Category: News

Southern Research’s inaugural Change Campaign advances key research programs

Posted on November 28, 2018

Founded in 1941 as a non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives throughout Alabama and beyond, Birmingham-based Southern Research and its scientists and engineers have made significant contributions to multiple fields in its history – including infectious disease, clean air, space exploration and national defense.

But in fall 2018, Southern Research elected to highlight its multi-faceted efforts in neuroscience, cancer research and “green” chemistry through the inaugural Change Campaign, a peer-to-peer fundraiser generating funds to support ongoing research efforts.

“Our passion at Southern Research is driven by hope: hope for a cure, for a cleaner, greener Earth and for lives to be changed – and ultimately saved,” said Southern Research President and CEO Art Tipton, Ph.D. “Donations to the Change Campaign allow us to continue to explore important scientific breakthroughs within high-risk, high-reward endeavors that are many times difficult to fund through traditional government grants.”

Southern Research
Researchers representing the three pillars under the Change Campaign: Amit Goyal (sustainable chemistry), Rebecca Boohaker (cancer research) and Rita Cowell (neuroscience). Image: Mary Margaret Smith)

Fundraising under the Change Campaign, which relied on volunteer “Change Agents,” began in September and lasted for 30 days. The campaign climaxed on Oct. 11 with a community event called the “Evening of Change” on the grounds of Southern Research’s downtown Birmingham campus.

The one-month initiative ultimately raised more than $200,000 while simultaneously building awareness of the organization’s groundbreaking work in select fields.

“Southern Research’s mission is simple – make the world a better place. Our teams are passionately developing innovative technologies that positively impact real-world problems. We cannot progress our efforts – or be successful – without the support of our partners and the community,” said Southern Research Development Officer Brynne MacCann.

The Change Campaign’s showcase of the following three pillars of scientific inquiry under way at Southern Research included:

  • Neuroscience: This department is devoted to discovering effective central nervous system therapies to prevent, treat or cure neurological diseases and mental health disorders. Investigators are exploring the underlying mechanisms of neuronal cell death and dysfunction in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, ALS and schizophrenia.
  • Cancer Research: Since Southern Research began its cancer research program in 1946, its scientists have saved countless lives through the development of effective chemotherapy techniques, the discovery of seven FDA-approved anticancer drugs and the testing of many medicines now on the market. Today, researchers are evaluating new treatment targets, investigating how to activate the immune system to kill tumor cells, and developing potential new anticancer drugs.
  • Green Chemistry: The goal of Southern Research’s work in sustainable chemistry is to develop environmentally friendly and cost-efficient methods for making valuable chemicals or products from materials essentially considered to be waste. Researchers have devised ways to convert waste biomass sugars into the building block of carbon fiber, as well as to transform harmful carbon dioxide into chemicals needed to make everyday products.

    Southern Research
    Southern Research President and CEO Art Tipton speaks at the Change Campaign’s ‘Evening of Change’ event. (Image: Mary Margaret Smith)

ATTACKING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS

Southern Research’s staff of nearly 400 workers is structured along four operating divisions: drug discovery, drug development, engineering and energy and environment. Besides the Birmingham research complex, it operates laboratories and offices in Maryland, Georgia and Texas.

The organization has and will continue to pursue entrepreneurial and collaborative initiatives to develop and maintain a pipeline of intellectual property and innovative technologies that positively impact real-world problems.

In keeping with this commitment, Southern Research has also worked closely with BioAlabama in 2018, helping the trade organization bring more visibility to Alabama’s growing biotech ecosystem and the incredible work being done in the state. The industry’s impact on the state has been calculated at more than $7 billion annually.

Southern Research Recognizes 2018 President’s Award and Excellence Awards Winners

Posted on November 21, 2018

Southern Research honored winners of its 2018 Employee Excellence Awards in a program last week.

The winners include 24 individuals and five teams across technical and administrative staff and represent Southern Research’s diverse divisions and departments. All have shown a deep commitment to Southern Research’s mission, its sponsors, and their colleagues.

Their accomplishments supported Southern Research in a wide range of efforts during 2018, from advancing science and technology to making the organization a safer, more efficient, and more productive workplace.

This year, President and CEO Art Tipton, Ph.D., recognized Judy Britt for her contributions and dedication to Southern Research with The President’s Award.

SR President and CEO Art Tipton recognized Judy Britt for her contributions and dedication to Southern Research with The President’s Award.

Britt currently serves as contracts manager, where her deep experience with both government and commercial proposals and contracts has been invaluable to SR teams. In this role, she manages some of SR’s largest and most complicated agreements. She freely shares her wealth of knowledge with her colleagues, and she is never too busy to answer a question. The impact of this institutional knowledge is felt across the organization.

