“The so-called ‘middle mile’ of the supply chain, which refers to all the travel heavy-duty trucks have to do to carry goods from one major location to another, is the most challenging part of the transportation sector to decarbonize,” said Nadia Gkritza, a Purdue professor of civil engineering and agricultural and biological engineering.
Ambrose explained, “Dust explosions are one of the most serious hazards that can occur in the grain industry. The explosions can also lead to significant financial and personal losses from downtime, repair, injuries and fatalities.”
"Around my age, people ask what you want to do with your life. I've discovered that figuring out what you want to do and who you are is a journey. Part of that journey is saying, ‘Yes,’ to opportunities that stretch and grow who you are."
- Maddie Milharcic, junior in agricultural and biological engineering
“Growing up you hear about the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But we would never have imagined that one day we would be there. We were truly overwhelmed.” Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, Bernie Engel.
Keith Cherkauer, a Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering and the director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, said that, under normal circumstances, it is possible that the aquifer under the Wabash River could withstand huge withdrawals. But he worries about drought years.
The collaboration began with an internal 2022 proposal that led to funding a project between faculty members in the College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering. The new project also extends the work of Matthew Rogers, who received a doctorate in agricultural and biological engineering from Purdue in 2022. Rogers used stereovision to measure the volume of granular agricultural materials.
"We're concerned about the stability of the mRNA that's inside frozen or liquid formulations," Ristroph said. "mRNA is a very fragile molecule. It will tend to break down. You also want to make sure that your nanoparticles themselves stay stable. You need to be sure that what you're putting into somebody's arm is the same as what you manufactured in the first place."