New study could lead to lead to electricity generation from wastewater

The Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST) has awarded $5.06M in funding to Lincoln Ventures Ltd for the development of microbial fuel cells using effluent and wastewater, and a biological system for measurement in the dairying industry.

 

The funding for a six year research programme led by Dr Neil Pasco of Lincoln Ventures Ltd, will investigate processes that directly transfer electrons across cell walls, and how these may be exploited for use in fuel cells and for sensing.

 

The research team comprises Lincoln Ventures Ltd, University of Auckland, the Cawthron Institute, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Lund University in Sweden, and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Germany.

 

The first application from the direct electron transfer (DET) research is the development of fuel cells using microorganisms that can generate electricity from wastewater (such as effluent from a milking shed or wastewater treatment plant).  Lincoln Ventures is already working with Integy LLC on the commercialisation of a new toxicity sensor for wastewater treatment plants, based on Lincoln Ventures’ earlier research (see Scitox news article).

 

The sensing applications of the technology include on-line measurement of the properties of milk that impact on milk production and processing.  Lincoln Ventures is working on specific applications for the Livestock Improvement Corporation and Fonterra.

 

To see the full press release, click here (pdf pdf 121KB).