“Over a 30-year career at Southern Research, Judy Britt has set a shining example of customer service and dedication,” Tipton said. “Most notably, Judy’s work and dedication to Southern Research’s contracts efforts has furthered the organizational mission to solve the world’s hardest problems, particularly in the areas of space flight, national defense, energy, the environment, and new therapeutics to treat various diseases.”

As part of her award, Britt was presented with the Thomas Wesley Martin Medal. A limited number of these coins were made in 1961 as a gift to the board of trustees to show appreciation for a select number of scientists who have made phenomenal achievements in their respective fields.

Receiving Excellence Awards for their work in 2018 were:

Jamie Bell: In his new leadership role within the Drug Development in vivo group, Bell has gone above and beyond to improve the management of the animal husbandry department and train new staff members, resulting in a vast improvement of the facilities and processes.

Donghui Bao, Ph.D.: In just four years, Bao has exponentially grown the capabilities and services of the bioanalytical laboratory within Drug Discovery’s Chemistry Department, providing the drug discovery program with the vital data necessary to support its extensive number of research programs for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple myeloma, and more.

Tommy Brooks: As SR’s dedicated staff electrician, Brooks manages crucial, multifaceted electrical systems and projects for all SR facilities. He was recognized for his outstanding customer service, relentless dedication, and on-time completion of projects.

Pam Burn: Burn was recognized for her devotion to encouraging cooperation with the environmental health and safety principles across all of SR. She works diligently to provide an effective communication path and safe work environment for all employees.

Jennifer Carl: Carl has been incredibly responsive and proactive in helping facilitate transactions between the Drug Development business development team and the contracts team. Her broad, specialized knowledge of the business combined with her professionalism has helped expedite a routinely lengthy and complicated process.

Steve Clark: In just two years, Clark has managed to greatly improve efficiency in contracts processes and procedures for the mechanics research component of SR Engineering. By engaging team members to better understand SR’s key customers, contract requirements, and the overall business, he has taken customer relations to a higher level.

Seth Cohen: As an engineer on Engineering’s system development team, Cohen has developed, proposed, and received multiple project funding. In just one year, his innovative applications of chaos theory to practical problems have earned him five awards for novel technology development.

Ron Dainton: Dainton directed the demolition and redesign efforts for a major renovation project at SR’s Frederick, Maryland, infectious disease research facility. His oversight of day-to-day construction activities helped ensure all facility research endeavors continued with minimal disruption.

Steve Gallagher: Within his role on the IT support team, Gallagher has exemplified SR’s core values in his daily interactions with all SR staff. He has consistently demonstrated respectful, open communication and dedicated support across all teams, departments and cultures.

Lynae Hanks, Ph.D.: As the lead for Drug Discovery’s proposal writing efforts, Hanks has played an integral role in helping elevate the quality and volume of the division’s proposals. Her contributions and dedication to the process have contributed significantly to the division’s ability to achieve its short- and long-term goals.

Keith Hendershot: As a team member in SR’s Environmental Analytical Lab, Hendershot operates large scale pilot units and water treatment systems for some of SR’s biggest clients. His dedication and knowledge have ensured projects run seamlessly and that customers are continually satisfied.

Ame Johnsey: Johnsey was recognized for her exemplary service and support of the entire organization through her management of the CEO’s schedule and facilitating events, activities and notable visitors. She goes above and beyond in her role with a positive attitude and dedication.

Shelby Massey: As a team member in Engineering’s hypersonic structures group, Massey has adapted to accommodate large volumes of challenging work while at the same time encouraging and supporting team members across the division. Her dedication to excellence has helped boost the success of the hypersonic structures team’s efforts.

Synthia Mayfield: Mayfield was recognized for her significant contributions to Drug Development’s pathology group, particularly in providing support to the team during times of increased workloads and challenging circumstances. Alongside her main role, she took on additional responsibilities and developed new skills to help manage scheduling and resources for the team.

Matthew Merrell, Ph.D.: As a senior scientist and study director in Drug Development, Merrell manages complex studies for a range of customers. This year, he handled two particularly challenging studies and managed to exceed customer expectations and deliver on time results.

Lutfiya Miller, Ph.D.: In 2018, Miller spearheaded an effort within Drug Development’s toxicology program to develop neurobehavioral assessment capabilities. Her contributions have increased revenue for the program and will lead to more opportunities for the toxicology team to serve one of its largest and oldest clients, the National Toxicology Program.

Bhavesh Patel: Patel was recognized for his technical skills as a vital member of Engineering’s materials characterization group and his success in winning and performing work in the commercial space sector. He has also played an instrumental role in the restructuring of Engineering’s thermal lab to improve efficiency.

Lillie Ryans: Ryans has demonstrated a commitment to her craft through diligence, intelligence, and a thorough understanding of the complex contracting world that exists for SR and its customers. Day in and day out she leads by example and helps technical groups achieve success through the critical role she plays for the organization.

