The DOE Center for Research on Ocean Carbon Sequestration (DOCS) is led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The co-directors are Ken Caldeira (LLNL/e-mail: kenc@llnl.gov) and Jim Bishop (LBNL/e-mail: jkbishop@lbl.gov). Other collaborates include scientists from MIT, Rutgers, Scripps, Moss Landing Marine Labs, and the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research.

Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Sensors and Techniques for Measuring Terrestrial Carbon Sinks and Sources - Measurement technology is required to quantify carbon sequestration by natural vegetation and ecosystems (i.e., carbon sinks) as well as CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere from natural or industrial sources. Grant applications are sought to develop remote, ground-based sensors and unique measurement techniques (and associated system technology, if appropriate) to detect and quantify annual net carbon changes of terrestrial vegetation for large areas, or to measure and verify the magnitude of CO₂ emissions from various sources. For the measurement of CO₂ sinks, the sensor systems or new technology must be applicable for forests, grasslands, shrub lands, agricultural lands, and/or wetlands, and have the capability of producing spatially resolved aggregate estimates of terrestrial carbon changes to an accuracy of 10 to 25 g/m²/yr (or approximately 0.25 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year), with less than 25 percent uncertainty. For measuring emissions, the apparatus must be located at a point remote from the actual site of CO₂ release and provide accuracy estimates for CO₂ concentrations of approximately 0.5 ppm or less. Grant applications are also sought to design and demonstrate a new CO₂ analyzer with the following characteristics: (1) ability to determine the mole fraction of CO₂ in dry ambient air to a relative precision of 1 part in 3000 or better in one minute or less; (2) low gas use (30 cc/min or less) to minimize problems due to water vapor and to minimize consumption of reference gases, if employed; (3) robust enough for unattended field deployment for periods of half a year or longer; (4) cost less than $5000 when manufactured in quantity; and (5) not sensitive to motion.

Mechanical sensors must be durable in the full range of normal environmental conditions and exposures, including exposure to dust, rain, snow, heat, extreme cold, and fog. Operation in unattended, remote locations for weeks at a time, without degradation of the measurement, is also required; however, daily telecommunication with the system for monitoring performance and detecting potential operational problems would be desirable.

Proposed approaches, including both mechanical sensors and non-mechanical technology should consist of new, innovative methodologies that are significant advances over conventional scientific approaches used to measure CO₂, carbon, and related compounds. Specifically, the measurement systems should be different from, or substantially augment, existing methods for eddy flux (covariance), routine monitoring of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, or estimating carbon quantities of land and/or ocean constituents of the carbon cycle. Grant applications proposing in situ or in-stream measurement of flue gas emissions will be declined, as will applications that offer only incremental or marginal improvements over existing measurement systems.

b. Novel Measurements of Organic Substances and Carbon Isotopes in Terrestrial and Atmospheric Media - Improved measurement technology is needed to better characterize processes involving carbon transformations of soil, vegetation, and associated ecosystem components and exchanges with the atmosphere. This includes both carbon content and isotopic measurements of organic matter in soils and other solid substrates, as well as the carbon content of biological tissues in various components (e.g., phytomass, detritus) of terrestrial ecosystems.

Grant applications are sought for measurements of carbon content in the atmosphere, vegetation, soil, and associated environmental media. For measurements involving the carbon content of biota and soil, grant applications must demonstrate that these measurements can be used to predict changes in carbon quantities and/or fluxes involving major components of ecosystems, with an accuracy on the order of 10 grams per square meter or less. Quantification of spatially resolved aggregate estimates of terrestrial carbon changes should have an accuracy of 10 to 25 g/m²/yr (or approximately 0.25 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year), with less than 25 percent uncertainty.

For measurements of atmospheric CO₂, development of lightweight (approximately 100 gram) sensors capable of measuring fluctuations of CO₂ in air of the order of plus or minus 1 ppm in a background of 370 ppm is solicited. The devices must be suitable for launch on ballonsondes or similar such platforms, and therefore must be insensitive to large changes in ambient temperature and pressure. They must be able to operate on low power (e.g., 9v battery), and have a response time of less than 30 seconds.

