Development of highly productive zero-waste food production platform based on microfiltration and nutrient recycling

莱斯布里奇学院（LC）是阿尔伯塔省教育的领导者和变革者。应用研究是学院战略的重要组成部分，在为教师和学生提供与行业和社区合作的机会，以造福我们的经济和社会方面发挥着重要作用。LC拥有超过15年的经验和专业知识，是综合鱼类和植物系统（IFPS）研究的领导者。LC希望与1722497 Alberta Ltd.合作开发一个基于微过滤和养分回收的零浪费食品生产平台，旨在为温室空间提供最高的产量。这一合作将使悬浮的更小的微颗粒和纳米颗粒得以去除，这些微粒和纳米颗粒可能会给该公司开发的垂直农场的排水系统带来问题。该项目将利用独特设计的微过滤过程，利用生物炭的微孔和纳米孔网络，可以有效地捕获这些颗粒。除了解决这一问题外，它还将最大限度地减少水培种植者向其系统中添加营养补充剂的需求，从而缓解加拿大水培生产中持续存在的营养管理不善的行业问题。此外，该平台将创造一个利基增值产品——高浓度营养液活性生物炭，这有可能显著降低鱼菜共生行业的运营成本。

Lethbridge College (LC) is leading and transforming education in Alberta. Applied research is an integral partof the college's strategy and plays a significant role in providing opportunities for faculty and students topartner with industry and community to the benefit of our economy and society.With over 15 years of experience and expertise LC is a leader in Integrated Fish and Plant Systems (IFPS)research. LC wishes to partner with 1722497 Alberta Ltd. to develop a zero-waste food production platformbased on microfiltration and nutrient recycling designed to provide a highest yield output in the greenhousespace. The partnership would enable the removal of suspended smaller micro- and nanoparticles which cancreate problems in the drainage system of the vertical farms developed by the company. This project will utilizethe uniquely designed microfiltration process using biochar's micro- and nanopore network that can efficientlytrap these particles. Besides solving this problem, it will also minimize the need for aquaponics growers to addplant nutritional supplements to their systems, thus mitigating the ongoing industry problem of nutrientmismanagement in Canadian aquaponics production. In addition, the platform will create a niche value addedproduct - highly concentrated nutrient solution active biochar, which has the potential to significantly reducethe operational costs of the aquaponics industry.