Jadid Samad, Ph.D.: In addition to his team oriented approach and dedication, Samad was recognized for the key role he has played in bringing in significant, new DOE research contracts for E&E’s sustainable chemistry and catalysis group. He has also filed three patents for new technologies, and one was issued within just one year.

Denora Shanks: Shanks, a team member in accounts payable, has demonstrated excellence in her interactions with and support of Engineering’s mechanics group, especially in regard to that group’s high-volume workload. Her role requires her to interact with both internal and external clients, and she has gone out of her way to display professionalism and to share her knowledge.

Krupa Subramanian: A biologist in Drug Development, Subramanian has conducted innovative work in the HIV research space by developing a modified quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA) that is superior to the gold-standard method for HIV reservoir quantification. The new assay is being well received by government clients including DAIDS-NIAID of NIH.

Samuel Tanner: Tanner, a chemist in Drug Discovery, has excelled in his new role as manager of the group’s compound collection by increasing efficiency of the delivery of chemical samples and by revamping the collection’s commercial inventory. He has helped fix software issues to help improve accuracy and reduce costs.

Megan Tidwell: Tidwell was recognized for her proactive and results-oriented approach to trouble-shooting accounting issues, particularly in support of the contracts group. She recently stepped into a new role and has drastically improved contracts processes thanks to her creative solutions and positive approach to challenges.

Gabrielle Williams: In her role as lead security guard, Williams was tasked with creating upgraded ID badges for the high-security Engineering facility. She managed to accomplish the upgrade in record time.

The Drug Development Anatomic Pathology Group: This team is responsible for the execution of the necropsy and histology work in Drug Development. This year, they have collaborated to improve procedures, cut costs, and upgrade work standards and quality. Additionally, they have established a successful mentoring and training program to help all team members succeed.

The Engineering Asbestos Program Team: Team members Tony Sanford and Richard Cooley were tasked with a particularly challenging project – characterizing hazardous asbestos containing material. They met the challenge, working long hours in a demanding environment to complete the testing needed.

The Engineering Machine Shop Modernization Team: Kenneth Nicholson and Joshua Washburn were instrumental in helping the shop upgrade its equipment and capabilities in a short amount of time. Their technical knowledge, passion, and interpersonal skills led to a complex upgrade of the entirety of the shop’s tools and equipment.

The Dapivirine Study Group: These Drug Development team members were recognized for their exceptional team work and commitment to excellence for a study on the HIV prevention drug Dapivirine. Their collaborative design of a communication strategy, consistently outstanding work performance, and technical innovation were all keys to formulating a study design, generating extensive data, and interpreting the data within a tight timeline. Their successful delivery of study outcomes exceeded the customer’s expectations, which turned into additional business from this customer. Team members include Zhaohui Cai, Jiayi Wei, Christy Raney, Hayley Madeira, Junzhong Peng, Carol Lackman-Smith, Beth Snyder, and Amy Sands.

The Proposal Process Team: Debbie Dille, Steve Clark, and Christopher Tanner worked as a team to improve the process of managing large proposals, which has increased efficiency across the board. The team implemented a new system that is more precise and flexible, allowing for better communication between technical and business personnel in order to increase response time.

Southern Research tests parts 3-D printed in space for NASA

Posted on November 14, 2018

Could 3-D printers transform the International Space Station into a manufacturing hub and one day function as the heart of an on-demand machine shop in space that enables NASA to mount crewed missions deep into the solar system?

Engineers at Southern Research are helping NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center explore the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies that have major logistics implications for the nation’s ambitious future space missions.

“When NASA sends a crew to Mars, there can’t be a resupply mission. There is just no way to send them replacement parts if equipment breaks or a part fails in deep space,” said Madison Parks, an advanced mechanical engineer in Southern Research’s Engineering division.

“On a mission to Mars, a 3-D printer will have to go with the crew. A part failing in orbit can be replaced after a resupply mission, but a resupply mission to a craft on the way to Mars would be too costly and may result in a loss of the mission. The crew will need to be entirely self-sufficient,” he added.

NASA 3-D printing
Madison Parks, an advanced mechanical engineer at Southern Research, is working with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on a project to test objects 3-D printed in space.

Parks is working with Marshall’s engineers to come up with an answer to a critical question facing NASA’s plans for space-borne three-dimensional printing: Are parts manufactured in zero-gravity going to behave just like those produced on Earth-bound 3-D printers?

The ISS is already equipped with a 3-D printer. In 2014, California-based Made in Space sent a polymer printer to the space station, followed two years later by a more advanced device. It’s been used to print plastic tools used around the station, along with other non mission-critical items.

To help NASA understand the properties of materials printed in an in-space 3-D polymer printer, Parks and his team are testing specimens of materials printed in space and comparing them to similar specimens produced on Earth.

