There's probably no greener spot in Michigan than the U-M Biological Station, which occupies a 10,000-acre swathe of forest, wetlands and lakeshore in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, just east of Pellston. But now, the 101-year-old research station on Douglas Lake is going even greener.
"We've started to open doors to the business community and seek out connections with people who are engaged in areas of mutual research interest," says station director Knute Nadelhoffer, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. "We provide a platform for studying natural systems, and we're interested in forming partnerships with companies that are developing products and ideas using indigenous plants, animals and microbes."
The station's goal to become carbon-neutral by transforming its century-old campus into a model of sustainable design and operation presents a springboard for engaging with green enterprises. "We want to develop, deploy and display energy-efficient systems, alternative-power generation sources, energy-saving building materials and innovative architecture," Nadelhoffer explains. "Any new products or systems would have an intrinsic marketing advantage because the station is open to the public and has high visibility in the region"
The development and testing of environmental sensors for carbon dioxide, aerosols and other airborne or waterborne substances is another area with potential for cultivating business partnerships. The station has three permanent atmospheric towers, a year-round laboratory and additional scientific equipment that could be utilized to determine the durability and functionality of environmental-monitoring instruments, or even solar panels and wind-generation units.
One project already under way is the development of the TIDAS lake-monitoring buoy, which will be deployed in Douglas Lake this summer. U-M research scientist Guy Meadows is overseeing the venture in conjunction with two Michigan contractors, S2 Yachts and R.M. Young, which are building various components. Meadows is a professor in the U-M College of Engineering's Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
Pharmaceutical companies exploring the medicinal potential of native plants might use the station's large collection of plant and animal specimens and the expertise of its researchers to design new drugs to treat diseases. "We know a great deal about the biodiversity of the Great Lakes region," Nadelhoffer says, "so there is an opportunity to explore the pharmaceutical applications of plant compounds and engage with our researchers and data collection."
Although scientific research and education remains the core mission of the U-M Biological Station, its emerging role as a research partner with businesses ushers in an exciting new era at the start of its second century in operation. "We're going greener, but we want the water to stay blue," Nadelhoffer concludes.
More information, contact Karie Slavik, associate director, at slavik@umich.edu or 734.763.4461 or visit www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs.