Funded Grant Projects: 2002

Laura Anderson Barbata
Artist/Papermaker, New York, New York

"Empowering Amazon Schools to Preserve Native History through Production of Recycled Paper and Handmade Books"

(Categories: Intercultural Communication and Waste Minimization and Management)

The Yanomami community of the Venezuelan Amazon territory relies on the Ministry of Education and local missions to supply the needs of their intercultural schools. However, in some cases the books provided by the government inaccurately interpret the histories of the native communities which has a profound effect on the community, both in terms of the self-esteem of the Yanomami people, and as a reflection of how the larger population perceives their traditions and culture. Furthermore, the one-time use books create refuse, which is a foreign concept to the Yanomami people. Ms. Barbata proposes to empower the Yanomami people by providing them with the skills to redefine their histories through book and papermaking, while simultaneously providing an ecological solution to a growing trash problem. Using the old government-provided books to create new paper, they will make handmade books as supplements to the state-approved educational materials and preserve traditions that are becoming extinct. They will also record their own history, ideas and images, while promoting recycling and forest preservation. This Lindbergh/Newton Grant in Intercultural Communication has been made possible by a gift from Eleanor F. Newton in memory of James D. Newton.

Jeremy Edmiston
Partner/Architect, SYSTEMarchitects, New York, New York

"Designing High-Rise Buildings that Incorporate and Respond to the Natural Environment"

(Category: Conservation of General Resources-Energy)

Buildings account for nearly half of the energy consumption in developed countries and therefore are a major cause of global warming. The high-rise building is a necessary part of modern human life, however, heating, cooling and ventilation can account for technical problems surrounding high-rise structures. A design that integrates the technical and spatial needs of the high-rise building will open the door to less energy consumption and lead to a new type of building that connects the occupants with, rather than isolates them from, the natural environment outside. The results of his work will comprise diagrams, research findings and computer models, which will be uploaded onto the Internet and made available for practical use by developers, architects, educators and city planners. It is hoped that high-rise buildings can be made to be more environmentally appealing for people living and working in them, and use less energy. This Lindbergh/Fried Grant in conservation has been made possible by a gift from Albert Fried, Jr.

Dr. Thanh Hoa Le
Head of Immunology Department and Molecular Helminthology Laboratory, National Institute of Biotechnology of Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam

"Using DNA to Identify Freshwater Parasites While Educating Rural Vietnamese Communities about Prevention and Treatment Methods"

(Category: Health)

Water-born parasites are a major cause of animal and human health problems in Vietnam. Large populations of Vietnamese people live in environmentally poor living conditions, especially in the rural and mountainous regions. The spread and transmission of parasitic diseases in Vietnam are primarily related to the frequent exposure to fresh water contaminated by various species of parasites, and the cultural practice of eating raw and partially cooked food, many of which are infected with parasites. Dr. Le plans to use DNA sequencing techniques to develop a means of accurately identifying selected parasitic species associated with freshwater habitats in Vietnam, which will aid in diagnosing disease. Finally, information gathered from this study will be used to develop a finely targeted public-health education program, including preventative and specific treatment policies.

Dr. Duncan J. Martin
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

"Seeding Landfills with Solid Organic Wastes to Produce Methane, a Renewable Energy Source"

(Category: Waste Minimization and Management)

Despite recent pressures to reduce waste, the need for landfill space is ever increasing. While more than 50% of the municipal solid waste in the United States is buried in permitted landfills, less developed parts of the world are still using open dumps. It is Dr. Martin's goal to encourage municipalities and developing countries to bury more waste in properly designed landfills, and to incorporate seeding the landfills with solid organic materials. It is expected that seeding will increase the production of methane to the point that recovering the biogas would become economically viable and that the gas could begin to be used as a renewable energy source, replacing non-renewable alternatives. It is also expected that landfills using the seeding process will stabilize sooner, which is better for the environment. This Lindbergh/Lloyd grant in waste minimization and management has been made possible by a gift from Maureen Boles Lloyd in loving memory of James Lloyd.

