GOALI: Boosting granulation and performance of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor: Significance of direct interspecies electron transfer

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PI Name: Haluk BeyenalProposal Number: 1706889 Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors are used commercially in the conversion of high-strength organic wastes to methane. Despite their success, UASB reactors still suffer from long start-up times, incomplete substrate removal, and impurity of the produced biogas. Most of the biological reactions in UASB reactors happen at the sludge granules. There is limited knowledge of the microscale biological and electron transfer processes in granules, and it is currently difficult to control electron transfer processes to improve granulation and substrate conversion to methane in the UASB reactor. The PIs will focus on understanding electron transfer processes in granules using unique research tools and techniques developed by their research group in addition to environmental microbiology and electrochemical techniques. The project will involve undergraduate and graduate students in research and prepare them for careers in the fields of microbioelectrochemistry and anaerobic digestion. The goals of this project are to quantify the electron transfer rates and determine the electron transfer mechanisms in granules using novel techniques. The PIs will use this knowledge to improve performance of microbial communities in granules and to develop innovative bioelectrochemical anaerobic digesters. They plan to use microelectrodes capable of spatially quantifying the microscale chemical gradients, conductivity, and extracellular electron transfer rates within granules, and they will use electrochemical techniques to enrich and qualify electrogenic organisms for the UASB reactors. To achieve these goals, they will 1) determine the electron transfer mechanisms in anaerobic methanogenic granules by quantifying and spatially mapping conductivity and chemical gradients and identifying the role of microbial populations, 2) evaluate the contribution of conductive material in the electron transfer processes and performance of UASB reactors, and 3) develop a novel integrated bioelectrochemical reactor/UASB reactor. The knowledge gained from the successful completion of the project will have an immediate impact on the biogas yields and sustainability of the UASB reactors and will be applicable to new and existing anaerobic digester technology. The PIs plan to disseminate their research to industry through a collaborating company, which will provide internships for undergraduate and graduate students. Interaction with the industrial partner will help promote commercialization of the bioelectrochemical digester technology.