Research

Jeff Larsen

jadamsb2 — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:44:02 +0000

Jeff Larsen jadamsb2 Thu, 03/06/2025 - 14:44

Jeff Larsen leads strategic initiatives to advance earth science research through artificial intelligence and digital technologies. As the driving force behind B2 Solutions, a new business unit within Biosphere 2, Jeff works to transform decades of scientific research into practical applications that address global environmental challenges.

In his role, Jeff serves as a key liaison between Biosphere 2 and various entrepreneurial partners in both public and private sectors. He focuses on fostering collaborations that leverage Biosphere 2's unique capabilities to drive innovation in environmental science and sustainability practices.

Jeff founded and led several successful technology companies where he pioneered interactive video platforms for education and research. His academic background includes doctoral studies in Transatlantic Intellectual History at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where his research focused on the intersection of public television and existentialist philosophy.

Through his work at Biosphere 2, Jeff continues to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical applications, helping to establish Biosphere 2 as a leader in AI-enabled environmental science and sustainable technology solutions.

Links:

www.narrasys.com

Jeff Larsen

720-838-7806

Entrepreneur in Residence AI and Digital Innovation

jefflarsen@arizona.edu

Justin Beslity

jadamsb2 — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:46:36 +0000

Justin Beslity jadamsb2 Fri, 11/01/2024 - 15:46

Dr. Justin Beslity is an eco-hydrologist, who primarily conducts his research on small, forested watersheds. As a post-doctoral researcher in the Biosphere 2 rainforest, he will seek to understand how important tropical trees, such as Theobroma cacao, will respond to changing climate patterns. These projects will help fill the critical research gap of poorly understood water use strategies under different demands and supplies in tropical forests around the world. To optimize our results, we will combine a number of data collection techniques currently used in B2, as well as new sensors developed by Justin to measure water fluxes at a more cost-effective rate. Undergraduate students working with Justin will develop valuable skills such as computer programming, circuitry building, and scientific communication.

Justin Beslity

Rainforest Post-Doc

justinbeslity@arizona.edu

Clement Lopez

jadamsb2 — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 13:46:32 +0000

Clement Lopez jadamsb2 Thu, 07/11/2024 - 06:46

Mineral carbonation is based on the reaction of CO2 with metal oxide-bearing materials to precipitate insoluble carbonates, with calcium being one of the most attractive metals. While the development of industrial carbonation processes has been recommended to mitigate climate change, its natural occurrence in soils and its potential enhancement through management practices has received little attention so far. Since natural carbonation is commonly considered to be a slow process, spreading powder of non-carbonated, calcium-bearing minerals over soils, a strategy known as enhanced rock weathering (ERW), is a promising way to accelerate it. While humid tropical areas are generally regarded as having the greatest potential for ERW, recent evidence suggests that carbonation may also be significant in drylands, driven by water vapour adsorption (WVA) by soil at night, potentially representing an overlooked long-term carbon sink. The OASIS project's general objective is to assess ERW's potential in dryland soils. Its main underlying assumption is that optimizing WVA with the amendment of highly adsorbent ground rock will maximize the carbonation process while reducing the dependence of phototrophic organisms on rainfall or irrigation. To tackle this objective, OASIS will implement field and mesocosm manipulative experiments using cutting-edge infrastructure to control environmental conditions and simulate climate change. These will be coupled to state-of-the-art measurements and isotopic tracing of soil-atmosphere water vapor and CO2 fluxes. This research will fill several gaps in our understanding of natural carbonation and its interactions with WVA, organisms, and climate change. It is also expected to provide solid arguments for implementing conservation measures and sustainable agricultural practices in drylands or seasonally dry lands to protect and increase water and carbon resources, which is in line with several European and global guidelines.

Clement Lopez

Postdoctoral Resercher

lopezcle@arizona.edu

Renee Grambihler

jadamsb2 — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 18:09:17 +0000

Renee Grambihler jadamsb2 Wed, 03/02/2022 - 11:09

Renee Grambihler is an Ocean Research Specialist at Biosphere 2. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Bioinformatics and a minor in Marine Science. Being born in Arizona, Renee found her passion for the ocean and marine systems later in college after taking the Introduction to Oceanography class. Since then, she has pursued opportunities in marine research, including an internship with Mote Marine Laboratory where she worked with corals and performed bioinformatic analyses on coral disease treatments. Renee is excited to be working with coral again and helping to care of the incredible B2 Ocean. Her favorite part of working at B2 is getting to snorkel and dive in the Ocean and saying hello to the fish and giant clams that live there.

