Sustainable biotransformation process to exploit anaerobic digestion sludge
Investigadores Icesi: Nelson Caicedo (PI), María Francisca Villegas (CoI)
The innovative research area to be covered in this project is related with the exploitation of a non-conventional biodiversity (Anaerobic Sludge from UASB bioreactors for biogas production from sugar cane vinasse), which nowadays is wasted and according with their high production volume is becoming a huge environmental problem in Colombia. At the same time, the strong collaboration between UCL and ICESI will offer to the industries the conceptual design of a bioprocess with a sustainable perspective. This is very interesting because not all solutions from bioprocess point of view guarantees sustainability. UCL has been working on fractionating and valorizing UK-based renewable feedstocks. Thus, to address this bioprocess we propose to strengthen the research and training partnership between UCL and Icesi, aiming at: (i) developing a process strategy for AD sludge biodiversity exploitation (ii) the sustainable production of biodiesel from microalgal biomass obtained by cultivation on balanced medium based on AD sludge. The above will result in a first concrete biorefinery approach by using Colombian industrial waste-biomass. The project here proposed will positively impact the Colombian economy and social welfare in the short, medium and long term.
Short term: 1) Economic benefit from alternative clean energy sources and low cost high quality animal feed. 2) Environmental protection by recycling industrial waste into by-products. 3) Social progress by educating future generations in sustainable industrial processes. Medium and long term: The successful completion of this project will further develop an R&D pipeline for industrial biotechnology (IB) in Colombia, contribute to a pool of trained and skilled researchers, and broaden the knowledge base and strengthen the multidisciplinary work within and between Universities.
Colaboradores: UCL – Levapan S.A
Financiador: Minciencias - Newton Caldas Research Fund
Fechas: mayo 2017 - mayo 2019
Contacto:
Maria Francisca Villegas
Nelson Caicedo