The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. News | Apr 26 The family and friends of Jackson Davis gathered Friday to honor his memory in the Gypsum park where he spent so much time playing. It’s also where his life ended a year ago Jackson was honored with a vigil that included candlelight Friends and family offered their memories of a youngster they described loving “You could see God’s light in his eyes,” grandfather Gary Davis said the father of longtime friend Vinny Johnson said Jackson was not only Vinny’s friend too … I could always make him laugh … I miss him dearly.” Vinny Johnson said before the vigil began that he and others came out Friday to “show some support to my friend,” and fellow friend Sam Sosa said “he was a friend to all of us,” referring to the several young people gathered at the park After the teens had spoken of playing video games and sports and Jackson’s occasional need to just get back home during the occasional sleepover or slipping out at night to play “ding-dong ditch” in the neighborhood “Jackson was awesome,” his mother recalled “He could walk into a room and make you smile with one of his little smirks He’d give me that side grin and it melted my heart every single time… He knew if I was down he’d say ‘mom what can I do While Christy Davis adores all her children “There’s something a little extra” about her youngest adding that she will “fight for justice for Jackson 150%.” She also encouraged everyone at Friday’s vigil to keep her son’s memory alive The town of Gypsum has done its small part to help keep that memory alive by installing a bench at Second Street Park with a pair of photos of Jackson stayed up most of Thursday night writing a long letter to her grandson she read the letter filled with her memories who he called “Mimi,” about “every color … Of course I had no idea” about the trees “We have all been robbed,” she said adding that Jackson’s friends and family are all missing out of Jackson’s future high school dances proms and sports he’ll never get to play along with him learning how to drive a car with a stick shift “What we do have is a lot of good memories.” When Jackson was first starting to talk and wanted his grandmother to hold him he’d ask And there was Jackson’s love of just about any kind of ball games After the 2022 death of Jackson’s father, Tony Robin said Jackson said he was calling to check on Big Boy “but I knew he was calling to check on his sister.” Robin’s letter read she’ll miss her grandson asking for haircut money “every four weeks,” and his “loving Robin “would crumble every time I’d see that side-eye smile Standing just an arm’s length from the bench dedicated to her grandson Robin said “We can sit on this bench and you can hold me Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:.. Après at The Amp For its third year in a row Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually.. Project Funway Get ready to be wowed by the fashions at Project Funway which returns to Dobson Arena again this Saturday One of the most creative fundraisers in the Vail Valley Metrics details Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) plays a critical role in numerous natural and industrial processes the underlying mechanisms governing the formation of gypsum crystals on surfaces with diverse chemical properties remain poorly understood due to a lack of sufficient temporal-spatial resolution we use in situ microscopy to investigate the real-time gypsum nucleation on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with −CH3 We report that the rate of gypsum formation is regulated by the surface functional groups and hydrophobicity in the order of −CH3 > −hybrid > −COOH > −SO3 ≈ − NH3 > − OH Results based on classical nucleation theory and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that nucleation pathways for hydrophilic surfaces involve surface-induced nucleation functional groups) serving as anchors to facilitate the growth of vertically oriented clusters hydrophobic surfaces involve bulk nucleation with ions near the surface that coalesce into larger horizontal clusters These findings provide new insights into the spatial and temporal characteristics of gypsum formation on various surfaces and highlight the significance of surface functional groups and hydrophobicity in governing gypsum formation mechanisms while also acknowledging the possibility of alternative nucleation pathways due to the limitations of experimental techniques A prevailing challenge in managing gypsum scaling is the lack of mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous scale formation on engineered surfaces unraveling the mechanisms of heterogeneous gypsum nucleation is crucial for informing the design of engineered surfaces and developing strategies to mitigate gypsum scaling While these findings highlight the importance of surface chemical properties the variability in results implies an intricate relationship between gypsum formation and surface properties there is a crucial need to develop a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of gypsum nucleation and growth on surfaces with diverse functional groups have observed stable precursor clusters or nanocrystalline at the early stage of nucleation which would regulate the nucleation and growth behavior these stable prenucleation clusters were predominantly observed in the context of homogeneous nucleation processes showing distinct kinetics compared to heterogeneous nucleation understanding of the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon is limited by the constraints of experimental observations particularly the limitations of time and the quenching step a thorough investigation of the initial stages of gypsum nucleation through computational simulations is clearly warranted we investigated the role of surface properties in gypsum scale formation via systematic experimental observations and MD simulations Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkyl thiols on gold surfaces were employed to create surfaces terminated with −NH2 and −hybrid (a combination of NH2 and COOH) functional groups An in situ imaging technique was employed to quantify the number of gypsum crystallites forming on these surfaces enabling the calculation of the nucleation rate we compared the observed gypsum nucleation rate with the number of cluster ions in the proximity of the surfaces as determined by MD simulations Our results revealed that classical theories for crystal nucleation and growth combined with MD simulations can provide insights into gypsum nucleation mechanisms on surfaces with different chemical properties Our findings also led us to propose two distinct gypsum growth mechanisms for hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces influenced by the attractive induction interactions of adsorbed ions whereas horizontal growth of gypsum prevails on hydrophobic surfaces The molecular structure and contact angles of (A1)−OH and (F1) hybrid of NH2 and COOH groups terminated self-assembled monolayers The XPS spectra of representative chemical bonds of (A2)−OH and (F2) hybrid of NH2 and COOH groups terminated self-assembled monolayers represent counts per second and arbitrary unit which is attributable to the neutral N-C species these results verify the successful binding of various groups onto the substrate surface represents the substrate-specific thermodynamic barrier to nucleation and is used to estimate gypsum–substrate interfacial free energy D The total cluster ions near the surfaces (i.e. the distance between the center of mass (COM) of cluster minus the cluster radius and the surface groups is less than 15 Å) terminated with different functional groups as obtained from the MD simulations Error bars are derived from the standard deviation of the average values calculated over the last 5 ns A Time evolution of cluster number and free ions taking -CH3 surface as an example for analysis The insets are the potential structures (chains and rings) of precursor clusters at the first stage and the large clusters with an amorphous structure at the second stage of prenucleation process B Time evolution of Ca-So and Ca-Ow bond numbers which represent the coordination number of Ca2+ ions with SO42− ions and water molecules A The debonding work of CaSO4 displacing water from surfaces terminated with different functional groups B The energy ratios (ER) of between CaSO4 and surfaces terminated with different functional groups ER is obtained from the adhesion work of the CaSO4-surface interface divided by the debonding work of water where Wadhesion is the adhesion work of the CaSO4-surface interface (Supplementary Fig. 11A), and Wdebonding_water is the debonding work of water (Supplementary Fig. 11B) A higher ER value indicates that the CaSO4-surface interface is less vulnerable to the water layer. As illustrated in Fig. 4B the ER value of CaSO4-surface follows a sequence of −hybrid > −COOH > −NH2 ≈ −OH > −CH3 surfaces This finding indicates that the CaSO4-hybrid surface interface is the least susceptible to the water layer whereas the CaSO4-CH3 surface interface displays the highest susceptibility Both the debonding work and ER values collectively indicate that the competitive interaction strength between ions and water with surface groups plays a crucial role in gypsum nucleation on hydrophilic surfaces gypsum nucleation on hydrophobic surfaces may involve an alternative mechanism A Standard deviation (SD) of potential energy for surfaces terminated with CH3 and hybrid functional groups The inset is a schematic diagram depicting the potential energy surface B Horizontal self-diffusion coefficient (Dxy) of CaSO4 pairs on surfaces terminated with CH3 and hybrid functional groups The inset i and ii are the trajectory lines of two CaSO4 pairs above the surfaces terminated with CH3 and hybrid functional groups C Representative simulation snapshots of CaSO4 clusters on –CH3 and –hybrid surfaces The ions are colored to distinguish different CaSO4 clusters and the water molecules were removed for clarification D Ion distribution with the distance along the direction perzpendicular to the surfaces with different functional groups E Schematic diagram on the calculation of the maximum adhesion force (Fmax) and repulsion distance (DR) of CaSO4 probe F The maximum attraction force (Fmax) and repulsion distance (DR) of CaSO4 probe approaching to the surface with pre-adsorbed ions It is worth noting that unstable upright clusters are more susceptible to displacement by dynamic water flow compared to the flat clusters with a larger surface contact area This observation provides additional support for the notion that gypsum nucleation on the hydrophobic −CH3 surface primarily takes place through bulk nucleation rather than being induced by ion adsorption This result suggests that an excess of ions adsorbed on the surface hinders further ion adsorption thereby shedding light on why gypsum nucleation on hydrophobic surfaces is more pronounced than on hydrophilic surfaces Schematic diagram illustrating gypsum nucleation on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces these techniques may face challenges in fully capturing in situ heterogeneous nucleation due to the complex interplay between nuclei and foreign surfaces under hydrated conditions Such a focus on heterogeneous nucleation provides a different perspective from the conditions studied in the aforementioned literature Our experimental and simulation results corroborate that gypsum nucleation aligns with classical nucleation theory gypsum nucleation is primarily induced by specific ion adsorption sites (i.e. This induction leads to the growth of gypsum crystals oriented vertically variations in the rates of gypsum nucleation on distinct hydrophilic surfaces can be explained through their respective debonding energies hydrophobic surfaces exhibit weak interactions between surface functional groups and gypsum and rapid self-diffusion in the horizontal direction the RDF peaks of amorphous calcium sulfate appeared broad and flattened while the RDF peaks of crystalline calcium sulfate were sharp and well-defined Simulations performed for the clusters over the period from 0 to 50 ns suggest that the behavior of the clusters was similar to that of a crystal phase no direct evidence of an intermediate phase was observed steady-state nucleation experiments with supersaturated solutions were conducted on different foreign surfaces to ensure the successful application of classical concepts Revisiting the concept of interfacial free energy (γ) within classical nucleation theory, it signifies the collective energy of the crystal-liquid-substrate system and is presented in Eq. S4 in the Supplementary Note. 2 A large γSC (crystal-substrate) coupled with a small γSL (substrate-liquid) contributes to a high interfacial free energy nucleation rates hinge upon the competition between the energetics involved in gypsum nuclei formation on the substrate and the establishment of a new substrate-nuclei interface as opposed to the energetics of water displacement near the substrate it is important to note that the measured surface free energy pertains to the energy associated with the substrate-air interface which quantitatively describes the energy needed to displace water by the CaSO4 cluster on the substrate-water interface This debonding work aligns well with the observed nucleation rate on hydrophilic surfaces This study takes a significant stride in understanding the gypsum nucleation mechanism through a combination of experimental observations and MD simulations providing a foundation for a more comprehensive and precise grasp of heterogeneous gypsum nucleation on surfaces a critical aspect in the effective management of mineral scaling in various industrial processes (e.g. it is important to recognize the limitations of our experimental techniques—specifically the inability to directly observe critical cluster sizes and crystalline structures that remain internally amorphous It is possible that certain non-classical processes may have evaded our detection deeper exploration into the early stages of gypsum’s complex growth patterns on diverse surfaces using advanced characterization techniques operating at the sub-nano scale or even smaller will be more convincible to comprehensively capture these potential alternative pathways The cleaning process involved the removal of potential organic contaminates on the substrate surfaces by exposing them to UV-ozone for 10 min and then submerging the surfaces in a 5:1:1 mixture of ultrapure DI water and 30% v/v hydrogen peroxide for 15 min at a temperature of 70–75 °C the substrates were rinsed with ultrapure DI water and dried with nitrogen gas The cleaned substrates were then immersed in ethanol-based 1.5 mM solutions of six different alkanethiols from Sigma-Aldrich: 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and a mixture of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and 11-amino-1-undecanethiol the functionalized substrates were rinsed with ethanol and dried with nitrogen gas the nucleation rates we reported in this study were based on the assumption that each crystal observed from the optical microscope was initiated from a single crystallite and all crystals were formed heterogeneously on the substrate surface We calculated the nucleation rates based on the following key assumptions: supports the independence of nucleation events The absence of such linearity would suggest interdependencies among nucleation events the rate of crystallization on a substrate surface can be described by where J0 is the steady-state rate of heterogeneous nucleation and ΔG is the free energy barrier to form a critically sized crystal where F is a constant that depends on the crystal shape factor, ω is the molecular volume of gypsum, γ is interfacial energy of the crystal-substrate-liquid system, and σ is the saturation index, defined earlier (Eq. 3) Substituting Eq. 5 into 4 and rewriting to a linear form yields which is proportional to the substrate-specific thermodynamic barriers to nucleation and is used to estimate gypsum–substrate interfacial free energies Cluster analysis of the simulation data was based on the simulation snapshots taken at 0.1 ns intervals. We first defined the CaSO4 cluster, which was an aggregation of (Ca)n(SO4)m ions where (m + n) is larger than 2, by the first valley value of the radial distribution function (RDF) profile of Ca-S pairs. As shown in Supplementary Fig. 18 the SO42− and Ca2+ are considered as a CaSO4 cluster when the distance between Ca and S atoms is lower than 4.25 Å the calcium and sulfate ions in the simulation systems can be categorized as cluster ions and free ions Although there are water molecules bound to ions only the solute ion-pairs were considered in the cluster analysis The cluster size is calculated as the total number (n + m) of calcium and sulfate ions in the clusters The clusters were classified as the clusters near the surface and the clusters in the bulk solution according to their gyration radius and the relative position with surfaces along the Z direction When the distance between the center of mass (COM) of clusters minus the cluster gyration radius and the surface is less than 15 Å the clusters are thought to be the clusters near the surface; otherwise The position of the boundary line of the surface is determined by identifying the location at which the density of the terminal functional groups reaches half of its peak density The data supporting the findings of this work are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information files. All other relevant source data are available from the corresponding authors on request. Source data are provided with this paper Predominant effect of material surface hydrophobicity on gypsum scale formation A closer look at nucleation theories for heterogeneous gypsum nucleation in aqueous solutions Stable prenucleation mineral clusters are liquid-like ionic polymers Experimental measurement of the diamond nucleation landscape reveals classical and nonclassical features Reconciling disparate views of template-directed nucleation through measurement of calcite nucleation kinetics and binding energies Molecular dynamics simulation of calcium sulfate nucleation in homogeneous and heterogeneous crystallization conditions: an application in water flooding Unraveling nucleation pathway in methane clathrate formation Effects of process parameters on gypsum scale formation in pipes Zwitterionic coating on thin-film composite membranes to delay gypsum scaling in reverse osmosis Effects of organic macromolecular conditioning on gypsum scaling of forward osmosis membranes Inorganic scaling in membrane desalination: models Direct calculation of ice homogeneous nucleation rate for a molecular model of water Temperature-dependent kinetic pathways of heterogeneous ice nucleation competing between classical and non-classical nucleation Formation of calcium sulfate through the aggregation of sub-3 nanometre primary species bactericidal nanoheater-enabled reverse osmosis membranes to improve fouling resistance Gypsum scale