University Partners With Industry On Biofilm Innovation Projects

Newcastle University has secured funding for two collaborative research projects through the National Biofilms Innovation Centre’s (NBIC) Industrial Challenge Response Fund (ICRF).

The latest ICRF call attracted 15 applications across the Initial Fund and Follow-on Fund streams, bringing together 10 universities and 14 businesses in collaborative proof-of-concept projects to accelerate the translation of biofilm research into real-world impact.

Funding of more than £350,000 has been awarded to seven collaborative projects across the UK to support innovative solutions to major biofilm-related challenges across a diverse range of sectors, including energy, engineering biology, food, health, marine, personal care and water.

Part of the overall £350,000 funding will support Newcastle University researchers to work with industry partners, bp, Clearwell Energy and METzero Technologies Ltd to investigate separate approaches to managing and optimising biofilms in industrial applications.

Electromagnetic control of pipeline biofilms with ClearWell EM technology and implications for microbially influenced corrosion
This project is a collaboration between Newcastle University, bp and Clearwell Energy. Biofilm formation in metal pipes can contribute to fouling and corrosion across a range of industries and is commonly managed using biocidal chemicals. The project will evaluate the effectiveness of ClearWell™ electromagnetic technology in controlling detrimental biofilms and explore its potential implications for microbially influenced corrosion.

Professor Ian Head, Professor of Environmental Microbiology, Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, said: “Biofilms are ubiquitous in natural and engineered environments, some provide beneficial environmental services such as wastewater treatment, but biofilms also cause operationally and economically significant problems across a range of sectors. This project will determine if we can add to the armoury of technologies available to manage and control detrimental biofilms and open new and more sustainable avenues for their amelioration.”

Deployment-Ready Real-Time Control of Electroactive Biofilms in Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (DRIVE-MET)
Led by METzero Technologies Ltd in collaboration with Newcastle University, the project will advance the development of a real-time control system for microbial electrochemical technologies (METs), building on existing Newcastle University research.

METs are being explored for their application in energy and resource recovery from wastes. One such application being pioneered by METzero is hydrogen and ammonia recovery from wastewater. While METzero has demonstrated this technology at lab and pilot scale, optimisation and control of the process remains an area of development that can significantly improve operability and resource recovery yields.

By improving the monitoring and control of electroactive biofilms during wastewater treatment, the project aims to support more reliable operation and progress towards safer, remotely operated and scalable industrial deployment. This represents an important step towards overcoming the engineering barriers to commercialising next-generation wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies.

Dr Pavlina Theodosiou, CEO and Co-Founder of METzero Technologies, said: “Developing breakthrough wastewater treatment technologies is only half the challenge. The real test is making them reliable, safe and practical to operate in industrial environments. At METzero, we are working to bridge that gap between scientific innovation and commercial deployment. DRIVE-MET is an important step in that journey, enabling us to advance the real-time monitoring and control of the electroactive biofilms that power our technology.

“This funding from NBIC, together with our continued collaboration with Newcastle University, will help us overcome a critical engineering barrier and move closer to our ambition of delivering scalable wastewater treatment solutions that recover valuable resources while reducing the environmental and economic burden on industry.”

Dr Elizabeth Heidrich, Director of Research for the School of Engineering, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering, Newcastle University, added: “Microbial electrochemical technologies offer a unique opportunity for process control. The biofilms actually live and metabolise using an electrode, meaning we as the engineer can tap directly into this information. Developing bespoke control systems which are safe and scalable, and where we can use this information for optimisation is the challenge we are taking on.”

Removing sector barriers
According to NBIC, the fund is intended to reduce barriers to industry–academic collaboration and support technologies through key development milestones. NBIC indicates the scheme supports rapid, low-risk collaboration between academia and industry, providing targeted investment for feasibility studies, prototyping, regulatory and intellectual property activities, as well as follow-on funding to help promising innovations reach key development milestones.

Professor Jo Slater-Jefferies, NBIC Chief Executive Officer, said: "This ICRF call attracted an excellent range of collaborative projects that demonstrate both the strength of UK biofilm research and the appetite from industry to work with academic partners to address critical biofilm-related challenges.

“The projects we are supporting have the potential to deliver significant health, environmental and economic benefits, while strengthening the partnerships needed to accelerate innovation and translation. We look forward to working with the teams as they develop these exciting technologies and solutions."