Project description
Optimising microalgae-based systems for waste water treatment
Several obstacles stand in the way of extensively implementing microalgae based systems. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MicroAlgae 4.0 project aims to overcome these barriers by enhancing the systems’ performance and reliability, creating novel digital tools for monitoring and automation, and ensuring the by-products obtained are safe. The project will develop a water resource and recovery facility scheme based on microalgae cultivation biotechnology. The goal is to make the best use of reclaimed water production and nutrient recovery from waste water, as well as to reduce environmental pollution. A secondment and short visit will improve knowledge and skills in implementing the circular economy, digitalisation, the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus and the water treatment sector’s zero-pollution ambition.
Objective
MicroAlgae 4.0 will allow the researcher to improve his knowledge and skills in the application of Circular Economy, digitalisation, water-energy-food-ecosystems Nexus, and the zero-pollution ambition to the water treatment sector. This project will be carried out at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM) (Italy) under the supervision of Prof. Francesco Fatone. UNIVPM appears as an ideal Host to coordinate this project due to their vast experience in developing EU-funded projects, including DWC (www.digital-water.city) FIT4REUSE (https://fit4reuse.org) and PROMISCES, which are in line with some of the activities developed in MicroAlgae 4.0. As part of this project, the researcher will develop a Secondment at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) (Spain) and a short visit in SIMAM S.p.A. (Italy).
MicroAlgae 4.0 combines aspects related to environmental science, chemical engineering, microalgae biology, human health, computer science, legislation and social aspects, with the goal to develop a Water Resource and Recovery Facility (WRRF) scheme based on microalgae cultivation biotechnology to maximise reclaimed water production and nutrient recovery from wastewater and to minimise environmental pollution. To this aim, MicroAlgae 4.0 will focus on overcoming the barriers that hinder the wide implementation of microalgae-based systems by improving the performance and reliability of the process, developing innovative digital tools that monitor and automate the system, and assuring the safety of the by-products obtained.
MicroAlgae 4.0 will also allow improving researcher´s skills such as teamwork, leadership, digital skills, communication, innovative thinking, proposal writing and development of products and processes. This will make him a proficient researcher by the end of the project. Considering the challenges faced in MicroAlgae 4.0 its innovation and the alignment with European policies, MicroAlgae 4.0 is considered a highly ambitious proposal
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciences
- engineering and technologychemical engineering
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinator
60121 Ancona
Italy