CBL - Campus del Baix Llobregat

Projecte llegit

Títol: Selecció de soca de cianobacteris per a la obtenció de bioestimulants a escala pilot

Estudiant que ha llegit aquest projecte:

Tutor/Cotutor: GORCHS ALTARRIBA, GIL

Departament: DEAB

Títol: Selecció de soca de cianobacteris per a la obtenció de bioestimulants a escala pilot

Data inici oferta: 07-02-2022      Data finalització oferta: 07-04-2022

Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    GR ENG SIS BIOLÒGICS

Lloc de realització:

UPC      Departament/centre: DECA-DEAB

Segon tutor (UPC): SERRANO PORTA, LIDIA
Segon tutor extern: Enrica Uggetti

Paraules clau:
Cianobacteris, Aigua residual, Fotobiorreactors, Bioestimulants

Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
L'objectiu del treball és seleccionar una cepa de cianobacteries
que sigui capaç de créixer en aigua residual urbana i produir
bioestimulants. Lestudi es realitzarà en diferents etapes. En
bioreactors de 2,5L se seleccionarà el cep que millor s'adapta a
les condicions de les aigües residuals i seguidament s'escalarà la
producció del cep seleccionat en un fotobioreactor tancat de 30L.
Posteriorment, es procedirà a determinar el poder bioestimulant
caracteritzant-ne les diferents fitohormones presents (auxines,
giberelines, etc.). El projecte respon als ODS 6, 11, 13, 14, 15.

Overview (resum en anglès):
One of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change is agriculture, since its effects have a direct and negative impact on crops. At the same time, the problem is aggravated by the growing world population. In order to promote efficient and sustainable agricultural practices, a transition must be made towards the use of biostimulants, as opposed to phytosanitary products and chemical fertilizers, such a way to preserve and reestablish the balance in the environment.

The biostimulant effects of cyanobacteria have recently been discovered. However, their production has a high cost and in order to reduce them, low-cost resources are exploited, such as the use of wastewater to grow cyanobacteria, thus promoting a circular economy.

The objective of this study is to select the most favorable strain of cyanobacteria for the production of biostimulants at pilot scale. For this purpose, the adaptability of Synechococcus sp., Synechocystis sp, and Phormidium sp. strains to wastewater is evaluated, focusing on their growth and nutrient removal capacity.

The project integrates 5 experiments carried out in 2.5 L photobioreactors (FBR) and fed with the secondary effluent of a laboratory-scale activated sludge treatment plant. The parameters that have been experimented are the mode of operation of the FBR, passing through batch and semi-continuous, the hydraulic retention time of 6 to 8 days, as well as the nutrient supply in the medium.

The results obtained show evidence of the ability of cyanobacterial strains to live in wastewater. The high productivity and nutrient removal rate of Synechocystis sp. compared to Phormidium sp. is noteworthy. Likewise, Synechocystis sp. is less susceptible to biological contamination than Phormidium sp., a fact that highlights its suitability for use on a pilot scale.

This project is a firm commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taking biostimulants to another dimension as a challenge to be met for agricultural sustainability, thus responding to SDGs 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15.

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