73286 - Biotechnology Development of Organic Waste and Effluent M

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the fundamental knowledge for the development, management and optimization of the main biotechnological processes for the biotechnological production of biofuels, chemical compounds and biomaterials from organic waste and civil and agro-industrial effluents.

Course contents

Program

The course is divided into two parts described below.
Part 1 - Basic concepts:

• Biotechnological valorization in the Circular Economy: fundamental principles, biomimicry as a source of innovative ideas, the four building blocks of the CE and related examples
• Biotechnology: definition, areas of industrial application
• Biomasses and Effluents (waste or by-products):
  a) flows of materials in economies (renewable and non-renewable sources) and definition of valorization
  b) review of the different typologies, compositions in terms of biomolecules (sugars, proteins, lipids, etc.) and nutrilites (nitrogen, phosphorus, COD, etc.)
  c) their generation in the national and European panorama
• Introduction to the up-stream and down-stream processes used for biotechnological valorization: microorganisms, soils, sterilization, microbial growth, stoichiometries, kinetics, reactors, enzymatic processes, purification of products
• Biorefineries: definition and case studies, processes flow diagram
  

Part 2 - Realization of a preliminary economic feasibility study for the valorization of a by-product, residue or effluent:

• the students (tutored by the teacher) will develop a preliminary study (developing simple spreadsheets) that will compare two alternative ways of valorizing an organic matrix of their choice (e.g. bran, grape marc, etc...).
  

 

Recommended prerequisites:
The student should know the basics of organic chemistry. This knowledge can be acquired by passing the exam of "Organic Compounds and Environmental Measures", which is part of the educational offer proposed in the third year of the Degree Course in Environmental and Land Engineering at the University of Bologna.

All lessons will be held in Italian. Therefore, understanding the Italian language is necessary to follow the course profitably and to be able to use the teaching material provided. However, reading scientific literature in English will be suggested.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture material used by the teacher

Glazer & Nikaido (2007) Microbial Biotechnology, WH Freeman and Company, New York.

R.Ulber, D. Sell (2007) White Biotechnology , Vol. 105 of the series Advances in Biochemical Engineering / Biotechnology , Springer, EU and USA.

Scientific articles with "case studies" and state of the art on different biotechnological processes.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons supported by power-point slides.

Reading and analysis of scientific articles by students.

Practical tutored work on a feasibility study of valorization of a waste, by-product or effluent.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of an oral assessment during which the candidate is required to give a 15-minute presentation (using slides) on the preliminary economic feasibility study for the valorization of the selected waste, by-product, or effluent (work carried out during the course).

Office hours

See the website of Gonzalo Agustin Martinez