The Potential of Algal Biotechnology - By Raúl Muñoz

Here a little holydays gift for our Spanish-speaking friends: Raúl talking about the potential of algal biotechnology in an interview for Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

2013 is ending... and the VOC & Odour Team is finishing it with enthusiasm

José finished a very productive stay at Duke University. Here some pictures with his supervisor Marc Deshusses and colleagues.

Raquel lecturing the Course "Treatment of Gaseous Effluents" at Escuela de Ingeniería de São Carlos, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Here some pictures of Raquel in the Course and during the Christmas celebration with her supervisor Eugenio Foresti and colleagues.

Have a look on our last publication in Environmental Science & Technology

Microalgal-Biotechnology As a Platform for an Integral Biogas Upgrading and Nutrient Removal from Anaerobic Effluents

Farewell dinner for Guillermo

Some pictures of the farewell dinner for Guillermo with the colleagues from the Ecole des mines d'Alès. Merci beaucoup pour votre gentillesse!

Respirometry training course in the University of Valladolid

Some pictures of the course "Respirometry for the characterization of biological processes" taught by professor Alberto Ordaz in the University of Valladolid.

  

Jose Estrada celebrating the Thanksgiving Day

The Thanksgiving Day was the perfect occasion to have a great time with some colleagues from the Marc Deshusses' lab. As can be seen in the pictures Jose Estrada and Jose Abelleira enjoyed an awesome meal (including Spanish tortilla).

The VOC & Odours Team receives two new researchers

Meet Osvaldo Frutos, our new PhD student from Paraguay! He will be working on greenhouse gases abatement. In this picture with Ivonne.

We are also very happy to receive Professor Alberto Ordaz from Universidad Politécnica de Quintana Roo (México), who is performing a short research stay with the Group. Welcome Alberto!!

Esther Posadas: Best Poster Design in the Category of Chemical Engineering

This November 15th, our researcher Esther Posadas won the Prize for the Best Poster Design in the Category of Chemical Engineering at the II Mini Simposio (Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Almería). The experimental work was carried out by Esther Posadas, María del Mar Morales and Cintia Gómez and directed by Raúl Muñoz and Gabriel Acién. Congratulations Esther!

Because preparing a mineral salt medium can be very exciting

In the lab, we sometimes get a little creative. We are big fans of Breaking Bad, the TV series that showed the world that science is cool. This is our small tribute: because preparing a mineral salt medium can be very exciting...

Have a look on our last publication in Chemical Engineering Journal

Hexane biodegradation in two-liquid phase biofilters operated with hydrophobic biomass: effect of the organic phase-packing media ratio and the irrigation rate

Workshop on Microalgal Biotechnology in IPICYT, Mexico

Some pictures of Raúl during his Workshop "Potential and Limitations of Microalgal Biotechnology for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production". The workshop took place in IPICYT, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Nice moments with Professor Sonia Arriaga.

  

More than 100 Followers on Twitter!

A great new: we crossed up the "100-followers-barrier" on Twitter. Many thanks to our friends from all around the world who stay tuned by this amazing tool. We are doing our best to share with you useful information and, of course, let you know the activities of the VOC & Odour Treatment Grup of the University of Valladolid.

Have a look on the new publication of the VOC & Odours Treatment Group:

Comparative assessment of a biofilter, a biotrickling filter and a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor for odour treatment in wastewater treatment plants

Water Research

Raúl Muñoz: collaborator of the web portal i-Ambiente

We are proud to announce that Proffessor Raul Muñoz has started collaborating with the spanish web portal i-Ambiente as an expert in Environmental Biotechnology. Have a look on his first article on Odour Abatement in WWTPs (in Spanish). 

Congratulations Raúl!

Our new researcher on molecular biology

Meet  Dr. Ivonne Figueroa whose research focuses on the use of molecular biology techniques for the identification and characterization of microorganisms involved in VOC and Odour biodegradation. Welcome Ivonne!

New experiments on methane removal in biofilters

Raquel, Juan Carlos and Laura started new experiments focused on methane abatement in biofilters. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, however, it has a very limited solubility in water (dimensionless Hery's law constant = 30). Therefore, biological systems usually support a poor performance when dealing with methane. Thus, robust biological technologies must be developed to abate this important gaseous pollutant.

Here Juan Carlos with the experimental system:

The kick off for the pilot studies on hexane removal

Guillermo starts his research stay in the Ecole des mines d'Alès (France). He is working on hexane removal in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor operated as a biotrickling filter. This pilot study will let us know the real potential of TPPBs for full-scale applications.

Have a look on the new publication of the VOC & Odours Treatment Group:

Fundamental study on gas–liquid mass transfer in a biotrickling filter packed with polyurethane foam

Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology

Biotechniques 2013 - A brief visual summary of the Conference

Biotechniques 2013 has finished and it was a great opportunity to see friends and colleagues. We thank our friends from the Ecole des mines d'Alès for their hospitality. Here some nice pictures: