Dealing with post-pandemic sleep issues – it’s not too late

King's College London

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Disrupted sleep and anxiety may be an ongoing issue for many people after the pandemic, whether due to COVID-19 directly or to the stress and anxiety caused by the global pandemic, and may contribute to the fatigue commonly reported by people with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS, or ‘long COVID’).

Based on UK COVID Symptom Study Biobank data collected in the early years of the pandemic, experts from King’s College London and Flinders University in Australia have carried out one of the first large-scale longitudinal studies to assess the extent of residual or continuing sleep and related mental health problems, including people with PCS.

“The high levels of both poor sleep and fatigue established during lockdowns persisted after restrictions were lifted – independent of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or whether individuals reported having Post-COVID Syndrome,” says co-senior author Emma Duncan, Professor of Clinical Endocrinology at King’s College London and co-founder of the COVID Symptom Study Biobank.  

“Our data fit with results from around the world – that the experience of the pandemic itself was associated with sleep disturbance globally.”

Flinders University co-senior author Professor Sutapa Mukherjee, Professor in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) Sleep Health research group says: “We knew from pre-pandemic clinical experience that once sleep disturbance is present, it is unlikely to improve without intervention.

“Given the high prevalence of both sleep disturbance and fatigue in some people after the COVID shutdowns, addressing sleep disturbance may be part of a patient’s long-term recovery and wellbeing.

“We recommend routine assessment of sleep for people presenting with persistent post-pandemic fatigue,  including those with the persistent symptoms associated with PCS (Long COVID),” says Professor Mukherjee.

The authors had previously assessed sleep disturbance and fatigue following the 2021 UK lockdown, showing extremely high levels of poor sleep and fatigue across the whole community during the pandemic. In the current study, the same individuals were reassessed after lockdowns were lifted in 2022 – with questionnaire responses from 2390 people regarding their sleep, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Adjusted for other factors, the new study published in Journal of Sleep Research found that high levels of poor sleep and fatigue persisted after lockdowns were lifted – regardless of whether respondents had contracted COVID-19.

Disordered sleep has a range of health consequences, including reduced immunity, increased inflammation and worse mental health such as mood, cognition and depression.

Another Flinders University co-author, research fellow Barbara Toson, adds: “Many people assume sleep returns to normal once major life disruptions end. However, our study found that sleep disturbance and fatigue often persisted after lockdown restrictions were lifted.

“Our findings suggest that sleep disturbance and fatigue can persist long after major pandemic disruptions have ended, reinforcing the need for greater attention to sleep health and post-pandemic recovery,” says Ms Toson, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute Sleep Health research group.  

Researchers conclude that “Fatigue is the commonest symptom reported by individuals with PCS. If sleep disturbance is contributing to fatigue in an individual with PCS, then using proven effective therapeutic approaches may contribute meaningfully to their symptom recovery.”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, with current infections leading to serious illness and hospitalisation and an estimated 1.9 million people in the UK experiencing self-reported long COVID-19 symptoms of more than four weeks after confirmed or suspected infection. 

The article, ‘Persistent sleep disturbance following pandemic lockdowns: Longitudinal’ (2026) by Barbara Toson, Nathan J Cheetham, Julia RB Brown, Carole H Sudre, Simon Proctor, Vicky Bowyer, Nicholas R Harvey, Desaline Joseph, COVID Symptom Study Biobank Consortium, Adam Birdseye, Claire J Steves, Sutapa Mukherjee and Emma L Duncan has been published in the Journal of Sleep Research (Wiley) DOI: 10.1111/jsr.70344.

