CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Course Instructor :
Professor John BARFORD
Room 4552
ext 7237 (2358-7237)
barford@ust.hk
Teaching Assistant:
Ms XU Jing Jing
Lab 7104
Ext 7149 (2358-7149)
kejing@ust.hk
Mr Kelvin WONG will assist with some tutorials / computations
during class times
Lab 6114
kelvwong@ust.hk
ext 8828 (2358-8828)
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Class Times:
Monday and Friday :
4505 (Lift 25/26)
4.30 pm - 5.50 pm
Also booked:
Monday and Friday:
Computer Barn C (Room 4578 – Lift 27/28)
4.30 pm - 5.50 pm
(Students will be advised when sessions in the Computer Barn will be held)
There are no formal tutorials assigned to this course – some tutorials may replace
some lecture time and these will be advised. Thursday 6-7pm is available for
additional tutorials, if necessary. Room 3006 (Lift 4) has been reserved for this
purpose.
Conduct in the Classroom
Classrooms are for learning.
Teachers and
students must work together so that the classroom
is a good place to learn. You can help by
following a few simple rules. These rules are
mostly just common sense and common courtesy.
By following them, you show respect to your fellow
students as well as your teachers.
Please try to get to class on time. When you
come in late, you disrupt your class. As a
general rule, if you are more than 10 minutes
late, you should not enter the classroom. If you
arrive late, but need to see the instructor or pick
up lecture notes, please return at the end of the
class period.
Conduct in the Classroom
Once in class, you should stay until the class is
over. If you know you have to leave early, ask the
instructor’s permission before the class starts.
You should not do things during class that disrupt the class
or distract your classmates – such as talking while the
instructor is lecturing. If you have a pager or cellular phone,
turn if off when you are in class.
And please pay attention to the signs that tell you
not to eat or drink in the classrooms.
Conduct in the Classroom
Assignments, tests and examinations are an integral
part of the learning experience. Students who cheat
disrupt this process.
The instructor has a
responsibility to make cheating difficult, but cheating
is wrong even when you can get away with it. Don’t
give in to the temptation to cheat, and be critical of
those who do.
Your instructor has the authority to make other
rules that he or she feels are necessary to help
you learn. For example, some instructors may
require that you attend a minimum number or
percentage of their classes. If you do not follow
these rules, it may affect your grade.
Conduct in the Classroom
You are investing several years of your life in your
university education.
Learning to accept responsibility is an important
part of that education.
The classroom is a good place to begin
showing that you are ready for the
responsibilities of being an adult.
Conduct in the Classroom
1.
Class attendance is highly recommend and
participation in the classroom discussions are an
important aspect of the “learning process”. Lectures
are also where the important concepts are presented
and the notes on the web “put into perspective”
ATTENDANCE RECORDS WILL NOT BE TAKEN
2.
It also allows the instructor to monitor whether the
major concepts are being understood
3.
It is essential that students give feedback to the
instructor. An anonymous website will be set up for this
purpose http://www.cbme.ust.hk/course/ceng365/ceng365.htm
In addition to identifying problems it is also very helpful
to offer practical solutions / alternatives so that these
can be considered. Please try to make this process a
positive one.
4.
Previous “Student Concerns” and Proposed
“Solutions”
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
“Concerns”:
Extensive Class Notes (Reading or Printing?)
Instructors accent and speaking too fast
Use of the white board during lectures – writing too
small or hard to read
“Solutions”:
The major concepts will be clearly identified and stated
in the lectures. Any material which may be considered
“supplementary” will be identified as such. Material that
is examinable will be clearly identified
A summary of the main concepts of each lecture will be
given. These concepts are the only examinable
component of the course
Students encouraged to interact in class and to raise
concerns during the lecture (e.g. can’t read the
material written on the board)
Examinations
Examinations will test the understanding of concepts
and will not require students to memorise major
formulas or large amounts of qualitative information.
When marking exams, I will be looking for the student
to demonstrate that they understand the concepts both
qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, when a
short qualitative questions is asked, a direct answer to
the question illustrates such an understanding. Writing
large quantities of qualitative information, only a small
fraction of which actually addresses the question
asked, does NOT illustrate such understanding.
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Bioremediation:
Application of Biological Process Principles To The
of Groundwater, Soil and Sludge Contaminated With Hazardous Wastes
Bioremediation is defined by the American Academy of Microbiology as "the
use of living organisms to reduce or eliminate environmental hazards
resulting from accumulations of toxic chemicals and other hazardous
wastes" (Gibson and Sayler, 1992).
Biotechnology:
Biotechnology = The Application of Scientific and Engineering Principles to
the Processing of Materials by Biological Agents to Provide Goods and
Services
Environmental Biotechnology:
Application of Biological Process Principles and
Engineering Principles For The Treatment of Liquid,
Solid and Gaseous Wastes
Biotechnology and the Environment
Red biotechnology is biotechnology applied to medical processes. Some examples
are the designing of organisms to produce antibiotics, and the engineering of genetic
cures to cure diseases through genomic manipulation.
White biotechnology, also known as Grey biotechnology, is biotechnology applied
to industrial processes. An example is the designing of an organism to produce a
useful chemical. White biotechnology tends to consume less in resources than
traditional processes when used to produce industrial goods.
Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to agricultural processes. An example
is the designing of transgenic plants to grow under specific environmental conditions
or in the presence (or absence) of certain agricultural chemicals. One hope is that
green biotechnology might produce more environmentally friendly solutions than
traditional industrial agriculture. An example of this is the engineering of a plant to
express a pesticide, thereby eliminating the need for external application of
pesticides. An example of this would be Bt com. Whether or not green biotechnology
products such as this are ultimately more environmentally friendly is a topic of
considerable debate.