formation on graphene oxide modified reverse osmosis membrane Polysaccharide chemistry regulates kinetics of calcite nucleation through competition of interfacial energies Robust superhydrophobic membrane for membrane distillation with excellent scaling resistance Gypsum scaling and cleaning in forward osmosis: measurements and mechanisms Influence of polyamide membrane surface chemistry on gypsum scaling behavior Gypsum scaling in forward osmosis: Role of membrane surface chemistry Enhanced gypsum scaling by organic fouling layer on nanofiltration membrane: Characteristics and mechanisms The Role and Implications of Bassanite as a Stable Precursor Phase to Gypsum Precipitation New insights into the transformation of calcium sulfate hemihydrate to gypsum using time-resolved cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy A classical view on nonclassical nucleation How crystals form: A theory of nucleation pathways First-principles calculations on electronic structure and interfacial stability of Mg/NbB2 heterogeneous nucleation interface Density functional theory investigation on the nucleation of homo- and heteronuclear metal clusters on defective graphene Computational insight into calcium–sulfate ion pair formation Insights into water-mediated ion clustering in aqueous CaSO4 solutions: pre-nucleation cluster characteristics studied by ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulations Angle-resolved XPS analysis and characterization of monolayer and multilayer silane films for DNA coupling to silica XPS O 1s binding energies for polymers containing hydroxyl Surface enhanced Raman scattering artificial nose for high dimensionality fingerprinting Adsorption and fibrillization of islet amyloid polypeptide at self-assembled monolayers studied by QCM-D Self-assembled monolayers of NH2-terminated thiolates: Order 1-Dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayers on Cobalt A novel gold-nanocluster-based fluorescent sensor for detection of sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate XPS investigation on the reactivity of surface imine groups with TFAA Self-assembly of highly phosphorylated silaffins and their function in biosilica morphogenesis Silicatein filaments and subunits from a marine sponge direct the polymerization of silica and silicones <em>in vitro&lt Control of crystal nucleation by patterned self-assembled monolayers The structure of CaSO4 nanorods: the precursor of gypsum Structures and dynamic hydration of CaSO4 clusters in supersaturated solutions: A molecular dynamics simulation study Observing classical nucleation theory at work by monitoring phase transitions with molecular precision Nucleation of protein mesocrystals via oriented attachment Role of clusters in nonclassical nucleation and growth of protein crystals Ion-association complexes unite classical and non-classical theories for the biomimetic nucleation of calcium phosphate Principles of crystal nucleation and growth Molecular-level origin of the carboxylate head group response to divalent metal ion complexation at the air–water interface Influence of hydrophilic groups and metal-ion adsorption on polymer-chain conformation of amidoxime-based uranium adsorbents The impact of salinity on ionic characteristics of thin brine film wetting carbonate minerals: An atomistic insight Simulation of organic monolayers as templates for the nucleation of calcite crystals Moisture effect on nanostructure and adhesion energy of asphalt on aggregate surface: A molecular dynamics study Interactions between Rock/Brine and Oil/Brine interfaces within thin brine film wetting carbonates: a molecular dynamics simulation study Adsorption of metal ions onto hydrophilic silicon surfaces from aqueous solution: Effect of pH Surface-induced silica scaling during brackish water desalination: the role of surface charge and specific chemical groups Ion concentration polarization-based continuous separation device using electrical repulsion in the depletion region Non-classical crystallization in soft and organic materials Size-driven structural and thermodynamic complexity in iron oxides Heterogeneous nucleation and growth of nanoparticles at environmental interfaces High-throughput identification of single nanoparticles via electrochemically assisted high-resolution plasmonic Scattering Interferometric Microscopy Dynamic imaging of interfacial electrochemistry on single Ag nanowires by azimuth-modulated plasmonic scattering interferometry Optical constants of crystallized TiO2 coatings prepared by sol-gel process High refractive index TiO2 film deposited by electron beam evaporation Molecular nucleation mechanisms and control strategies for crystal polymorph selection Probing the critical nucleus size for ice formation with graphene oxide nanosheets Surface functional groups affect iron (Hydr)oxide heterogeneous nucleation: implications for membrane scaling Interfacial and activation energies of environmentally abundant heterogeneously nucleated Iron(III) (Hydr)oxide on Quartz Control of pathways and yields of protein crystallization through the interplay of nonspecific and specific attractions Surface functionalization of reverse osmosis membranes with sulfonic groups for simultaneous mitigation of silica scaling and organic fouling Description of input and examples for PHREEQC version 3—a computer program for speciation Fast parallel algorithms for short-range molecular dynamics All-atom empirical potential for molecular modeling and dynamics studies of proteins The missing term in effective pair potentials Ion-water interaction potentials derived from free energy perturbation simulations The development of a classical force field to determine the selectivity of an aqueous Fe3+-EDA Complex for TcO4- and SO42+ Computer simulations of NaCl association in polarizable water Visualization and analysis of atomistic simulation data with OVITO–the Open Visualization Tool Download references This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Award Nos and also acknowledged in part by the National Science Foundation through the Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment under Award No acknowledges the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (2020449) This publication was developed under a graduate fellowship awarded to Y.F.G The numerical calculations in this work were conducted in the Supercomputing Center of University of Science and Technology of China These authors contributed equally: Yan-Fang Guan CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion University of Science & Technology of China CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials University of Science and Technology of China Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering conducted the molecular simulations; Y.F.G. All authors contributed to discussion of the results and the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Nature Communications thanks Tomasz Stawski reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55993-w Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone Organizers of Saturday’s “May Day Strong: We are the Many” rally recently sent out the following press release on the May 3 event: Across the country—from fruit fields in California to classrooms in Chicago from kitchens in Queens to loading docks in Atlanta—working people are rising up We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes—public schools over private profits Trump and their fellow profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom—on wages We’re organizing for a world where every family has housing and targeting immigrant families with fear and violence This is a war on working people—and we will not stand down Using the principles of nonviolence and peaceful protest This is the beginning of a new era—one where working families lead We are reclaiming our power from corporate elites Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" There’s a cost to producing the quality journalism you read here On April 10th, 2025, Saint-Gobain revealed the winners of the 14th edition of its International Gypsum Trophy during a ceremony held in Paris, France. 85 projects from 29 countries participated in this unique international competition organized by Saint-Gobain From the Americas to Asia, from Europe to Africa, the most talented and skilled gypsum installers competed in six categories: Ceilings; Innovation; Residential; Culture Education and Leisure; Business and Institutional; and Façades for the chance to win one of the 14 prizes The 1st and the 2nd prize were awarded in each category as well as the President's Prize (the "coup de coeur" of the jury) and the Grand Prix (rewarding the most outstanding project across all categories) innovation has been at the heart of what Saint-Gobain does and our customers are the ones who inspire our innovation and enable us to continuously develop solutions that suit their needs and move the industry forward we have strived to provide our customers with the best products and services and their feedback been valuable in guiding us to improve and innovate Our teams from all over the world value their partnership and loyalty We are committed to continuing our journey of excellence always with our customers at the heart of everything we do We are 360 years young and I want to thank you our customers for being a part of our journey." Thierry Fournier Senior Vice-President and CEO Southern Europe Country: United Arab Emirates – Category InnovationProject: Shebara South Island ResortContractor: Takla Interior Solution LLC Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe Shebara Hotel a 73-key hyper-luxury development on the uninhabited Shaybara island in the Red Sea features uniquely shaped floating pods that protect the fragile marine environment and immerse guests in the wonders of the sea Despite the challenging construction and installation in this remote paradise perfect finishing was achieved using a variety of Gypsum and non-Gypsum products from the Saint-Gobain portfolio expertly resolving numerous technical challenges Country: Brazil - Category Culture, Education and LeisureProject: Estádio PacaembuContractor: Ciamon Revestimentos – Edvar Prates Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe new Pacaembu Complex blends sports and culture while honoring its historical heritage The restored 1940s architecture features over 12,000 m² of Glasroc® X and 27,000 m² of drywall Lightweight construction was seamlessly integrated into traditional heavy structures with innovative solutions from Saint-Gobain Sustainable initiatives like the "Ciamon Recicla" waste program reinforce its environmental commitment Recognized with the AR Future Projects Award the complex sets a new standard for multifunctional urban design Country: Italy Project: Business Center "Exploration and Production"Contractor: Coiver Contract S.r.l. Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe "Exploration and Production" Business Center spans ~70,000 sqm with 3 interconnected buildings around a central square achieving Class A energy requirements and LEED Gold certification Removable drywall ceilings at different levels showcase innovative architectural solutions and overcome installation challenges Country: Brazil Project: Cyrela by PininfarinaContractor: Masterwall Sistemas Construtivos Courtesy of Saint-GobainCyrela by Pininfarina in Porto Alegre is a dynamic multiresidential building featuring race track-inspired garage designs and high-performance acoustic ceilings The indoor pool showcases Glasroc® X panels curved at tight radii with skylight detailing Saint-Gobain products blend design and functionality realizing the architect's vision with the installer's crucial role in achieving aesthetics Country: ThailandProject: SC Asset Bangkok Boulevard RatchaphruekContractor: Kankasem Construction Co., Ltd. Courtesy of Saint-GobainBangkok Boulevard Ratchaphruek is a premium residential development with a clubhouse inspired by the Tate Modern The asymmetrical design required specialized materials for limitless creativity Completed in 3 months with Thai team support it features intricate details and new applications using Glasroc® X Country: Czech Republic Project: FragmentContractor: Trigema a.s. Courtesy of Saint-GobainFragment is an iconic residential project in Prague's Karlín district featuring two towers with a reinforced concrete structure and a façade adorned with sculptures by David Černý and innovative cooling and heating ceilings from Saint-Gobain to enhance thermal comfort Modern materials ensure durability and efficient resource management Country: AlbaniaProject: Downtown OneContractor: Kastrati Construction Courtesy of Saint-GobainDowntown One in Tirana is a mixed-use development with residential As Albania's first LEED-certified building it showcases lightweight façades and Saint-Gobain solutions and sustainability despite limited resources Country: France Project: Private mansion Contractor: Art Platre Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe project involved demolishing structures and redesigning interiors ensuring acoustic comfort with Placoplatre® BA18S partitions A suspended ceiling with LED lighting was installed and the cellar became a cinema room with Rigitone® Activ'Air® acoustic panels achieving meticulous finishes by blending classic and modern styles Country: The NetherlandsProject: Global Headquarters BejoContractor: BENO Projectafbouw B.V. Courtesy of Saint-GobainBejo's new headoffice It provides a sustainable and comfortable environment for 375 employees with a 180-meter deep energy well at its core The project showcases detailed work and perfect finishing elegantly translating the architect's vision into reality Country: USA Project: Wexner Hospital: The Ohio State University Contractor: Valley Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe 1.9 million-square-foot inpatient hospital at the Ohio State University 450 carpenters managed lighting and drywall work expertly uses enough steel for two Eiffel Towers and twice as much concrete as Ohio Stadium Clever use of materials and Saint-Gobain products created adaptable spaces with piping and wiring stretching 1,800 miles Country: FranceProject: School group « Au pied des champs »Contractor: ISOSAN Plâtrerie Courtesy of Saint-GobainThis intercommunal project combines three buildings into one it meets E+C- (Energy and Carbon) certification for energy performance Saint-Gobain Placo® solutions were used to create complex shapes with high-quality finishes enhancing spaces for children and sustainability Country: GermanyProject: Kunstmuseum DüsseldorfContractor: Ruben Peter Ausbau GmbH Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe Kunstpalast reopened in November 2023 after a three-year renovation Ruben Peter Ausbau GmbH redesigned the 10,000m² exhibition space overcoming challenges like narrow curtain wall shells and high-load exhibition walls The standout features include a rear-ventilated shed roof and steel structure Country: MexicoProject: Grand Island, Hyatt Vivid / DreamsContractor: Murano Global Investments Plc, We Care Construccion inteligente Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe Grand Island Cancun complex features 626 rooms in the Vivid hotel and 400 in the Dreams hotel Using the lightweight Plaka® X-TERIUM system the project avoided adding structural weight Country: United Arab EmiratesProject: Mina Zayed Car ParkContractor: Proactive Technical Services L.L.C Courtesy of Saint-GobainThe new car park at Mina Zayed accommodates over 500 cars across two levels and features smart parking technology Innovative Gyproc® designs ensure high-quality installation hiding expansion joints and complementing the architecture creates a striking first impression for visitors Discover all competing projects here You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Howard joins Building Products Gypsum Business after 18-years in the Consumer Products Group she will oversee the more than 3,000 employees and 12 gypsum mills across the United States that manufacture approximately five billion square feet of gypsum panels annually Julie joined Georgia-Pacific in 2007 as a senior category manager for GP PRO's foodservice disposable products During her 18-year tenure with the company she has held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility in the away-from-home business primarily focused on our industry-leading paper towel category and enMotion® Dispensing Systems Julie worked for the specialty chemicals company She gained experience collaborating with international companies while working at gatc LP and DRÄXLMAIER Automotive "We are excited to welcome Julie to the Building Products leadership team She will be leading our operations and commercial capabilities and brings invaluable experience and expertise," said David Neal Julie has been recognized for her development of talent I believe she embodies the qualities we need to drive transformative and profitable growth in our business." has named Nate Medina as vice president and general manager "I feel incredibly fortunate to work for a company that genuinely promotes contribution-driven individuals and recognizes talent," said Julie "I am excited to take on this opportunity and look forward to contributing to the growth and development of the team." Julie graduated with a bachelor's degree from Ohio University where she studied German and International Studies She also earned an MBA from Georgia State University with a concentration in Marketing and International Business Julie lives with her husband and two sons in metro Atlanta Georgia-Pacific today announced Keith Hamilton has been named president of Georgia-Pacific's.. a division of Georgia-Pacific and a leading maker of advanced dispensing solutions for commercial facilities Paper, Forest Products & Containers Human Resource & Workforce Management Retail Household, Consumer & Cosmetics Do not sell or share my personal information: News | Apr 28 Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the name of one of the dogs involved Gabriel Velasquez is pretty sure he passed out a time or two climbing to find his phone Finding his missing phone meant he’d survive were out on a late-night drive on the back side of Gypsum’s Red Hill the night of April 23 and the Jeep’s right wheels caught the road’s soft shoulder and the vehicle rolled several times into a sagebrush ravine Both men and Velasquez’s three dogs were ejected from the vehicle and Velasquez and Jaramillo were badly hurt Velasquez used his Garmin Fenix smart watch to try to connect with his phone “I mustered every bit of strength I could” to climb back up the hill to find the phone to call 911 Velasquez said he’s driven in the area before and said it’s unlikely anyone would have spotted them Gypsum Fire Chief Justin Kirkland said the first 911 call came in at 12:16 a.m An Eagle County Sheriff’s deputy was first on scene at 12:56 a.m. with six Gypsum firefighters on scene a few minutes later The back side of Red Hill is “huge,” he said “There’s a lot of places to get lost.” And the place where Velasquez said they were didn’t match the GPS coordinates sent by his phone Add in the fact that the vehicle had left the road Eagle County Paramedics determined that the men were badly enough injured to require helicopter rescue That required creating a landing zone for two aircraft Velasquez said it seemed like everything went fairly quickly By the time Jaramillo and Velasquez landed in Grand Junction Velasquez was “covered head to toe in blood,” he said just that “I knew I was in a better place than laying in that field.” Join the 17,000 readers who get the news from us daily Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at VailDaily.com/newsletter Jaramillo suffered a broken neck in the accident and as of Monday was still recovering in the hospital Velasquez on Monday was recovering at home a collapsed lung and a partially torn-off ear he and his friend both believe “somebody was looking out for us.”   