Descripción del proyecto
Una técnica eficaz de recogida de microalgas
Las microalgas representan una materia prima de biomasa interesante y novedosa que requiere recursos y tierras cultivables ínfimos. Sin embargo, su tamaño reducido (de 1 a 10 µm) y su baja concentración de biomasa en el medio de cultivo líquido (~1 g/L) presentan retos importantes para el éxito de la recogida de biomasa microalgal. Una solución es combinar agentes floculantes reversibles de origen biológico con lodos concentrados y de separación rápida que producen procesos de flotación, los cuales tienen la ventaja añadida de garantizar un bajo impacto ambiental y unos costes de tratamiento reducidos. El proyecto AlgaeFLOAT, financiado con fondos europeos, diseñará una tecnología de recogida sostenible de microalgas que aprovechará y mejorará los agentes floculantes de origen biológico y bajo coste derivados de la celulosa mediante procesos de flotación de aire disuelto avanzados y convencionales.
Objetivo
The European market demand for biomass for feed, food, and fuel production is expected to increase to greater than €25 billion by 2050. Microalgae are an attractive and novel biomass feedstock that requires negligible arable land and resources. Yet, the small size of microalgae cells (1-10 µm) and low biomass concentration in the liquid culture medium (~1 g/L) complicate the harvesting of microalgal biomass using conventional technologies such as centrifugation or membrane filtration. It is widely believed that the harvesting of microalgal biomass could be better facilitated by aggregating small individual cells into larger aggregates using chemical flocculants via the flocculation process and then separating the flocculated biomass via gravity sedimentation. However, challenges remain, including contamination of the microalgal biomass with synthetic chemical flocculants, time-consuming separation, and high water content in the separated biomass. The combination of reversible bio-based flocculants, and fast separating and concentrated sludge yielding flotation processes can alleviate these challenges, with the added benefit of ensuring low environmental footprint and process costs. In this project, the experienced researcher (ER) aims to develop a sustainable microalgal harvesting technology that will build on and further improve reversible, low cost, bio-based flocculants derived from cellulose (developed at the host institute) in combination with his expertise on conventional and advanced dissolved air flotation (DAF) processes. This project will allow the ER to acquire novel scientific skills (synthesis, characterisation of renewable flocculants), which combined with his expertise in DAF, will allow him to create a unique niche in microalgal biotechnology specifically, and water technologies in general. It will also allow him to bring his management skills to the level required to obtain a tenure-tracked position at a leading European academic institution
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
3000 Leuven
Bélgica