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Journal

Journal of Sleep Research

DOI

10.1111/jsr.70344 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Persistent Sleep Disturbance Following Pandemic Lockdowns: Longitudinal Findings From the UK COVID-19 Symptom Study Biobank

 

Caterpillar that attacks soybeans and cotton harbors fungi that can degrade polystyrene

A study shows that Helicoverpa armigera has the potential to serve as a reservoir for microorganisms that degrade polystyrene.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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The study involved an experiment in which H. armigera insects were divided into three groups: one fed only EPS blocks, one fed a diet consisting of 50% EPS, and one fed a conventional diet 

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Credit: UFSCAR/UNESP

A moth caterpillar identified by the agribusiness sector as one of the most destructive pests of soybean, cotton, and corn crops may harbor fungi and bacteria in its gut that can degrade expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam. In an article published in the journal BMC Microbiology, researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil presented the results of a study investigating the gut microbiota of Helicoverpa armigera and its role in degrading this petroleum-derived plastic.

Since well-established research already exists on bacteria in insect guts, the study led by the Molecular Biology Laboratory at UFSCar focused on fungal diversity in the context of polystyrene biodegradation. The laboratory is known for developing a transgenic sugarcane plant that is resistant to the Sphenophorus levis beetle and for discovering a sugarcane protein whose recombinant form can protect tooth enamel. The researchers have now succeeded in isolating and identifying four fungi present in the intestines of Helicoverpa armigera caterpillars and have demonstrated, using scanning electron microscopy, the potential of each fungus to degrade the polymer.

“The studies published by our group are likely the first in Brazil on fungi from the gut microbiota of insects involved in polystyrene degradation,” says Flavio Henrique Silva, a biologist, professor in the Department of Genetics and Evolution at UFSCar, and corresponding author of the article. Silva is also the advisor for Gabrieli Seiscentos Cardenas’s undergraduate research project, supported by FAPESP, which led to the publication on Helicoverpa. This research was conducted as part of the Regular Research Grant project, “Sphenophorus levis and Helicoverpa armigera as sources of polystyrene-degrading microorganisms”.

To conduct the experiments, the insects were divided into three groups that received different diets. One group was fed only expanded polystyrene blocks (abbreviated as EPS). A second group received a mixed diet containing up to 50% EPS, and a third group was fed a conventional diet. Analysis of the microbiota via metabarcoding revealed that diet plays a decisive role in the fungal composition of the caterpillars. Although yeast of the genus Diutina was ubiquitous, its abundance decreased significantly in groups fed polystyrene (EPS). This change permitted greater diversification of the microbial community, with the emergence of genera such as Aspergillus, Talaromyces, Metarhizium, and Trematosphaeria. This suggests that the microbiota adapted to consuming the polymer.

The researchers subsequently isolated four fungi from the larval gut microbiota: Aspergillus sp., Talaromyces sp., and two species of Penicillium. They then placed the spores of these fungi on an ultra-thin polystyrene film and incubated them for 60 days. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the fungi grew and interacted with the polymer surface, altering it in the process. “If the fungus was able to grow on that film, it’s because it used the film as a carbon source – that is, a food source. Two of them are more efficient, while the other two make more subtle changes to the films,” Silva comments.

Another article by the same research group, published in March in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, describes studies on the microbiota of the larvae of the beetle Sphenophorus levis, also known as the sugarcane weevil. This insect attacks sugarcane monocultures. The researchers highlight the effectiveness of the bacterium Paenibacillus lautus in breaking down polystyrene and reducing its molar mass. This study resulted from doctoral research conducted by bioprocess and biotechnology engineer Eduardo Pereira de Souza, who also receives support from FAPESP and is a co-author of the article on Helicoverpa.

The researchers are now analyzing the insects’ feces to determine if they merely transform the polymer into micro- or nanoplastics or if digestion results in the complete breakdown of the carbon rings.

‘Trojan mealworm’

Another insect studied by the group at UFSCar’s Molecular Biology Laboratory is the Zophobas morio beetle. Its larva, known for its voracious appetite, is popularly called the “giant mealworm.” “It has an interesting characteristic because it’s much more resilient than the larvae of Sphenophorus levis, for example, which are found in sugarcane and die easily in the laboratory,” says Silva. “Z. morio can survive for weeks feeding only on Styrofoam or other polymers.”