News | Apr 24 The Gypsum Town Council in 2019 passed an ordinance to allow off-highway vehicle users to ride from their homes to the trails outside of town The Gypsum Town Council this week delayed action on a new ordinance attaching fines to those caught violating the original ordinance The delay was caused because the ordinance But the delay gave council members a chance to talk about what the new ordinance ought to accomplish The original ordinance was pretty strictly drawn Off-highway vehicles used on town streets must be registered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife mufflers and spark arrestors and have operating headlights and taillights Operators must have a current valid driver’s license wear eye protection and use proper hand signals for turning and stopping The original ordinance was intended for operators to travel to trails just outside of town council members said they’ve seen the vehicles used to stop at local stores to drop kids at daycare and schools and for recreating on town streets Council member Kathleen Brendza said the speed bumps on the street near her home have become jumps for youthful users While the new ordinance sets an escalating fine schedule — $150 for the first offense going to $450 for a third offense — council member Tom Edwards noted that enforcement will be a problem “We only have a couple of officers at most at one time” on duty adding that a lot of violators won’t be able to caught in the act noting that someone who goes home and tells his or her parents about a $250 fine will be in a good bit of trouble The second reading of the ordinance is now set for the council’s May 13 meeting News | Apr 27 The Buckhorn Valley neighborhood has seen several changes since it was first approved in the early 2000s when Gypsum Town Council approved a change to a section of the large subdivision changing what was once an area zoned for multifamily housing to a neighborhood of 72 single-family homes which has built more than 200 homes in Buckhorn Valley Hill said his company will build the homes in roughly 20-unit batches and will use its own funds for the project That means it won’t rely on outside financing That takes longer to get the entire project finished but means there won’t be any half-finished homes or infrastructure with three different facades and built in a variety of colors All will have three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms with the bedrooms upstairs and the living areas downstairs All the homes will have a one-car garage and on-site parking for three vehicles According to town water attorney Kevin Patrick the Buckhorn Valley Metropolitan District will provide raw water for outdoor irrigation of the small back yards The remainder of the outdoor spaces will be xeriscaped Hill said the side yards of the homes will be vacant and controlled by the homeowners association to ensure emergency access That access is an enforceable association covenant Hill noted that the target prices for the units range from $740,000 to $750,000 but added that there are county and state assistance programs for first-time buyers There are currently about 340 unbuilt lots remaining at Buckhorn Valley News | Apr 23 The Gypsum Town Council Tuesday agreed to a $5 million contract to build a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and Valley Road While the four bids opened April 11 all came in higher than initial estimates town engineer Matt Figgs Tuesday told the council that all those bids came in relatively close in price led him and the team to believe that the prices being bid were “the right price for this project.” the town’s initial estimate fell about $1.5 million short of the bid price from a safety and transportation perspective • Using $350,000 from the town’s capital improvements contingency budget • Using $400,000 from the punch list funds from the Interstate 70 north roundabout • Using $250,000 in construction funds from another project on Valley Road completing only design and survey work only • Reducing the first segment of a Highway 6 design project which wasn’t scheduled until late this year Changing or reducing the scope of the roundabout project could save another $250,000 But council members could find funds from other sources One of the changes could be a “splash block” element currently in place at the roundabout at Highway 6 and Schoolside Street Figgs said that wouldn’t affect safety at the new roundabout although some council members said they’d like to maintain visual consistency at the new roundabout Council member Chris Huffman asked if the splash block could be added later Council member Tom Edwards noted the intersection’s prominent location in town with fellow member Bill Baxter adding the element later would cost more than including it in this year’s construction Council member Scott Green said he was pleased to see 360 Civil as the low bidder noting that the firm is a local company with years of experience in the valley This year’s construction is slated to take place over the summer school break beginning on the last day of the current school year with the project slated to open to traffic on Aug News | Apr 13 Gypsum will add a roundabout this year at one of the town’s primary intersections Bids were let Friday for a complicated project at the intersection of U.S with the roundabout open to traffic on Aug This is the most complex of the town’s several recent roundabout projects and Matt Figgs of the town’s engineering department went over the details at an April 10 meeting at Gypsum Town Hall That meeting also updated residents about several other projects around town will eliminate the stoplight at the entrance to the high school eliminating the westbound left turns into the high school Westbound traffic will have to go to the Valley Road roundabout and turn around to get back to the high school Eastbound left turns into the Oakridge Drive commercial area will be permitted The project will also open up the street between Oakridge Court and Estes Lane There will be a detour around the project during construction in partnership with Eagle County and the Siena Lake subdivision will build another roundabout this year on Cooley Mesa Road near the Eagle County Regional Airport Town Engineer Jacob Rivera said that roundabout will be roughly the same size as the one on the south side of the town’s Interstate 70 interchange and will able to accommodate future growth at the airport That project is likely to start work in July Rivera said there’s enough space in that area to keep two lanes on the road open at all times while construction is taking place Construction will also rebuild that section of road which Rivera said has been deteriorating for some time Other road work in town will include warranty work on Highway 6 between Cooley Mesa Road about a mile to the east Rivera said the work on that stretch of road didn’t meet the specifications of the original contract and will be repaired at no cost to the town Another project will turn the current parking lot on the north side of the I-70 interchange into a more formal park and ride lot which it’s become since the roundabout has been finished Other road work will include some repaving around town The town this year will also continue work on its three-year, $87 million project to build a new wastewater treatment plant The town is also working on repairs to its water treatment plant several miles up Valley Road as well as the 1 million storage tank on the east end of town Town residents had questions about many of the projects, but many people wanted to know about the status of a possible I-70 interchange to serve the airport Some said they’d like to see that interchange built before the town approved more housing for the town The interchange has been discussed for years The Colorado Department of Transportation in the early 2000s acquired right of way for the project and Eagle County had a design for the project but a 2009 application for federal funding — then estimated at $70 million — was rejected Town manager Jeremy Rietmann said town officials are working hard on plans for the interchange and have the cooperation of county officials Planning now is working on less expensive alternatives noting that there are now public safety and other reasons to build the interchange But federal funding will still be required before work can begin Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky.. News | Apr 17 With Gypsum preparing for a big roundabout project at the intersection of Valley Road and U.S several of the town’s food trucks have to find new homes Most of those trucks will move to a town-owned site near the Interstate 70 interchange That site was once the site of the Gypsum Grill The town tore down the old building in 2023 in hopes of luring a buyer the site will be used for the food trucks that now occupy the Valley Road/Highway 6 intersection Gypsum Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann said those trucks will have to use generators for their electricity which will move to another town-owned site just north of the Liquor Shop which is just below the nearby convenience store Rietmann said that site has enough on-site electrical power for the coffee shack to do business and enough room on Bertroch Lane to accommodate drive-through business Itzy’s will be closed for a week starting April 25 Both town-owned sites are temporary homes for the businesses Rietmann said a private property owner is working with the town on a site along Highway 6 for a “mobile vending court” for a more permanent home for the town’s food trucks The town has a schedule set for the roundabout project with the roundabout set to open to traffic Aug But Rietmann acknowledged that not all of the details have been nailed down Rietmann said that one parcel needed for the project has a “willing seller,” but the process continues for the other two needed parcels the town will be able to “take possession” of those parcels with compensation for those property owners The bid opening for the project was April 11 and Rietmann said those bids were “significantly higher than we’d budgeted.” Town officials are now in the process of modifying the project to reduce costs he said Those modifications may also include deferring other projects scheduled for this year Those options will be discussed at the April 22 meeting of the Gypsum Town Council News | Apr 19 Contact information: Don Luttmer, 425-941-3976, don@dklcustomfurniture.com; Kathy Luttmer, 206-200-0295 kathy@dklcustomfurniture.com; Sales channels: http://www.dklcustomfurniture.com; Etsy: DKLCustomWoodworking Tell the story of your Vail Valley business with a Bizwatch feature in the Vail Daily. For more information, email Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller, smiller@vaildaily.com We have a growing portfolio of furniture designs reflecting mid-century modern style These can be customized or purchased on a made-to-order basis we enjoy collaborating with clients and the interior design community on new designs to fit individual needs and space considerations We primarily utilize hard woods including walnut We accentuate our furniture with handmade handles dovetail drawers and quality hardware throughout What’s new or exciting at your place we invested in a five-axis CNC machine to help drive the efficiency of our production This machine has significant capabilities to perform on both the furniture and construction side of the business It offers critical precision and maneuverability providing capabilities that will be distinctive within the Vail Valley region What strategy do you use to differentiate your business from your competition source sustainable wood and finish our furniture with environmentally and customer-friendly oil-based clear coat products so customers have no restriction on the placement of their furniture within a room Our clear coat lets the natural beauty of the wood shine through and allows customers an ease of repair that cannot be found in mass-manufactured furniture Our biggest differentiator is that we have control of the process from start to finish We source high-quality wood from a local Colorado distributor We take great care during layout to choose and combine boards for the greatest artistic effect We hand-finish each piece and make sure that it meets our highest standards What philosophy do you follow in dealing with your customers We appreciate our customers and are honored they have chosen to work with us on designing their dream piece determining their style and pulling those things together into a beautiful design We strive to communicate about the production schedule as things change over time We also work with customers to coordinate the delivery of the furniture to meet their schedules We will be scheduling some Meet the Maker Open Houses throughout 2025 These will appear within the calendar of the Vail Daily Please keep your eye out for these informative sessions Don: I began my career in the tech industry where I found success but also found I was never really going to be great I have always been interested in woodworking and it was a hobby of mine since my early 20s It is something that feels and comes naturally to me I get asked by a lot of people: How do you know how to do that but I believe a good part of it is just natural aptitude Kathy: I am a surety bond professional who never dreamed I’d be helping to make furniture It’s been exciting to learn how to use all the machinery understand the process and contribute to our business Every piece of furniture that leaves the shop is finished by me I get to know each piece and appreciate its uniqueness I have a great passion for this business and the quality of our products I’ve also put my business background to work in marketing and customer relations Small business means all hands-on deck!    What is the most humorous thing that has happened at your business since you opened We strive to have nothing humorous happen within our facility News | Mar 28 Gypsum residents may be asked this fall for a 1% increase in the town’s sales tax to fund a $29 million plan to upgrade the town’s recreation facilities Residents on Tuesday got a look at an ambitious possible plan for those upgrades The recreation master plan process began in 2022 and a presentation in October 2024 resulted in a preliminary plan with improvements around the golf course clubhouse The master plan presented Tuesday showed some revisions including removing plans for a new pool at the golf course — a potential $10 million item The new plan shows significant renovations to the existing clubhouse and restaurant a building that now needs “millions” in repairs and upgrades The plan also includes moving the golf course’s pro shop and cart storage to a new building that would also house a multi-purpose pavilion to the site of the current lap pool Property across the street from the current parking lot — which would be expanded by 100 spaces — would add pickleball courts and one tennis court The site would also add children’s play areas as well as picnic and other areas as well as shade structures and landscaping to shield activity from neighbors Architect Craig Bouck of Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture said not replacing the pool freed up funds for other items Adding a splash area for kids could move to the Gypsum recreation center where an indoor-outdoor area could be created Bouck said those changes have also reduced the price The current “all-in” estimate for all of the projects is now $29 million Funding is anticipated to come from a 1% sales tax increase Voters could be asked to approve that tax this fall Gypsum Town Council member Tom Edwards said the increase would put the town’s sales tax at 8.4% roughly half of all the town’s sales tax receipts come from people who live outside of town thanks to Costco and fuel and other sales at the Eagle County Regional Airport Addressing a nearly-full council meeting room Edwards noted that Eagle’s sales tax rate is 9.4% Edwards said that 80% of the increase would be repealed when the improvements were paid for with the remaining 20% remaining to pay for ongoing maintenance of the improvements “We’d love another Costco miracle,” Edwards said the retailer coming to town allowed the town to repeal its last 1% sales tax hike approved by voters to pay for the recreation center “What we’re talking about tonight is a chance to invest for the next generation.” But whether or not to proceed is ultimately “up to you,” he added While a couple of residents questioned the need for more taxes most of those in attendance were generally supportive of the plan said he’d like to see a deeper analysis of the figures presented Wednesday but added that many of his initial questions had been answered by the presentation Resident Jerry Santoro urged town officials to “keep moving forward” with the plan adding that it seems to be “moving along really well.” Residents will get another look at the plan in April News | Nov 13 The Gypsum Town Council got its first look Tuesday at the proposed Tower Center development and council members had some serious questions about the plan The plan has been pared down significantly from one first proposed in the early part of this century when it was annexed into town as a possible site for big-box retail But the market for that sort of development has essentially evaporated over the years and part of the property was sold off for the Stratton Flats residential neighborhood is being proposed for a mix of housing and commercial development The project was approved in March by the Gypsum Planning and Zoning Commission and is now roughly halfway through the town’s approval process Tuesday’s hearing brought some serious questions from council members While Edwards said he’s “encouraged” by the plan Edwards noted that the plan in its current form has no provisions for property ownership of any of the residential or commercial units units will be rented and professionally managed Council member Chris Huffman agreed that he’d like to see some opportunities for home purchases Edwards added that he’d like to see assurances that commercial space would be built as residential space was brought into the town Lamonia said Edwards’ mention of a written commitment to build commercial