Periodic Reporting for period 2 - M2EX (EXPLOITING METAL-MICROBE APPLICATIONS TO EXPAND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2024-08-31
The main objective of the M2ex Network was to provide an innovative and exciting environment for the education and training of a new generation of environmental scientists and engineers with deep, and multidisciplinary, knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of resource recovery in Europe's circular bioeconomy. The research topics have revolved around the role, and potential, of trace metals in anaerobic biotechnologies for waste conversion and energy production.
The second objective of the M2ex EJD Network (EXploiting Metal-Microbe applications to EXpand the circular economy ) has been to bring together an interdisciplinary team of world-leading European researchers to tackle a highly ambitious scientific project, focusing on the chemical, molecular and biogeochemical mechanisms of microbially-mediated processes underpinned by metals.
The complementary research skills and training expertise within this inter-sectoral Network have ensured that the trained ESRs are at the front of Europe’s next generation of innovative research leaders. The participation of both the academic and non-academic sectors has ensured that the ESRs have acquired the necessary skills to translate fundamental research into technologies that can be exploited to have a strong positive impact on Europe’s socio-economic development and competitiveness, environmental quality, and place at the frontier of scientific innovation.
The defined 9 Work-Packages have achieved these main objectives with main results explained in the sections below.
The second objective of the M2ex EJD Network (EXploiting Metal-Microbe applications to EXpand the circular economy ) has been to bring together an interdisciplinary team of world-leading European researchers to tackle a highly ambitious scientific project, focusing on the chemical, molecular and biogeochemical mechanisms of microbially-mediated processes underpinned by metals.
The complementary research skills and training expertise within this inter-sectoral Network have ensured that the trained ESRs are at the front of Europe’s next generation of innovative research leaders. The participation of both the academic and non-academic sectors has ensured that the ESRs have acquired the necessary skills to translate fundamental research into technologies that can be exploited to have a strong positive impact on Europe’s socio-economic development and competitiveness, environmental quality, and place at the frontier of scientific innovation.
The defined 9 Work-Packages have achieved these main objectives with main results explained in the sections below.
The M2EX ITN project has overall progressed according to plan from the beginning to the end of the project (01/03/2020 (M1) to 31/08/2024 (M54)).
TRAINING WORKSHOPS for ESRs:
Event 3: Workshop online on Bioinformatics & Statistics, organised by NUI Galway in June & July 2021.
Event: Data Management online session organised by CSIC in July 2021.
Event 4: Workshop on Analytical Tools to Detect & Understand trace metals in December 2021.Limoges (France)
Event 5: 19 – 20 April 2022 Team building event. Galway (Ireland)
Event 6: 20 – 21 April 2022 Mini Symposium. Galway (Ireland)
Event 7: Biofilm Workshop (4th – 6th July 2022). Naples (Italy)
Event 8: ESRs Mini Symposium 6Th – 7th July 2022. Naples (Italy)
Event 5: 11 – 12 July 2022 Summer School Science and Society. Naples (Italy)
Event 9: Workshop R&D in the circular economy, 17th – 18th April 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 10: IMAB23 International Congress on Metals in Anaerobic Biotechnologies. April 19th-21st, 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 11: ESRs Mini Symposium 19th April 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 12: Enterprise and leadership for Europe summer school. 6th -9th November 2023. Sevilla (Spain)
Event 13: M2ex EJD Training Network Showcase. 10th November 2023. Sevilla (Spain).
Individual training extra courses and dissemination and communications developed by the ESRs are explained in the second periodical report deliverable for each ESR.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS for ESRs:
Event 3: Workshop online on Bioinformatics & Statistics, organised by NUI Galway in June & July 2021.
Event: Data Management online session organised by CSIC in July 2021.
