Harnessing the power of algal-bacterial structures to convert wastes to value-added products

为了发展可持续的过程和减缓全球变暖，我们必须开发固定二氧化碳并将其转化为有用产品的技术。 微藻具有巨大的前景，因为它们可以比植物生长得更快，利用废水，不占用耕地。利用这些优点需要在非无菌条件下操作的可靠方法，并且这些方法已经被优化用于结构如生物膜和/或生物絮体中的藻类和细菌的混合群落。** 我们的研究计划侧重于使用在工程环境中运行的混合微生物群落，以增强处理废物并将其转化为增值产品的生物过程。我们已经从基于细菌的过程扩展到包含藻类的系统，并从二氧化碳中获取碳，从光中获取能量。 该提案将支持识别并最终利用生物膜结构内利用藻类和细菌的生物过程的基本动力学，物理化学和生物机制。 具体目标是：i）探索各种物理化学因素在提高微藻系统处理废水的性能中的作用，同时生产增值的生物产品; ii）调查藻类-细菌生物膜的元素，例如生物量生长动力学、营养吸收和组成如何提高藻类生产力; iii）量化理化因素对混合微生物种群和商品重现性的影响-（iv）研究藻类收获/再生长对藻类生产力和系统优化的各种支持材料的影响;（v）利用微藻加强废物处理; vi）开发一种新型的光生物反应器，使生物量生产率和养分吸收最大化，可以在田间规模部署。这项研究将充分利用生物区的独特能力，生物区是多伦多大学的一个创新的合作生物工程研究设施。结果将被用来模拟生物膜，并开发一个生物反应器和相关的生物工艺的最佳设计，为真实的世界的应用。** 这项创新工作将使我们能够更充分地利用微藻的优势，认识到藻类/细菌结构对所有大规模藻类系统至关重要。我们将开发和利用新的工具来了解这些多样化和复杂的社区的行为，结构和动态，这些特性不仅对优化其使用非常重要，而且对于重点是最大限度地减少其形成的情况也很重要。 参与该计划的HQP将深入了解现代生物工艺工程和生物技术，环境工程和可持续工艺。

To develop sustainable processes and mitigate global warming, it is critical that we develop technologies that fix carbon dioxide and convert it into useful products. Microalgae hold tremendous promise since they can grow much faster than plants, utilize wastewaters and do not take up arable land. Harnessing these advantages requires reliable processes that operate under non-sterile conditions, and which have been optimized for use with mixed communities of algae and bacteria in structures such as biofilms and/or bioflocs. ******Our research program focuses on using mixed microbial communities operating in engineered environments to enhance bioprocesses that treat wastes and convert them to value-added products. We have expanded from bacterial-based processes to systems that incorporate algae and derive their carbon from carbon dioxide and energy from light. This proposal will support identifying and ultimately exploiting the fundamental kinetic, physico-chemical, and biological mechanisms that underpin bioprocesses that utilize algae and bacteria within biofilm structures. The specific objectives are: i) To explore the role of various physiochemical factors in enhancing microalgal system performance for treating waste water, while producing value-added bioproducts; ii) To investigate how elements of algae-bacteria biofilms, such as biomass growth dynamics, nutrient uptake, and composition increase algal productivity; iii) To quantify the influence of physiochemical factors on mixed microbial populations and the reproducibility of commodity-scale bioreactors through community analysis; iv) To investigate the effect of harvesting/re-growth of algae on various support materials for algae productivity and system optimization; v) To utilize microalgae to enhance waste treatment; vi) To develop a novel photobioreactor that maximizes biomass productivity and nutrient uptake that can be deployed at the field scale. The research will make excellent use of the unique capabilities of BioZone, an innovative collaborative bioengineering research facility at the University of Toronto. The results will be used to model the biofilm and develop an optimal design for a bioreactor and associated bioprocess for real world applications. ******This innovative work will enable us to more fully exploit the advantages of microalgae by recognizing that algal/bacterial structures are critical to all large-scale algae systems. We will develop and utilize new tools for understanding the behaviour, structure, and dynamics of these diverse and complex communities, characteristics that are not only important for optimizing their use but also for situations in which the focus is on minimizing their formation. HQP involved in this program will develop a deep understanding of modern bioprocess engineering and biotechnology, environmental engineering and sustainable processes.