The researcher says extensive work lies ahead to identify the microorganisms, genes, and proteins involved in the polymer degradation process. “We need to determine which microorganisms are most efficient and whether they cooperate with one another. In our work on Paenibacillus, we sequenced the bacterium’s genome and identified genes that encode proteins known to be involved in plastic degradation. By studying this mechanism, we hope to identify more efficient enzymes,” says Silva.

The researchers plan to develop a collection of bacteria and fungi that efficiently degrade polystyrene and colonize the gut of an insect, such as the giant mealworm. “Then we’d have a powerful and highly efficient larva for degradation – a kind of Trojan horse.”

Recently, Leticia Garcia Beghini, another one of Silva’s undergraduate research students, was honored with the SBBq Award at the 55th Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for her work involving Zophobas morio larvae and polystyrene degradation, with support from FAPESP.

Although many studies have examined plastic degradation by soil microorganisms, fewer have focused on insect gut microorganisms, particularly those involved in expanded polystyrene degradation, Silva explains. “Styrofoam has always been less studied. Recycling it has always posed a challenge from a logistical standpoint since a block of this material contains only 2% plastic, with the rest being air.” The professor also believes that fungi can contribute to this process. “They’re excellent producers and secretors of enzymes, many of which are capable of breaking down cellulose and complex polymers.”

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe

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Journal

BMC Microbiology

DOI

10.1186/s12866-026-05021-8 

Article Title

Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) as a reservoir of potential polystyrene-degrading fungi

 

New ear probe to detect hearing issues is based on how spiders ‘hear’ through their webs

National Institutes of Health funds $1.84 million project using cochlear emissions to diagnose inner-ear problems

Binghamton University

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Binghamton University Distinguished Professor Ronald Miles (left) and Assistant Professor Jian Zhou (right)

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Credit: Binghamton University

Binghamton University Assistant Professor Jian Zhou, PhD ’18, will lead a five-year, $1.84 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health to create a dual-sensing ear canal probe that will more accurately and reliably detect otoacoustic emissions. 

Zhou will collaborate with co-investigators Distinguished Professor Ronald Miles at Binghamton University and Professor Christopher Shera at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. The team hopes to build a prototype during the first three years and then refine its performance through participant testing.

“Flow microphones have so many potential uses,” Zhou said. “Rethinking it as a medical device could help millions of people with hearing impairment around the world receive better diagnosis and provide valuable feedback for treatment.”

Conventional microphones detect sound pressure, but sound also causes air movement, and that’s what particle velocity detects.

“One of my obsessions has been that you don't need to hear pressure in order to detect sound. You could detect the motion of the air,” Miles said. “Both things are the sound, but the microphones that we make and use now are all modeled after human ears, because humans are arrogant animals and we make everything work like us. The truth is, most animals don't hear sound that way at all — they hear the motion of the air. That includes many of the insects that can hear. They have mosquito antennae and hairs and other things that move back and forth.”

The probe will build on technologies developed by Miles and Zhou — both faculty members at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Mechanical Engineering — including patented sensing technology inspired by how spiders hear sound through their webs.

While earning his doctorate at Binghamton, Zhou went for a walk through the University’s Nature Preserve and saw a spiderweb blowing in the breeze. He returned to Miles’ lab with an idea: Could something strong but thin like spider silk be used in a microphone to detect particle velocity? 

After some experimentation, the researchers found that it could respond to sound with perfect fidelity from 1 hertz up to 50 kilohertz, a broader frequency range and flatter frequency response than conventional pressure-based microphones.

Although the technology no longer relies on harvesting silk from spiders, Zhou remains grateful for the flash of insight. 

“I won't say we can do better, but we can make smaller structures than the insects do using nanotechnology,” he said. “We can fabricate structures with dimensions below 10 nanometers, up to 100 times thinner than spider silk.”

The bio-inspired flow microphone has been commercialized by the Canadian venture firm TandemLaunch and its spin-off company Soundskrit. For the ear probe, the Binghamton team plans to shrink it down, integrate a laser for more precision, and include a more traditional acoustic-pressure microphone — all while making sure it remains safe for patients. 

