Humanity faces unprecedented challenges, from intensifying climate change to widespread food and nutrition insecurity. To feed the world’s rapidly growing population, countries need to produce more food on land exhausted by soil degradation and water scarcity.
A team of chemists, designers, and researchers led by the Pratt Institute, which recently received a $5 million collaboration agreement from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), is developing a seaweed-based project aimed at supporting farmers. We are working on the development of water absorbing agents. In climate-affected areas, it protects water resources, regenerates soil health, and increases crop yields. This funding follows a previous $750,000 NSF award and is part of a broader $35 million investment by the National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“The Aquasteady project is an important example of the important work being done at Pratt and our partner institutions to address global and multifaceted challenges like the climate crisis,” said Francis Bro. of the Pratt Institute. Net Chairman said. “Through collaborative, out-of-the-box creative thinking and partnerships with other researchers and communities in New York and around the world, Mr. Pratt’s Aquasteady team is committed to delivering the just and sustainable solutions we urgently need. We are working to build a brighter future.”
The AquaSteady team is developing seaweed-based hydrogels that balance soil moisture, allow crops to withstand drought during irregular rainfall, and reduce the need for irrigation. Aquasteady absorbs water when the soil is wet and gradually returns water when the soil dries. It can be formed into anti-erosion nets and other shapes depending on specific soil and crop needs. This will help agriculture adapt to an increasingly water-scarce future, where industrial activity, rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns will deplete water resources.
The AquaSteady project was launched at Pratt in 2021 as a solution used in food packaging. However, the project changed its focus to agricultural applications for greater impact, and in 2022 the project won him a $750,000 award from his NSF Convergence Accelerator. This enabled idea generation, further development of the hydrogel, and some field farm tests. . The AquaSteady project also benefited from the NSF Convergence Accelerator curriculum, developing human-centered product development, team science, project management, and communication skills, and forming partnerships to enhance technology solutions. His $5 million funding period for Phase 2 will last for three years and will allow the team to further research and develop additional prototypes for AquaSteady. The team will test the hydrogel in a variety of agricultural settings, expand partnerships, and develop sustainability plans beyond NSF support.
“Big problems like mitigating the effects of climate change require the collaborative efforts of diversely trained experts,” said Helio Takai, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “AquaSteady is a project born out of an interdisciplinary effort between Pratt scientists and designers and experts from many fields related to agriculture, aquaculture, and materials science. , it is also a project to directly understand the impacts of climate change on the ground.”
Chemistry professor Cindy Kahlet, a member of the Pratt faculty, will serve as the project’s principal investigator, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Takai Herriot and Industrial Design professor Karol M. Mahlach will serve as co-principal investigators. . John D. Chover, Interim Vice President for Agriculture, Life Sciences, and Veterinary Research and Cooperative Extension at the University of Arizona; George John, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the City University of New York (CUNY); John Idowo, New York David Sotomayor, an expert in extension agriculture at the State University of Mexico and professor in the Department of Soil Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, is also a co-principal investigator on the team. The effort also includes farmers, consultants and other companies partnering in various capacities.
“I am pleased to be working on a project that has the potential to have a significant impact on society by making agriculture more sustainable while mitigating the climate crisis,” said Mr. Kahlet. “This project aims to conserve water while producing food, two of the most basic elements for our survival.”
AquaSteady production will take place at Pratt’s Research Yard, giving the project expanded research and prototyping space. The AquaSteady project was initiated as part of the IDC Research Accelerator Hub and is supported by the IDC Foundation. Research Yard is a 20,000-square-foot facility Pratt opened at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2023 that includes manufacturing labs, an interdisciplinary research center, an accelerator, and the IDC Research Accelerator Hub. Pratt students participated in the project in a variety of ways, including video and photo documentation, designing the branding and communication of his website, conducting user interviews, and prototyping and manufacturing hydrogel samples.
The development of AquaSteady has the potential to create demand for a new sustainable industry centered on seaweed in the United States. AquaSteady is made from alginate, a component of brown algae, and the team is collaborating with Doall Aquaculture, which operates off the coast of Long Island. Doall Aquaculture grows and researches red kelp, which extracts carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from water during growth.
Some of the seaweed-based hydrogels being tested include powders that can be spread over areas like fertilizers and nets that lock in soil and prevent erosion. AquaSteady has already been tested on farms in New York and São Paulo, Brazil, where recent applications of the hydrogel have helped newly transplanted seedlings survive even his 45 days of drought, making it useful for both agriculture and reforestation. We obtained promising results. The team is meeting with farmers elsewhere to understand their needs and plans to provide AquaSteady kits for continued data collection and collaboration.
“I’m excited to see how design bridges the gap between science and the pressing issues of the modern world, such as climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity,” Mulak said. “A key role in this process will be played by a practical, iterative, human-centered approach that perfectly complements the analytical approaches typical of the empirical sciences.”
Hydrogels are known in the agricultural sector, but current versions are mainly petroleum-based and cause soil degradation, so they are not widely used. Kelp-based hydrogels have numerous environmental benefits. It is biodegradable, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulates the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, helping to combat global soil degradation caused by industrial agriculture.
The AquaSteady model has broader implications. Kelp is easy to grow and can create jobs in coastal areas. Kelp filters water and improves the health of marine ecosystems, so its cultivation can support fisheries. Land-based farmers expect to see increased crop yields and incomes, and by increasing production of a variety of crops, they can provide underserved communities with more complete and nutritious food. can provide security.
AquaSteady’s research reflects Pratt’s long-standing commitment to sustainability. The school is a founding core partner of the New York Climate Exchange and recently received an AASHE STARS Gold Sustainability Rating. In the coming months, the AquaSteady team will partner with his STEM education teachers in New York City public schools, as well as travel to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on the food system and the need for sustainable solutions. We aim to hold an exhibition.
AquaSteady’s hydrogels could soon transform food production by integrating aquaculture and agriculture. This is the type of circular economy thinking advocated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information about Pratt Research Institute research and partnerships, visit pratt.edu/research.