Grant applications are also sought for unique, rapid, and cost-effective methods for measuring the natural carbon isotopic composition of plant, soil, and atmospheric materials. The idea is to use isotope technology to identify sources and sinks of carbon materials, and to use carbon isotopes to distinguish relative carbon exchanges between terrestrial or aquatic media and the atmosphere. New isotope approaches and technology should demonstrate a quantitative capability for both estimating and distinguishing carbon flux among atmosphere, biosphere, and soil components of natural and manipulated carbon cycles.

Proposed new measurements of terrestrial biota and soil must be accomplished by in situ and/or non-invasive means and/or remote sensing of organic carbon forms across a range of temporal scales (from seconds to days) and spatial scales (from millimeters to kilometers), depending on the system properties being observed. Instruments must be portable and deployable in remote locations, and must not adversely impact the site of deployment. The term "remote sensing" means that the observation method is physically separated from the object of interest. Research that develops unique surface-based observations and uses them for calibration/interpretation of other remotely derived data is of interest; however, except for potential application of CO₂ sensor via ballonsonde, other methods of remote sensing data acquisition by airborne or satellite platforms will not be considered.

2. Carbon Sequestration Research and Development, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy Offices of Science and Fossil Energy, 1999. (Available from NTIS. E-mail: orders@ntis.fedworld.gov) (Available on the Web at http://www.ornl.gov/carbon_sequestration/)

3. Daniels, D. J., Surface Penetrating Radar, London: The Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1996. (ISBN: 0-85296-862-0)

4. Hall, D. O., et al., eds., Photosynthesis and Production in a Changing Environment: A Field and Laboratory Manual, New York: Chapman & Hall, 1993. (ISBN: 0412429004)

5. Hashimoto, Y., et al., eds., Measurement Techniques in Plant Science, San Diego: Academic Press, Inc., 1990. (ISBN: 0-12-330585-3)

6. McMichael, B. L. and Persson, H., eds., Plant Roots and Their Environment: Proceedings of an ISRR Symposium, Uppsala, Sweden, August 21-26, 1988, New York: Elsevier, 1991. (ISBN: 0-444-89104-8)

7. Nelson, D. W. and Sommers, L. E., "Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter," Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3: Chemical Methods, pp. 961-1010, Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America, 1996. (ISBN: 0-89118-825-8)

8. Rozema, J., et al., eds., CO₂ and Biosphere, Hingham, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993. (ISBN: 0792320441) (This publication is part of a monographic series, Advances in Vegetation Science, Vol. 14 - ISSN: 0168-8022) (Reprinted from Vegetation, 104/105, January 1993 - ISSN: 0042-3106. Now called Plant Ecology - ISSN: 1385-0237)

9. Swift, R., "Organic Matter Characterization," Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3: Chemical Methods, pp. 1011-1070, Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America, 1996. (ISBN: 0-89118-825-8)

The burning of fossil fuels adds carbon to the atmosphere, principally in the form of carbon dioxide, and the potential environmental impacts have made carbon management an international concern. There is increasing national and international interest in finding natural mechanisms to mitigate the current atmospheric rise in CO₂ levels, and the Department of Energy (DOE) is focusing increasing attention on novel approaches for carbon sequestration and/or lower carbon fuel production.

The DOE is supporting research on comprehensive carbon management strategies, which could slow the current rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A DOE report on carbon sequestration science and technology [see reference 2] describes research needs and technology requirements for sequestering carbon by ocean and terrestrial systems, including a discussion of advanced biological processes and chemical approaches. This topic is concerned with biological processes that slow atmospheric CO₂ increase, convert carbon into relatively stable organic or inorganic forms, and utilize biosystems to achieve the simultaneous production of fuel while sequestering carbon. Research is needed to identify and quantify mechanisms for CO₂ transformation at rates that will lead to the long term fixation or sequestration of large quantities of carbon (i.e., 10,000 to 100,000 tonnes or more of carbon per year) when applied to either natural (e.g., unmanaged terrestrial ecosystems) and managed biosystems.