space could be a “deal-breaker” for the project noting the difficulty of financing and building space before tenants for that space are lined up “What we don’t want to do is have something that’s empty,” Lamonia said The key to bringing commercial tenants to the development will be an agreement with the U.S Postal Service to locate a new post office at Tower Center The idea is that a new post office would drive traffic to other commercial businesses in the area which already has approved a new post office for Gypsum is currently reviewing a site plan for a new facility in town What’s currently proposed is a facility of about 8,500 square feet with 71 parking spaces on roughly two acres That would nearly quadruple the square footage of the post office’s current space “That could be a real catalyst for the rest of the commercial,” Lamonia said who has a background in economic development told council members that this proposal takes a more “market sensitive approach” than previous efforts “I just want to see that there’s some commercial,” Edwards said “I’m not asking you to build 100,000 square feet and see what comes.” Council member Scott Green said having the site “shovel ready” for both residential and commercial development is important “It’s important to have some of it for sale.” he wants the developers to “tell us what’s going to work … we want to have you guys hit the ground.” council members decided to table a pair of resolutions until Dec one approving a combined sketch and preliminary plan and one approving an annexation and development agreement The council did pass on first reading a planned unit development guide More council discussions with the development team are on tap next month News | Feb 15 Gen Z is going to be the generation that changes the world — and it’s happening right here in Gypsum A group of eight AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers rolled into town Jan ready to help build Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley homes at Stratton Flats in Gypsum The volunteers range in age from 18 to 26 and come from around the United States — some have a bit of college experience Their backgrounds are diverse and their enthusiasm high — not easy when the temperatures hovered around zero for the better part of a week They have jumped right in to building and being part of the community “It’s great having these young people on the jobsite Habitat relies heavily on volunteers to ‘get the job done,’ and this group of AmeriCorps volunteers are indeed helping us build homes with families and other volunteers,” said Doug Amberg “These volunteers are not afraid to learn and work hard — we’re really grateful to have them here.” This group of volunteers came after a 13-week stint in Wyoming and will be heading to Arkansas after their 6 ½-weeks here And that’s exactly what they like — traveling the US learning new skills and helping the community It’s unlike college in that there is hands-on training but with progress updates and a rigorous schedule “You can choose what’s right for you You can see if you want to do a trade — it feels like there are so many branches that this program can bring,” shared one of the group leaders It’s such a great experience.” “This is something people our age are interested in and want to keep it going for as long as possible,” chimed in another group member While they volunteer 40 hours at the jobsite a week they then volunteer at other area nonprofits from the Thrifty Store to Mountain Valley Horse Rescue eat together and seem to really thrive together our NCCC team will volunteer 40 hours of service each week for a little more than 6 weeks coming out to a whopping 256 hours from each member and 2,048 hours as a team This will be instrumental in helping us embark on our new strategic plan goal to get to 200 Habitat homes by the end of 2028,” added Kelsie McKenna While they are busy giving back, the community can give back to them: They love home-cooked meals or baked goods. Contact Volunteer Coordinator, Cassie at cassie@habitatvailavlley.org to help They will be serving with Habitat in Gypsum until Feb Heather Hower is the Communications Manager for Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley. She can be reached at heather@habitatvailvalley.org News | Jan 16 There’s another roundabout in Gypsum’s future and it’s likely to be built this year That new roundabout will be built at the intersection of U.S The Gypsum Town Council on Tuesday took a step in that process by passing on first reading an ordinance that authorizes town officials to begin negotiations with property owners around that intersection to acquire needed property for the project Two of those parcels include land on the west and east sides of Estes Lane, on the north side of the stoplight at the intersection. That’s where many of the town’s several food trucks currently operate Gypsum Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann said the town has an agreement in principle with one of the property owners that includes an exchange of a town-owned parcel Town officials have also spoken with Itzy Hernandez about relocating her shop to another location buffering Highway 6 Officials have spoken with other food truck owners about moving to a town-owned location near the town’s Interstate 70 interchange In addition to the land needed for just the roundabout and further work will need to be done to help accommodate the parking needs of the Connect Church The engineering and road alignments for the project have been completed in-house Rietmann said passing the ordinance Tuesday starts a legal process that starts appraisals and negotiations to acquire the needed land is to deliver legal notice and advise property owners of their rights about the process of selling property The town has already had the land values appraised and is prepared to offer the land owners a price above that value to determine that value and negotiate a price Rietmann said the town is prepared to begin condemnation proceedings “as a last resort.” Rietmann said the town can put funds on deposit take possession of the property and start construction this year is to balance the rights of the property owners with the “needs of a growing community.” Town Engineer Matt Figgs said the roundabout at Valley Road will link with the existing roundabout at Highway 6 and Schoolside to eliminate the need for a stoplight at the intersection of Highway 6 and Oak Ridge the intersection at the entrance to Eagle Valley High School The town has budgeted $3.5 million for the roundabout project roughly the cost of the 2024 roundabout project on the north side of the town’s Interstate 70 interchange That price doesn’t include the cost of land acquisition News | Mar 11 The Gypsum Recreation Center pool will be temporarily closed from March 31 to April 18 for essential maintenance to improve the swimming experience for users The pool will be drained to facilitate the installation of new pool grates that comply with national safety standards the pool’s 18-year-old pump room filters will be cleaned of their original filtration sand and new filtration sand will be added to improve efficiency A new moss chamber will also be installed to optimize pool chemistry and ensure the smooth operation of the chlorine and CO2 systems The slide’s interior and exterior will be completely refurbished including sanding and applying a new glossy finish.  Because there is an underground spring beneath the recreation center this work must be completed when the water table is low enough to drain the pool safely. Once maintenance is complete the Gypsum Fire Department will assist in filling the pool The heating process will take approximately four days to bring the water to the ideal temperature of 84 degrees.  along with all ongoing capital improvement projects to the facility are shared expenses between the Town of Gypsum and Mountain Rec as part of an ownership and facility operations agreement Both entities are collaborating on a capital improvement plan for the future which includes reroofing the mezzanine this year a complete roof replacement of the entire building in 2026 and installation of new cardio equipment in 2026 The gymnasium and gymnastics area will also receive new lighting this year.  For more information, contact Scott Ruff at (970) 688-7323 or email sruff@mountainrec.org The global gypsum plaster market size was estimated at USD 3.41 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2025 to 2030 driven by the increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective construction materials One of the primary factors propelling market expansion is the growing adoption of gypsum-based materials in residential Gypsum plaster is widely preferred due to its superior fire resistance and ease of application compared to traditional cement plaster the rapid pace of urbanization and infrastructure development in emerging economies is further driving the demand for gypsum plaster in large-scale construction projects Technological advancements in gypsum production and processing techniques are also crucial to market growth The development of lightweight and enhanced-strength gypsum plasters has improved their application in modern construction making them suitable for a wider range of structural and decorative uses the availability of pre-mixed and ready-to-use gypsum plaster products simplifies construction the expanding renovation and remodeling sector particularly in developed regions such as North America and Europe Homeowners and commercial property owners are increasingly opting for gypsum-based solutions for interior finishes The growing focus on modular and prefabricated construction techniques is another factor driving the market as gypsum plaster offers fast-setting and easy-to-handle properties making it an ideal choice for prefabricated building components The global gypsum plaster industry exhibits a moderate to high market concentration with key players dominating the industry through advanced manufacturing processes The degree of innovation in the market is notable and environmentally sustainable gypsum plaster variants Companies are investing in enhanced formulations such as quick-setting and moisture-resistant gypsum plasters to meet the evolving demands of modern construction innovations in automated application techniques and ready-mix gypsum plasters have improved efficiency and reduced labor dependency further strengthening the market’s competitive landscape The presence of both multinational corporations and regional manufacturers ensures a balance between large-scale production capabilities and localized supply chains Regulations play a critical role in shaping the gypsum plaster industry as governments worldwide emphasize sustainable construction practices Regulatory bodies such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) promote using gypsum plaster for its recyclability the market faces competition from service substitutes like cement plaster which are preferred in certain applications due to regional preferences and cost considerations The end-use concentration is high in the construction sector the growing trend of prefabricated and modular construction has increased the utilization of gypsum plaster reinforcing its position as a key material in contemporary building practices The manually applied plaster segment led the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 46.3% in 2024 driven by its widespread use in residential Traditional hand-applied plastering remains preferred among builders and contractors due to its cost-effectiveness and flexibility in achieving smooth and customized finishes Skilled laborers favor manually applied gypsum plaster for its better workability and suitability for intricate architectural detailing the rising demand for high-quality interior finishes in both new construction and renovation projects is contributing to the expansion of this segment Machine-applied plaster is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.4% over the forecast period driven by the increasing demand for efficient and labor-saving construction solutions The adoption of mechanized plastering techniques is rising as the construction industry seeks to enhance productivity and improve the uniformity of plaster applications Machine-applied plaster offers significant time savings and cost efficiency making it an attractive choice for large-scale residential the growing shortage of skilled labor in many regions has prompted contractors and developers to invest in automated plastering technologies to ensure consistent quality and faster project completion The natural gypsum segment led the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 67.7% in 2024 a mineral primarily composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate is extensively mined and processed to produce high-quality gypsum plaster The increasing preference for natural gypsum-based plaster is attributed to its consistent chemical composition making it a preferred choice for construction applications the abundant global reserves of natural gypsum particularly in regions such as North America ensure a steady and reliable supply for the growing construction industry as it helps divert waste from landfills and minimize resource depletion government regulations and environmental policies encouraging industries to adopt sustainable practices have further propelled the utilization of synthetic gypsum in plaster production The residential segment dominated the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 44.0% in 2024 The rising emphasis on sustainable and energy-efficient housing solutions contributes to expanding gypsum plaster usage in the residential sector With stringent environmental regulations and green building certifications homebuilders and developers are shifting towards low-carbon recyclable materials that align with energy conservation goals Gypsum plaster offers low thermal conductivity improving insulation and reducing energy consumption in residential spaces This aligns with homeowners' and developers' increasing preference for eco-friendly and cost-effective construction materials Commercial is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.4% over the forecast period driven by the increasing demand for high-quality interior finishes in modern commercial buildings Gypsum plaster is widely used in office spaces and educational institutions due to its smooth finish The rising aesthetic and functional interior design trend in commercial establishments further fuels demand as gypsum plaster allows for intricate architectural detailing while maintaining structural integrity the need for faster construction timelines in commercial projects has led to adopting pre-mixed and quick-setting gypsum plaster solutions which help reduce labor costs and project completion time The gypsum plaster market in North America is expected to grow at a significant CAGR over the forecast period The growing construction industry in North America driven by both residential and commercial building projects is a significant factor driving the market there is a constant need for new housing and commercial spaces further driving the demand for gypsum-based products technological advancements and manufacturing processes have led to the development of high-performance gypsum plaster products that offer improved durability making them more attractive to builders and contractors gypsum plaster market is driven by the growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable building materials As environmental concerns continue to rise construction companies are turning to materials with lower carbon footprints and greater resource efficiency Gypsum plaster stands out as an environmentally friendly option because it is often made from natural gypsum an abundant mineral that can be easily recycled the production process of gypsum plaster consumes less energy than that of traditional cement production Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 46.7% in 2024 driven by rapid urbanization and infrastructure development across key economies such as China The rising demand for affordable and high-quality construction materials in residential and industrial projects is a major factor propelling market expansion Governments in the region are investing heavily in smart city initiatives increasing the need for efficient and sustainable building materials like gypsum plaster the growing middle-class population and rising disposable incomes have contributed to increased demand for modern housing and high-end interior finishes The gypsum plaster market in China is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period Technological advancements in gypsum extraction and manufacturing also contribute to market growth and ready-to-use gypsum plaster formulations improves construction efficiency and reduces labor costs the expansion of gypsum mining and production facilities within China coupled with advancements in automated production technologies is ensuring a steady supply of high-quality gypsum plaster products at competitive prices The gypsum plaster market in Europe is driven by the rising trend of renovation and refurbishment activities particularly those with older building stocks focus on updating and upgrading their existing infrastructure Gypsum plaster plays a significant role in these renovations due to its ease of application and versatility in both aesthetic and functional aspects The growing popularity of interior design trends that emphasize clean and minimalist spaces has further fueled the use of gypsum plaster in renovations gypsum plaster's ability to provide a smooth surface ideal for paint and wallpapering has made it the go-to material for interior wall finishing contributing to its dominance in the European market Germany gypsum plaster market dominated the European market in 2024 Germany's competitive advantage in the global market for innovation and technology impacts the gypsum plaster industry The growing integration of advanced technologies such as automation and 3D printing in construction has increased the efficiency and scalability of applying gypsum plaster Applying gypsum plaster quickly and efficiently reduces labor costs and time coupled with continuous product innovations—such as improved moisture resistance and enhanced durability has further driven the material's adoption in a variety of projects The gypsum plaster market in Latin America is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period The growing demand for fire-resistant building materials in Latin America has significantly driven the market Gypsum plaster possesses excellent fire-resistant properties which make it an essential material in ensuring the safety and compliance of buildings with stringent fire safety regulations This is particularly important in Latin American countries that are prone to natural disasters where construction standards are becoming more stringent As the need for fire-resistant materials rises gypsum plaster's safety features make it an attractive option for developers looking to meet these evolving regulations thereby driving its use in a wide variety of construction applications The gypsum plaster market in MEA is witnessing considerable growth owing to the increasing adoption of green building construction across Middle East & Africa Many MEA countries have started to adopt stricter environmental regulations such as energy efficiency standards and certifications for sustainable construction practices This growing awareness and adoption of green building practices contributes to the heightened preference for materials like gypsum plaster and does not contribute significantly to pollution The ability of gypsum plaster to help regulate interior temperature and humidity along with its ability to act as an effective sound barrier makes it a key element in achieving sustainability goals in modern construction projects As environmental regulations tighten and builders seek more energy-efficient alternatives to traditional materials gypsum plaster is positioned as a vital component in meeting these demands Some key players operating in the market include Saint-Gobain Saint-Gobain is a global player in producing and distributing building materials The company’s extensive range of plaster and drywall solutions are well-regarded for their quality Saint-Gobain focuses on providing innovative energy-efficient solutions that meet the demands of modern construction especially in regions with stringent environmental regulations Their gypsum products are widely used in residential Global Gypsum Company is a major manufacturer and supplier of gypsum plaster products with a strong presence in various international markets Known for producing high-quality gypsum plaster its products are used in a wide range of applications The company focuses on delivering superior products and services to meet the needs of residential and commercial construction projects while prioritizing eco-friendly manufacturing processes and USG Corporation are some of the emerging market participants.   