ANAEROBIC BIOTECHNOLOGY

Anaerobic Digestion; Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors; Carboxylic Acid Fermentation

Many waste streams contain valuable organic carbon that can be converted to high-value biofuels via microbial processes. Anaerobic metabolisms are particularly desirable for waste transformations, due to low microbial biomass yields and the high diversity of possible end-products that can be produced. 

We are currently conducting research on improving the efficiency of anaerobic digestion for renewable biogas production from organic solid wastes as well as wastewater sludge. Projects in this area currently focus on:

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(1) Elucidating adaptation of microbial communities to high ammonia levels; 

(2) Identifying novel syntrophic bacteria and methanogens;

(3) Mapping metabolic networks of full-scale anaerobic digesters. 

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