Optimizing Biofilm Processes for Drinking Water Treatment

在过去的六年里，Gagnon博士的团队研究了生物膜及其在饮用水过程中的作用，如生物过滤和分配系统。Gagnon博士的研究对于将一个全面的处理厂从传统过滤转换为生物过滤至关重要，同时减少了40%的消毒副产品。Gagnon博士在分配系统方面的研究对公用事业公司减少饮用水中铅排放的努力至关重要。 在接下来的五年里，Gagnon博士的长期目标是在生物膜工程方面取得新的发现。他的研究计划将探索模型饮用水系统中生物膜和金属之间的相互作用。具体来说，他的团队将开发新的方法来检测生物膜中的细胞外物质，并使用这些分析方法来评估和优化生物过滤和腐蚀的工艺设计。除了改进工艺操作外，Gagnon博士还将开发新的清洁技术，（i）使用石墨烯基环氧树脂进行生物腐蚀抑制，（ii）逆向工程生物膜特性，以创建生物活性表面，促进胶体材料和溶解金属的生物粘附。 该研究计划将为多学科研究提供培训基地，本科（UG）学员到博士生可以开发腐蚀化学，微生物学，工艺工程和材料工程方面的新技能。Gagnon博士实验室工作的高素质人员（HQP）是基于研究领域和培训水平的交叉团队的一部分，这使得知识转移和领导机会成为可能。在过去的6年里，Gagnon博士培养了19名博士，39名硕士和35名UG学生。他的项目的校友已被加拿大卫生部、哈利法克斯水务公司、LuminUltra技术公司、联合工程公司等聘用。预计11名HQP（5名UG，2名硕士，4名博士）将直接从该计划中接受培训，并通过Gagnon博士实验室的其他杠杆机会获得额外的培训机会。 这项研究计划将有助于了解导致饮用水系统公共卫生挑战的生物膜-金属相互作用。其中一个挑战是军团菌生物膜的形成（军团菌病的病原体）。在弗林特水危机期间，共报告了88例军团病病例和12例死亡。军团菌与活跃的生物量浓度有关，最近在弗林特，水的腐蚀性导致金属释放。通过为这些类型的生物膜-金属相互作用的解决方案的开发做出贡献，以及对细胞外材料的新强调，预计该研究计划将有助于为加拿大的应用研究提供信息，并为水和清洁技术领域的挑战培训新工程师。

Over the past six years, Dr. Gagnon's team has studied biofilms and their role in drinking water processes such as biofiltration and distribution systems. Dr. Gagnon's research was critical in converting a full-scale treatment plant from conventional filtration to biofiltration, while reducing disinfection by-products by 40%. Dr. Gagnon's research in distribution systems has been critical for utilities in their efforts to reduce lead release to drinking water. Over the next five years, Dr. Gagnon's long-term objective is to make new discoveries in biofilm engineering. His research program will explore interactions between biofilm and metals in model drinking water systems. Specifically, his team will develop new approaches to detect extracellular material in biofilms and use these analytical approaches to assess and optimize process design for biofiltration and corrosion. In addition to improving process operations, Dr. Gagnon will develop new clean technologies that (i) use graphene-based epoxies for biocorrosion inhibition and (ii) reverse engineer biofilm properties to create bioactive surfaces to promote bioadhesion of colloidal material and dissolved metals. This research program will provide a training ground for multi-disciplinary research where undergraduate (UG) trainees through to PhD students can develop new skills in corrosion chemistry, microbiology, process engineering and materials engineering. Highly qualified personnel (HQP) in Dr. Gagnon's laboratory work as part of intersecting teams based on research area and level of training, which allows for knowledge transfer and leadership opportunities. In the last 6-years, Dr. Gagnon has trained 19 PhD, 39 Master's and 35 UG students. Alumni from his program have been hired by Health Canada, Halifax Water, LuminUltra Technologies, Associated Engineering and beyond. It is anticipated that 11 HQP (five UG, two Master's, four PhD) will be trained directly from this program, with additional training opportunities available through other leveraged opportunities in Dr. Gagnon's laboratory. This research program will contribute to the understanding of biofilm-metals interactions that cause public health challenges in drinking water systems. One such challenge is the formation of Legionella biofilms (the causative agent for Legionnaires' disease). A total of 88 Legionnaires' disease cases and 12 deaths were reported during the Flint Water Crisis. Legionella has been associated with active biomass concentration, and more recently in the case of Flint, metals release caused by water corrosivity. By contributing to the development of solutions for these types of biofilm-metals interactions, with the novel emphasis on extracellular material, it is anticipated that this research program will help inform applied research in Canada and train new engineers for challenges in the water and clean technology sectors.