Environmental Biotechnology

As human and industrial activities increasingly impact the planet, environmental biotechnology plays a key role in building a sustainable society by harnessing microbes and biological processes to transform waste into valuable resources. This course provides fundamental insights into the microbiology and process technologies used in environmental biotechnology. It explores key elemental cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur) and examines cutting-edge processes and technologies that deliver real-world solutions, such as innovative wastewater treatment and resource recovery. This course is a core component in environmental engineering, biotechnology and microbiology programs and is designed for undergraduate students in these fields. It is also suitable for industry professionals who wish to deepen their knowledge. Participants will build systematic disciplinary knowledge and strengthen technical skills in preparation for applying biological innovations to environmental sustainability.

• Gain an understanding of environmental biotechnology and its key approach of selecting desired microbial communities in engineered processes.
• Describe how microbial selection principles are applied in developing pollutant removal and resource recovery technologies.
• Describe how microorganisms are involved in the global element cycles and their impact on the environment and sustainability.
• Understand how environmental biotechnology processes are developed from theory to full-scale.

• High school level chemistry, mathematics and biology.