Event 4: Workshop on Analytical Tools to Detect & Understand trace metals in December 2021.Limoges (France)
Event 5: 19 – 20 April 2022 Team building event. Galway (Ireland)
Event 6: 20 – 21 April 2022 Mini Symposium. Galway (Ireland)
Event 7: Biofilm Workshop (4th – 6th July 2022). Naples (Italy)
Event 8: ESRs Mini Symposium 6Th – 7th July 2022. Naples (Italy)
Event 5: 11 – 12 July 2022 Summer School Science and Society. Naples (Italy)
Event 9: Workshop R&D in the circular economy, 17th – 18th April 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 10: IMAB23 International Congress on Metals in Anaerobic Biotechnologies. April 19th-21st, 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 11: ESRs Mini Symposium 19th April 2023. Porto (Portugal)
Event 12: Enterprise and leadership for Europe summer school. 6th -9th November 2023. Sevilla (Spain)
Event 13: M2ex EJD Training Network Showcase. 10th November 2023. Sevilla (Spain).
Individual training extra courses and dissemination and communications developed by the ESRs are explained in the second periodical report deliverable for each ESR.
The development of analytical techniques and methods to characterise TE content and speciation in high microbial density environments (e.g. biological reactors, digestate, biological sludges) has been one of the main objectives of this program. One of the main challenges is the assessment of the bioavailable TE fraction. The diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) technique has been selected as the most promising one. The applicability and the robustness of the DGT technique have been investigated in complex matrices of digestates by ESR1. Deployment strategies were optimized for digestates samples from an anaerobic digestor. The relevance of DGT to assess the bioavailability of TE to anaerobic digestion biomass has been further investigated by ESR2, mainly through the evaluation of correlations between dissolved or labile fractions with biological responses. For this purpose, lab-sale bioreactors were used to follow simultaneously the DGT-labile fraction and the evolution of different microbial responses. ESR6 focused on the effect of TE on microbial community structure and activity in anaerobic sludge granules. ESR 8 focused on the effect of TM on the microbial community structure and activity of anaerobic digesters, working at the scale of complex communities and laboratory-scale bioreactors, predominantly. ESR9 explored the feasibility of integrating methane production with the selective recovery of Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co) through anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. ESR11 developed a mathematical model to represent an appropriate tool to provide basic information on the mechanisms regulating biofilm growth and development. A further mathematical model was developed by ESR11 to describe the horizontal gene transfer through conjugation, focusing on the study of the influence of metal selective pressure on conjugative plasmid spread. ESR4 focused on the mathematical modelling of the role and dynamics of TEs in biofilm communities. A mathematical model was developed to investigate the influence of metals on biofilm attachment. Such model simulates the establishment and growth of a drinking water distribution system biofilm, focusing on the influence of ionic strength on bacterial adhesion and persistence of Legionella pneumophila. In addition, a new model was developed by ESR7 to simulate metal precipitation of trace metals within multispecies biofilms. The mathematical model accounts for the metal precipitation process and the effect of precipitates accumulation on the porosity of the multispecies biofilm system. A comprehensive multiscale mathematical model able to describe the biosorption of heavy/trace metals by multispecies biofilms in porous media was also developed by ESR7. The model was designed to accommodate the complex interplay of biological and hydrological processes across multiple scales. ESR10 proposed a complete trace metal speciation model for application in anaerobic digesters. The model presented has incorporated major trace metal speciation processes like complexation (with inorganic species, chelates, metabolites) and adsorption (on biomass, soluble inerts, precipitates) along with TM precipitation (with sulphides, carbonates, phosphates), biouptake, dose response and TM release during disintegration process. Data collected from anaerobic digestor in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant at EMASESA, one of the non-academic associated partners, was used for model application. ESR12 developed an integrated system for valorizing organic waste, focusing on metals recovery and the production of a safe digestate for agricultural reuse. The approach combined anaerobic bioleaching with microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) to efficiently recover valuable metals. Additionally, constructed wetlands (CWs) were employed to treat the resulting effluent, ensuring its suitability for irrigation and assessing its impact on microbial communities in soil and crops. ESR13 Investigated the soil physico-chemical characteristics effect, and organic micropollutants presence, on soil metal speciation after soil amendment with metal contaminated waste and impact on soil microbial communities. ESR14 evaluated the potential of constructed wetlands (CWs) to recover/remove metals from wastewater/digestate. ESR15 investigated the potential of phytoremediation to remove/recover metals from wastewater/ digestate, and to prevent metal toxicity in receiving soils.