Along with tension and compression tests on these materials, Southern Research will be performing digital image correlation (DIC). DIC is a non-contact optical method that employs tracking and image registration techniques for accurate 3-D measurements of changes on the surface during a mechanical or thermal loading.

Measuring full-field displacements and strains during the mechanical tests will help engineers understand the material behavior and overall effect of print passes and how they relate to zero-gravity 3-D printing versus Earth 3-D printing.

“For safety reasons, NASA has to understand the materials before they use them,” Parks said. “You have to understand where and how these parts, which are manufactured in space, can be used. Doing otherwise could lead to parts and systems failing prematurely.”

Southern Research’s Engineering division, which specializes in analyzing how materials perform in extreme environments, has collaborated with NASA for decades.

Southern Research
Astronaut Butch Wilmore shows off a plastic tool made using a 3-D printer installed on the International Space Station in 2014. (Image: NASA)

Its engineers analyzed the thermal and mechanical properties of potential heat shield materials for the Apollo program and provided crucial support for the Space Shuttle, particularly in the “Return to Flight” missions after the Columbia accident.

Today, Southern Research is involved in the Space Launch System, or SLS, the massive rocket NASA is developing for planned Mars missions.

For NASA, three-dimensional printing offers a fast and inexpensive way to manufacture parts on a spacecraft, exactly when they’re needed. That’s a huge benefit to long-term missions and has the potential to fundamentally change how NASA plans logistics operations for human spaceflight.

“Right now, there are thousands of parts for the International Space Station sitting in NASA storage, and most of them will never be used,” Parks said. “But they have to have all these parts on hand to launch to the ISS in case something breaks or fails.”

“What Southern Research and NASA are working together on is a foundational effort with the goal of the ISS crew being able to print the parts they need as they need them, which will help the astronauts accomplish their missions,” he added.

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DOE funding advances project to turn captured CO2 into key chemicals

Posted on November 13, 2018

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Southern Research for an award of up to $1.5 million to advance technology for carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization. The DOE award, now being negotiated, will fund scale-up and field testing of a catalytic process for conversion of CO2 and shale-derived ethane to ethylene, a valuable olefin.

Olefins serve as building blocks for a sweeping variety of products such as packaging, plastics, textiles, paints and electronics. Industrial demand for olefins such as ethylene and propylene is rising at 4 to 5 percent annually as living standards improve across the world.

Over last two years on a previously funded DOE study, Southern Research has developed a novel nano-engineered catalyst-driven process for the production of light olefins, such as ethylene, using CO2 from coal-fired flue gas and lower alkanes derived from shale gas feedstock.

This lab scale study demonstrated the conversion, selectivity and stability of this new generation catalyst in presence of flue gas impurities and low concentrations of CO2.

Southern Research carbon dioxide
Amit Goyal, right, and Jadid Samad are woking on a process to turn carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals known as olefins.

The results of the lab scale study led to this new award, which consists of constructing and operating a field scale unit. This project will produce and test a larger amount of catalyst and validate both the process reliability and the ability to produce ethylene at the next engineering scale.

“Ethylene and propylene are the highest volume petrochemicals in use today. Current production methods are capital- and energy-intensive as well as large greenhouse gas emitters,” said Corey Tyree, Ph.D., senior director of Energy and Environment at Southern Research.

“By combining CO2 with shale gas, which is readily available in the U.S., our new process promises to have meaningful economic and environmental impact,” he said.

The project’s long-term goal is a commercially viable and environmentally friendly technology for producing light olefins via CO2 utilization.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Production techniques for ethylene, which is manufactured in amounts greater than any other chemical, typically use naphtha or ethane as raw materials, and require a large amount of energy to crack apart molecules.

Amit Goyal, Ph.D., director, Sustainable Chemistry and Catalysis and principal investigator, said Southern Research’s innovative process concept can use CO2 directly (or captured) from coal-fired power plants, or derived from any source, to produce light olefins. The new technique can yield significant environmental benefits by becoming a net consumer of CO2, he added.

“Ethylene alone accounts for 1 percent of the world’s energy consumption and 180 to 200 million tons of CO2 emission,” Goyal said. “Due to the large magnitude of ethylene production, any reduction on the energy requirement will be highly impactful.”

The approach would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired plants, the top emitters of the colorless, odorless gas in the U.S power sector. In 2015, coal-based power plants in the United States emitted nearly 1.4 billion metric tons of CO2.

“Coal is abundant and cheap, making it a vital energy source,” said Jadid Samad, Ph.D., advanced chemical engineer and co-principal investigator for Southern Research. “A smart solution to the issue of emissions from coal-fired power plants lies in the prospect of using CO2 as feedstock to produce valuable chemicals.”

CONVERTING CO2

Southern Research
This diagram shows the process of how carbon dioxide is transformed into light olefins.