SL is a Spanish company specializing in manufacturing gypsum plaster and related products for the construction industry The company offers a wide range of plaster solutions for interior and exterior applications particularly emphasizing high-quality finishes and decorative plaster Escayescos’ innovative approach to gypsum production makes it a significant player in the regional market and its focus on both residential and commercial sectors has enabled it to expand its presence in the European and global markets USG Corporation is a leading building materials manufacturer Known for its high-performance drywall systems Their products are widely used in residential and commercial construction due to their durability USG’s commitment to innovation and sustainability is reflected in its eco-friendly product offerings including low-VOC and energy-efficient solutions The following are the leading companies in the gypsum plaster market These companies collectively hold the largest market share and dictate industry trends BUA Group unveiled its new gypsum plaster plant marking a significant milestone in the West African construction industry designed to produce high-quality gypsum plaster aims to meet the growing demand for construction materials in the region BUA Group seeks to enhance local production capabilities and contribute to developing the Nigerian and broader West African construction markets The plant’s launch is expected to strengthen the gypsum plaster supply chain and support the construction of infrastructure projects across the region Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2025 to 2030 North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Central & South America; Middle East & Africa U.S.; Canada; Mexico; UK; Germany; France; Italy; Spain; China; India; Japan; South Korea Saint-Gobain; Knauf Gips KG; Global Gypsum Company Co SL; USG Corporation; James Hardie Industries plc; Georgia-Pacific Gypsum II LLC; YOSHINO GYPSUM CO. Free report customization (equivalent up to 8 analysts’ working days) with purchase Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options This report forecasts revenue growth at global and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030 Grand View Research has segmented the global gypsum plaster market report based on plaster system The global gypsum plaster market size was estimated at USD 3.41 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.62 billion in 2025 The global gypsum plaster market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3% from 2025 to 2030 to reach USD 4.92 billion by 2030 The manually applied plaster segment led the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of 46.3% in 2024 Some of the key players operating in the gypsum plaster market include Saint-Gobain The key factors driving the gypsum plaster market include the growing demand for lightweight and durable construction materials and rising infrastructure development projects globally We never share your personal data. 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To know more request a free sample copy Grand View Research is registered in the State of California at Grand View Research +1-415-349-0058 or 1-888-202-9519 [email protected] Our support available to help you 24 hours a day Volume 15 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437 Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability in cold environments of the Antarctic and Arctic zones and in saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates Fossilized microbial remnants preserved in gypsum were also reported Gypsum protects the endolithic microbial communities against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation while allowing photosynthetically active radiation to penetrate through the mineral substrate We here review the worldwide occurrences of microbially colonized gypsum and the specific properties of gypsum related to its function as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth and possibly beyond Methods for detecting and characterizing endolithic communities and their biomarkers in gypsum are discussed The modes of adaptation of different microorganisms to life within gypsum crystals under different environmental conditions are described we discuss gypsum deposits as possible targets for the search for microbial life or its remnants beyond Earth and propose strategies to detect them during space exploration missions Figure 1. Selection of areas of colonized gypsum worldwide. Outcrops and similar occurrences (subaerial; 1–37; ); salars and salterns (subaquatic 38–45; ); other occurrences (sabkha 46; ); gypsum containing inclusions of fossilized microorganisms or authigenic biomarkers (47–55; 4). More information on sampling sites and their geographic locations can be found in Supplementary Data and Supplementary Table 1 as briefly discussed in the section below on authigenic (fossil) biomarkers This is the first review focused on gypsum occurrences as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth (Figure 1) We describe the analytical approaches used to detect and analyze microbial colonizations in gypsum and provide a detailed overview of occurrences of microbial colonizations of gypsum in different types of environments Interaction between rocks and microorganisms is a well-known and widespread phenomenon observed in nature or on man-made buildings marble and on different other building stones endolithic colonizations of gypsum matrices are less common This review focuses on these colonizations as observed and described from very different environments The aim of this review is to introduce the common sulfate mineral gypsum as a matrix for colonization by different microorganisms the broad possibilities of interactions between microorganisms and gypsum from contrasting settings are considered The complex issue of their survival under extreme conditions is highlighted The review encompasses gypsum as recently colonized superficially under sub-atmospheric conditions from extreme environments but also from mild areas It also presents halophilic microorganisms that develop in newly formed crystalline bottom gypsum in aquatic environments The occurrence of fossilized remnants of microorganisms inside gypsum crystals is presented as well Some aspects and questions are of relevance for astrobiology it is considered as a product of crystallization from water bodies in the remote past The search for trace biomarkers is of high importance in exobiology one of the questions to be addressed in this review is whether trace biomarkers in gypsum could be relevant for the search for life beyond Earth Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) is the most common calcium sulfate mineral occurring in sedimentary sequences Bassanite (CaSO4·1/2H2O) and anhydrite (CaSO4) are other calcium sulfate minerals that are stable at higher temperatures Gypsum and bassanite are monoclinic minerals; in contrast anhydrite crystallizes as orthorhombic phase The structure of gypsum consists of layers of SO42− tetrahedra Crystalline water molecules are arranged between these layers or greenish due to the presence of inclusions or impurities in addition to the structural characteristics affect the properties of the endolithic habitat Gypsum occurs as a more or less dominant component of sedimentary rock assemblages. Gypsite is the earthy variety; gypsarenite is a term used to designate a sedimentary rock with sand-size grain with variable amounts of calcareous and terrigenous clasts (Testa and Lugli, 2000; Warren, 2016) Compact gypcrete with variable crystal size can be of hydrothermal origin Gypsum has been formed under warm conditions in large areas in the past (Permian in the French Alps and especially Tertiary in Italy) gypsum rocks form huge volumes of the geological basement and can be sampled and studied in drill cores In several areas of the Mediterranean region (Italy superficial gypsum outcrops are exposed to atmospheric conditions frequently in form of gypsum crusts covering the desert soil (regolith) surface also occur in desertic zones of the Namib Desert (Africa) and the Atacama Desert (Chile) with permission); the black arrow (a) in I points to black cells of presumably Gloeocapsa whereas the yellow arrow (b) points to yellow-brown colonies Supplementary Table 2 summarizes the analytical approaches that can be deployed The next step in detecting microorganisms in gypsum should be the application of microscopy investigation strategies The easiest way is examining scraped material by optical microscopy (OM) using bright field and/or diffraction interference contrast (DIC) microscopy This approach enables immediate visualization of many of the components of the microbial community the separation of microbial components from the intact lithic substrate results in a significant loss of information related to the location of the microbial communities within the rock and their organization the relatively low-resolution of OM techniques precludes a detailed characterization of the microorganisms and the adhered minerals Many groups of heterotrophic bacteria are associated with dry gypsum rocks and aquatic gypsum deposits. 16S rRNA gene sequences of Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, and Bacteroidota were found everywhere, often accompanied by members of the Gemmatimonadota, Planctomycetota, Bacillota, and other bacterial phyla (for references see the last column of Supplementary Table 3) Archaea generally contribute only a minor part of the total prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene sequences recovered from gypsum environments Figure 4. Schematic representation of crypto-, chasmo-, and hypoendolithic habitats within gypsum deposits from the Atacama Desert. Modified from Wierzchos et al. (2015) under CC BY license Differences in the kinds of observed lichens compared to those described from similar sites in Spain and Morocco reflect the more humid and rainy climate in the investigated Italian zone This colonization was characterized by optical and fluorescent microscopy and SEM-SE 16S/18S/23S rRNA pyrotag sequencing demonstrated the presence of a diverse community of phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria The phototrophic bacterial community was dominated by cyanobacteria microbial heterotrophs were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria The heavily weathered gypsum rocks were also colonized by an epilithic lichen community; however fungal sequences were also recovered from the endolithic region that contained a diversity of fungal species with an abundance of lichenizing Ascomycota of which 35% were endolithic Verrucariales To detect the gypsum-hosted endolithic microbial communities of the Lake St. Martin impact structure (Manitoba, Canada; Figure 2F), reflectance spectroscopy, ultraviolet-induced fluorescence spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used. The interior space of gypsum outcrops show unique endolithic signatures. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the DNA extracted from the material showed dominance of Chloroflexota (Rhind et al., 2014) Endolithic microbial communities, protected against UV radiation and desiccation within microporous translucent gypsum evaporite crusts were also studied in arid areas of southern Tunisia using optical microscopy, SEM-SE and molecular tools (Stivaletta and Barbieri, 2009; Stivaletta et al., 2010) The Raman data revealed clear differences in pigment composition when comparing the two main groups of photoautotrophs Differences in carotenoid composition were observed and strong features of phycobiliproteins were detected within the cyanobacterial colonies with a substantial decrease of the Raman signal of these accessory pigments in decayed cells Fungi and algae were characterized by optical microscopy of thin sections and a fungal culture was obtained that was identified as Neocatenulostroma sp Melanin pigments from fungal cell walls were for the first time studied by Raman microspectroscopy Differences in taxonomic and functional diversity of endolithic microbial communities between the gypsum crust (Tarapacá) and gypcrete (Preandean zone) are expected the two sites differ greatly in microclimatic characteristics and aridity Significant differences of water vapour content in the atmosphere and facility of dewfall formation conditions thus explain the differences in taxonomic and functional diversity of the endolithic microbial communities within gypsum rocks in the Atacama Desert No evidence was found that these cyanobacteria are capable of extracting water from the gypsum Gypsum is deposited on the bottom of evaporation ponds of intermediate salinity (120–250 g l−1). The gypsum crystals are often arranged such that light penetrates deep into the crust, supporting photosynthesis down to depths of several centimeters (Caumette et al., 1994; Oren et al., 1995; Oren, 2009; Figure 2D) Salt-tolerant oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms (mainly cyanobacteria sometimes accompanied by diatoms and other eukaryotic algae) often colonize the gypsum layer Dissimilatory sulfate reduction in the deeper anaerobic layers generates sulfide that diffuses upward and reaches parts of the gypsum crust where light is still available. This enables development of sulfide oxidizing anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. Many members of the genera Chromatium or Halochromatium, Thiocapsa, Ectothiorhodospira, Halorhodospira, and related photosynthetic sulfur bacteria are markedly halophilic or salt-tolerant (Caumette et al., 1994) They were assigned to the genera Euhalothece Copious amounts of polysaccharide slime are generally produced by these cyanobacteria The phototrophic populations are accompanied by diverse communities of microorganisms including aerobic heterotrophic bacteria bending and branching selenite from the Monte Tondo quarry Different types of filamentous microorganisms were found suggesting coexistence of different taxonomic groups in the original marine environment they suggested that the observed remnants are sulfide-oxidizing bacteria based on morphological comparison of the fossilized matter with colorless filaments of Beggiatoa or Thioploca and due to the presence of polysulfide in the investigated material Messinian gypsum sites with selenitic and resedimented gypsum in Calabria were investigated by Costanzo et al. (2019) and Cipriani et al. (2021) rounded-grain aggregate gypsum and branching-like facies contain resedimented gypsum containing brown and redish organic matter in gypsum inclusions or aggregates The gypsum and especially the swallowtail twins contained inclusions and rich aggregates of dark organic matter sometimes showing blue or green fluorescence Raman spectra of dark and blackish carbonaceous material dispersed in transparent selenitic gypsum were reported from Monte Tondo quarry, near Borgo Rivola, Messinian Vena del Gesso (Schopf et al., 2012), from Banengo (Piedmont Basin, Italy; Dela Pierre et al., 2015), and from Perales (Spain; Pellegrino et al., 2021) diagnostic Raman spectroscopic features corresponding to pigments or other biomarkers were lost due to diagenetic evolution and also documented microbially laminated selenites from the Kalavasos Psematismenos basin (southern Cyprus) Samples of rocky material will be drilled from a depth of around 2 m The current Mars missions do not focus on sulfates but they employ Raman systems to search for traces of possible biomarkers in different rocks Further studies of such Mars evaporitic analog sites are currently being organized to test novel analytical approaches and strategies for future space missions Gypsum commonly hosts a variety of microorganisms Numerous sites with colonized gypsum have been discovered worldwide Gypsum is often colonized by endolithic microbial communities that develop within pores beneath the rock surface (cryptoendolithic habitats) in cracks or in flat spaces in the frame of rock cleavage (chasmoendolithic habitats) within pores at the bottom part of the rock (hypoendolithic habitats) Endolithic microbial communities were documented from environments that differ greatly in water availability and temperature from saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates to the hyperarid areas of the Atacama Desert and other hot and arid environments What are the main gaps in our knowledge of microbial colonizations of gypsum We still need a better understanding of the mode of microbial colonization in gypsum compared to those in other minerals – carbonates We need to understand how the characteristics of the mineral environment influence the survival and growth of microorganisms in rocks life within gypsum may be advantageous as the mineral protects the cells against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation while allowing sufficient photosynthetically active radiation to reach the cells What is the sequence of steps during the transformation of gypsum crystals to a more or less porous matrix that allows microorganisms to enter its spaces How is microbial colonization of gypsum initiated How common do such colonizations