IN THIS PROJECT FUNDED BY THE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS PROGRAM, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PROFESSORS WEIAND GAO FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ARE DEVELOPING A NEW CLASS OF BIOMIMETIC MATERIAL FOR SELECTIVE CAPTURE AND EFFICIENTRECOVERY OF PHOSPHATE FROM AGRICULTURAL AND ANIMAL WASTE STREAMS. PHOSPHORUS (P) IS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT ELEMENTS FORTHE GROWTH OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS, BEING CRITICAL TO SUSTAIN THE GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLY, BUT THIS ELEMENT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY IN NATURE.CURRENTLY, ABOUT 80% OF THE MINED PHOSPHOROUS IS APPLIED TO AGRICULTURAL FIELDS, BUT ONLY ABOUT 40% FINDS ITS WAY INTO HARVESTEDCROPS AND 16% IS CONSUMED AS HUMAN FOOD. MOST P IS LOST IN THE DISCHARGE OF RAW OR TREATED MUNICIPAL, AGRICULTURAL ANDINDUSTRIAL WASTE STREAMS, WHICH SHOULD AND COULD BE RECOVERED. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR P RECOVERY LIES IN SELECTIVESEPARATION OF PHOSPHATE OVER VARIOUS OTHER IONS PRESENT IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A NEW CLASS OF HYBRIDNANOMATERIALS THAT CONTAIN FUNCTIONALIZED BIOMOLECULES FOR SELECTIVE CAPTURE OF PHOSPHATE AND MAGNEITC PARTICLES IN THE CORE FORSUBSEQUENT RECOVERY OF THE PHOSPHATE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TRANSFORMATIVE AS IT DEVELOPS A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND BIOINSPIREDMATERIAL TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL CHALLENGE OF P RECOVERY FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE STREAMS. IT WILL LEAD TO AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TOCLOSE THE LOOP OF PHOSPHROUS IN HUMAN ACTIVITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD-ENERGY-WATER SYSTEMS.