Samad said Southern Research’s approach on the project directly supports the Carbon Use and Reuse research and development portfolio being assembled by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy. The portfolio is developing and testing novel approaches that convert captured CO2 from coal-fired power plants into useable products.

The funding from the Office of Fossil Energy for Southern Research’s project totals $1,499,442. The office announced Oct. 31 that it has committed a total of $18.7 million to funding projects to support its Carbon Use and Reuse R&D portfolio.

Southern Research’s partners include 8 Rivers Capital LLC, a company developing and commercializing sustainable infrastructure technologies, which will provide support on the project’s techno-economic analysis.

The National Carbon Capture Center, a DOE site for testing innovative technologies, also is teaming with Southern Research on the project and will provide the field site and flue gas feed generated at a utility plant.

In addition, a petrochemical consultant will provide guidance on catalyst development, as well as scale-up and commercialization aspects of the project.

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Southern Research completes $13 million renovation of Frederick facility

Posted on November 2, 2018

FREDERICK, Maryland – Southern Research marked the completion of a $13 million renovation project at its Frederick Infectious Disease Research Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today attended by local leaders, state officials and research sponsors.

The project, launched after the 48,000-square-foot facility sustained damage during a torrential rain storm that struck Frederick three years ago, adds flexibility to the center’s operations and prepares it for future growth.

“Southern Research’s facility in Frederick has played an important role in advances in treatment of infectious diseases over nearly three decades, and this additional investment underscores our commitment to the groundbreaking infectious disease research being conducted here,” said Art Tipton, Ph.D, the Birmingham-based organization’s CEO and president.

Southern Research
Southern Research employees mark the completion of a $13 million rebuilding project at the Frederick Infectious Disease Research Center.

“I want to acknowledge the dedication of all of our Frederick employees during this rebuild in continued commitment to carry out important research for our customers,” he added. “The rebuild would not have been possible without the hard work of many SR employees on our facilities team both in Frederick and Birmingham.”

Infectious disease researchers at the Frederick center primarily focus on antiviral work and carry out activities such as drug and vaccine discovery and development for commercial and government clients. The center has 50 employees.

“We’ve helped pharmaceutical companies get many of their drug candidates into the clinic for trials, and the vast majority of FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs for HIV were tested in this facility,” said Roger Ptak, senior director of Infectious Disease Research for Southern Research in Frederick.

“We’ve also done a lot of significant work in developing animal models for dengue and Zika for potential vaccines against those viruses,” he added. “We have conducted pre-clinical testing on many vaccine and drug candidates here and provided support for lots of programs.”

ANTIVIRAL SCREENING

The Frederick facility, which opened in 1991, was soon handling Southern Research’s large-scale anti-HIV/AIDS screening efforts, and it made significant contributions to treatments against the disease. Today, there are more than two dozen FDA-approved AIDS antiretroviral drugs, often used in therapeutic combinations, and Southern Research was heavily involved in helping many of them get to market.

While the infectious disease research in the early days in Frederick focused on anti-HIV efforts, the center’s antiviral screening capabilities rapidly expanded to include many other viruses. These have included influenza (including the H5N1 avian flu), hepatitis B and C, dengue, anthrax, poliovirus, SARS, and Zika.

Southern Research
Southern Research CEO Art Tipton, left, poses with Ben Wu, deputy secretary and chief operating officer of the Maryland Department of Commerce, at the Frederick ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Southern Research scientists in Frederick have also developed primate models to evaluate vaccines against AIDS and anthrax, as well as other models for influenza and infections caused by monkeypox, a virus similar to smallpox.

The Maryland lab also conducts a high volume of antiviral screens against a variety of viruses for pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, small labs, academic groups, and startups.

Rick Weldon, the president and CEO of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce who has served in a variety of community roles, said the Southern Research lab and its employees have long been valued partners in the region.

“As the head of local United Way several years ago, I saw the passion of charity and generosity of Southern Research workers, from leadership to the lab bench to the administrative employees,” Weldon said. “Now as the Chamber CEO, I’m both grateful for the significant investment and excited to see what breakthroughs emerge from the work of the Frederick-based Southern Research team.”

STORM DAMAGE

The intense storm that pounded Frederick County on Sept. 29, 2015, dumped 5 inches of rain on the city, causing major flooding that affected local schools and wrecked the YMCA building.

Southern Research’s Frederick facility was hit hard by what was described at the time as a “100-year storm.”

Ptak said the heavy rains caused part of the roof in the rear of the structure to collapse. As part of the repair project, the back corner of the building was demolished and completely rebuilt.

“The rebuild allowed us to reconfigure and optimize the space, and we now have space to grow,” he said.

Birmingham-based HOAR Construction handled the construction project.

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Southern Research first to win accreditation under ISO 14034

Posted on October 8, 2018

Southern Research has become the first organization in the United States to earn accreditation under ISO 14034, a new international standard for evaluating and verifying environmental technologies that was recently adopted by the American National Standards Institute.