Whenever a sound goes into your ear, a much quieter sound comes back out — and if a device picks it up and analyzes it, audiologists can figure out if you have hearing problems.

The cochlea — a spiral-shaped cavity where sensory hairs pick up sound waves — generates those otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in response to auditory stimuli. Studies have shown that OAEs disappear after the inner ear has been damaged.

The smallness of the ear canal and the even tinier human hearing system make it complicated to study, but Miles is looking forward to helping with the design: “This project will require some crazy advances in technology, which is what we're doing because we're engineers who make stuff.”

“If we are successful with this project, we will introduce a new instrument that can help us better understand how the ear works, and detect hearing loss earlier and more precisely,” Zhou said. 

About Binghamton University

Binghamton University offers students a broad, interdisciplinary education with an international perspective and one of the most vibrant research programs in the nation. The campus, recognized as an R1 institution for very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, recorded $87.3 million in research expenditures in 2024-25, its best year ever.

 

Physicists turn to the universe’s “piano notes” to detect hidden particles

New study shows innovative way to deduce the details of hidden particles at high energies

New York University

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It’s been said that a finely tuned ear knows the size and shape of a piano by merely listening to the instrument’s notes. An international team of physicists has now devised an analogous approach to detect the universe’s hidden particles at high energies—opening a potential pathway for discovering new laws of physics.

The work, which will appear in the journal Physical Review Letters, outlines how effective field theory (EFT) coefficients, which quantify how new laws of physics would influence known particle interactions at low energies, can be transformed into information about the nature of these hidden particles. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, the scientists note, already searches for values of EFT coefficients through its measurement of particle collisions, thereby providing ready-to-use data for this approach.

“Like deducing the shape and mechanism of a piano from the sound of its notes, this breakthrough provides the means to use collider measurements to deduce the details of hidden particles at high energies,” explains Grant Remmen, the James Arthur Postdoctoral Fellow at New York University and one of the paper’s authors.“This solves a classic open problem in particle physics in an elegant and useful way, providing powerful and sharp mathematical tools that bridge high-energy theory and particle physics experiments.”

Detecting hidden particles at high energies is challenging for scientists because these particles stem from collisions at unfathomably tiny distances and then decay quickly, leaving behind only traces of their existence. But finding them is vital in both better understanding the nature of the universe and, relatedly, in potentially discovering new physical laws that the Standard Model of physics—the universe’s “periodic table”—cannot yet account for.

To address this, Remmen, in collaboration with Clifford Cheung, professor of theoretical physics and director of the Leinweber Forum for Theoretical Physics at Caltech, and their colleagues focused on Wilson coefficients, a set of measurable quantities in the EFT that describe the quantum deformations to the known laws of physics—in effect describing how high-energy particles or forces could subtly modify the interactions of known particles. Knowledge of these interactions would alter our understanding of physics beyond the Standard Model. The authors note that while fundamental physics is determined by the particles and fields at the shortest distances, or highest energies, what we can actually measure experimentally often comprises such longer-distance, or lower-energy, effects. 

“As with hearing a set of musical notes and using them to decode the shape and mechanism of a piano, the Wilson coefficients are the repackaged, observable information, like the music notes, while the fundamental particles and interactions at high energies are like the structure of the piano that can be inferred from this data,” explains Remmen. 

The authors add that this approach overcomes the limitations of experimental research.

“Particle physics experiments do not always operate at high-enough energies or short-enough distances to detect the new particles physicists are hoping to find,” says Remmen. “Instead, sometimes new physics might just give ‘hints’ in the form of tiny deformations of the standard model. The measurements of these tiny effects are difficult to turn into detailed data about new particles that might exist at higher energies.

“This new work fully solves this problem, inventing a new mathematical algorithm for achieving this important translation from experimental observations to new particle predictions.”

Other authors include Francesco Sciotti, a doctoral student at Barcelona’s Institut de Fisica d’Altes Energies, as well as Francesco Calisto and Michele Tarquini, both Caltech doctoral students.