occur in neoformed and recrystalised gypsum in karstic areas Such knowledge needs also to be acquired to obtain a more complete understanding of the effects of biota on the rocks and their transformations The connection between the inorganic phase of the matrix and biotic phenomena also needs to be clarified there is no convincing evidence to support the hypothesis that the crystallization water of gypsum may be available to the microbial communities in endoliths in hyperarid environments The geological record shows extensive evidence for residues of microbes in gypsum derived from Tertiary seas Our ability to detect living endolithic microbial communities in gypsum and fossilized communities in buried gypsum deposits or their biomarkers can be used as the basis for the search for such communities in gypsum on Mars and possibly elsewhere in the universe The search for life beyond Earth represents a major challenge for the 21st century Current and forthcoming projects by NASA and ESA (Mars 2020 and Exomars 2020) include robotic rovers to better investigate Martian rocky outcrops or subsurface rocks through a combination of imaging and spectroscopic techniques Analytical approaches for biomarker tracing include spectroscopic tools enabling the collection of spectra (e.g. Endolithic communities on Earth are useful model systems to test and further develop instruments to be sent to sites beyond Earth Further deployment of dedicated miniaturized instrumentation under different extreme climatic conditions on Earth is essential to prepare for successful applications on Mars If it will be possible to return Martian rocky samples to Earth in sealed containers the experience gained during the application of modern lab-based tools to detect traces of biomarkers in gypsum endoliths will be important to assess the possible presence of traces of present or past life on Mars The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation PV thanks to the Czech Science Foundation (project number 22-29315S) and to the project of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (AdAgriF; CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004635) JW and PV are thankful for financial support by grant PID2021-124362NB-I00 from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER Artieda for their contribution to previous joint articles and for valuable conversations and scientific debates also during joint expeditions to the Atacama Desert The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437/full#supplementary-material Morphological biosignatures in gypsum: diverse formation processes of Messinian (similar to 6.0 Ma) gypsum stromatolites Freshening of the 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Jan Jehlička, amVobGlja2FAbmF0dXIuY3VuaS5jeg== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish News | Feb 9 UPDATE (12:50 p.m.) Interstate 70 has reopened eastbound at mile marker 143 following a road incident News | Sep 22 The Gypsum Ponds are scheduled to see closures starting Monday as the Colorado Department of Wildlife works to kill the remaining fish and install a water level management system known as Agri Drains at the state wildlife area While the ponds themselves — and the road to get there — will be closed during the construction other areas of the 90-acre state wildlife area will be open including access points to the nearby Eagle River Anglers will be able to walk the road and access the river on foot an aquatic biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Wildlife officials are using the opportunity created by draining the ponds to install the Agri Drains which will allow Parks and Wildlife to manage the water levels of the ponds better The reset is aimed to return the ponds to the trout fishery Parks and Wildlife stocked the ponds with trout every year, creating a fishery that is also used by migrating birds and is now home to a family of otters. But over the years, numerous other types of fish have found their way into the ponds, or “walked in” as Parks and Wildlife puts it, presumably through illegal stocking. Parks and Wildlife staff first documented the presence of restricted invasive fish species in the Gypsum Ponds during routine monitoring in 2010, Bakich said. “Species that have walked into the ponds include smallmouth bass, green sunfish and black bullhead catfish,” Bakich said. “The most recent introduction was those catfish and they exploded, they were like the only fish you could see for a long time.” Parks and Wildlife intends to restock the ponds after the Agri Drains are installed. The agency urged anglers to harvest fish from the ponds through an emergency fish salvage issued in June and has since drained the ponds. In the small puddles that remain, Parks and Wildlife is using a fish toxicant called Rotenone, an organic compound derived from the root of a tropical legume that has been used for generations to manage fisheries, going back to pre-Colonial times when Indigenous peoples used the root to capture and harvest fish. The small puddles that remain couldn’t be completely drained or pumped out, and the Rotenone will kill every last fish that remains in those puddles. If it sounds extreme, it’s because the agency is extremely concerned about the invasive species migrating into the nearby Eagle and Colorado rivers and killing other fish. “They can establish in rivers and predate upon our trout fisheries as well as downstream endangered fish,” Bakich said. The nice thing about Rotenone, Bakich said, is it only kills gilled organisms like fish. If a bird or reptile or mammal encounters Rotenone, or eats fish that have been killed by Rotenone, they’re not affected. “We’ve had bears laying in streams with fish that have died from Rotenone, piling them on their bellies and eating them, and it doesn’t have any effect,” Bakich said. Bakich has gotten to know the local family of otters that lives near the Gypsum Ponds and said they won’t be affected, either. “Last year the otters were running up and down the ponds while I was doing my survey,” she said. “One day, they raided my nets. This year they moved on once we started draining the ponds, but they’ll be back.” The work is expected to take roughly two months. Once the Agri Drains are installed, the ponds will be refilled and restocked with trout. The Agri Drains will allow Parks and Wildlife to manipulate water levels and exercise our water rights for the benefit of the fishery, Bakich said. “When there’s a call on the river, we won’t have to stop diverting water into the ponds,” Bakich said. “We’ll be able to just flow the water through our ponds and not have to shut our operations down for senior water rights downstream.” Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m. and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky... Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning. This takes place... Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday, but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:... Après at The Amp For its third year in a row, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue. Each April a huge crowd comes out – rain, snow,... Mania: The ABBA Tribute ABBA, the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually... Robby is an editor of HBSDealer.com. He resides outside Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife and three kids. Contact: rbrumberg@ensembleiq.com formerly VP of the company's Towels and Napkins division she will oversee more than 3,000 employees and 12 gypsum mills across the U.S Those mills manufacture approximately five billion square feet of gypsum panels annually Howard joined Georgia-Pacific in 2007 as a senior category manager for GP PRO’s foodservice disposable products she has held a variety of roles in the away-from-home business primarily focused on the paper towel category and enMotion Dispensing Systems Howard worked for the specialty chemicals company “We are excited to welcome Julie to the Building Products leadership team. She will be leading our operations and commercial capabilities and brings invaluable experience and expertise,” said David Neal I believe she embodies the qualities we need to drive transformative and profitable growth in our business.” "I feel incredibly fortunate to work for a company that genuinely promotes contribution-driven individuals and recognizes talent,” said Howard “I am excited to take on this opportunity and look forward to contributing to the growth and development of the team." Howard graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University where she studied German and International Studies News | Dec 11 The Gypsum Town Council passed a package of resolutions and ordinances on Tuesday that clears the way for the development of the Tower Center project Still subject to a couple of final approvals the project will bring nearly 500 new housing units up to 100,000 square feet of retail space and perhaps a new post office for the town to a 64-acre site along U.S Highway 6 east of the Stratton Flats neighborhood During the last hearing with developers on Nov Town Council members wanted to see that some of the housing units would be offered for sale They also asked for some assurances that commercial space would be brought into the development as residential space was built represented by partner Anthony Lamonia and local planner Tom Braun returned Tuesday with a couple of proposals Braun said the 47 single-family lots — probably the last residential units to be developed — will be offered to buyers for 120 days Sales will be restricted to Eagle County buyers for 30 days — later amended to 45 days The proposal also allowed the developer the right to sell homes to employers that sell homes to employees The commercial property was linked to the development of the apartment and townhome units the first to be built after the infrastructure is put into the property Braun noted that building the commercial property is “as important (to the developers) as it is to the council.” That commercial property will be divided into small to medium-sized parcels The changes to the plan were welcomed by council members particularly the ongoing negotiations for a new post office Lamonia said negotiations for that facility are continuing with the U.S the new post office will be roughly 8,500 square feet roughly four times larger than the current facility “The most frustrating thing in town has to be the post office,” council member Scott Green said But council member Kathleen Brendza said she’s eager to have the amenities that are planned with the development “If we continue to build just bedrooms we’ll always be just a bedroom community,” Brendza said asking who on the development team has the responsibility of attracting businesses to the commercial portion of the project That responsibility falls to Steven Sendor of Fortius Capital Sendor noted that his team “gets paid last,” so has an incentive to fill the commercial space who asked many of the questions about the commercial space at the Nov said he hopes the Tower Center project can make Gypsum a “better community.” Mayor Steve Carver said he and Edwards have had differing opinions over their years on the council The town has been bitten by a couple of proposals but with this one “I don’t have a reason to believe why this won’t work.” Sendor noted that his firm was on the seller’s side of the deal in 2019 when the property first went under contract The COVID-19 pandemic complicated the deal but Lamonia and his partners “did what they said,” he added Council member Marisa Sato asked Lamonia about using local contractors for construction Lamonia said his firm intends to use as many local contractors as possible but may bring in outside firms for the larger parts of the project The next step in the process is finalizing some of the designs and then applying for the final plats for building News | Aug 31 Eagle County School District held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Gypsum Early Learning Center and accompanying employee housing on Thursday Employees and board members of the Eagle County School District as well as representatives of the construction companies RA Nelson and Haselden Construction gathered on the cleared site that will soon become homes and an educational facility to kick off the journey The early learning center and housing site already belong to the Eagle County School District located in Gypsum near Gypsum Creek Middle School and Red Hill Elementary School “There is a need for expanded early childhood education and care services,” said Dan Reynolds president of the Eagle County School District board district employees have identified housing as one of the biggest challenges living and working in Eagle County So we are excited for the many benefits this project will provide.” When completed, the two-story, 50,000 square-foot Gypsum Early Learning Center will have space for 320 children ranging in age from infants to pre-kindergarteners The employee housing will include a 20-unit apartment building with one- two- and three-bedroom rental units available at an affordable rate to school district staff members Construction on both the early learning center and the 20-unit apartment building is expected to be completed in December 2025 in addition to financing school safety improvements the school district has designated over $48 million to go to site work and construction of the early learning center and housing projects “Gaining the support of our community to begin the work on these two projects is terrific,” said Superintendent Phil Qualman in an Eagle County School District press release about the groundbreaking “Passing the bond in 2023 and partnering with all these organizations is what is bringing this to fruition and we couldn’t be happier to see the work get underway.” The project will be constructed in collaboration by RA Nelson and Haselden Construction. RA Nelson also worked on the Miller Flats project, which provided 37 units in Edwards for Eagle County School District employees. “These are not easy issues to resolve, but with a good team, together we can make Eagle County public schools the greatest place in the world to live, work and learn,” Reynolds said. Industry and market insights and forecasts Key figures and rankings about companies and products Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries Detailed information about political and social topics All key figures about countries and regions Market InsightsMarket forecast and expert KPIs for 1000+ markets in 190+ countries & territories Consumer InsightsInsights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide eCommerce InsightsDetailed information for 39,000+ online stores and marketplaces Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 150+ countries and over 1 million facts: Full-service market research and analytics Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy Transforming data into content marketing and design: The average free-on-board (FOB) plant price for calcined gypsum material in the United States was estimated at 63 U.S calcinated gypsum prices in the North American country have experienced a continual annual increase Prices on a free-on board (FOB) plant basis Sales value of leading manufacturers of construction materials worldwide 2023 price of construction sand and gravel 2010-2024 Price change on annual basis of 32 different building materials in the U.S News | Nov 11 The Gypsum Town Council is ready to tackle Tower Center — the town’s biggest development proposal in several years — after several delays The council will hold a pair of hearings on Tuesday about the proposed project The first is a resolution regarding an annexation and development agreement The second is an ordinance regarding a planned unit development guide The proposal would add nearly 500 units — a combination of apartment townhome single-family homes and mixed-use commercial-residential units — as well as roughly 100,000 square feet of commercial space on a 63-acre parcel About one-third of the property would be dedicated to building 324 apartments Another 8.4 acres would see the construction of 80 townhome units The plan calls for 47 single-family home sites on 6.7 acres The minimum lot size for those homes would be 5,800 square feet with homes covering a maximum of 50% of those lots The largest commercial site would occupy 11.5 acres with 26,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space on a 2.5-acre site The mixed-used commercial units would allow a maximum of 48 dwelling units Developers have been in negotiation with the U.S Postal Service about the prospect of relocating the town’s post office to the parcel which sits to the east of the town’s current housing developments along U.S was originally annexed into the town in 2006 as a potential site for a big-box retail store But those plans were shelved as the market for that type of development waned and the property sat vacant for several years The current property owners bought the land in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and first brought plans for a more broad-based project to town officials in 2021 Delays over the past several months have involved negotiations with town officials over items including details of a water and sewer service plan for the property Tuesday’s meeting promises to be a lengthy one, with the second reading of an ordinance regarding carrying firearms in public buildings as well as ordinances regarding the town’s 2025 budget To view the agenda or stream the meeting, go to TownofGypsum.com Gypsum resident Alex Salgado remains in the hospital with a broken pelvis and other injuries after a Jan. 5 accident on Interstate 70 Trooper Cecil Gaddy also is recovering from injuries sustained that night the Colorado State Patrol on Thursday held a press conference at the patrol’s training academy in Golden The event was a chance for Gaddy to talk about events that night and for others to talk about the importance of the state’s law requiring motorists to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles on the highway Donate to cover Alex Salgado’s medical costs through GoFundMe at GoFundMe.com/f/Support-Alex-Salgados-Road-To-Recovery Salgado is in good spirits but faces the prospect of a long hospital stay who knows Salgado from his time in Eagle County read a statement that Salgado provided for the event “The white line (on the highway) is so much more than what the eyes see tow operators and the Department of Transportation and even to the teenage boy changing his flat tire on the side of the road it’s only 12 inches between us going home and seeing our families that night and not making it home.” The statement adds that from the time Salgado was hit until he was trapped between Gaddy’s patrol car and his tow truck was just 3.5 seconds His life was changed “in the blink of an eye,” he wrote who graduated from Battle Mountain High School in 2021 was on-scene with the Colorado State Patrol assisting another tow truck driver who had been hit by a Ford F-250 Salgado was pinned between the front bumper of the trooper’s vehicle and the flatbed of his tow