The decision from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America, reflects Southern Research’s deep capabilities in environmental technologies verification (ETV) and a track record in the field that dates back more than two decades.

ETV is a process providing independent and credible information on new environmental technologies by verifying that performance claims are complete, fair, and based on reliable test results. ANAB’s ETV accreditation program supports the advancement of innovative environmental technologies to meet environmental priorities.

“With new environmental technologies developed to save resources and reduce costs, an independent assessment is required to ensure a product’s environmental claims are true and verified,” ANAB Vice President Doug Leonard said. “Organizations accredited under our ETV program can provide an assessment of a technology’s environmental potential and value.”

To become accredited under ANAB’s program, an organization must meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020, the international standard for operating bodies performing inspection, as well as ISO 14034.

UNIFORM APPROACH

Published in 2016, ISO 14034 is the first international standard aimed at creating a uniform approach to the ETV process. It specifies principles, procedures, and requirements, and is designed to deliver multiple benefits to enhance confidence in the selection of technologies that add environmental value.

NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE
Southern Research’s Tim Hansen, center, stands with members of the Carbon XPrize team and the Carbon Upcycling UCLA team with samples of UCLA’s innovative concrete product, which captures and sequesters carbon dioxide.

“Southern Research is proud to be the first accredited organization under ANAB’s ETV program. For 25 years, we have supported the development and evaluation of innovative, clean technologies, from lab through commercial field deployments. We have always focused on providing high quality data and information about the performance and impacts of innovative environmental technologies,” said Tim Hansen, P.E., director of Cleantech Engineering Services at Southern Research.

“But, now they will carry the weight of an ANAB accredited program, and an ISO standard that encourages international recognition of results. We hope these efforts will help address continuing environmental challenges and provide credible data to investors, purchasers and end users of these potential solutions,” he added.

Hansen was heavily involved in the development of ISO 14034, serving as the designated U.S. technical expert for the working group that provided key input on its requirements.

He said the standard was needed because independent measurement and validation of technologies is an essential part of the commercialization process. Over the years, Southern Research has developed protocols and verification procedures to evaluate innovative clean technologies and provide an independent assessment of whether a technology can do what a developer claims it can.

“We can test and evaluate while you’re still tinkering with the proof of concept on the laboratory scale all the way through commercial scale technology deployed in the field in a real working environment,” Hansen said. “We have scientists, engineers, facilities, and capabilities to address that whole range of energy and environmental technology development and testing programs.”

Birmingham-based Southern Research has performed independent, high-quality environmental technology verification (ETV) services to a wide range of sponsors for more than two decades. Its ETV team is currently involved in the final round of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, working to validate the technologies of teams seeking to turn carbon dioxide emissions into useful products.

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Prosperity Fund works to help Jasper aviation firm take off

Posted on October 4, 2018

JASPER, Alabama — Business at Sanders Aviation, which operates a flight training center at the Walker County Airport-Bevill Field, is poised to climb to new altitudes amid high hopes for the future.

Southern Research’s Prosperity Fund is working to help the family owned company capitalize on recent momentum, including a pilot training partnership with Delta Airlines that got under way Sept. 27.

Sanders Aviation’s activities are helping to position Walker County for growth in the aerospace and aviation sector, according to Steven Puckett, managing director of the Prosperity Fund, an initiative formed by Southern Research to spur growth in Alabama’s coal country.

“Sanders Aviation is working to create a more robust aviation industry in Walker County and to train a new generation of aircraft pilots, mechanics, and flight support personnel,” Puckett said. “The firm’s partnership with Delta and its educational outreach efforts are positioning it for future growth, which will spark economic vitality in the Jasper area.”

Puckett said the Prosperity Fund is assisting with what could be the next major milestone in Sanders Aviation’s growth – a possible 1,500-foot extension of the runway at Walker County Airport-Bevill Field.

Southern Research Prosperity Fund
Southern Research’s Prosperity Fund is assisting Jasper’s Sanders Aviation with its growth initiatives.

“As the next phase of this, we’re working together to get an expansion at the airport in Walker County so it can host military aircraft. We’re working to find partners and others willing to be part of this,” Puckett said. “The military could use the airport for training and to house aircraft. Larger civilian aircraft could also use it.”

Jessica S. Walker, the chief operating officer of Sanders Aviation, said the Prosperity Fund’s assistance has been beneficial as it plans for future growth.

“Steven is helping us to build relationships and connect us with the right people to help us get the world out about what we’re doing here,” Walker said. “We definitely want this relationship to continue.”

TRAINING AVIATORS IN JASPER

The partnership with Delta, which was in the works before the Prosperity Fund’s involvement, is a major step forward for the company, she added.

