17th International Water Association World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion: Biogas and Beyond: Expanding Applications of Anaerobic Biotechnologies in a Circular Economy

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

The 17th International Water Association World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion (AD17) will bring together a total of 500 researchers, water utility personnel, and practitioners to share cutting-edge research and best practices from around the world. The conference will be held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor on June 17-22, 2022. Anaerobic digestion has emerged as a versatile process/technology for converting many waste streams to useful byproducts including nutrient-rich soil amendments and energy-rich biogas that can be upgraded to renewable natural gas. Anaerobic digestion has also great potential to contribute to the decarbonization of the chemical industry via the conversion of agricultural and food wastes to high-value chemicals which can serve as building blocks for the manufacturing of industrially relevant products. This conference will highlight recent advances in the field of anaerobic biotechnology with a focus on the production of useful products and resource recovery to advance climate resilience and a circular economy. The conference will also include a panel discussion on entrepreneurship and a plenary talk on environmental advocacy. Information sharing during the conference will be facilitated through oral and poster presentations as well as several networking events. This NSF award will enable the conference organizers to cover the costs of 200 student participants to attend the AD17 conference events. The AD17 conference will benefit society by providing many opportunities for the participants to exchange ideas and build new partnerships to advance the development and implementation of next-generation anaerobic biotechnologies for climate resilience and resource recovery. The AD17 conference will be organized around 11 discussion topics and sessions that span subjects ranging from the microbial ecology of anaerobic biotechnologies to the role that anaerobic digestion can play in advancing climate resilience and the circular economy. An overarching goal of the AD17 conference is to create a platform for knowledge sharing on these diverse topics. The conference will feature three keynote presentations and sessions: “Role of Methane Emissions in Global Warming and Contributions of Environmental Biotechnology to Decarbonization,” “Advancing the Bioeconomy with Anaerobic Biotechnologies,” and “Inspiring Anaerobic Biotechnologies through Microbiology Research”. The conference will also feature seven workshops organized by research leaders and practitioners including workshops on mainstream anaerobic treatment, modeling of anaerobic processes, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH). The opening plenary and keynote sessions will be broadly advertised and open to the public. Participation by consulting engineers and industry professionals will be promoted by integrating their work in the program and by providing exhibitor booths aimed at bridging the gap between fundamental research, knowledge translation, and industrial applications. Through the sharing of ideas and best practices and the creation of new partnerships, this conference will contribute to the real-world advancement and implementation of anaerobic biotechnologies. As a key deliverable for this NSF award, the Principal Investigators will leverage the AD17 session discussions to lead the crafting of a perspective article to highlight the conference outcomes and the important role of the anaerobic biotechnology field in the bioeconomy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.