truck Talking about responding to the accident that night Gaddy recalled the incident in clinical detail He noted the out-of-control vehicle that struck his patrol car pushing him under the tow truck and injuring his left shoulder pinned between the patrol car and the tow truck moved the drivers from the original crash out of the way and made sure the driver of the out-of-control vehicle stayed put the safest place he could be in the situation Gaddy applauded Eagle County Paramedics and Eagle River Fire Protection District Crews for their quick response and help in shutting down the interstate That night is “one I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Gaddy said “Everything happened so fast,” he added also urged motorists to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles “It’s more than just a law,” Gaddy said … Your lives and ours are worth it.” Salgado’s statement also urged people to slow down and move over the greater our chances are to go home,” he wrote News | Dec 12 The Gypsum Town Council on Tuesday agreed to spend $385,000 to HDR to conduct a feasibility study to revive the Interstate 70 interchange project to serve the Eagle County Regional Airport a former Colorado Department of Transportation employee said after meeting with transportation department officials that the study will put more emphasis on the price of the project Figgs told council members that HDR has worked on projects along I-70 including the current work on Floyd Hill The firm is doing “mega projects,” Figgs said and is familiar with doing public outreach on those projects Figgs noted the firm is “highly technically capable,” adding that some company employees worked on the original interchange design in the early 2000s That design was finished in the early 2000s The state transportation department acquired Figgs noted that the interchange could be a “huge benefit” to the town and the study could set up the town to deliver an important project Council member Scott Green asked how deeply into the details of the old environmental analysis the new study will get Figgs replied that the new study will have to come up with buildable alternatives is that bridge design standards have changed over the roughly 20 years since the old design was finished state transportation officials have also told town officials they need to demonstrate a need for the project One of the alternatives that needs to be explored is the possibility of an at-grade crossing of the dormant Union Pacific railroad tracks between U.S instead of a long bridge between Highway 6 and I-70 could save millions off the original cost estimates The study will look for a “magic bullet” to save money on the project Council member Tom Edwards noted that Eagle County supports the project and asked Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann how far that support goes Rietmann replied that the support includes paying for a lobbying firm and developing a relationship with the railroad Taking down costs and developing a rationale for the interchange could help build support for the project with other valley communities News | Nov 19 Cottonwood Pass in Eagle County from Gypsum to the Roaring Fork Valley will close Tuesday for the remainder of the winter season from mile marker 2.5 near Gypsum to mile marker 12.5 Be advised there is no winter maintenance on Cottonwood Pass or when conditions allow. An announcement will be made when Cottonwood Pass is set to reopen For more information, contact the Eagle County Road & Bridge Department at 970-328-3540 or road@eaglecounty.us found ahead of a construction project in England Archaeologists in England have discovered a Roman-era cemetery with an unusual burial at its center — a stone coffin holding a deceased individual encased in liquid gypsum but archaeologists still don't fully understand it The mineral was made into a cement or plaster and then poured over the deceased person to make a hard cast This process sometimes preserved organic remnants such as clothing or a burial shroud The gypsum from the newfound burial is fragmentary but it retains impressions of the individual's shroud and preserved a small piece of fabric This type of burial is largely known from Roman urban centers — such as York in England which has 45 documented gypsum burials — but it's rare to find them in rural regions "we do believe this would have been an expensive endeavour and is therefore indicative of a high-status individual," said Jessica Lowther community archaeologist for Headland Archaeology combined with the grave's central location in the cemetery indicate that the person buried there was elite or part of a prominent family While no grave goods were found in the coffin archaeologists did find a glass vessel nearby that may have once held a libation Related: 'Liquid gypsum' burial from Roman Britain scanned in 3D, revealing 1,700-year-old secrets Archaeologists found the cemetery ahead of construction work that aims to widen a highway in Cambridgeshire. The cemetery dates to the Roman period in Britain (A.D Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox (Image credit: Courtesy of Headland Archaeology)A glass vessel was the only grave good found by the gypsum burial (Image credit: Courtesy of Headland Archaeology)A burial from the Roman-era cemetery in which the individual's skull was placed at their feet The cemetery sat along an ancient Roman road the team found 14 graves around the central gypsum burial and unearthed seven more beyond a boundary ditch the cemetery had a variety of burial types which is uncommon for such a small burial ground which are lined with long stones; cremation burials; decapitation burials; burials with iron nails which hint at the presence of a wooden coffin; and even an empty grave Burials from both inside and beyond the boundary ditch had prominent grave goods had a large pile of grave goods at the buried individual's feet This person died between the ages of 16 and 20 and was female (Image credit: Courtesy of Headland Archaeology)A copper alloy bangle that archaeologists found in the grave of a young woman (Image credit: Courtesy of Headland Archaeology)A cist burial that archaeologists unearthed at the Roman cemetery "One theory as to why she was buried with this cache at her feet instead of wearing it is that it could have been meant for her dowry," Lowther told Live Science in an email "Among these grave goods were a beautiful pair of silver earrings thought to be the shank and bezel of a signet ring." —1,430 ancient Roman graves scattered with funerary festival leftovers unearthed in southern France —1,700-year-old 'barbarian' burial discovered along Roman Empire's frontier in Germany This youth's grave had 10 copper alloy bracelets a bone comb and also a pair of silver earrings that were "remarkably like those from the burial of the young woman," Lowther said But their similarity doesn't mean the two individuals are related as "this also could be the style of a distinctive local craftsperson," she noted which "will hopefully be able to untangle the questions surrounding the longevity of the cemetery and how it fits into the surrounding landscape as well as shedding some light on the individual stories of those buried here," Lowther said Her work has appeared in The New York Times She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU Pompeii quiz: How much do you know about the Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire Archaeologists discover hundreds of metal objects up to 3,400 years old on mysterious volcanic hilltop in Hungary News | Aug 17 But there are days when a number of drivers stop at one of the half-dozen food trucks at the intersection Itzy Hernandez, owner of Itzy’s Coffee, has worked at the intersection since she was in high school, starting as a barista for Gracie’s Coffee before buying the business and giving it a new name She said she’s seen a good bit of growth over the past couple of years “The more people hear about the options the more they want to try it out,” Hernandez said “We’re building community among these businesses here.” Jackie and Thomas Fraser were sitting down with lunch from Tacos y Mariscos El Pariente and is a frequent visitor to the food corner which now has a half-dozen trucks and trailers “I’ve had them all; there’s nothing I wouldn’t order,” he said he said “More people are figuring out this exists.” Rocky Mountain Taco is also a popular truck — trailer Rocky Mountain Taco co-owner Dan Purtell said customers had long told him and his partners they’d like to see a downvalley location for the business But the owner of the intersection parcel reached out and a deal was struck “It’s across the street from the high school and it looked kind of promising,” Purtell said Gypsum’s busiest intersection is the hub for mobile food vendors but there are others scattered around town There’s The Full Belly BBQ near the Interstate 70 interchange Backcountry Wings and Pork Station have space near Cowboy Catering’s operation on Glider Way and Pizza Station’s operation is set up near Eagle River Brewing on Airpark Drive The Cowboy Kitchen has a truck set up next to AutoZone near Costco Some of the proliferation of trucks is due to a little help from the town code “Our mindset is it’s a difficult valley to start a business,” Gypsum Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann said who worked for the Vail Valley Partnership before coming to Gypsum giving younger or small business owners the ability to be nimble — and literally mobile in some cases — can help those owners sift through good and bad ideas “It’s a way for people to try out businesses on a small scale to figure out the market,” Rietmann said mobile vendors can set up shop in any non-residential area That means those vendors can provide a consistent presence “You can’t disappoint (customers) too many times or they’ll choose the next place,” Rietmann said Another big factor is the fact that Gypsum is changing It wasn’t too long ago that the town was very much a bedroom community “There are a lot more people in town in the day in the last few years,” Rietmann said Given the expansion of businesses near the Eagle County Regional Airport there are “way more (people) than you’d expect” in town during the work day,” he added More opportunity means entrepreneurs are rolling into town to see if they can take advantage of it “It’s got potential,” Purtell said Metrics details The high-altitude pre-Andean region of the Atacama Desert is characterized by its stark volcanic rock formations and unique hydrothermal gypsum outcrops (gypcrete) that it hosts This study delves into the biomolecular composition of the endolithic phototrophic microbes that thrive within these gypcretes Using advanced Raman spectroscopy techniques including Raman imaging (complemented by microscopic and 3D microscopic observations) herein we unveil new insights into the adaptive strategies of these gypsum-inhabiting algae Our Raman imaging results provide a detailed chemical map of carotenoids associated with microbial colonization This map reveals a significant gradient in pigment content highlighting a critical survival mechanism for algae and cyanobacteria in this polyextreme environment we detected signals for carotenoids not only in the algae-colonized layer but also deeper within the gypsum matrix - indicating pigment migration following cell disruption we conducted an in-depth analysis of individual algal cells from the Trebouxiaceae family noting their color variations from green to orange plus describing the spectral differences in detail This investigation identified in-vivo pigments (carotenoids chlorophyll) and lipids at the cellular level offering a comprehensive view of the molecular adaptations enabling life in one of the Earth’s most extreme habitats Together with the high evapotranspiration rate of 2920 mm year−1 recorded in the nearby Salar de Atacama basin the region can be characterized as hyperarid; with an aridity index (AI) of 0.009 thus creating polyextreme abiotic stresses upon the biota with which they have to cope but we did not focused on cyanobacteria in this study both pigment and lipid composition of algae were monitored using Raman spectroscopy in vivo in their native microhabitat Raman imaging of the cryptoendolithic colonization in crosscut of gypcrete (A) The rainbow scale corresponds to the intensity of carotenoid ν(C=C) band The averaged spectra extracted from the zones of various intensity are presented: the colonized zone in (B) and gypcrete matrix with carotenoid signal in (C) Pixels in pink color at the upper part were deleted and represent Raman signal from the resin used for the sample preparation that caused an oversaturation of the detector Raman spectroscopic features of lipids at 1657 cm-1 due to C=C stretching and 1445 cm-1 assigned to CH2 scissoring in lipids The later is at a similar position as the weak Raman features of carotenoids and chlorophyll Though very different environment and composition of microbiota there are two aspects that may be analogous in this study: 1) the enhanced carotenoid content relative to chlorophyll a within the uppermost layer 2) the sequence of colors from orange/brown (top) to green located just beneath it is the first Raman spectroscopic demonstration of lipids in native endolithic community We explain this observation as a consequence of very high lipid content in these algae cells that can be detected beside the biomolecular signal of much better Raman scatterers such as carotenoids respectively result from the two different laser wavelengths used for excitation The small shift of the ν1(C=C) wavenumber position was observed with 1522 cm−1 detected when using 514.5 nm laser line and 1523–1526 cm−1 while the red (785 nm) laser was employed We interpret this as a result of selective resonance Raman enhancement caused by the green excitation at 514.5 nm Using this wavelength (514.5 nm) for excitation also caused the relative enhancement of the signal due to the ν1(C=C) bond vibration leading in different intensity ratio of the two strongest bands when compared to the spectra obtained by 785 nm laser line We hypothesize that to defend themselves from excess radiation algae at mature state within the upper parts of the colonized layer almost lose their green chloroplasts and become cells full of lipids that accumulate carotenoids which results in an intensive orange color due to the high amount of them these algae in a mature state come to be degraded end up exploding and release lipids and dissolved carotenoids dissolved in lipids migrate within the substrate and are dispersed in the deeper parts in the mineral (gypcrete) environment A novel insight into the adaptation strategy of endolithic gypsum-inhabiting algae from the polyextreme environment of the Atacama Desert is unveiled providing fresh insights into their survival mechanisms Carotenoids were discovered beneath the microbially colonized zone within the gypsum matrix suggesting migration of these pigments following cell disruption Comprehensive Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed distinct differences in carotenoid and chlorophyll composition between green-orange and orange algal cells of the Trebouxiaceae family in vivo Raman spectra of lipids within these algal cells are presented We suggest lipids play an important role in release and migration of carotenoids within the gypsum substrate after cell death and disruption A Zeiss AxioImager D1 microscope (Carl Zeiss Germany) equipped with a Plan-Apo 609/1.4 Zeiss oil-immersion objective was employed to obtain optical images of the algal cells we have used a Keyence VHX − 900 F (Keyence UK) digital microscope with 100x magnification objective to scan the 3D surface structure of the algal cells embedded in the gypsum samples colonizing the cryptoendolithic habitat of gypcrete were examined using point Raman analysis on an InVia spectrometer (Renishaw UK) equipped with a Leica confocal microscope A 785 nm laser line was employed as a universal excitation wavelength capable of detecting a variety of pigments and other biomolecules The instrument was calibrated to a silicon Raman band at 521 cm−1 The point analysis was undertaken employing 50x magnification objective and a 2 –5 s exposure time was set and accumulated 10 times Laser power between 15 and 30 mW at the source was used The analyses were performed on transects of the gypcrete substrate stored in dark conditions at 20 °C until analysis The Raman spectroscopy technique was chosen for its ability to analyse small amounts of biological material in situ UK) equipped with a Leica confocal microscope was used in point-to-point scanning mode for the Raman imaging The instrument was calibrated to a silicon Raman band at 521 cm-1 and a 1 s exposure time accumulated 1x time was employed at each point Benefiting from the resonance Raman effect a strong signal of carotenoids was obtained within the Raman imaging using a relatively short exposure time a relatively large area was scanned at a high spatial resolution The laser was focused using a 5x magnification Leica objective (NA = 0.12) Single spectra (averaged from 7 neighbor spectra) were extracted from the zones of interest to show the spectral differences The Raman imaging data were acquired using Wire 3.4 (Renishaw) The subsequent data processing workflow was provided by ImageLab software Spikes (due to cosmic rays) were detected and removed using the following parameters: spike half-width − 3; threshold − 1 the spectra were smoothed out using the Savitzky-Golay polynomial function the baseline was corrected using the Eilers algorithm using the following parameters: smoothness − 10,000; asymmetry − 0.002; iterations − 7 Suspicious pixels (data without spectral noise) were masked and mainly corresponded to the oversaturated signal of the epoxide used for sample preparation The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available in the ASEP data repository, https://doi.org/10.57680/asep.0587258 Record solar UV irradiance in the tropical Andes Characterization of the main colonizer and biogenic pigments present in the red biofilm from La Galea Fortress sandstone by means of microscopic observations and Raman imaging Discovery and microbial content of the driest site of the hyperarid Atacama Desert Carotenoid analysis of halophilic archaea by resonance Raman spectroscopy Microbial colonization of halite from the hyper-arid Atacama Desert studied by Raman spectroscopy Phototrophlic community in gypsum crust from the Atacama Desert studied by Raman spectroscopy and microscopic imaging Raman microspectroscopy of individual algal cells: sensing unsaturation of storage lipids in vivo Second generation of biofuels: high-efficiency microalgae for biodiesel production Imaging of lipids in microalgae with coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering microscopy Resonance Raman scattering of laser radiation by vibrational modes of carotenoid pigment molecules in intact plant tissues Resonance Raman spectroscopy of carotenoids and carotenoid-containing systems Characterization of oil-producing microalgae using Raman spectroscopy