The Sanders-Delta Airline Transport Pilot Certified Training Program (ATP-CTP) is a10-day course that involves 30 hours of classroom academics, hands-on experience in full-motion flight simulators, and several hours of training in the Sanders Flight Training Center’s multi-engine airplanes.

Each session will have about 12 students, and the class will be repeated multiple times every year the agreement is in place. It’s expected to place 100 pilots into Delta’s pipeline annually. This adds to the nearly 400 military aviators who already train with Sanders Flight Training Center each year.

“We hope to help those who want to transition out of the military to find a new home in the aviation industry,” Walker said. “We really strive to be the full package and make sure our students are fully trained to become the best and most qualified aviators in the industry.”

STIMULATING STUDENTS

Southern Research Prosperity Fund
Steven Puckett is the manager director of Southern Research’s Prosperity Fund.

The Prosperity Fund is collaborating with Sanders Aviation on the firm’s efforts to increase interest in the aviation industry in Walker County. It recently launched a course called “Theory of Aviation” at the Walker County Center for Technology (WCCT) to expose students to career opportunities in the field.

Puckett has plans to develop a virtual classroom system that would allow students at the WCCT to interact with Sanders instructors at the airport. In addition, the Prosperity Fund is collaborating with Sanders Aviation on the introduction of a FAA-approved drone pilot course.

The Prosperity Fund has also placed an intern at Sanders Aviation and is working to raise the firm’s profile through marketing efforts, Puckett said.

Sanders Aviation was founded in 1996 by Joseph Gordon “Gordo” Sanders Jr., a former military aviator and FedEx Captain whose nickname was his call sign. He and the other instructors at Sanders Flight Training Center have more than 60,000 hours of combined flight time.

Sanders Flight Training Center has trained thousands of pilots from all over the United States and military aviators stationed abroad in Germany, England and Japan.

With backing from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), Southern Research  in 2017 launched The Prosperity Fund, a $2.4 million initiative to accelerate entrepreneurial activity and spark job creation in four Alabama counties rocked by the coal industry’s steep downturn. These counties — Walker, Fayette, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson — experienced a combined 12,000 lost jobs because of the industry’s contraction.

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Commercial Labs: Factors to consider when selecting commercial analytical chemistry labs

Posted on September 14, 2018

If your operation doesn’t have in-house lab capabilities — and most industrial operations don’t — it’s necessary to entrust your environmental sampling and analysis needs to a commercial lab. But not all labs are made the same. Some labs don’t have the capabilities to analyze complex samples with low level hard-to-measure species like selenium and arsenic. Some aren’t able to provide actionable recommendations in addition to measurements, or to fully participate in all phases of a given project.

Here are three crucial qualities to look for as you’re choosing a lab to analyze your environmental samples.

Technological Capabilities

Labs don’t invest in high-end technology for bragging rights — they do it because that kind of power and complexity is an absolute necessity for measuring some potential contaminants. Southern Research (SR) couples HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) with an industry-leading Agilent 8800 Triple Quad ICP-MS to analyze many elements and their species. This allows our engineers to measure substances like selenium in even the tiniest amounts, accounting for interferences (as well as the occasional error in the sampling process).

Deep and Broad Expertise

Many labs can provide basic measurements of contaminants in a given sample. Accurate and actionable analysis, however, requires a deeper understanding of the process. If a test results in measurements that are in doubt, given the parameters of the test, an experienced engineer can recognize that fact, determine possible reasons for the faulty results, re-run tests and investigate as necessary. If results are accurate and reveal, for instance, significant contamination of the water source, an experienced engineer can provide both figures and recommendations for the client about possible ways to begin treating it. Working with an inexperienced lab can lead to time lost to back-and-forth communication as both parties try to figure out questionable results.

“We have a wide variety of chemists and engineers, from a variety of different backgrounds,” said Abhijit Bhagavatula, a research engineer at SR. “That gives us experience and perspectives from different backgrounds to inform the work we do.”

Field Experience

Not all labs — even high-tech and expert labs — have the opportunity to cross-train engineers and chemists, or to hire employees who already have that kind of experience. But it can make a huge difference in a lab’s ability to really understand the sampling and analysis processes and the impact they can have on results.

“It’s about continuous training and education,” said Young Chul Choi, industrial water practice lead at SR. “We’ll put the chemists in a truck and take them out to the site so they can better understand what’s going on. Sometimes the engineers work in the lab — doing very simple tasks — to better understand what’s behind all the analysis.”

The chemists then know what mistakes can be made in the sampling process, how they could interfere with accurate analysis, and what factors to account for. The engineers understand what happens once the samples are handed off and what that means for the final outcome. The technology is robust, and the engineers and chemists are experts in their fields. By the time the results are delivered to the client, the analysis itself has been analyzed to make sure every figure is accurate, nothing has been missed, and the client is receiving the high-quality report they should be able to expect from the lab they rely on.

