A Laboratory Bioprocess System for Innovation in Petroleum Waste Treatment

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A laboratory bioprocess system is requested to support our research program, which develops enhanced and innovative bio-surfactant-based approaches/technologies for petroleum waste treatment. Bio-surfactant production by microbial strains is affected by a variety of parameters, such as carbon supply, nutrients, pH, temperature, agitation, and aeration. The system's full online control incorporating various sensors (pH, pO2, pCO2, redox, biomass) will ensure the optimization of these bioprocess parameters to achieve the best bio-surfactant production using novel microbial strains for innovative remediation and oil/water separation methods development. The developed methods will be applied to various petroleum waste treatment and marine oil spill response operations. The system's self-cleaning and sterilization function greatly reduces the downtime and increases bioprocess throughput. The requested laboratory bioprocess system is crucial for the team to establish a unique research capability at UNBC for studying innovative petroleum waste treatment approaches that are applicable to our northern region where many oil and gas projects (including pipeline and other forms of transportation) are underway or are planned. The requested system will be located in our Northern Soil and Groundwater Remediation Research Laboratory. It will be available to researchers and students at UNBC who are involved/interested in the development of innovative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly technologies. It will also be available to local environmental consulting companies and industries to address their practical environmental problems. It will support not only the research program of the applicant, but also a number of thesis projects of our current and future students. It is expected that the requested system will directly support 15-20 HQP over the next five years.