We are pioneering new bioanalytical methods for high-resolution bioprofiling of bioactive molecules or toxic pollutants in complex mixtures such as micropollutants in wastewater and quorum sensing signals in biofilms. This so-called effect-directed analysis couples planar bioassays with chromatography and mass spectrometry and enables linking chemical profiles with bioactivity to identify the currently unknown chemicals that are causing observed but unattributed biological effects.
We specialize in processes at the interplay between microorganisms and pollutants in water, exploit the variety of biochemical processes that are catalyzed by microorganism and investigate how microbes can be optimally managed (e.g. through process design or quorum sensing) in biotechnologies. Our research foci include biodegradation of micropollutants in water (e.g. biofunctionalized hydrogel beads), and recovery of valuable products (e.g. biofilm-based phosphorus recovery, carbon recovery and biopolymer production by high-rate activated sludge) and production of bioenergy (e.g. integration of hydrothermal liquefaction for converting sewage sludge into biofuels and fertilizers) from urban and biorefinery wastewater.