The study "On the Inverse Problem in Effective Field Theory" was funded by the US Department of Energy (DESC0011632), the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Leinweber Forum for Theoretical Physics, the James Arthur Postdoctoral Fellowship at NYU, and the European Union Next Generation EU. 

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Journal

Physical Review Letters

DOI

10.1103/9gtg-yjmv 

Article Title

Inverse problem in effective field theory

Physics: Universal structure of exceptional points discovered in non-linear systems

Universität Paderborn

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Exceptional points, or EPs for short, are among the phenomena of modern Physics. These are special points or locations at which the properties of matter, space or time change. In a new theoretical study, researchers from the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems (PhoQS) at Paderborn University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Arizona, have now shown that ‘exceptional points’ in non-linear systems follow a universal geometric order – something that was previously unclear. Their findings have now been published in the prestigious journal *Nature Communications*.

‘Exceptional points’ are points in physical systems at which not only two eigenvalues but also the corresponding states merge. Such phenomena occur in so-called non-Hermitian systems, which are characterised, for example, by amplification, loss or interactions with their environment. They are the subject of intensive research in fields including optics, lasers, quantum systems and polariton condensates. Until now, EPs have mainly been studied in linear systems. In such systems, they can often be described as isolated points in parameter space. However, many real physical systems are non-linear: their properties depend on the intensity, occupation or state of the system itself.

“We were able to show that non-linear ‘exceptional’ points do not follow just any geometry,” explains Prof. Dr Stefan Schumacher, in whose research group the work was carried out. The theoretical study was driven forward largely by Prof. Dr Nai Kwong of the University of Arizona, as well as Jan Wingenbach in Schumacher’s research group and Dr. Laura Ares in the research group of Prof. Dr Jan Sperling, also from Paderborn University. Close collaboration with Prof. Dr Rolf Binder and Prof. Dr Nai H. Kwong of the University of Arizona was essential to the success of the work. Commenting on the findings, Jan Wingenbach says: “The discovery of a universal cone-and-cusp structure came as a surprise. It shows that we can now understand the physics of non-linear ‘exceptional points’ much better. This is a crucial step towards making targeted use of these phenomena for future applications, for example in sensor technology or in functional photonic systems.” Prof. Schumacher adds: “Very different physical systems can exhibit the same characteristic structure in the vicinity of an ‘exceptional point’. This universal topology provides a kind of roadmap for identifying such points more precisely in future, understanding them and making them usable for applications.”

The study thus offers a new perspective on known linear EPs and demonstrates how they are embedded in non-linear systems. ‘Exceptional points’ are considered promising for highly sensitive sensors because systems in their vicinity can react particularly strongly to small disturbances. At the same time, with non-linear systems, it is crucial to understand what amplification is actually achievable and where the fundamental limits lie. The new topological description can help to determine such limits mathematically with precision and to design robust, highly sensitive components for various physical platforms. In the long term, the work thus points to a deeper unity within non-linear, non-Hermitian Physics: different systems can exhibit the same universal topological signature despite differing microscopic details.

The paper is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72854-2

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Journal

Nature Communications

 

UMaine-led team selected for inaugural DOE Genesis Mission to advance AI in underground science

University of Maine

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A salt marsh in Maine in 2022.

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Credit: Photo courtesy of the University of Maine.

Beneath Maine’s salt marshes, an invisible transformation is constantly underway. Water moves through soil and rock. Chemicals react. Tiny microbes living underground help determine whether minerals dissolve or form, how fluids move and whether pollutants break down or spread.

Existing computer models used to guide decisions about energy infrastructure and contamination often treat microbes as fixed and unchanging, even though they constantly adapt to their surroundings. For decades, incorporating molecular biology information into those models has remained one of the field’s biggest unsolved challenges.

Now, a research team led by University of Maine professors Jiaze Wang and Amanda Albright Olsen is aiming to close that gap after receiving funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s inaugural Genesis Mission.

