Yoav Bashan
The Bashan Institute of Science, USA
Title: Synthetic mutualism between microalgae and plant growth promoting bacteria for tertiary waste water treatment
Biography
Biography: Yoav Bashan
Abstract
An unusual combination of microalgae and bacteria was developed and tested for waste water treatment, using agriculturalrnplant growth-promoting bacteria to enhance the growth and nutrient-removing capacity of microalgae. Th e underlyingrnhypothesis assumes that, by creating an artifi cial stable association inside polymeric spheres, the bacteria enhance thernperformance of unicellular microalgae to absorb more contaminants from the waste water. Th is presentation focuses on ourrncurrent studies of removing nitrogen and phosphorus from contaminated water. Th is includes performance of the syntheticrnmutualism system that combines microalgae with bacteria to clean contaminated water in medium-scale autotrophic andrnheterotrophic bioreactors, mechanical and physiological interactions between water-treating agents (microalgae and bacteria),rnnatural microbial populations of contaminated water and eff ect of additives to further enhance the removal of pollutants, allrnwithout creating secondary pollution by the treatment.