Grant applications must provide for a systematic evaluation of proposed biological mechanisms and carbon sequestration systems. Estimates of the amount of CO₂ transformed also must be provided, and any assumptions concerning quantities and conditions for carbon fixation and sequestration must be clearly defined. Feasibility tests (analytical, bench, or field) performed in Phase I must demonstrate that scaling up the proposed approach can theoretically result in a significant rate reduction in atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Phase I should provide preliminary data on prospective rates and quantities of enhanced carbon transformation and sequestration with more comprehensive and peer-reviewed data sets developed in Phase II. Grant applications proposing only computer modeling without improvements in physical mechanisms or field approaches will not be considered. Also, the generation of value-added by-products (e.g., food, fiber, energy) as a result of sequestration research is highly desirable.

Applicants should consider collaborating with the DOE Center for Research on Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems (CSITE), led by a consortium based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The co-directors are Gary Jacobs (ORNL/e-mail: jacobsgk@ornl.gov) and Blaine Metting (PNNL/e-mail: fb_metting@pnl.gov). Other collaborators include scientists from Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, and the Joanneum Research Institute in Austria. Coordination with carbon sequestration research at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is also encouraged. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Microbial Fixation and Transformation of Carbon - Various terrestrial and oceanic microbial populations fix CO₂ and transform the resulting photosynthetic products into residual organic compounds. Biogeochemical pathways have been identified in microorganisms that: fix carbon dioxide and produce methane that can be captured as an energy source; fix carbon monoxide and produce hydrogen (also an energy source); and fix either carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide to produce various molecules with potential biotechnological or industrial uses. Grant applications are sought to:

(1) identify and characterize biosystems capable of fixing or otherwise usefully transforming large quantities of carbon and concurrently producing high-value by-products; and

(2) develop technology to modify existing biosystems, either by conventional strain selection techniques or by genetic engineering, to enhance carbon transformation and the generation of energy (e.g., hydrogen) and/or other products (e.g., food, fiber).

For either items (1) or (2) to be considered as part of a managed carbon sequestration system, grant applications also must demonstrate that the yield of CO₂-fixed products would be significantly enhanced. For potential deployment in terrestrial systems, an engineered biosystem approach should show a capability to increase carbon sequestration by at least 1 tonne per hectare per year. Phase I must demonstrate feasibility and efficacy of proposed sequestration mechanisms, with the large-scale system and commercial applications designed and tested in Phase II.

b. Plant and Soil Sequestration of Carbon - Terrestrial, vascular plants effectively capture CO₂ from the atmosphere and produce organic compounds which sustain productivity of the Earth's ecosystems. Some of the fixed carbon is sequestered in soils or wood products of terrestrial ecosystems, and some accumulates in soils and sediments. Woody species, for example, sequester carbon as lignocellulose, which is a stored product for the lifetime of the tree. Also, for example, above- and below-ground biomass carbon contributes to soil organic matter, which may store carbon for long periods of time. Grant applications are sought to identify and quantify the biological pathways and mechanisms leading to increased quantities of carbon sequestration by soil and biotic components of terrestrial ecosystems. Areas of particular interest include the identification or development of one or more of the following:

(1) terrestrial organisms, and/or metabolic pathways and enzymatic modifications, that enhance the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere;

(2) genetic selections and genetic engineering approaches that result in deposition of a greater fraction of photosynthetic product into forms that more effectively sequester carbon;

(3) methods for altering functional interactions of ecosystems, and/or for modifying the ecological relationships among terrestrial organisms, that could potentially shift the carbon balance of ecosystems in the direction of greater carbon sequestration and increased storage of "natural" long-lived organic compounds;

(4) methods for accelerating transformations of labile vegetable matter into soil organic matter fractions resistant to oxidation back to CO₂, and

(5) innovative technologies and methods to increase carbon content of soils through enhanced production and retention of residual forms of organic matter.

