UNT assistant professor of microbiology Calvin Henard earned a more than $800,000 grant through the U.S. National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Program. The NSF CAREER award is the most prestigious recognition for early career research faculty.

Henard's award-winning project will research organic and inorganic carbon metabolism in methanotrophic bacteria. Methanotrophic bacteria eat methane. Petroleum production and landfill and wastewater treatment processes release excess methane, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Henard's team will look for ways to make the bacteria consume more methane faster. His team will also look for ways to convert the resulting excess bacteria into valuable bio-products.