Microbial fermentation processes play an important role in producing e.g. alcoholic beverages, lactic acid, proteins, and enzymes. The effluents of such production – rich in nutrients and trace contaminants – can exert a considerable pressure on receiving water bodies, but at the same time are a potential source for nutrients recycling.
Katarina Knežević, in collaboration with colleagues from biochemicalengineering, has investigated the performance of nanofiltration and electrodialysis with bipolar membranes EDPM for nutrient recovery from the spent fermentation broath of S. acidocaldarius, an archeon with high commercial potential in industrial and pharmaceutical sectors.
In contrast to previous studies, she assessed real wastewater and the reuse of recovered products in the subsequent batch fermentations.
Check the openaccess publication for results on energyconsumption, ion recovery, concentration factors and #reuse specific streams for the different technologies: https://lnkd.in/dwPQXV9f, öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster
By the way, the publication of this paper means that Katie will soon defend her PhD thesis. Looking forward to celebrating it!