2026 Research Grants

Synthesis of Biodegradable Plastics by Engineered Enzymes Enabled by Machine Learning

PI: Frances Arnold
Research Team: Ethan Quinn
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering
Climate Science Initiative and Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Initiative

Sustainable large-scale synthesis of useful biodegradable plastics can be facilitated by evolved enzymes created through machine learning guided directed evolution.

Accelerated Discovery of Earth-Abundant Zintl-Compound Semiconductors for High-Voltage, High-Radiative-Efficiency Solar Cells with >30% Efficiency

PI: Harry Atwater
Research Team: Mina Mandic and Amelyn Phang
Division of Engineering and Applied Science
Sunlight to Everything Initiative

We propose an accelerated discovery program to synthesize and characterize a new class of solar energy materials, Zintl-compound semiconductors, for high-efficiency photovoltaic applications through combinatorial thin-film synthesis, and closed-loop characterization, targeting high radiative efficiency and tunable bandgaps for single- and tandem-junction solar cell applications.

Synthetic routes to iridoids for invasive ant control

PIs: Sarah E. Reisman and Joseph Parker
Research Team: Joshua Belfield and Hayley Smihula
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering
Climate Science Initiative and Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Initiative

This proposal will pioneer a new approach for the biological control of invasive ants through the synthesis and testing of artificial trail pheromones that disrupt foraging.

Heavy metal transport in the wake of urban megafires: Building a dynamical framework to assess, mitigate, and adapt to an emerging climate threat

PIs: Francois Tissot and Christian Frankenberg
Research Team: Merritt McDowell
Division of Geology and Planetary Science
Climate Science Initiative

In the context of growing urban megafires threat, we propose (i) acquiring heavy metal concentration data on fine dust and coarse ash from the Eaton Fire, and (ii) combining them with dynamical modeling to generate a predictive open-source model of atmospheric particle transport that would improve community-wide emergency response measures.

Optimizing the use of biochar in agriculture

PI: John Eiler
Research Team: Lubna Shawar
Division of Geology and Planetary Sciences
Water Resources Initiative and Climate Science Initiative

This project develops a chemical and isotopic assay to identify which biochar carbon fractions degrade, what mechanisms drive their loss, and which conditions enhance durability. By linking residual biochar properties with released-product chemistry and isotope fingerprints, we will improve biochar measurement, reporting and verification, guide deployment, and reduce reversal risk.

Simulation-aided design of next-generation freeze desalination milli-reactors

PIs: Xiaojing (Ruby) Fu
Research Team: Sthavishtha Bhopalam Rajakumar and Junning Liu
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Water Resources Initiative and Climate Science Initiative

This proposal develops simulation tools to optimize milli-fluidic freeze desalination reactors that reduce energy use and brine trapping. By modeling ice growth, fluid flow, and salt transport, the team aims to improve compact desalination system efficiency, scalability, and fresh-water purity for future sustainable water production.

Life in the Ashes: Towards Experimental Pyromicrobiology at Caltech

PIs: Victoria Orphan and Alex Sessions
Research Team: Tristan Caro, Eli Grossman
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Climate Science Initiative and Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Initiative

We aim to construct controlled soil combustion chambers ("pyrocosms") in order to enable studies of how soil microbiomes respond to wildfire ("pyromicrobiology").

Decoupling Drought Tolerance from Yield Loss by Kinase Engineering

PI: David Van Valen
Division of Biology and Biological Engineering
Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Initiative and Water Resources Initiative

We will perform a deep mutational scan of SnRK2.6—the plant kinase that couples drought protection to growth suppression—and biochemically validate variants that preserve drought-protective signaling while relieving the growth penalty, yielding candidate alleles for engineering drought-tolerant crops without a yield cost.