Water covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface. Of that, just 3% is freshwater, but most of that is held captive in glaciers or deep underground. Only 1% of this water is actually accessible to help sustain life on our planet.
Lance Rances ’24 has dedicated his research to that 1%. As a member of the Microsensor Biofilm Research Lab, led by Professor Woo Hyoung Lee of the UCF Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, Rances has helped develop sensors for a wide range of uses, from detecting various water contaminants of concern to turning urine waste into disinfectants.
Rances began his research in summer 2023 as an undergraduate researcher in Lee’s lab. A visit to the Young Professionals Workshop at the Florida Water Resources Conference, where he had the opportunity to meet with industry consultants, plant operators and professionals in academia, cemented his decision to conduct research in environmental engineering and work towards a graduate degree.
As an undergrad, Rances was part of a student team that was awarded a $25,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant for an antibody-based electrochemical sensor designed to detect algae toxins. He was also a contributing author for work on developing a copper-ion selective membrane electrode sensor to monitor leaching at copper surfaces, which can be used to test corrosion in groundwater systems.
When it came time to choose a school for graduate studies, Rances says he knew he was already at the right place to continue his work. Plus, Orlando felt like a second home for the Lakeland native, having already spent the past five years at UCF.
“I was in a space with many bright and creative professors, academics and students,” he says. “I knew by committing to UCF, I would be able to leverage these opportunities to learn the most I can and pursue ambitious goals in research.”
Continuing his work as a master’s student, Rances is fabricating and testing sensors for water contaminants, including copper, and naturally occurring compounds such as geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, which affect drinking water’s odor and taste.
One of his most recent projects, a study on using microbial peroxide-producing cells (MPPCs) to create disinfectants, was awarded with a prestigious grant from NASA. Rances earned the 2024-25 Florida Space Grant Consortium’s Master’s Fellowship last year. Recipients of the prestigious award receive a stipend of $10,000.
“My investigation aims to harness the potential of microbial communities for converting common waste streams such as urine into hydrogen peroxide, a useful disinfectant in water treatment processes,” he says. “MPPCs are an emerging technology which are attractive due to their economical and sustainable methods of producing hydrogen peroxide with no toxic waste production.”
Rances says he was motivated to pursue the research by Lee’s prior work on microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) which also uses urine as the substrate, or food, for the bacteria.
“Building on this idea, we decided to investigate modifying the MEC for hydrogen peroxide production to produce a useful disinfectant for manned space missions,” he says.
In the spirit of collaboration, which is a hallmark of research at UCF, when Rances learned he had earned the fellowship, the excitement he felt wasn’t for his own accomplishment. Instead, he was elated that the fellowship would allow for continued research for the lab.
“In 2023, a previous student from Dr. Lee’s laboratory group, Keval Patel, also received the FSGC Master’s Fellowship,” he says. “My main reaction was excitement and joy that I was able to continue our laboratory’s history, doing research supported by the Florida Space Grant Consortium.”
He says the research addresses two critical elements needed for space travel: wastewater treatment and potable water production.
“Recycling urine to produce disinfectant allows for a more sustainable method for water disinfection using an existing waste stream produced by astronauts onboard the spacecraft,” says Rances. “This is particularly groundbreaking work, as it allows for resource regeneration on increasingly lengthy space missions.”
The research is a benefit not only for extended space travel, but for humankind overall. Rances says the ability to recover resources from waste streams impacts sustainability and global waste production worldwide.
“I hope to help at-risk communities to have more knowledge and awareness of the water they consume,” he says. “In the Philippines especially, there is need for improved water distribution systems and community awareness which I would love to contribute toward someday.”
After he earns his master’s degree, Rances plans to pursue a doctorate in environmental engineering, continuing his focus on sensor fabrication. His ultimate goal is to work in the wastewater field and also focus on water accessibility and sovereignty for communities in need.
“I would like to extend a thank you to my laboratory mates who have guided me significantly in my research and in my graduate career,” he says. “As well, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Lee, for providing insightful guidance that will last me for my career.”
- Written by Bel Huston