Looking toward a greener tomorrow: Change Agent Elizabeth Scribner

Posted on September 1, 2018

Elizabeth Scribner thought she knew what was going on at Southern Research. Her father’s solar company helped Southern Research install solar panels at its Solar Research Center, and she’s on the board of a local foundation that has donated money to SR. But last year, when she was invited to serve on SR’s Advisory Board, she realized how much she had yet to learn.

“I didn’t know the half of what Southern Research is doing, as far as scientific research and engineering go,” she said. She was amazed to hear about the telescopes SR designed to photograph the eclipse from NASA’s high-altitude research aircraft and the advances in cancer research she hadn’t known about.

“What really grabbed me was when Dr. Amit Goyal came to speak about some of his green energy research,” Scribner said. “I was amazed to hear that he’s developed technology that turns sugar into acrylonitrile, which is used in cars and planes, and I had to smile when I heard about Legos,” said the mother of three. Learning that SR could replace a product that relied on oil refinery with one that used renewable resources, “I got very excited about that,” she said. “Knowing that, and getting a little more energized about everything Southern Research is doing, inspired me to be a Change Agent.”

SR wasn’t her first introduction to green science. “Before I was a mathematician, or a mom, or a wife, I was an environmentalist,” Scribner said. “As an undergraduate at Princeton, I had a minor in environmental studies. And I started learning about all the damage we’ve done to our planet. But on the other side, I also started learning about all the promise that science holds in terms of helping solve those problems.”

Scribner appreciates the platform the Change Campaign provides to talk about Southern Research. “When I tell people, they’re amazed,” she said. “They say, ‘I had no idea this is here in Birmingham.’ And here Southern Research is creating scientific change to improve the world, but they’re also creating jobs and attracting amazing intellectual talent to our city.” She sees great potential in the acrylonitrile technology to create jobs in poorer regions of Alabama. “If we could use this technology to not only improve the condition of our planet but also improve the economic situation in our state, that would be amazing,” she said.

“I’ve got a lot going on. My life is pretty busy. But I feel like it’s a gift for me to be able to volunteer for a group like Southern Research,” Scribner said. “It helps me to step above the day-to-day ‘What am I going to fix for dinner? Oh, no, we’re out of diapers’ and see the bigger picture. We’re not going to be here forever. But my kids’ kids will have kids who will be here a hundred years from now. It’s important to me that they have the ability to eat fresh food, breathe clean air and drink clean water. There’s a lot of work to be done. And here in Birmingham, I feel like we have someone to advocate for that.”

Nurturing bright ideas: Change Agent Key Foster

Posted on September 1, 2018

Key Foster wasn’t unaware of Southern Research’s decades long focus on cancer and the numerous life-saving drugs to SR’s credit. But that wasn’t the main reason he chose to support cancer research as part of the Change Campaign. “Cancer is very meaningful to me,” he said. “My wife is a breast cancer survivor, and my father lost his battle with kidney cancer in May. It’s a very personal issue.”

He found out that it was a very personal issue for a lot of people. “Cancer is a topic that, if you intersect with it, it’s a big deal,” Foster said. “And it’s shocking how many people have, either personally or through their families, intersected with it.” When he opened up to others in the community about his experiences with cancer, he was surprised at the number of people who were inspired to share not only their money but their own personal stories. “Hearing all that, it’s not surprising that people are so willing to participate,” he said.

One thing Foster appreciated was the significance of the funds he was raising through the Change Campaign—funds that would go directly to research scientists just down the street who had the potential to move mountains, if given the right resources. The money will support earlier-stage, higher-risk research that hasn’t progressed enough to qualify for federal grants. “It’s like venture capital for scientists,” he said.

“It gives ideas a chance,” Foster said. “I assume there’s a good number of really bright ideas that never make it to the surface, never get a chance to come to fruition or evolve into something, because of that funding gap. This money gives these scientists a chance to incubate those ideas and get them to the point where they can get those government grants to continue the research that could one day birth new drugs and therapies for cancer.”

“It can truly move the needle with smaller amounts of money. It just makes the whole thing make sense,” Foster said. “It would be thrilling to contribute, even in our small way, in support of a major breakthrough by one of these brilliant scientists.”

Because those ideas are being created and nurtured here in Birmingham, Foster was able to meet—and be amazed by—the research scientists who would be turning those donations into discoveries. He was particularly inspired by the work of oncology researcher Rebecca Boohaker, Ph.D., much of whose research focuses on immunotherapy.

“These are therapies that enable the immune system to recognize, target and eliminate cancer cells wherever they are in the body,” he said. “This is potentially a universal answer to cancer.” Boohaker’s research could one day mean happy endings for all the stories he heard during the Change Campaign, “and I get to know the real players who have dedicated their careers and lives to solving these really tough problems,” he said.

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