In vivo lipidomics using single-cell Raman spectroscopy Raman imaging of microbial colonization in rock – some analytical aspects In: Microbial ecosystems in central Andes extreme environments (ed Oleosins and oil bodies in seeds and other organs The biogenesis and functions of lipid bodies in animals A study of lipid secretion from the lichen symbionts ascomycetous fungus myelochroa leucotyliza and green alga Trebouxia Sp Microalgal triacylglycerols as feedstocks for biofuel production: perspectives and advances A galactoglycerolipid lipase is required for triacylglycerol accumulation and survival following nitrogen deprivation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Conversion of membrane lipid acyl groups to triacylglycerol and formation of lipid bodies upon nitrogen starvation in biofuel green algae Chlorella UTEX29 Lipidomics and transcriptomic analyses of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under heat stress unveil a direct route for the conversion of membrane lipids into storage lipids RNA interference silencing of a major lipid droplet protein affects lipid droplet size in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Proteomic profiling of oil bodies isolated from the unicellular green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: with focus on proteins involved in lipid metabolism Enhancement of growth and lipid production from microalgae using fluorescent paint under the solar radiation Light enhancement strategies improve microalgal biomass productivity Operation of the xanthophyll cycle in higher plants in response to diurnal changes in incident sunlight The xanthophyll cycle and NPQ in diverse desert and aquatic green algae Role of carotenoids in protecting chlorophyll from photodestruction The light-harvesting and protective functions of carotenoids in photosynthetic membranes Hydroxyl radical scavenging ability of bacterioruberin Calcrete Gypcrete and soil classification in Algeria Download references PV wishes to give thanks the Czech Science Foundation (project number 22–29315S) This research has also been supported by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (grant AdAgriF - Advanced methods of greenhouse gases emission reduction and sequestration in agriculture and forest landscape for climate change mitigation (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004635) The Authors are thankful for the financial support provided by grant PID2021-124362NB-I00 from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER Miloš Barták for his help with capturing 3D-microscopic images and the support provided by the CARP infrastructure (CzechPolar-I and II Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences interpretation of the data and text editing; J.W contributed to the project management Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75526-7 Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research National Gypsum donated $35,000 to the Fort Dodge Community School District for a new health occupations lab at the middle school The donation was part of the company’s Giving Tuesday initiative The donation was contributed in equal amounts by two local National Gypsum facilities — $17,500 from the Quarry Plant led by David Gollob and $17,500 from the Gold Bond Plant led by Mark Dyer This contribution will help fund the creation of a health occupations lab at Fort Dodge Middle School supporting the district’s health occupations class and its mission to introduce students to careers in the health care field The lab will provide students with hands-on experiences preparing them for potential careers in health care while fostering an interest in science “National Gypsum’s support helps us take a significant step forward in creating engaging real-world learning opportunities for our students,” said Josh Porter superintendent of the Fort Dodge Community School District “The health occupations lab will inspire our students and equip them with foundational skills for the health care field opening doors to a variety of career pathways,” he added “We deeply appreciate National Gypsum’s commitment to our community and its investment in the future of our students.” National Gypsum’s Giving Tuesday initiative donated $1 million to 42 schools and non-profits in the United States and Canada The Webster County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss two detour agreements with the Iowa Department of .. The Stallings family of rural Webster County suffered a devastating loss on April 26 when a fire ignited in their .. LLC | https://www.messengernews.net | 713 Central Ave. News | Apr 5 The Eagle Valley High School gym erupted in cheers and applause as the 11-year-old Gypsum girl her parents and younger sister walked in on Wednesday a Gypsum resident battling a brain tumor whose wish is to go to Walt Disney World the Disney movies “Coco” and “Elemental,” playing board games and soccer When the Eagle Valley High School Wish Week student organizers learned that Julieta was this year’s wish kid they planned this year’s festivities around her interests They made red t-shirts with her name spelled out in Scrabble tiles that almost all students and teachers wore to Wednesday’s assembly They decorated the school in a jungle theme This is Eagle Valley High School’s eighth year raising funds for Make-A-Wish Colorado students have been able to support wishes for 21 Colorado kids “We’ve definitely left our mark on Make-A-Wish Colorado,” said Jacey Meryhew Eagle Valley’s student council vice president we’ve added countless events we’ve never done before and it has been really nice,” said Audrey Tatro Eagle Valley’s student council president and it gives them hope and excitement for the future and their treatment.” have been involved with planning Wish Week since they were freshmen.  “We’re not a huge school by any means and we’re from a pretty small valley so it’s cool to see us all come together and see the impact we’ve had,” Meryhew said “It’s amazing to see how excited (wish kids) are to be a part of it and to know they have a whole high school supporting them and behind them.” “It’s really impactful,” to celebrate a local kid during Wish Week The wish kid from their freshman year, Jose is now a member of the student council at Eagle Valley High School “It means a lot to give back to our community and make sure that the children in our area are getting support and making sure that when they come to Eagle Valley High School they know that they have a whole community to rely on,” Tatro said This year’s Wish Week started with typical events like volleyball and trivia A pickleball tournament drew both students and adult community members New this year were spikeball and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament plus a cookout at the boys’ lacrosse game on Wednesday “It has been really fun to navigate that and also bring new events and new games to the community,” Tatro said All Wish Week events double as fundraisers with a $5 admission fee that goes directly to Make-A-Wish all 1,000 students and their teachers gathered in the high school’s gym to play games and perform cheers while Julieta and her family looked on Students from each grade also came together to select a representative for the Mr who showed off strutting models during the assembly Eagle Valley High School is the only high school in the valley that does Wish Week and several of its feeder schools — including Red Hill Elementary School Avon Elementary School and Eagle Valley Middle School — have also started raising funds the combined efforts of students across several schools during Wish Week 2025 raised $23,421.88 Eagle Valley High School teachers were asked to guess how much money they thought students would raise The teacher whose guess was furthest from the total amount had their head shaved by Tatro in front of the entire school Tatro’s jaw dropped as she held the clippers to his head and hair began to fall away Donations to Make-A-Wish Colorado can continue to roll in through the online donation page “Just because Wish Week ends on Wednesday doesn’t mean that donations can’t still pour in,” Tatro said “It’s never too late to donate.” In addition to raising money and displaying support for the wish kid Tatro said she sees Wish Week as an opportunity to raise awareness for Make-A-Wish “There are four children in the Vail Valley alone waiting for their wish to be granted there are over 400 kids who are waiting for their Make-A-Wish,” Tatro said 50% of children who have critical illnesses could qualify for a wish but most of them don’t even apply because they don’t know the criteria … Most children with critical illnesses can apply and are eligible.” the assembly was the culmination of over a year of overwhelming community support “We could never imagine the community would be that warm and that linked with each other as to do what you have done for us,” said Edgar “I am not just talking about Eagle Valley I am talking about every single member of our community.” “There are no words to thank what this community has done for us,” Edgar said News | Mar 1 Alex Salgado is a big, strong young man. He’s convinced that’s what saved him the night of Jan. 5 Salgado, 22, has been recovering at his mother’s home in Gypsum since Jan. 30 after spending more than three weeks at Denver Health hospital abdominal punctures and other internal injuries when he was trapped between his tow truck and a Colorado State Patrol cruiser that night near Wolcott A GoFundMe page has been established to help Alex Salgado pay for medical and other expenses Salgado was at the scene of an accident with the Colorado State Patrol helping another tow truck driver The patrol vehicle was then struck by a Jeep and Salgado was pinned between the front bumper of the patrol vehicle and the flatbed of his tow truck But while he’s had close calls in the past and has been drawn to driving tow trucks since he was a teen he’s now re-thinking his career choices “This was my first time in a hospital,” he said “It was my first time breaking a bone.” Salgado has been driving tow trucks since he was a teen He said the men on his mom’s side of the family drive dump trucks and operate heavy equipment so he’s been around those machines for much of his life his mother was dating a driver for a local tow company He spent a night working Vail Pass and was drawn to the job and has been working with him for the past few years “He’s like family to us,” Carver said of Salgado Carver said he calls Salgado nearly every day to check in Salgado is questioning whether he wants to keep working on the other side of the white line of of the highway that white line between the travel lanes and the road’s shoulder is the “barrier of us going home of not” he said “That’s how we all feel,” he added “We all live on that white line.”   He’s been in the towing and recovery business a long time he’s had his own share of close calls Carver was recently in his company’s big wrecker helping with chain law enforcement on Vail Pass on a nasty night “It’s a war zone up there — everyone’s in a hurry,” Carver said That’s why Salgado is questioning whether to return to driving a tow truck thinking he might want to own his own semi He moves around his mom’s apartment as he’s able, and his law enforcement friends are frequent visitors. The day of this phone interview, he was expecting a visit from Trooper Cecil Gaddy A lot of Salgado’s friends — 90% by his reckoning — are in the State Patrol “They’re still part of my family and most of them live down here in Gypsum,” he said Salgado has plenty of time to consider the next chapters in his life It’s likely he’ll continue to help people something Carver said is part of his makeup “He’d help us do anything — in fact he’s that kind of young man,” Carver said Christie “will support him in whatever he decides.” And as Salgado thinks about his next steps “God has given me a second opportunity — I don’t want to mess it up,” he said News | Dec 21 Most people can’t pinpoint the moment they become heroes fourth graders at Gypsum Elementary School challenged some of Eagle County’s first responders to do just that the students interviewed Eagle County Sheriff’s Office deputies and an Avon police officer and detective to learn about their experiences The fourth graders heard from each first responder about the path that took them to their current career to the event that catalyzed their career decision and who they have helped through their jobs the four law enforcement speakers talked about separating the idea of a “bad person” from people who break the law “I truly believe that most people are good people I think sometimes people just make mistakes and sometimes they just need help getting on the right path,” said Carrie Buhlman “90% of people that I talk to just made a bad decision because they’re going through a hard time and they start making bad choices,” said Craig Westering Students were led in their questions by their teachers Most students followed a worksheet provided by their teachers which led to questions like “was there an event that happened that made (the speaker) want to have the job they do?” and “how have they changed people?” asking speakers about their pets and other follow up questions regarding the activities they do for fun and the reasons they find their work important “I knew I wanted to be a police officer really early,” Buhlman said “I wanted to be a police officer because I wanted to be able to go to work every day and know that I might be able to help somebody.” Westering told the students about his nontraditional path into police work Westering moved to Eagle County as a youth pastor took a job working at Beaver Creek Resort as a ticket scanner and was encouraged into becoming a police officer after a friend noticed his passion for educating students in schools on skier safety educating people is still one of his favorite parts of the job “Being a pastor is a lot like being a police officer because you’re seeing people going through hard times whether it’s a victim that called us for help or somebody that made a bad choice they’re trying to get out of their hard times,” Westering said “I’ve had a lot of people that I’ve helped out over the years.”  Westering said got into law enforcement because he likes helping people and he tries to treat people “as humans when they make mistakes.” Students were eager to meet Eagle County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Deputy Evan Jaramillo’s canine partner but Jaramillo fielded several questions about the dog whose keen nose has led Jaramillo to find missing persons make multiple drug busts and other arrests the large dog is also quite cuddly when he is at home the students were eager to find out if any other law enforcement officers visiting their classroom were dog owners Westering drew a parallel between police and parents “How many people have been grounded before or gotten their iPad taken away?” he said and they’re kind of the cops in a way … They want you to make good decisions and be there for you helping you lead your life and make good choices.”  Buhlman taught the students about the police department she oversees Westering taught the students about the structure of the Eagle Police Department and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office including the difference between a police officer and a sheriff’s deputy Buhlman also spoke about her path to becoming Eagle’s first female chief of police Buhlman told the students to imagine 10 people “If we had 10 police officers’ pictures here there are not very many women police officers (that are chiefs).” “I knew that it didn’t matter to me if I was a male or a female — it didn’t matter if I was a boy or a girl — I knew that I could do this job And I knew that because I had the heart to want to do this job,” Buhlman said but I had to work really hard to prove it.” “Do you guys forgive people?” Westering asked making bad decisions and good decisions?” Buhlman asked police officers show up and have to say the exact same thing to people: You have a choice … It’s all a matter about providing choices and telling the people the good and the bad and how it’s going to affect them We try to change them for the good.” “Think before you do it,” said one student.  Buhlman talked to the students about the kinds of choices they can think through before undertaking an action.  “We want to always think about what our words are going to do and what our actions are going to do or maybe it’s just a stranger that we don’t even know,” Buhlman said News | February 20, 2025 | By: COMANCO is working on an ongoing gypsum stack liner rehabilitation project for a phosphate mine client in Florida The project focuses on enhancing the containment capacity of existing water runoff ponds by increasing their storage volume Before expanding the ponds, a critical step involved a comprehensive leak detection and repair program. In collaboration with Ardaman & Associates COMANCO excavated an extensive isolation trench (nearly 6600 LF) to facilitate dipole testing This advanced technique accurately pinpointed areas of concern within the existing liner system COMANCO swiftly investigated and repaired all detected leaks ensuring the integrity of the containment structure Superintendent Josh Philhower led this stage of the project COMANCO proceeded with the construction phase Superintendent Jorge Gomez led the team importing clean fill to raise the dike elevations and install a new liner system along the slopes This phase presented unique challenges as site conditions deviated from the original design plans COMANCO effectively addressed these challenges through close collaboration with Ardaman & Associates continuously adapting the installation process to meet the project’s stringent elevation requirements Upon completion of liner installation and dike construction the team finalized the project by importing fill for the perimeter road and restoring the disturbed areas with sod COMANCO is progressing with rehabilitating pond areas 1 and 2 utilizing 80mil high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner COMANCO team member Adan Loza supports Sunbelt Rentals in the installation of pipeline (over 5 miles of dual-contained 16″ HDPE pipe within a 24″ HDPE carrier pipe) Adan is assisting superintendent Gomez with the liner deployment in areas 1 and 2 The client intends to continue its commitment to environmental stewardship at this job site through further project phases rehabilitation efforts will extend to areas 12 and 11 demonstrating a proactive approach to long-term environmental performance Learn more about COMANCO here Geo-Institute 2026 award nominations open RENOLIT building new geomembrane plant in India Registration now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 Webinar – Geomembranes for Produced Water and Brine Containment – May 13 Register for GMA Spring Lobby Days GAI welcomes veteran transportation engineer Boyd Jenkins, PE Geosynthetics Magazine is a publication of the Advanced Textiles Association Copyright © 2025 Advanced Textiles Association Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy