Environmental Biotechnology Network

Resources

Animations

Want to know more about the power of Microbes in Wastewater Treatment, Aerobic Granules, Microbubbles for Wastewater TreatmentAnaerobic Fermentation and Slow Sand Filtration? Made to illustrate EBNet’s Microbiology/Engineering Interactions theme, these short animations can be enjoyed on our YouTube channel. They are all freely available for general outreach, let us know how you use them! 

Our thanks to Prof Tom Curtis, Newcastle University, Dr Yongqiang Liu, University of Southampton, Dr Hemaka Bandulasena, Loughborough University, Dr Yue Zhang, University of Southampton and Dr Francis Hassard, Cranfield University for working with Senate Media to create these. 

Books

Our FREE e-Book anthology Green Stories: Microbes to the Rescue! can be downloaded HERE. The Audiobook version is available HERE.

Suitable for outreach and educational activities, it contains a variety of short stories from a writing competition run by the Green Stories Project and sponsored by EBNet. The stories cover a wide range of EB topics in an entertaining and accessible way. Made available under a CC licence, you can share and use the book for any non-commercial activity; remember to acknowledge the authors! You can also access it via the Green Institute here, and the Book Network here.

A further anthology combines selected stories from the EBNet book with entries to the Green Stories’ Clean vs Green competition.  Stories from the Microbial World is available as an eBook or paperback published by Habitat Press.

EBNet’s report on the Microbes to the Rescue competition is available here.

Reports

EBNet/Carbon Recycling Network Gas Fermentation Workshop

This workshop on microbial systems with gaseous inputs brought together 28 national and international contributors to identify key questions and knowledge gaps, R&D needs for technology progression and transfer, and actions to promote progress and alleviate any obstacles. Many of the issues identified also apply to a much wider range of industrial biotechnologies.

See the main Report and key outputs: Position Statement, Summary, Outcomes, Priorities,Visualisation

    Exploring Environmental Biotechnology (EB) as a Field

    There is no single universally recognised definition of EB. This study was commissioned to explore the past, present and future of EB as a field. Access the full report on Exploring Environmental Biotechnology as a Field or read the Executive Summary. Visit our EBSS WG page for more information.

    GHG Emissions from Sanitation Systems

    This workshop hosted by EBNet’s N2O WG and the University of Leeds brought together leading researchers working on measurement and mitigation of GHG emissions from sanitation sytems. See the Workshop Summary and the Summary Report on Measurement of Greenhouse Gases from Sanitation and their Relationship with Microbiological Processes within Sanitation Systems.

    Slow Sand Filtration Futures

    This workshop organised by the Water Biofilms WG brought together water professionals, researchers, and engineers to explore the ongoing relevance, operational innovations, and future potential of Slow Sand Filters (SSF) as a core drinking water treatment process. See the main Workshop Report, identified Research Priorities and final Position Statement.

    Sludge Modelling

    This 2-day workshop led by Prof John Bridgeman brought together modellers with microbiologists and end users to discuss best practice, challenges and opportunities in prediction of the behaviour of these complex non-Newtonian multi-phase fluids. See Workshop Report and Summary Outcomes.

    More reports

    AD WG Report on Somebody’s Food: A social science approach to identify, discuss, and transform on-campus food waste behaviour

    PFAS WG Addressing PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Contamination in the Environment Position Statement

    For information on the activities of our Working Groups, see reports under individual WG pages.  The overall EBNet Themes report is available here.

    Coming soon…

    Preliminary Report on New Biomethane: Exploring future pathways and technologies for biomethane production beyond biogas upgrading workshop hosted by AD, AF, BES and Bioinformatics WGs – full report to follow

    AD WG Summary on CO2 Biomethanation as an enabling process for carbon recycling and utilisation – critical review of gaps and opportunities for future scale-up in the UK, funded by the Carbon Recycling Network and EBNet – full report coming soon

    AF WG Joint EBNet/BBNet workshop on the Role of Anaerobic Fermentation in the Circular Bio-economy  Event summary – full report will follow soon

    Biochar WG Summary Report from the workshop on Integration of Thermal, Thermochemical, and Biological Conversion Technologies hosted by EBNet’s Biochars for Pollution Prevention WG – full report to follow

    Summary for study on Implications of Emerging Biotechnologies for Bioreactor Materials, supported by AF and BES WGs  –  full report to follow

    Survey Responses

    EBNet is involved in responding to consultations and surveys within our remit. We also encourage all our members to get directly involved, by sharing their own responses as individuals with relevant expertise and experience to offer!

    UKRI/Engineering Biology Consultation – EBNet Response

    CIWEM/A Fresh Water Future – EBNet Response

    Future policy framework for biomethane production (Apr 24): call for evidence – EBNet Response

    BBSRC Forward Look for UK Bioscience 2024: Community Consultation – EBNet Response

    Video and Podcast

    EBNet’s YouTube channel, which contains recordings of our webinars, presentations and more, can be found here.

    The topic of in-situ biomethanisation (where electrolytic hydrogen is injected into an AD plant) straddles the remits both EBNet’s remit of engineered microbial systems and Carbon Recycling Network’s of gas fermentations. In this video, recorded at AD & Biogas 2020 and courtesy of the AD Bioresources Association, Prof Sonia Heaven presents research carried out on the technology. Here, she outlines the challenges and opportunities in Environmental Biotechnology that the Network is working to support.

    In Episode 1 of the British Soil Science Society’s Soil Matters podcast, Prof Fred Coulon and Prof Tony Gutierrez discuss new bioremediation techniques that are completely changing our approaches to reclaiming contaminated land. See here for more details on the podcast.  The accompanying slide deck is available here, while supporting information on our Pollutants and Media theme is here.

    Professional journal and opinion pieces

    For academic journal papers associated with EBNet research, see the Outcomes page

    EBNet corner, AD & Bioresources News

    Other

    Course material

    Please find the link for our ECR video training course here. Parts of it are also great for anyone doing online meetings. Please do get in touch if you would like to suggest any additions or any further helpful subjects.

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