Category: <span>Working Groups</span>

Next BES webinar coming soon – and latest video now available!

The next webinar in the current series is a joint event with PhycoClub, with Presenter Dr Marin Sawa of Newcastle University and ECR Chair Dr Gabriele Frascaroli.  The webinar will take place on Fri 12 Dec 2025 at 10:30-11:30 UK:  for more details scan the QR code below, or see …

MAGqual – A tool for complex microbial communities

In a rather belated piece of dissemination, our congratulations to the authors of a paper published last year which concerns one of our recurring topics. From its inception EBNet has championed the importance of complex microbial communities for environmental protection and remediation, whether in engineered systems or the open environment.  …

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Assessment and Surveillance – special issue

Submission deadline: 15 Jan 2026 The journal Environments has announced a special issue on Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Assessment and Surveillance (see here for details). Topics include: Pathogen surveillance (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, emerging viruses, and antimicrobial resistance genes); Community exposure assessment for illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals, and environmental toxins; Technological innovations in sample collection, high-throughput sequencing, …

Microbial ecology in drinking water biofilms – a taster with more to come

Continuing a theme from a recent post on Microbial ecology and drinking water biofiltration, two papers below are well worth a look. They are on linked topics and are published in conference proceedings, with full papers on the way: so a thought-provoking taster for what is to come. Prof Cindy …

Call for Papers – Biofilm Technologies for Circular and Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery

Deadline: 26 Aug 2026 Biofilm technologies are evolving from classical wastewater treatment tools into platform processes for resource recovery, waste valorisation, and circular bioeconomy applications. Once viewed as passive systems, biofilms are now being designed to recover nutrients, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)-derived biopolymers, and other valuable resources from complex effluents. …

Better Water 4All – PFAS Webinar

Webinar date: Mon 1 Dec 2025, 12:30-13:15 UK The EPSRC-funded Better Water 4All Network+ is hosting its first webinar on Engineering for the challenges of Forever Chemicals (PFAS) in drinking water. The speaker is Dr Yanyan Zhang who leads the Analysis and Degradation Mechanism of Emerging Contaminants Laboratory in Westlake …

Microbial ecology and drinking water biofiltration

A recent study in Water Research examining microbiomes in water filtration is central to the theme of our Water Biofilms WG, and to EBNet’s ongoing interest in complex microbial ecosystems that prevent or remediate pollution and protect public health. Prof Cindy Smith, a key figure in the University of Glasgow …

PFAS enforcement notices in UK drinking water supplies

A BBC News item reports that seven UK water companies have been issued with enforcement notices requiring them to take action on potentially harmful concentrations of PFAS ‘Forever chemicals’ in water supplies to an estimated 6 million people. The cases were identified through analysis of Freedom of Information requests to …

Biomethane and Biorefineries – a perfect match?

In a valuable and promising initiative, a joint Biorefinery and Biomethane event was held on 22 Oct 2025 at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The event was organised by IEA Bioenergy’s Task 42 Biorefining in a circular economy and Task 37 Energy from Biogas as part of a two-day joint …

Anaerobic Fermentation at the BBNet Conference – talk now available

Dr Yue Zhang’s invited talk on The Anaerobic Fermentation Working Group, and the role of Anaerobic Fermentation in the circular bio-economy is now available here on EBNet’s Youtube channel. The talk was given at the 4th BBNet conference The Future Prospects for Biorefining: Feedstocks, Technologies & Products held on 15-17 Oct …

Rags to riches, muck to brass?  Waste Crime finally hits the news

The UK’s huge problem with waste crime  –  the illegal and dangerous disposal of waste materials  –  is finally attracting some attention:  see BBC News, other media and responses from bodies such as CIWM, Environment Agency etc. A short report from the House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee …

19th IWA World Conference on AD (and all the rest) – abstracts due 1 Dec 2025

Date and venue: 9-13 June 2026 in Valencia, Spain Attention all EBNet members  –  not just those primarily interested in anaerobic digestion (AD).  The 19th IWA World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion has a range of topics directly relevant to several of our Working Groups: Adding value to (bio)gas (AD, AF …

Biochar WG – BBNet Conference presentation now available

A version of the invited talk by Dr Meredith Barr on Integrating Thermal and Bio-Conversion and the Future of the EBNet Biochar Working Group is now available here on EBNet’s YouTube Channel. The talk was presented at the 4th BBNet conference The Future Prospects for Biorefining: Feedstocks, Technologies & Products, …