Dr Maira Anam of Newcastle University has had a busy few weeks. Early last month she attended the Better Water 4 All Network+ ECR conference, where she won a prize for her poster on Impact of hydrodynamics on pilot scale Microbial Electrolysis Cells. And in mid-September she was at the …
A colleague using AI for thematic analysis of some contributions by EBNet WG Leads noticed an interesting sub-heading: ‘Designed biology versus managed natural communities’. The distinction being made was apparently between microbially-mediated treatment systems based on synthetic biology, and those not involving genetically manipulated organisms or components. This is rather …
Dr Sharon Velasquez-Orta, our Bioelectrochemical Systems WG Lead, sent this update from the EU ISMET 2026 conference – with an update on the Group’s next activities at the IWA World Water Congress, Glasgow EU ISMET 2026 – join me in this conference overview, as if you were there! The last …
Congratulations to Dr Maria Ramos Suarez and co-Authors on the publication of a new paper on the implications of producing bio-based commodity chemicals from waste feedstocks for the selection and testing of bioreactor materials. The paper identifies the top 10 commodity chemicals that can be derived from waste-related feedstocks in …
A reminder from some EBIC and EBNet ECRs – don’t miss the chance to register for EBIC’s 2nd Annual ECR Conference! The event is on the theme of Engineering Biology for Environmental Solutions and is open to all. This post highlights one area of interest: synthesis of value-added products from …
Last month four EBNet WG Leads met to discuss the potential for further collaboration in the field of ‘dirty’ biorefineries. This topic is interesting to many EBNet members, and lies in the space between waste treatment versus valorisation into bio-based products. The question of whether the latter is a core …
Followers of EBNet’s AD WG, and others interested in anaerobic digestion, can now read a short report containing reflections on the recent World Biogas Summit 2026 hosted by ADBA and the World Biogas Association (WBA). The report was kindly prepared by Dr Angela Bywater, EBNet’s former Network co-Manager, who attended …
Congratulations to Dr Meredith Barr, who leads EBNet’s Biochar WG, on her Keynote Lecture at WasteEng2026 on Scoping the Potential of Integrating Thermal, Thermochemical, and Biological Conversion Technologies. The presentation covered the outcomes of the joint BBNet/EBNet workshop she ran last year on Integration of thermal and bio-conversion technologies. A Summary …
A very special set of congratulations from EBNet to Dr Angela Bywater, on her graduation this week with the award of PhD for a thesis on On-farm anaerobic digestion viability: policy perspectives and operational opportunities. Much of the work involved was carried out during her time – and in some …
An interesting item from Suzy Hill, an Engineering Innovation Project Manager at United Utilities, in CIWEM’s News pages. Talking to Jo Caird, the Editor of CIWEM’s Environment magazine, she briefly outlines how the Making Microbes Matter project is using metagenomics to analyse and track microbial communities with a view to improving …
Microenvironments can be defined as localised zones with chemical, biological or physical characteristics that differ significantly from those of the larger-scale surrounding environment. Because microbes respond primarily to these immediate conditions, microenvironments strongly influence the performance of microbially-based systems. Understanding and controlling these influences is essential for engineering improved systems. …
A report covering EBNet’s main activities and outputs during our UKRI funding period is now up on the Resources page, under More EBNet reports. A bit later than originally planned, but brimming with information on our working groups, events and publications. The report is available in two formats, with a …
If you missed the joint PhycoClub / EBNet webinar on 26 June 2026, or want to hear it again, a recorded version is now available HERE. Dr Marin Sawa’s talk on Bioefficiency led to many questions and further discussion continuing well after the session ended. The concept can readily be …
The organisers of the 3rd International Symposium on Microfluidics for Sensing and Sequencing (ISM2S) have reluctantly decided to postpone this year’s conference. Prof Zhugen Yang, who leads EBNet’s ESWS WG and is on the Conference organising committee, said: “Due to the merger between Cranfield and King’s College London and the …
A warm welcome for two new papers related to the work of EBNet’s Water Biofilms WG and to wider aspects of Theme 2. The first is a review of factors affecting removal of Cryptosporidium and other protozoal oocysts in slow sand filtration (SSF). Removal rates vary widely, and the review …
