Project Page Views: [ 754 ]
| Project Metadata Element | Details |
| Project Title | A biotechnological system for production of value-added products, bioethanol and methane from non-animal food wastes with emphasis on hygiene aspects. |
| Research Area | Water |
| Project Acronym | |
| Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Emer Colleran |
| Lead Institution or Organisation | National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) |
| Lead Country | Ireland |
| Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 53.27905, -9.05794 |
| Lead Funding Entity | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Approximate Project Start Date | 01/12/2001 |
| Approximate Project Finishing Date | 01/01/2006 |
| Project Website (if any) | |
| Links to other Web-based resources | |
| Project Keywords | Green Entreprise; Biotechnology; Wastewater; Anaerobic Digestion |
| Project Abstract | The primary objectives of this project are focused on developing an integrated biotechnological strategy which will meet the highest environmental and public health regulations for transformation of vegetable, fruit and confectionery wastes (VFCWs) and selected source-separated OFMSW organic wastes to high-value products and energy. Specifically, thermostable enzymes (thermozymes) from generally regarded as safe (GRAS), non-sporulating micro-organisms will be used as safe, eco-friendly biotechnological tools to yield high-value products, such as soluble sugars and potential natural antioxidant/flavour-rich cocktails which can be utilized for the production of bio-fuels (bioethanol, methane), bio-pharmaceuticals, probiotics, nutraceuticals, biodegradable polymers, and feedstocks for enzyme and chemical production. Energy requirements for thermozyme-catalysed carbohydrate hydrolysis, at high reaction temperatures, will be provided by thermophilic digestion of a fraction of the sugar-rich hydrolysate to yield methane gas, which will reduce fossil fuel dependence. In addition, process wastewaters will be anaerobically digested to maximize recovery of biomass energy, and ensure reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. All reaction processes will be rigorously evaluated with respect to microbial pathogen kill-rates using a variety of indicator organisms and test procedures (MPN, COLILERT, ENTEROLERT, etc.) in order to meet the highest environmental and public health standards, and to determine ideal reaction conditions for both thermozyme hydrolysis and thermophilic digestion which will yield maximum bioconversion of the target wastes yet achieve optimum pasteurisation. In order to ensure a complete and integrated. |