Biotechnology for resource recovery
to mitigate greenhouse gases, reduce health risks in urban-natural water systems and ensure a safe water environment for the future.
This research aims to tackle the global challenges around reaching net zero carbon emissions from water pollution.
The aim is to achieve this by;
Developing approaches for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Reducing risk of the threat to public health from pathogens.
Addressing antimicrobial resistance.
The work in collaboration with Thames Water focuses on GHG mitigation from wastewater treatment systems, using molecular biology, systems biology and artificial intelligence models.
Conventional wastewater and waste treatment systems are energy-consuming and GHG-emitting.
Anaerobic digestion is a technology that not only reduces electricity consumption but also generates biogas as an energy source.
Collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) and process engineering experts, projects within the programme are optimising biogas production from waste streams with Future Biogas (Surrey Research Park) and Ixora Energy.
Dr Bing Guo and Prof Joseph Keddie are working together to develop a biocoating of living bacteria which will help to remove ammonium from wastewater.
This living biocoating of bacteria for nitrogen removal (anammox) from wastewater can reduce energy consumption by around 50%, compared to conventional processes.
Using a mixture of microalgae and bacteria can reduce electricity consumption for wastewater treatment.
The system has a self-sufficient oxygen source, using light as energy. The system uses carbon dioxide to grow microalgae, resulting in reduced energy consumption and less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The process can also be tailored as a carbon sink to convert carbon dioxide into biopolymers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an urgent global threat to health, livelihood, economies, and environment.
In 2019, 1.27 million deaths were attributed to AMR and this number is predicted to rise to 10 million by 2050 without effective intervention.
This issue prevails in the environment, as AMR-pathogens may be cycled back to animals and humans through the food chain, direct contact, and airborne particles.
Strategies to reduce AMR levels in the One Health framework occur within this programme in collaboration with the School of Biosciences and School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey.
Projects include;
Removing pathogens and AMR in wastewater and the water cycle.
Working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and water companies.
Dairy farm AMR reduction with McGill University, Canada.
Farm manure waste treatment and AMR management in collaboration with James Hutton Institute, Scotland.
Dr Bing Guo is Co-Lead of the Water Innovation and Sustainability programme, leading the Biotechnology for resource recovery research.
