Praveen Kolar

Dr. Thakur will be responsible for the overall coordination and successful completion of the relevant project objectives that will be carried out in NC. He has extensive experience in conducting epidemiological based studies and will lead this project. He will be responsible for coordinating the sampling effort in NC, sample processing and pathogen isolation followed by characterization of the isolates. Dr. Thakur lab has the necessary infrastructure to perform phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Salmonella and Campylobacter isolates. His lab has an Illumina MiSeq that will be used for the 16sRNA and metagenomic sequencing of the samples collected in the proposed study. Finally, he will work closely with the rest of the team and will communicate research results in a timely manner.

The overall goal of the proposed research is to convert food wastes (FW) into heteroatom-doped supercapacitors. Specifically, for this project, we propose to use coffee chaff, bread scraps, and peanut hulls as waste feedstocks because of their favorable chemical composition (presence of C, O, N, and trace amounts of S and P). The two major objectives are to (1) synthesize of activated char doped with N, O, S, and P from FWs and (2) evaluate the efficacy of the activated char-derived supercapacitors via electrochemical testing. After the conclusion of the project, we expect to have developed technical protocols to convert FWs (coffee chaff, bread scraps, and peanut hulls) into AC-derived supercapacitors. Specifically, the first objective will result in the development of procedures for the synthesis of porous AC-doped with optimal concentrations of N, S, O, and P on the surface of the AC matrix. After the conclusion of the second objective, information on the energy density, specific capacitance and power density of the electrodes will be available for comparison.

An ethanologenic, WT, non-GMO strain of yeast from Rayonier will be assessed for viability. If viable, cells will be propagated and cultured for further fermentation work. A multitude of culture tubes will be placed in a -80C freezer for preservation. A liquid sample from an existing pulp mill, termed ????????????????liquor???????????????, will be characterized and assessed for biotoxicity. The soluble sugars in the liquor will be fermented to ethanol using RYAM??????????????????s yeast strain. If needed, commercially available yeast, such as Ethanol Red, will also be used per RYAM??????????????????s instruction. A series of process variables, as prescribed by RYAM, will be assessed to identify optimal parameters for ethanol productivity and yield.

This project will address the food animal production industry??????????????????s need for professionals and extension specialists who possess the skills needed to thrive in today??????????????????s data-rich world. The long-term goal of this project is to meet increasing meat demands across the global market through sustainable intensification, thereby also broadening export opportunities for American meat producers. To meet this goal and address a critical shortage of personnel who are data analytics-aware, the food animal production workforce needs to be modernized with professionals and extension specialists who possess data literacy and holistic problem-solving skills. We will create a 10-week summer program dedicated to supplying the workforce with students trained in these three proficiency areas. This summer program, titled the Pigs, Poultry, the Planet, and data-driven Problem Solving (P4) Summer Fellowship Program, will prepare undergraduate students for contemporary careers in food animal production, and specifically target the swine and poultry production industries.

Background: In this age of ???????no antibiotic ever???????? farming, the re-emerging Necrotic enteritis (NE) disease caused by Clostridium perfringens have posed a major economically important gut health concern in poultry, particularly in the broiler population. Identifying early-stage biological indicators of NE can help initiate prompt disease control measures, thus enabling judicious use of antibiotics on the broiler farms. Research in recent years, particularly in the context of precision-animal agriculture technology, has shown a significant correlation between the pattern and concentrations of specific class of volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as reduced Sulphur compounds (RSC) and the occurrence of various enteric diseases. With the aid of USPOULTRY funding, we have previously developed a portable low-cost sensor system for measuring ammonia in poultry houses. Here, we propose to identify early-stage NE-specific VOC, including RSC in the air as well as feces, as biological markers of NE disease development. Furthermore, our findings will be applied for developing a method suitable for identifying rapid and reliable NE detection precision tech-tools. Objective : To identify specific VOC/ RSC patterns associated with early NE stages and develop a method suitable for devising rapid and reliable precision-based air-analysis tools. Approach: We will first reproduce NE in broilers using an experimental C. perfringens challenge model. Next, the subtle changes in the fecal and air VOC, including RSC composition during different stages of NE disease progression will be evaluated using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technique and identify specific VOC pattern associated with the early stages of NE. Finally, we will validate GC-MS method findings with precision portable handheld VOC sensor devices. Industry value: The proposed work aims to identify specific VOC/RSC patterns associated with early stages of C. perfringens infections with high reliability and thus, aid in developing an effective sensor-based platform for rapid detection of NE. This work is industry application oriented such that our science and technology interface would yield value-added means for the poultry producers to use in empowering them to grow chickens with no or judicious use of on-farm antibiotics.

North Carolina is the biggest producer of confined livestock, poultry and swine. While confined livestock production is economically efficient, it can have substantial environmental impacts, on soil, water, and air qualities. Emissions from livestock barns have significant impacts on the environment, public health, and quality of life, particularly, due to odors. Odor emission have resulted in multiple lawsuits and judgments against the NC swine industry, that have the potential to damage the sustainability of the swine industry and perhaps, poultry industry. This may even damage NC's agricultural economy. The low-cost windbreak wall - vegetative strip system has been shown to reduce odor emissions by nearly 80% 10 m in front of swine and poultry house fans. The system comprises of a mosquito screen covering all the exhaust fans framed with dimension lumber. A 30-cm opening under the front screen prevents excessive pressure rise and is screened by a strip of switchgrass that traps dust and absorbs odorous gases. The system reduces exhaust emissions through the front screen and increases emissions through the top and sides, and thus improves dilution and reduce horizontal odor transport. Since dust transports odorous gases, the system also reduces odor emissions by trapping dust. The system also reduces water pollution by reducing dust collection in drainage swales between barns that can be transported into receiving waters. We propose to demonstrate the system in a swine and broiler barn to stakeholders to increase the use and adoption of this low-cost system to reduce odor emissions and increase sustainability of confined livestock production in NC.

The goal of this project is to identify a valuable use for bioenergy bioenergy byproduct (biochar) within the NC poultry sector. Such use can improve the economic outlook of miscanthus adoption as well as its utilization in bioenergy generation. As such, this project aims at assessing the benefits of using miscanthus-derived biochar as a poultry litter additive. Poultry litter additives are typically used to reduce litter ammonia concentration, as well as control pathogenic microorganisms and reduce pests which, without intervention, can reduce poultry productivity and welfare. Currently, the industry relies on commercial treatment additives, such as alum or PLT ?????????, which can be a significant cost to production and require repeated additions to maintain benefits. This project aims at assessing the impact of biochar production conditions and treatment on ammonia emissions from broiler litter.

Problem: In this age of ???????????????no antibiotic ever?????????????????? farming, the re-emerging Necrotic enteritis (NE) disease caused by Clostridium perfringens have posed a major economically important health concern in poultry, particularly in the broiler population. Identifying early-stage indicators of NE can help initiate prompt disease control measures, thus enabling judicious use of antibiotics on the broiler farms. Research has shown a significant correlation between the pattern and concentrations of specific class of volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as reduced Sulphur compounds (RSC) and the occurrence of various enteric diseases. With the aid of USPOULTRY funding, we have previously developed a portable low-cost sensor system for measuring ammonia in poultry houses. Here, we propose to identify early-stage NE-specific VOC, specifically RSC in the air, as physiological markers of NE development. Furthermore, our findings will be applied for developing a method suitable for identifying rapid and reliable NE detection precision tech-tools. Objective : To identify specific VOC/ RSC patterns associated with early NE stages and develop a method suitable for devising rapid and reliable precision-based air-analysis tools. Approach: We will first reproduce NE in broilers using an experimental C. perfringens challenge model. Next, the subtle changes in the air VOC, including RSC composition during different stages of NE disease progression will be evaluated using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technique and identify specific VOC pattern associated with the early stages of NE. Finally, we will validate GC-MS method findings with precision portable handheld VOC sensor devices. Industry value: The proposed work aims to identify specific VOC/RSC patterns associated with early stages C. perfringens infections with high reliability and thus, aid in developing an effective sensor-based platform for rapid detection of NE. This work is industry application oriented such that our science and technology interface would yield value-added means for the poultry producers to use in empowering them to grow chickens with no or judicious use of on-farm antibiotics.

Utilization of various organic waste materials for low-carbon energy production has made significant contributions to environmental protection and sustainable development. Novozymes and North Carolina State University (NCSU) have a common interest in promoting and optimizing bioenergy production from organic waste materials with enzymes. Specifically, we will work collaboratively to develop and optimize an enzyme enhanced anaerobic digestion (2E-AD) bioprocess from source separated organics (SSO) and municipal solid waste (MSW) in this proposed project.

The likelihood of the EPA regulating air pollutant emissions and local pressure to control odors necessitates the use of cost-effective methods to treat swine barn exhaust. Currently there are no cost-effective technologies for treating exhaust from livestock barns. We propose an engineered windbreak wall - vegetative strip system where the exhaust from the barn would be partially treated in a vegetative strip causing the free- and particle-bound gases to settle out, permitting the soil and plants to assimilate these pollutants. The windbreak wall would also facilitate dilution of the exhaust to reduce odors. The system would be designed using computational fluid dynamics software, then tested in the lab, and finally installed and monitored over 24 months at commercial swine and broiler farms in Lillington, NC. In addition to evaluation reduction in gas and particulate matter concentrations in the exhaust, changes in chemical concentrations will be monitored in the plants and soil will be compared with "control treatment" samples. The cost-effectiveness of this system, expressed in $/kg of pollutant reduced will be calculated.