![\"An](\"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1013\/2026\/07\/PI_Wang.png\")
![\"An](\"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1013\/2026\/07\/Olsen.jpg\")
Using artificial intelligence, the 91福利 researchers are working to incorporate molecular biology information into the physical models scientists rely on to predict what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Genesis Mission award<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Genesis Mission is a historic new national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is building the world\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
91福利 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
91福利 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 91福利-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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What it means for 91福利<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe project builds on 91福利\u2019s nationally recognized strengths in environmental research and computational modeling while expanding collaborations across disciplines and institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The grant funds a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at 91福利, both of whom will train directly on the project. That hands-on experience reflects 91福利\u2019s mission as the state\u2019s 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\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are proud to be part of the inaugural Genesis Mission and to see our researchers contributing to this new era of scientific discovery,\u201d President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. \u201cThis project exemplifies what makes 91福利 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\u2019s most pressing challenges while developing solutions that can make a difference here in Maine and well beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research, said the award reinforces 91福利\u2019s leadership in interdisciplinary research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt 91福利, leading research that addresses complex, real-world challenges is at the heart of our mission,\u201d said Guidoboni, also the dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI and environmental science converge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWang, the principal investigator, said the project brings together disciplines that have historically worked in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis project is trying to bring together concepts from very different disciplines and unite them,\u201d Wang said. \u201cWe know the subsurface is a combination of geology and biology, and our goal is to bring that expertise together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The challenge, she said, extends to the microbes themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe microbes are like magicians,\u201d Wang said. \u201cThey can transform the subsurface in ways we don\u2019t fully understand yet, and we know so little about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Olsen, the co-principal investigator, the use of AI and the Genesis Mission award represents a turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a problem I didn\u2019t think we would solve,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting with the coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of Maine\u2019s shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applications far beyond the coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they\u2019re developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny system where you\u2019re trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,\u201d Olsen said. \u201cThat\u2019s true almost anywhere on Earth\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beneath Maine\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2406,"featured_media":8058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","spc_primary_category":0},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-the-environment"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":90,"label":"Climate and the Environment"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/98\/2026\/08\/20220613_105724-scaled-e1784731844306-2048x1154-1-1024x577.jpeg",1024,577,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"lhecker","author_link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/author\/lhecker\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":90,"name":"Climate and the Environment","slug":"climate-and-the-environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":44,"count":24,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":90,"category_count":24,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Climate and the Environment","category_nicename":"climate-and-the-environment","category_parent":44}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2406"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8059,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions\/8059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The project builds on 91福利\u2019s nationally recognized strengths in environmental research and computational modeling while expanding collaborations across disciplines and institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The grant funds a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at 91福利, both of whom will train directly on the project. That hands-on experience reflects 91福利\u2019s mission as the state\u2019s 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\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are proud to be part of the inaugural Genesis Mission and to see our researchers contributing to this new era of scientific discovery,\u201d President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. \u201cThis project exemplifies what makes 91福利 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\u2019s most pressing challenges while developing solutions that can make a difference here in Maine and well beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research, said the award reinforces 91福利\u2019s leadership in interdisciplinary research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt 91福利, leading research that addresses complex, real-world challenges is at the heart of our mission,\u201d said Guidoboni, also the dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI and environmental science converge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWang, the principal investigator, said the project brings together disciplines that have historically worked in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis project is trying to bring together concepts from very different disciplines and unite them,\u201d Wang said. \u201cWe know the subsurface is a combination of geology and biology, and our goal is to bring that expertise together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The challenge, she said, extends to the microbes themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe microbes are like magicians,\u201d Wang said. \u201cThey can transform the subsurface in ways we don\u2019t fully understand yet, and we know so little about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Olsen, the co-principal investigator, the use of AI and the Genesis Mission award represents a turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a problem I didn\u2019t think we would solve,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting with the coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of Maine\u2019s shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applications far beyond the coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they\u2019re developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny system where you\u2019re trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,\u201d Olsen said. \u201cThat\u2019s true almost anywhere on Earth\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beneath Maine\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2406,"featured_media":8058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","spc_primary_category":0},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-the-environment"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":90,"label":"Climate and the Environment"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/98\/2026\/08\/20220613_105724-scaled-e1784731844306-2048x1154-1-1024x577.jpeg",1024,577,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"lhecker","author_link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/author\/lhecker\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":90,"name":"Climate and the Environment","slug":"climate-and-the-environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":44,"count":24,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":90,"category_count":24,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Climate and the Environment","category_nicename":"climate-and-the-environment","category_parent":44}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2406"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8059,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions\/8059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
In this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of Maine\u2019s shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applications far beyond the coast<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they\u2019re developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny system where you\u2019re trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,\u201d Olsen said. \u201cThat\u2019s true almost anywhere on Earth\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beneath Maine\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2406,"featured_media":8058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","spc_primary_category":0},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-the-environment"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":90,"label":"Climate and the Environment"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/98\/2026\/08\/20220613_105724-scaled-e1784731844306-2048x1154-1-1024x577.jpeg",1024,577,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"lhecker","author_link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/author\/lhecker\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":90,"name":"Climate and the Environment","slug":"climate-and-the-environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":44,"count":24,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":90,"category_count":24,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Climate and the Environment","category_nicename":"climate-and-the-environment","category_parent":44}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2406"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8059,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions\/8059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cAny system where you\u2019re trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,\u201d Olsen said. \u201cThat\u2019s true almost anywhere on Earth\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beneath Maine\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2406,"featured_media":8058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","spc_primary_category":0},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-the-environment"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":90,"label":"Climate and the Environment"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/98\/2026\/08\/20220613_105724-scaled-e1784731844306-2048x1154-1-1024x577.jpeg",1024,577,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"lhecker","author_link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/author\/lhecker\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":90,"name":"Climate and the Environment","slug":"climate-and-the-environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":44,"count":24,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":90,"category_count":24,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Climate and the Environment","category_nicename":"climate-and-the-environment","category_parent":44}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2406"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8059,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8057\/revisions\/8059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mafes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}