Tag: <span>Theme 2</span>

Current knowledge: new paper on anode colonisation in MFC

A recent journal paper by several EBNet members adds to our knowledge of how microbes spread across anode surfaces in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The study investigated spatial and temporal dynamics of community assembly, using a novel multi-electrode MFC with two substrate conditions. Pre-inoculation led to successful current generation within …

AMR, Biochar, H2 production and microalgae videos now available

In the ongoing clean-up of the EBNet website, new presentations have been added to Travel bursary and Placement sections, which are now on the Outcomes page. For some examples from international conferences, see: Kathleen Dunbar, University of Surrey – ISME 19, 18-23 August 2024 Cape Town, South Africa. Increased hydrogen production from …

Fibre Highways – Microbe translocation video

A short video of microbial translocation along different fibres (fungal mycelium and synthetic fabric), produced as part of the EBNet-funded Fibre Highways Proof-of-Concept (POC) project, is now available HERE on our YouTube channel. The project also provided the wonderful Ebb & Flow prototype – see image below; with an accompanying …

Food waste sorting technologies – and updated AF WG report

A new publication from IEA Bioenergy’s Task 36 Material and Energy Valorisation of Waste in a Circular Economy looks at advanced sorting technologies for food wastes. The report provides an overview of technologies currently available on the market, accompanied by a brief case study on food waste in Germany. It …

ESWS WG – Microfluidics Conference 2026, a new paper and updated WG report

Members of EBNet’s Environmental Sensors and Wastewater Surveillance (ESWS) WG have recently published an article on a paper-microfluidic platform for infection monitoring and immunity evaluation of viral RNA and antibodies. The paper presents a system that integrates a streamlined processing protocol with a paper-based LAMP assay for viral RNA detection, …

Membrane fouling control review – and an updated report from the AG WG

A recent review paper on methods of membrane fouling control and cleaning provides an excellent example of the need to consider physical and chemical technologies in conjunction with microbial treatment systems. Environmental biotechnologies not only require engineered systems to enable and maintain the microbially-mediated processes that drive them; these elements …

Water Biofilms WG  –  a new paper and future plans

More good science, good engineering, and good news coming out of the ongoing programme of work on slow sand filtration (SSF) by Dr Francis Hassard and colleagues at Cranfield and Thames Water. The latest paper on their new underwater cleaning technique reports improved removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts in comparison with …

Off-grid AD for cold regions – ongoing collaboration

In March 2024, EBNet supported Prof Tom Curtis and Angela Bywater to attend a meeting on anaerobic digestion (AD) in remote and off-grid applications, hosted by the US National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and funded by NATO Science for Peace and Security (NATO SPS): see here for more details of …

Phycoclub Friday: From Wastewater to Wealth – 30 Jan 2026 10:30 online

Don’t miss this month’s PhycoFriday talk From wastewater to wealth: pilot scale micro algae cultivation and valorization. The speaker is Dr Sharon Velazquez Orta from Newcastle University, who also leads EBNet’s Bioelectrochemical Systems WG. For more details and to sign up see Events on the Phycoclub website PhycoFridays is a …

AG WG working with industry on sludge characterisation studies

Dr Yongqiang Liu and colleagues in the Aerobic Granulation Processes WG have been working with water companies to take samples of granular sludge and conventional activated sludge (AS) from full-scale wastewater treatment plants in the UK. One aim of the study is to investigate the performance of granular sludge in …

Webinar – From Waste to Value: Scaling Circular Biotechnology with Microalgae

Date: 29 Jan 2026 14-15:00 UK, online The Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) and MiAlgae are hosting a webinar exploring how industrial by-products can be transformed into sustainable value through advanced microalgal cultivation. MiAlgae’s core platform harnesses heterotrophic microalgae, grown on nutrient-rich by-products from the whisky industry, to enable …

ELEMENTAL Blog post – Biofilms to boost bioremediation

The ELEMENTAL Hub has launched a Blog site with posts covering project updates, research breakthroughs, and insights from across the partnership. The first post is on the theme Researching the biology of bacterial biofilms to boost bioremediation.  Dr Heather Felgate of the Quadram Institute shares some thoughts on her work …

New EBIC podcast on EngBio for hydrocarbon remediation

The third episode in EBIC’s Engbio Tech podcast series is now available HERE. Dr Boyd McKew and Senior Research Officer Hannah Adams of the University of Essex discuss topics from current oil-spill clean-up strategies, to the kinds of engineered microbes that are being explored to break down hydrocarbons more efficiently. …