Objective The applicant will collaborate with Irish, European and U.S.-based colleagues to develop a sustainable biorefinery and bioenergy industry in Ireland and Europe. The focus of this ERC Starting Grant will be the application of classical microbiological, physiological and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize microbial communities underpinning novel and innovative, low-temperature, anaerobic waste (and other biomass) conversion technologies, including municipal wastewater treatment and, demonstration- and full-scale biorefinery applications.Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a naturally-occurring process, which is widely applied for the conversion of waste to methane-containing biogas. Low-temperature (<20 degrees C) AD has been applied by the applicant as a cost-effective alternative to mesophilic (c. 35C) AD for the treatment of several waste categories. However, the microbiology of low-temperature AD is poorly understood. The applicant will work with microbial consortia isolated from anaerobic bioreactors, which have been operated for long-term experiments (>3.5 years), and include organic acid-oxidizing, hydrogen-producing syntrophic microbes and hydrogen-consuming methanogens. A major focus of the project will be the ecophysiology of psychrotolerant and psychrophilic methanogens already identified and cultivated by the applicant. The project will also investigate the role(s) of poorly-understood Crenarchaeota populations and homoacetogenic bacteria, in complex consortia. The host organization is a leading player in the microbiology of waste-to-energy applications. The applicant will train a team of scientists in all aspects of the microbiology and bioengineering of biomass conversion systems. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processesengineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioreactorsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologyagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-LS9 - ERC Starting Grant - Applied life sciences and biotechnology Call for proposal ERC-2010-StG_20091118 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY EU contribution € 1 499 796,82 Address UNIVERSITY ROAD H91 Galway Ireland See on map Region Ireland Northern and Western West Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Mari Vahey (Ms.) Principal investigator Gavin James Collins (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY Ireland EU contribution € 1 499 796,82 Address UNIVERSITY ROAD H91 Galway See on map Region Ireland Northern and Western West Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Mari Vahey (Ms.) Principal investigator Gavin James Collins (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