Degrees

B.S. Bioinformatics, Minor Marine Science

Renee Grambihler

520-621-3952

Research Specialist

grambihler@arizona.edu

Follow Renee on Twitter

Lia Crocker

jadamsb2 — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 18:03:30 +0000

Lia Crocker jadamsb2 Wed, 03/02/2022 - 11:03

Lia was drawn to Tucson from Pittsburgh after learning of Biosphere 2. She was inspired by greenhouses’ ability to create an artificial climate that could lead to habitable ecosystems on hostile land such as Antarctica or other planets. After a visit to Biosphere 2 and the University of Arizona, Lia knew that this was where she could pursue these goals by studying controlled environment agriculture as a Biosystems Engineering student and working at Biosphere 2. Lia started as an intern with the Biosphere 2 ocean team in 2019, continued being involved with B2O research for her senior capstone project and worked as a part time employee in 2020. After graduating with a BS in Biosystems Engineering in 2020, Lia completed an accelerated master’s program where her thesis research was associated with the WALD campaign analyzing volatile organic compounds of B2 rainforest leaf litter. In January 2022, Lia joined the Biosphere 2 ocean team full-time as a research specialist. She is passionate about the Biosphere and the extraordinary research opportunities that this one-of-a-kind facility offers especially regarding climate change and ecosystem remediation.

Degrees

BS in Biosystems Engineering, MS Biosystems Engineering

Lia Crocker

520-621-3036

Research Specialist

liacrocker@arizona.edu

Lia's Research Blog

Wei-Ren Ng

katherinemorgan — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:24:08 +0000

Wei-Ren Ng katherinemorgan Fri, 10/01/2021 - 10:24

My role is to provide and facilitate research technical support to the important interdisciplinary research work at Biosphere 2 specifically with maintaining and expanding the existing sensor network, instrumentation, and control system on the Landscape Evolution Observatory project. I am excited to work at this unique research facility to help our understanding of global scientific issues. As I learn more about the engineering challenges in this field, I look forward towards adding my contribution towards direct research.

Degrees

BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, 2008
MS, Electrical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, 2012

Wei-Ren Ng

520-621-3954

Electrical Engineer

weiren@email.arizona.edu

Jason Deleeuw

katherinemorgan — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:17:28 +0000

Jason Deleeuw katherinemorgan Fri, 10/01/2021 - 10:17

Jason originally joined the Biosphere 2 team in 2014 as an Interpretative Specialist. After only a short time in this position, he was inspired by his experience at Biosphere 2 to go back to school and study plant sciences, during which time he continued working at Biosphere 2, occasionally leading tours and working on special projects as a student worker. While working as a student intern with the University of Arizona’s Campus Arboretum he spearheaded the effort to include Biosphere 2’s plant collection on the Campus Arboretum’s website. He also created and installed the plant signs that are visible along the walkways today. After graduating in 2017 with a second bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Plant Systems, Jason returned to Biosphere 2 as an Instructional Specialist, supervising tour guides and writing the script they would use. In 2018, Jason moved to the research side of Biosphere 2 as a Research Specialist with his primary responsibilities being management of the rainforest and maintenance of the arrays of sensors in it. He was involved in the planning, setup, and implementation of the WALD project. More recently Jason’s attention has expanded to include management of the other terrestrial biomes in Biosphere 2 with a focus on replanting the rainforest and desert biomes to increase their biodiversity and enhance their scientific value.

Jason Deleeuw

520-626-6630

Rain Forest Research Specialist

Terrestrial Biome Manager

jdeleeuw@arizona.edu

Aaron Bugaj

katherinemorgan — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:11:24 +0000

Aaron Bugaj katherinemorgan Wed, 09/29/2021 - 10:11

Aaron Bugaj is the lead technologist on the Landscape Evolution Observatory experiment. He's passionate about the nexus between science, technology, and creativity. In addition to his role at LEO, Aaron is a leader on science communication and marketing initiatives at Biosphere 2 ranging from the Biosphere 2 Podcast, data visualization, animation, and film.

Aaron holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Seattle University and is currently pursuing his M.S. in Marketing Science from the University of Arizona Eller School of Management and a Data Visualization Certificate from Parsons School of Design.

Aaron Bugaj

Research Technologist III

Biosphere 2 Podcast Host

Media Producer

bugaja@arizona.edu

Aaron's Vimeo

Dr. Matej Durcik

katherinemorgan — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:59:11 +0000

Dr. Matej Durcik katherinemorgan Wed, 09/29/2021 - 09:59

My current work focuses on application of geoinformatics technologies in environmental sciences, database system design and implementation, data management, remote sensing, spatial and temporal data analysis, visualization and assimilation, distributed hydrologic and geospatial modeling, and environmental radioactivity.

Degrees

MS, Information Science, University of Pittsburgh, 2004
PhD, Physics, Comenius University; Slovakia, 1998

Dr. Matej Durcik

Researcher

mdurcik@arizona.edu

Website

Matthew Peterson

katherinemorgan — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 23:44:15 +0000

Matthew Peterson katherinemorgan Mon, 09/27/2021 - 16:44

Matthew is the laboratory coordinator for the Biosphere 2 Analytical Building. His interests involve how soil microbial communities influence the plants they are associated with and how anthropogenic influences are altering our landscapes both physically and in the efficiency of nutrient pathways. He also aims to effectively communicate concepts to a wide range of audiences

Degrees

M.S. Texas A&M University Soil and Crop Science
B.A. Luther College, Biology and environmental studies

Matthew Peterson

520-621-3148

Analytical Laboratory Coordinator

Research Technologist II

matthewjpeterson@arizona.edu

Pronouns:

he, him, his