Proposed research should provide information about rates and quantities of carbon sequestration by terrestrial biotic and soil systems. The resulting technologies and approaches should exhibit a capability to increase carbon sequestration by at least 1 tonne per hectare per year. Phase I must demonstrate feasibility and efficacy of proposed sequestration mechanisms, with the large-scale system and commercial applications designed and tested in Phase II.

c. Fuel Production Linked to Carbon Sequestration - Grant applications are sought to develop biosystems for the simultaneous production of fuel (including hydrogen and methane) and sequestered carbon, such as humic compounds. Research questions to be investigated include:

(1) Is the physiology/metabolism of hydrogen producing and carbon sequestering organisms compatible, and can their functions produce different end-products when cultured together?

(2) What forms of microbial modification (e.g., genetics and culture) might conceivably enhance the simultaneous production of hydrogen and the formation of non-labile (sequestered) carbon compounds?

(3) How might linked microbial processes be optimized to produce both hydrogen and useful carbon products?

Grant applications must demonstrate that the linked carbon sequestration and fuel production system will produce meaningful yields of both CO₂-fixed products and fuels. For example, deployment of a biosystem within a terrestrial systems should increase carbon sequestration by approximately 0.5 tonne per hectare per year, while simultaneously providing net energy products for emerging markets. Phase I must demonstrate feasibility and efficacy of combined sequestration and fuel production mechanisms, with larger- and field-scale demonstrations of system performance testing, and economic analysis scheduled for Phase II.

1. Belaich, J. P., ed., Microbiology and Biochemistry of Strict Anaerobes Involved in Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer, New York: Plenum Press, 1990. (ISBN: 0-306-43517-9) (FEMS Symposium)

2. Carbon Sequestration Research and Development, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy Offices of Science and Fossil Energy, 1999. (Available from NTIS. E-mail: orders@ntis.fedworld.gov) (Available on the Web at http://www.ornl.gov/carbon_sequestration/)

3. Lal, R., ed., Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle, Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1998. (ISBN: 0-8493-7441-3)

4. Ratledge, C., ed., Biochemistry of Microbial Degrada-tion, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1994. (ISBN: 0-7923-2273-8)

5. References from Technical Sessions 3C, 4C, 5C, First National Conference on Carbon Sequestration, Washington, DC, May 14-17, 2001. (Available on the Web at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/products/sequestration/index.html) (Click on "What's New," then scroll down to "June 1" and click on conference title.)

6. Rozema, J., et al., eds., CO₂ and the Biosphere, Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993. (ISBN: 0792320441) (Also in Advances in Vegetation Science, Vol. 14. ISSN: 0168-8022)

7. Various articles from Natural Sinks of CO₂: Proceedings of the Palmas Del Mar Workshop, Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico, February 24-27, 1992, Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 64(1-2), 1992. (ISSN: 0049-6979)

The characterization and monitoring of soils, subsurface sediments and groundwater are important elements of Department of Energy (DOE) research efforts. Objectives include determining the fate and transport of wastes generated from past weapons production activities and from current energy production activities, evaluating the risks of energy-related contaminants to human health and ecosystems, and assessing and controlling processes to remediate contaminants.

Grant applications must detail why and how proposed in situ field technologies will substantially improve the state of the art and must include bench tests to demonstrate the technology. Projected dates for likely operational field deployment must be clearly stated. New or advanced field technologies that (1) operate in subsurface environments with mixed/multiple contaminants and (2) can be deployed in 2-3 years will receive selection priority. Grant applications must describe, in the technical approach or work plan, the purpose and specific benefits of any proposed teaming arrangements with government laboratories or universities. Claims of commercial potential for proposed technologies must be supported by information such as endorsements from relevant industrial sectors, market analysis, or identification of commercial spin-offs. Grant applications that propose incremental improvements or enhancements to existing technologies are not of interest and will be declined, as will enhancements to predictive models. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Real-Time, In Situ Measurements in Soils, Subsurface Sediments, or Groundwater - There is a need for sensitive, accurate, and real-time monitoring of geochemical and hydrogeologic processes and their interactions with biological organisms in contaminated soil, subsurface sediments, or groundwater environments (hereafter referred to as the subsurface). The use of highly sensitive monitoring devices in the subsurface (in situ) would allow for low-cost field deployment in remote locations and an enhanced ability to monitor processes at finer levels of resolution. Grant applications are sought to develops sensors and systems to: (1) detect hydrogeologic and biogeochemical processes that control the transport, dispersion, or transformation of contaminants (particularly metals and radionuclides) in the subsurface; (2) determine characteristics such as concentration, movement, or valence state of contaminants (particularly metals and radionuclides) in the subsurface; and/or (3) measure mass-transfer processes and rates within and among individual pores in the subsurface. Grant applications are also sought for integrated sensing and controller/signal processing systems for autonomous or unattended applications of the above measurement needs. Innovative integration of components (such as micro-machined pumps, valves, and micro-sensors) into a complete sensor package with field applications in the subsurface will be considered responsive to this subtopic.

Approaches of interest could include fiber optic, solid-state, chemical, silicon micro-machined sensors, or biosensors (devices employing biological molecules or systems in the sensing elements) that can be used in the field. Biosensing systems may incorporate, but are not limited to, whole cell biosensors (chemoluminescent or bioluminescent systems), enzyme or immunology-linked detection systems, membrane lipids, or DNA/RNA probe technology with amplification and hybridization. As substantial progress has been made in fiber optics and chemical sensing technology in the last decade, grant applications that propose minor adaptations of readily available materials/hardware, and/or can not demonstrate substantial improvements over the current state-of-the-art, are not of interest and will be declined.

b. Rapid Molecular Analysis of Microorganisms - DOE is currently funding research to investigate the use of naturally occurring communities (multiple species) of microorganisms for the in situ bioremediation of contaminants (particularly metals and radionuclides) in the subsurface. Metals of interest include chromium, lead and mercury; radionuclides of interest include cesium, plutonium, strontium, technetium, and uranium. It is essential to understand what microorganisms exist, the extent to which particular microorganisms tend to associate with one another within a microbial community, and whether any have a tendency to be associated with the contaminants. Grant applications are sought for the in situ analysis of individual microbes and microbial communities in the subsurface. Proposed approaches should: (1) characterize consortia and communities, or (2) determine the spatial arrangement, physiological status, or taxonomy of microorganisms. Although Bacteria and Archaea are of greatest interest, methods for the analysis of Eukarya will also be considered.

Possible technologies for assessing microbial community structure include: (1) DNA microarrays and DNA "chip" technologies for rapid detection of genes associated with key microbial species in natural microbial communities (such as metal-reducing bacteria or sulfate-reducing bacteria), or genes associated with metal transformation or metal resistance: and (2) flow cytometric technologies for rapid analysis and sorting of community DNA in naturally occurring microbial populations. Other in situ approaches for rapid analyses of microbial communities or their DNA would also be considered, provided they could be applied to the subsurface.

c. Phytoremediation Monitoring - Phytoremediation involves the use of living plants to extract and remove metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants from soils, subsurface sediments, or groundwater. Innovative methods are needed to monitor the performance or effectiveness of phytoremediation processes, particularly at the field scale. Performance or effectiveness monitoring is needed to determine whether cleanup levels have been met. Grant applications are sought to develop technology for monitoring the following parameters of plants used in phytoremediation: (1) the concentration and partitioning of contaminants in plant roots (sorbed or bound and internal), shoots, stems, and leaves; (2) root depth, distribution, density, and diameter: (3) mortality, health, and vigor of plants (stress indicator); (4) photosynthetic rates; (5) leaf area and evapotranspiration, and/or (6) plant tolerance or sensitivity to contaminants of interest to DOE.

