Role of Environmental Biotechnology in Enabling Transition from Waste to Resource

Webinar Summary 

There is an increasing global interest in resource recovery from waste streams that is being driven not only by sustainability and environmental concerns, but also motivated by the potential for economic benefits.  We are now entering a new era in waste management where waste is seen in the context of a circular economy as a valuable resource.  The principal goal of my research group at KAUST is to develop sustainable environmental biotechnologies that enable us to fully harness the metabolic potential of microbial communities for resource recovery (e.g., reclaimed water for reuse, energy) from waste streams (e.g., wastewater, waste CO₂, food waste).  We achieve this goal through interdisciplinary and collaborative-based research interconnecting science (e.g., electrochemistry, microbial ecology, and material science) and bioprocess engineering.  In my talk, I will summarize our achievements over the past 5 years in the following areas: 1) microbial electrochemical systems and technologies for simultaneous treatment of wastewater with recourse recovery (reclaimed water for reuse and energy); 2) microbial electrosynthesis for converting CO₂ to value-added chemicals; 3) anaerobic ammonium oxidation process for energy neutral treatment of mainstream wastewater; and 4) aerobic granular sludge process for energy-efficient decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse.

About the Presenter

Pascal Saikaly is a Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).  He received his B.Sc. in Biology and M.Sc. in Environmental Technology from the American University of Beirut.  He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 2005 and continued his training as a postdoctoral fellow (2005-2007) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University.

Prof. Saikaly joined KAUST in 2010 and began his research quest to develop sustainable environmental biotechnologies that can harness the metabolic potential of microbial communities to recover valuable resources (e.g., reclaimed water for reuse, energy, nutrients, biopolymers) from wastewater.  He translates novel wastewater treatment biotechnologies from bench scale to full scale.  These biotechnologies include a patented technology for a decentralized wastewater recycling plant that is currently being demonstrated at full scale to help address sanitation and water scarcity issues in Saudi Arabia.  His research is acknowledged globally, and he is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences.  He has authored/co-authored over 130 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is one of the Editors of Water Research and Associate Editors of Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology. He was selected as the 2024 International Honorary Member from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Webinar Format

This webinar will include a moderated Q and A session following the speaker’s presentation. The session is open to environmental engineering and science professionals across all sectors and career stages. Our objective is to offer special insights on leading edge solutions for graduate and undergraduate students as well as early to mid-career environmental professionals who are considering specialty certification.

AAEES Board Certified Individuals: Attend this event and earn 1.5 PDHs towards your PDH requirements for maintaining your specialty certification.

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