Biotechnology for resource recovery
Mitigating greenhouse gases, reducing health risks in urban-natural water systems, and ensuring a safe water environment for the future.
The research team aims to tackle the global challenges around reaching net zero carbon emissions from water pollution.
The aim is to achieve this by:
Developing approaches to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Minimising the potential impact of pathogens on public health.
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-intensive and significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Anaerobic digestion offers a more sustainable alternative, reducing electricity usage while producing biogas as a renewable energy source.
By partnering with artificial intelligence (AI) and process engineering experts, research initiatives are enhancing biogas output from organic waste streams in collaboration with Future Biogas (Surrey Research Park) and Ixora Energy, driving innovation in circular energy systems.
Dr Bing Guo and Prof Joseph Keddie are working together to develop a bio-coating 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 mitigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the One Health framework are being advanced through collaborative research with the University of Surrey’s School of Biosciences and School of Veterinary Medicine.
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 specialises in biotechnology with a focus on advancing resource recovery through innovative research.
