Innovative Research Supported by NSF Could Lead to More Sustainable Agricultural Practices Imagine being able to develop a low-cost and sustainable fertilizer that improves the production of crops and plant growth by repurposing the massive amounts of biomass waste that exist worldwide. This is the goal of Benjamin S. Hsiao, distinguished professor of chemistry at Stony Brook University. He and colleagues at Stony Brook and University of Queensland in Australia (led by Darren Martin, professor of chemical engineering) are embarking on a project to achieve this. The research, which would enhance sustainability practices and therefore have an impact on pollution and climate change, is being supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Convergence Accelerator Program on sustainable materials solutions and capabilities. The use of conventional fertilizers in agriculture worldwide is not sustainable for several reasons. These include high delivery inefficiency,