ways to reduce concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, as well as her educational program.
Swanson’s lab is working to improve the efficiency of systems called bioreactors that utilize bacteria to convert methane gas from waste streams, such as landfills and abandoned oil wells and coal mines, into useful products before they escape into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that helps drive climate change.
However, scaling this solution faces some challenges. The methane-eating bacteria, known as methanotrophs, struggle to access and break down enough of the methane in the low-concentration waste streams they need to target. Swanson uses computer simulations to study what limits these bacteria’s growth and activity in bioreactors. Her goal is to uncover solutions that can increase the efficiency of methane mass transfer and oxidation, such that methanotrophic bioreactors become profitable and can scale in the free market to mitigate methane emissions and their impact on climate systems.
In addition to her methane mitigation work, Swanson is developing an interactive general education course called Chemistry for a Better Future. This course will expose students to the science behind developing climate solutions while inspiring them to propose their approaches. Teams of students will explore climate impacts on communities while learning about cutting-edge companies and technologies targeting sustainability.
“I am honored to receive this recognition, which will support critical investigations into scaling a biological solution to help mitigate methane emissions and climate change,” Swanson said. “The Cottrell Scholar network is invaluable for connecting with like-minded researchers that are pushing scientific boundaries.”
Cottrell Scholars are chosen through a rigorous peer-review process of applications from public and private research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions across the United States and Canada. Their award proposals incorporate both research and science education.
This year’s awardees represent 19 different institutions. Each awardee receives $120,000.
“These awardees stand out not just for their excellence in teaching and research but for their potential,” said Daniel Linzer, President & CEO of RCSA. “The advancement of both science and society depend on the fresh ideas and the dedication to student learning that we see in Cottrell Scholars, including the class of 2024.”
“This is a distinguished and diverse class,” said RCSA Senior Program Director Silvia Ronco. “We are delighted to welcome these new awardees to the Cottrell Scholar community and look forward to seeing their contributions as teachers and mentors, scientists, and leaders.”
CTRF is funding Jessica’s work as part of interdisciplinary team of the world’s leading research scientists from University of Utah, University of Washington and Michigan Technological University will build on decades of experience cultivating the most efficient methanotrophic strain known to date.
Read more about the work of the teams here