Potential monitoring technologies could include: (1) spectral reflectance and thermal infrared measurement techniques, (2) laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence imaging, (3) laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, (4) x-ray fluorescence, (5) ground-penetrating radar, (6) chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, and (7) molecular methods for monitoring soil and rhizosphere microbiology. Both remote monitoring and in situ monitoring approaches are of interest. Proposed technologies should significantly improve the speed, efficiency, and cost of current monitoring methods. While initial proof of principle experiments may focus on one single contaminant, the technology ultimately must be able to operate under mixed contaminant conditions such as those commonly found at DOE sites.

1. Colwell, F. S., et al., "Innovative Techniques for Collection of Saturated and Unsaturated Basalts and Sediments for Microbiological Characterization," Journal of Microbiological Methods, 15(4):279-292, 1992. (ISSN: 0167-7012)

2. Dandridge, A. and Cogdell, G. B., "Fiber Optic Sensors - Performance, Reliability, Smallness," Sea Technology, 35(5):31, May 1994. (ISSN: 0093-3651)

3. DeRisi, J. L., et al., "Exploring the Metabolic and Genetic Control of Gene Expression on a Genomic Scale," Science, 278(5338):680-686, October 14, 1997. (ISSN: 0036-8075)

4. Egorov, O.B., et al., "Radionuclide Sensors Based on Chemically Selective Scintillating Microspheres: Renewable Column Sensor for Analysis of 99Tc in Water," Analytical Chemistry, 71(23):5420-5429, December 1, 1999. (ISSN: 0003-2700)

5. Guschin, D. Y., et al., "Oligonucleotide Microchips as Genosensors for Deterministic and Environmental Studies in Microbiology," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 63(6):2397-2402, June 1997. (ISSN: 0099-2240)

6. Hedrick, D. B., et al., "Disturbance, Starvation, and Overfeeding Stresses Detected by Microbial Lipid Biomarkers in High-Solids, High-Yield Methanogenic Reactors," Journal of Industrial Microbiology, 8(2):91-98, 1991. (ISSN: 0169-4146)

7. Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Program Plan, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, September 1995. (Report No. DOE/ER -0659T) (NTIS Order No. DE96000157) (Available full text on Web at: http://www.osti.gov/bridge)

8. Phelps, T. H., et al., "Methods for Recovery of Deep Terrestrial Subsurface Sediments for Microbiological Studies," Journal of Microbiological Methods, 9(4):267-279, 1989. (ISSN 0167-7012)

9. Prabhu, V., et al., "Recent Advances in the Understanding of Plant Metabolism Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy," CCAB 97 Mini-Review, September 9, 1997. (Available on the Web at: http://neo.pharm.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/ccab/2nd/mini_review/mr131/prabhu.html)

10. Raskin, I., et al., Phytoremediation of Toxic Metals: Using Plants to Clean Up the Environment, New York: John Wiley & Sons, November 1999. (ISBN: 0471192546)

11. Research Needs in Subsurface Science: U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management Science Program, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. (ISBN: 0309066468) (Full text available on the Web at: http://www.nap.edu)

12. Riley, R. G., et al., Chemical Contaminants on DOE Lands and Selection of Contaminant Mixtures for Subsurface Science Research, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy, April 1992. (Report No. DOE/ER- 0547T) (NTIS Order No. DE92014826) (Available from NTIS. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847. Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/support/orderingpage.htm)

13. Rivera H., et al., "A Microsensor to Measure Nanomolar Concentrations of Nitric Oxide," Sensors, 11(2):72-73, February 1994. (ISSN 0746-9462)

14. Russell, B. F., et al., "Procedures for Sampling Deep Subsurface Microbial Communities in Unconsolidated Sediments," Ground Water Monitoring Review, 12(1):96-104, Winter 1992. (ISSN: 0277-1926).