Researchers awarded $2.5 million to valorize harmful waste
Professor Christian Euler leads a Canadian research team that aims to valorize waste materials such as plastics, CO2 emissions, methane and other gases, and agricultural residues, converting them into valuable commodities and chemicals. The goal is to devise technologies that provide economic incentives for waste recycling, making sustainability a driver of profit rather than a cost burden for industry.
The research group received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as part of the National Science Foundation Global Centers initiative. University of Waterloo Researchers are part of the Center for Innovative Recycling and Circular Economy (CIRCLE).
As the planet faces the ongoing effects of climate change and the accumulation of pollution in every ecosystem it’s clear that the pace of human development is unsustainable. CIRCLE seeks to address these challenges through a multidisciplinary global collaboration.
CIRCLE includes partners from Canada, the US, South Korea, the UK, Australia, and Singapore along with 20 international industry partners. The Canadian team includes professors in the departments of Chemical Engineering and Biology at the University of Waterloo, as well as the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University. The UW research team includes Dr. Joshua Pulsipher, Dr. Valerie Ward, Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, Dr. Luis Ricardez-Sandoval, Dr. Yilan Liu and Dr. Trevor Charles.
The research team is poised to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges through bioeconomy research. Bioeconomy is the parts of the economy based on processes and products derived from living systems.
The group will play a vital role in training highly qualified people as the next generation of scientists, engineers and policymakers. Funding will support up to 16 graduate students, including 14 PhD candidates to advance the field of waste conversion in the future. Students will be given opportunities to engage in collaborative research, travel to partner countries and interact with industrial partners building a professional network.
Candidates who wish to apply to be part of this research group should have interests and be developing expertise in the following areas: synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, polymers, bioreactors, data science, optimization, advanced materials, and carbon capture and utilization. The group is now actively seeking graduate students to apply. Interested prospective graduate students are encouraged to email one of the research team members with CIRCLE in the subject line.
With a five-year funding commitment, the research group intends to develop the technical basis for next-generation bioprocesses and devise scale-up and deployment strategies. The integrative approach offers hope for a future where waste can be turned into resources that can help drive sustainable growth.