Using artificial intelligence, the UMaine researchers are working to incorporate molecular biology information into the physical models scientists rely on to predict what’s happening underground. The challenge is one of scale. Microbial genomic data is extraordinarily detailed but has historically been too complex to integrate into large-scale underground models.

The project will analyze microbial genetic information using AI to identify the biological processes that most strongly influence underground chemical reactions. Those insights will then be integrated into existing subsurface models, allowing scientists to better simulate how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact in changing environments.

By bringing molecular biology into subsurface models, the researchers hope to improve predictions that support groundwater management, environmental remediation, responsible critical mineral development and energy infrastructure planning. Improved models could help scientists and decision-makers protect groundwater, clean up contaminated sites and plan energy projects with greater confidence.

The Genesis Mission award

The Genesis Mission is a historic new national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is building the world’s most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By uniting government, industry, academia and philanthropy, it is accelerating breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security through a new platform that combines AI, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments.

UMaine was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of Genesis Mission-funded research teams, making it one of the first universities participating in the innovative initiative. The awards were announced Wednesday at a U.S. DOE event in Washington, D.C.

The UMaine-led project was one of 278 selected by the DOE from more than 5,000 proposals. It was also the only project selected from Maine.

UMaine is leading the project in partnership with the University of Delaware and Argonne National Laboratory. The collaboration brings together expertise in bioinformatics, computational biology, AI, subsurface modeling and geochemistry.

What it means for UMaine

The project builds on UMaine’s nationally recognized strengths in environmental research and computational modeling while expanding collaborations across disciplines and institutions.

The grant funds a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at UMaine, both of whom will train directly on the project. That hands-on experience reflects UMaine’s mission as the state’s R1, learner-centered university, giving students opportunities to contribute to nationally significant research while working alongside leading scientists and preparing to lead and innovate in the state’s workforce.

“We are proud to be part of the inaugural Genesis Mission and to see our researchers contributing to this new era of scientific discovery,” President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. “This project exemplifies what makes UMaine such a special place to learn and innovate. Our students have the opportunity to work alongside nationally recognized experts on projects that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges while developing solutions that can make a difference here in Maine and well beyond.”

Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research, said the award reinforces UMaine’s leadership in interdisciplinary research.

“At UMaine, leading research that addresses complex, real-world challenges is at the heart of our mission,” said Guidoboni, also the dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. “This project demonstrates the impact of bringing together expertise across disciplines while creating meaningful, research-based learning opportunities for our students. What we learn matters, but how we apply that knowledge to improve lives and communities is what defines us.”

AI and environmental science converge

Wang, the principal investigator, said the project brings together disciplines that have historically worked in isolation.

“This project is trying to bring together concepts from very different disciplines and unite them,” Wang said. “We know the subsurface is a combination of geology and biology, and our goal is to bring that expertise together.”

The challenge, she said, extends to the microbes themselves.

“The microbes are like magicians,” Wang said. “They can transform the subsurface in ways we don’t fully understand yet, and we know so little about them.”

For Olsen, the co-principal investigator, the use of AI and the Genesis Mission award represents a turning point.

“This is a problem I didn’t think we would solve,” she said. “Having this project, where I can actually see a path to solving something people have worked on for my entire career, that feels like a paradigm shift in how we do this kind of work.”

Starting with the coast

In this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of Maine’s shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.

Coastal environments change quickly, making it easier to observe how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact than in slower-changing systems. They also face challenges such as saltwater intrusion, groundwater contamination and declining water quality, making them an ideal testing ground for the team’s approach.

Salt marshes are systems people in Maine already understand and value, Olsen said, making them a natural starting point for tools that could eventually benefit land-locked communities.

Applications far beyond the coast

Although the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they’re developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it’s safe and healthy to build energy infrastructure, whether contamination found at a site will break down or spread and how critical minerals can be mined more responsibly. 

The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.

By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:

• A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models

• An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model

• A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions

“Any system where you’re trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,” Olsen said. “That’s true almost anywhere on Earth’s surface.”