Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment systems using nitrous oxide respiring bacteria
Project title Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment systems using nitrous oxide respiring bacteria
Project processing Janis Wilbert, M.Sc.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Lackner

Julia Polat, M.Sc.
Prof. Dr. Jörg Simon
(FB Biologie, working area Microbial energy conversion & biotechnology)
Duration 01.11.2023 – 31.10.2026
Grantor Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Project content
Climate change increasingly poses a threat to the well-being of humanity. Besides CO2, nitrous oxide (N2O) – also known as laughing gas – is currently one of the most significant greenhouse gases (GHG). With a persistence of 121 years in the atmosphere and a global warming potential 296 times of CO2, N2O has a disproportionately high contribution to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect compared to the atmospheric concentration. Wastewater treatment plants are a significant source for N2O emissions, which must be reduced for future GHG neutrality.
In this project, the ‘Water and Environmental Biotechnology’ and ‘Microbial Energy Conversion & Biotechnology’ departments will work together to gather insights into the use of N2O-breathing bacteria (NBr) in wastewater treatment. The aim is to build on the initial results obtained as part of a ‘Forum interdisziplinäre Forschung (FiF)’ project on nitrous oxide-reducing bacteria in the WUB department and to gain further research insights. The two main objectives of the DFG project are (i) the identification of the most suitable NrB for this task and (ii) the application of these organisms under conditions that are realistic for wastewater treatment. Therefore, microbioreactors will be operated on a laboratory scale in order to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen, different N2O concentrations and inlet conditions on NrBs in short and long-term experiments. With the help of these investigations, an initial suitability assessment regarding the use of NrB under wastewater conditions and the implementation of NrB in wastewater treatment systems should be possible and contribute to the utilisation of the still almost unexplored natural resource of N2O-breathing bacteria.

Further information on the FiF project can be found here