Spintronics Beyond Memory Operations

with Dr. Sanjukta Bhanja, University of South Florida, IEEE Nanotechnology Council Distinguished Lecturer

Date/Time: January 27,2025, 12:00 - 1:20 pm

Location: Hybrid, from Cramer Hall 171, Portland State University, 1721 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201

This talk explores the multifaceted capabilities of spintronic memory systems, encompassing in-memory processing, security applications, and solving complex optimization problems. These advancements can potentially reshape the computing landscape by providing more efficient, secure, and accessible computational solutions. It will be structured into two key segments: The first part of the talk focuses on the concept of processing within the memory itself, utilizing racetrack technology. The second aspect addresses the intriguing concept of using dipolar coupling between memory elements for information processing and transfer.

with Susannah Green Tringe, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Date/Time: Tuesday, January 28, 2025; 6:00-7:00 pm PST, 9-10 pm EST

Abstract:

Plants roots and the soil they grow in are heavily colonized with microbes that play critical roles in nutrient cycling and transport as well as influencing plant growth and health. Molecular methods including DNA sequencing have begun to elucidate the forces governing the assembly and maintenance of plant and soil microbial communities, offering the opportunity for these microbial communities to be nurtured and manipulated to promote plant growth and health as well as soil health and ecosystem functions.

We have combined omics methods, biogeochemical assays, and gas flux measurements to investigate the factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions from natural and managed wetland systems. By integrating these datasets we find that gas fluxes represent a complex interplay of biological, chemical, and physical factors that vary across habitats. Our results suggest considerable heterogeneity in fluxes even in physically proximate locations that have implications for the success of wetland preservation and restoration as a carbon storage strategy, particularly in the context of sea level rise.

In agricultural systems, we find that different plant compartments (e.g. rhizosphere and root endosphere) harbor unique and dynamic microbial communities heavily influenced by the soil, surrounding environment and host genotype.  Abiotic stress, such as drought and low nitrogen, can alter both the composition of these communities and their interactions with each other and the plant. Our sequence-based characterizations of plant-associated communities, leveraging a variety of bioinformatic tools, have identified key populations that structure the community and respond dynamically to environmental changes, representing potential targets for improvement of plant resilience.