Dr. Javier Nakamatsu
Associate Professor, Pontifica Universidad Catolica Del Peru, Lima, Peru

"Defining Potential Uses for Shrimp Shell Chitin in Agriculture in Peru"

(Category: Agriculture)

One of the most urgent problems for developing countries is feeding their population, making higher yielding agriculture vital. Although there have been technological developments in agriculture in the past few decades in Peru, as in many other developing countries, agricultural practices continue to be carried out in traditional ways with low yields. Using chitin derivatives, a waste product from the shrimp industry, Dr. Nakamatsu plans to produce environmentally safe materials that can be used for water conservation and that, at the same time, provide a controlled release of nutrients and/or pesticides to improve harvest growth. The use of the chitin as the controlled release agent for chemicals minimizes the negative impact on the environment because it reduces the number of applications and amounts of chemicals needed. Furthermore, since chitin is easily obtained from shrimp shells, this study could contribute to solving the environmental problem created by the shrimp industry in Peru.

Kristina Owens
Graduate Student, School of Forestry and Wood Products, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan

"Preserving the Genetic Diversity of the Bolivian Cherimoya Fruit"

(Category: Agriculture)

Modern agriculture has narrowed the genetic base of many crops while preying on, and in some cases, destroying the traditional genetic base of crops, including one of the lost crops of the Incas, the Cherimoya. While the Cherimoya fruit and related species are somewhat integrated into market systems, it is largely unused as a cash crop in the rural Andean communities where the plant originated and the genetic base remains intact. Ms. Owens plans to use statistical analysis of its genetic diversity to characterize the differences and identify pest-resistant characteristics of the plants in the hope that this study will allow breeding of the trees that maintain the traditional genetic base, improving cash crop opportunities and reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides. By integrating tree crops such as Cherimoya to small landholders, diversity of the species will increase, population and agricultural pressure on the landscape may be reduced, and rural income improves.

Alissa Salmore
Associate Researcher, University of Wisconsin System Great Lakes Water Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"Identifying the Source of E-coli in Urban Storm Water Using DNA"

(Category: Waste Minimization and Management)

The balance between urban development and ecological health is fragile and often tipped in favor of development due to economic pressures or the inability to maintain environmental integrity due to lack of information. One of the greatest challenges in maintaining water quality is determining the source of contamination. Urban storm runoff is a significant contributor to surface waters, yet little is known about how bacteria enter the water. In this study, Ms. Salmore will assess the amount of bacterial pollution introduced into surface waters by urban storm water and attempt to identify the source of contamination. Using DNA technology, she will determine to what extent storm water contributes to the overall degraded water quality in the Menomonee River, a major waterway that enters Lake Michigan. She will develop a molecular DNA tool with an accompanying database that will allow water quality management agencies to accurately target major bacterial pollution sources in urban runoff, thereby providing them with the ability to appropriately direct limited financial resources. The tools developed in this study may also be used to address pollution problems in other waterways. This Lindbergh grant in waste minimization and management has been made possible by a gift from the Lindbergh family in memory of James Lloyd.

Hatem Abdel-Moneim Tallima
Research Assistant, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

"Preventing the Spread of Schistosomiasis by Developing a New Vaccine"

(Category: Biomedical Research)

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by five species of flatworms, or blood flukes, and is transmitted through infested water. This is a major public health problem in Egypt and numerous other developing countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Approximately 200 million people are infected with this disease worldwide. Prior to the development of the drug, Praziquantel, molluscicides were used to control the snails that serve as an intermediate host for the worms. However, the molluscicides have been found to be harmful to water supplies, plants and animals, and Praziquantel has side effects and does nothing to prevent re-infection of the disease. Mr. Tallima plans to develop a vaccine that will generate antibodies in the body and ultimately lead to elimination of the worms in all stages of maturation. The development of such a vaccine can also prevent re-infection, thereby improving the quality of human life and the environment.

Jorge M. Vivanco, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

"Developing a Safe Pesticide for Potato Farming from an Endangered Andean Crop"

(Category: Agriculture)

The potato is a major world crop, yet yields are hampered by a wide variety of diseases. Conventional disease control strategies in intensive potato producing systems rely on almost daily applications of chemicals, which contribute to soil and water pollution and contamination of natural areas as well as posing risks to human health. Dr. Vivanco will use plant ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), a plant-defense protein found in an endangered Andean food crop, which can protect against viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases. RIPs are externally applicable and do not involve genetic modification of food crops. Dr. Vivanco's approach combines the development of an environmentally friendly agricultural technology while providing a new use for an endangered crop. Success of his project could also aid Andean farmers who cannot afford conventional pesticides and are in need of simple technologies to protect their crops.

This Lindbergh Grant in agriculture is sponsored by The Laura Jane Musser Fund.