Watch this space for the latest news from around the Lab!
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Latest publication in Desalination & Water Treatment BEEL research on carbonate biomineralization was featured this month in the journal Desalination & Water Treatment. The paper "Magnesium recovery from brines using exopolymeric substances of sulfate-reducing bacteria" presents findings from a study of the interactions between bacterial-origin extracellular polymers and Ca-Mg carbonates' deposition out of seawater brines. The study demonstrated a novel approach to studying Ca-Mg carbonate biomineralization ex situ, using a combination of compartmentalized culture techniques and high-resolution imaging with SEM-EDX. The paper was authored by then Research Engineer Wan A. Matiin, BEEL director Dr. Farrukh Ahmad, and their collaborator Dr. Bilal Mansoor. The journal article is accessible via DOI: 10.1080/19443994.2016.1155179.
Posted Mar 7, 2016, 5:37 PM by Administrative Account -
QMRA project in the news BEEL research on Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) for treated wastewater destined for irrigation was recently featured on various English and Arabic news portals (UAE Today, Gulf Today, Al Khaleej, among others). The news reports highlight the novelty of using molecular biology techniques and probabilistic mathematical modeling to assess the safety of treated wastewater, and the significance of the research findings towards understanding the potential health risks to consumers. The articles can be accessed via our In the News section.
Posted May 11, 2015, 9:53 AM by Administrative Account -
Latest publication in Water Science & Technology Findings from the BEEL project focusing on the QMRA of post-disinfection wastewater were published in the IWA journal Water Science & Technology this February. The study "A probabilistic QMRA of Salmonella in direct agricultural reuse of treated municipal wastewater" investigated the risk of Salmonella infections resulting from direct consumption of edible crops irrigated with treated wastewater. Different crops were analyzed, and the disease burden of their consumption was compared with the acceptable disease burden set by the World Health Organization. The paper was authored by BEEL members Yamrot Amha, Dr. Rajkumari Kumaraswamy and lab director Dr. Farrukh Ahmad. (Article doi:10.2166/wst.2015.093)
Posted Mar 7, 2016, 2:06 AM by Administrative Account
What is BEEL?
The Bio-Energy & Environmental Lab (BEEL) is a research laboratory housed in the Institute Center for Water & Environment (iWATER), Masdar Institute. Themes of research at BEEL address 3 key challenges faced by sustainable societies. These are:
Scope of Research Activities
All research activities at BEEL are mapped to the 3 key challenges facing sustainable societies. The scope of research activities conducted at BEEL includes:
- Integrated biological processes for waste treatment, low-temperature energy generation, and resource recovery
- Biologically-catalyzed transformation pathways of contaminants
- Utilization of renewable materials in biological processes
- Fate and transport of contaminants in natural and engineered environments
- Human-health risk assessment of new materials and products
