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Essential Element

Phosphorus is an essential element to life, underpinning many critical biological processes and driving the productivity and sustainability of global food systems.

The Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center is a convergence research community of diverse and leading scientists that addresses the complex challenges in phosphorus sustainability by integrating disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social, and economic sciences. The STEPS vision is to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in losses of point and non-point sources of phosphorus to soils and water resources within 25 years, leading to enhanced resilience of food systems and reduced environmental damage.

A Roadmap to Phosphorus Sustainability

STEPS Announces a Roadmap Toward U.S. Phosphorus Sustainability

STEPS is pleased to share “25-in-25: A Roadmap Toward U.S. Phosphorus Sustainability,” a project led by our partner institution RTI. This roadmap serves as a guide for the actions needed to improve sustainable management of phosphorus (P) in the United States. We outline current P management problems and their impact on stakeholders and organize sets of actions into Impact Opportunities. This roadmap is the result of collaboration between STEPS and external stakeholders, including industry representatives, policymakers, and others.

Roadmap cover image
REU students taking soil samples at Tidewater Research Station

STEPS REU Program

STEPS will support 15 students for ten weeks during Summer 2025 through a multi-institutional Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Multi-institutional Research Experience

Convergence research through a collaborative cohort project.

Projects that align research and career interests.

🎃 Happy Halloween! Did you know phosphorus plays a role in some of the spookiest halloween themes:

🦴Bones: About 85% of the phosphorus in the body is located in bones & teeth.

🟢 Eerie glows: Chemiluminescence is the chemical reaction that causes white phosphorus to give off an eerie greenish glow 

🍬 Candy: candies containing peanut butter, chocolate, & fruit are high in P

#happyhalloween #phosphorus

🎃 Happy Halloween! Did you know phosphorus plays a role in some of the spookiest halloween themes:

🦴Bones: About 85% of the phosphorus in the body is located in bones & teeth.

🟢 Eerie glows: Chemiluminescence is the chemical reaction that causes white phosphorus to give off an eerie greenish glow

🍬 Candy: candies containing peanut butter, chocolate, & fruit are high in P

#happyhalloween #phosphorus
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📖 STEPS in the community! Our Director of Science Communication Dr. Meagan Kittle Autry and scholar Hector Fajardo attended a book club to discuss The Devil's Element by Dan Egan with the Raleigh community. We had a great time learning their thoughts about the phosphorus paradox and sharing about how our research is helping to make a difference. Thanks for having us, Wake County Public Libraries! 

#bookclub #reading #phosphorus

📖 STEPS in the community! Our Director of Science Communication Dr. Meagan Kittle Autry and scholar Hector Fajardo attended a book club to discuss The Devil`s Element by Dan Egan with the Raleigh community. We had a great time learning their thoughts about the phosphorus paradox and sharing about how our research is helping to make a difference. Thanks for having us, Wake County Public Libraries!

#bookclub #reading #phosphorus
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Did our millennial faculty and scholars understand the assignment? We think so!

#genz #intern #phosphorus #script

Did our millennial faculty and scholars understand the assignment? We think so!

#genz #intern #phosphorus #script
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Congratulations to our graduate scholar Barira Rashid on winning the GeoScienceWorld (GSW) Diversity and Representation Award!

💡 Barira's work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Earth Science is exemplary, and our STEPS team is excited to see her winning essay published in GSW's OA Journal, Lithosphere!

🔗 Links to her essay and more about her award are in our story!

#NSFfunded #NSFstories #diversity #geoscience  #graduatestudent

Congratulations to our graduate scholar Barira Rashid on winning the GeoScienceWorld (GSW) Diversity and Representation Award!

💡 Barira`s work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Earth Science is exemplary, and our STEPS team is excited to see her winning essay published in GSW`s OA Journal, Lithosphere!

🔗 Links to her essay and more about her award are in our story!

#NSFfunded #NSFstories #diversity #geoscience #graduatestudent
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The latest episode of PhosForUs, "Bridging Research & Practice: An Interview with Dr.Deanna Osmond" is out now! 

Hosts Hector (@ekthor9) & Lily (@lilyandplant) interview Deanna Osmond to talk about her career, involvement in groundbreaking projects, future of phosphorus management, and her advice to young researchers. 

🎧 Link in our story!

#podcast #NSFstories #NSFfunded

The latest episode of PhosForUs, "Bridging Research & Practice: An Interview with Dr.Deanna Osmond" is out now!

Hosts Hector (@ekthor9) & Lily (@lilyandplant) interview Deanna Osmond to talk about her career, involvement in groundbreaking projects, future of phosphorus management, and her advice to young researchers.

🎧 Link in our story!

#podcast #NSFstories #NSFfunded
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Scholar Md Shakil Uddin presented his research proposal titled "Biofertilizer: A Sustainable Alternative for Enhancing Phosphorus Use Efficiency" at the Gulf Coast Research & Education Center! 

@ufifas_solutions

💡This experience allowed him to make connections & gain new insights to incorporate into his research. 

#phosphorus #universityofflorida #fertilizer #NSFfunded #NSFstories

Scholar Md Shakil Uddin presented his research proposal titled "Biofertilizer: A Sustainable Alternative for Enhancing Phosphorus Use Efficiency" at the Gulf Coast Research & Education Center!

@ufifas_solutions

💡This experience allowed him to make connections & gain new insights to incorporate into his research.

#phosphorus #universityofflorida #fertilizer #NSFfunded #NSFstories
...

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📣 Publication Alert 📣
Drs Duckworth, Obenour, Nelson and team recently published "Relationships between soil test phosphorus and county-level agricultural surplus phosphorus"!

📈 Using several statistical tests, they looked at the relationship between STP and surplus phosphorus in 3 states. 

💡Results suggest surplus P moderately correlations with STP concentrations, but aggregation periods and location specific factors influence the relationship 

#phosphorus #publication #agriculture #soil

📣 Publication Alert 📣
Drs Duckworth, Obenour, Nelson and team recently published "Relationships between soil test phosphorus and county-level agricultural surplus phosphorus"!

📈 Using several statistical tests, they looked at the relationship between STP and surplus phosphorus in 3 states.

💡Results suggest surplus P moderately correlations with STP concentrations, but aggregation periods and location specific factors influence the relationship

#phosphorus #publication #agriculture #soil
...

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💡Positioning Nanotechnology to Address Climate Change 💡 

👩‍🔬 STEPS' faculty are national leaders in #nanotechnology research. Their latest perspectives article explores necessary avenues for nanotechnology research processes and structures to help the field address the pressing issue of climate change. 

➡️ Read the open access article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10669-024-09991-w

#climatechange #research #nsffunded #nsfstories #convergence

💡Positioning Nanotechnology to Address Climate Change 💡

👩‍🔬 STEPS` faculty are national leaders in #nanotechnology research. Their latest perspectives article explores necessary avenues for nanotechnology research processes and structures to help the field address the pressing issue of climate change.

➡️ Read the open access article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10669-024-09991-w

#climatechange #research #nsffunded #nsfstories #convergence
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