Blue biotechnology has been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications
of biotechnology, but its use is relatively rare.
.
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
O.E.C.D. (Organisation For Economic Cooperation and Development)
1994 ‘Biotechnology For a Clean Environment”
Estimated the worldwide potential market for environmental biotechnology
at:
1990
$40 billion
2000
$75 billion
In 2000, USA – there are about 130 biotreatment companies
U.S Market for Environmental Biotech Products for Waste Treatment Worth
$261.3 million by 2013
http://www.przoom.com/news/34779/
Environmental biotechnology accounts for about 30-40% of all
environmental technologies
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Example of Potential:
Petroleum contaminated soil and groundwater resulting from
leaking underground storage tanks
USA
About 750,000 exisiting sites
Over 50% contain petroleum hydrocarbons
Over 1/3 of these are leaking
Cost per site for clean-up : $100,000-$250,000
If 10% undergo biological treatment : $ billions
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
HOW BIG IS THE INDUSTRY ??
The water industry mat be compared in
size and capital to the pharmaceutical
industry and the oil industry
In 2005 ,waste water treatment plants in
China numbered 2000 with a value of 40
billion Yuan
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
China Wastewater Treatment Market
http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Ideas/p
df/machine_02_1.pdf
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
WHY
BIOTECHNOLOGY?
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology approaches are replacing / augmenting
chemical production due to:
Higher specificity
Lower temperature , pressure
Less energy
Less waste products
Less harmful end products
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
2001 OECD (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and
Development) asked the following question:
What if Industrial Biotechnology were used more
widely??
In posing this question, they attempted to undertake an
initial, but limited, analysis of potential environmental and
resource conservation benefits that might acrue to
certain targeted industrial sectors
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
What “Basic Skills” are Required?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Basic Understanding of Microbiology
Basic Understanding of Biochemistry
Quantitative Understanding of Microbial Growth
and Metabolism
Quantitative Understanding of Biological
Reactions and Reactors
Ability to make relevant design calculations (e.g.
reactor size etc)
Ability to synthesise 1-4 above to quantitatively
understand existing and new biological
metabolisms and processes
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
What are the “Engineering Issues”??
Alternatively – what are chemical engineers interested in ??
Rates – v- Yields (That is HOW FAST a process works and HOW
EFFICIENTLY it works)
A quantitative understanding of a process or operation , so that
relevant design calculations can be made to ensure optimal
performance (for example, reactor size, oxygen requirements,
heating / cooling requirements, nutrient supplementation
requirements
The use of computer design packages are now commonplace in
environmental biotechnology. The activated sludge models (ASM),
mathematical descriptions of flocs and films, computational fluid
dynamics etc are some examples of these.
Rates and Yields – Relevant Engineering Questions
Rate:
What if the maximum rate possible?
What factors influence it?
Yield:
What is the “relevant” yield?
What is the maximum “growth associated” and
non-growth associated yield?
Is there a relationship between rate and yield ?
That is, is the a “trade-off”?
Is it desirable to achieve the highest yield?? What
problems does high yield create?
Microbiology – Why?
Common Organisms for Bioremediation Type of Contaminant (Genus)
Petroleum
Pseudomonas, Proteus, Bacillus, Penicillum,Cunninghamella
Aromatic Rings
Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Penicillum,
Aspergillus, Fusarium, Phanerocheate
Cadmium
Staphlococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Citrobacter, Klebsiella,
Rhodococcus
Sulfur
Thiobacillus
Chromium
Alcaligenes, Pseudomonas
Copper
Escherichia, PseudomonasFungi are italicized
Microbiology – Why?
Public Health Microbiology (Bacterial
Pathogens, Opportunistic Bacterial
Pathogens, Viral Pathogens, Protozoan
Parasites, Blue Green Algae, Exotoxins and
Endotoxins)
Biodegradation of Problem Environmental Contaminants
•Synthetic Detergents
•Pesticides
•Hydrocarbons
•BTEX, MTBE
•Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAH’s)
•Chlorinated Solvents
•Halogenated Aliphatic
Hydrocarbons
•Polychlorinated Biphenyls
•Explosives
Biochemistry – Why??
ENZYMES and PATHWAYS
•
•
•
•
The CARBON Cycle
The NITROGEN cycle
The PHOSPHOROUS Cycle
The SULFUR Cycle
hydrolysis
Organic C (s)
Acidogenisis
Organic C (aq)
Biological Carbon Cycle in Wastewater Treatment
Aerobic
Anaerobic
Anoxic
VFA
CH4
+ CO2
Biological N - Mechanism
O
ic
an
rg
nitrous oxide reductase
N2O
N
N2
NH4+
monooxygenase
nitric oxide reductase
NO
NH4OH
hydroxylamine oxidoreductase
nitrite reductase
NO2nitrate reductase
NO2NO3-
nitrite oxidoreductase
NO3- + 2H+ + H2O
Anoxic denitrification: NO3- + 0.625CH3COOH + H+
0.5N2 + 1.25CO2 + 1.75H2O
Aerobic nitrification: NH4+ + 2O2
Biological P - Mechanism
RBCOD
Acetate
Cell: Air On / Nitrate
Cell: Air Off
NADH
PHB
GLY
Biomass
Maint.
Acetate
NADH
PHB
ATP
PolyP
Phosphate
Maint.
GLY
ATP
PolyP
Phosphate
Sulfur Metabolism
Anaerobic Digestion Process – An Example of Multi organism and Multi-pathway
Integration of Microbiology, Biochemistry
•
•
•
•
•
•
Microbial Growth Kinetics
Energy Formation
Electron Acceptance
Degradation Pathways
Co-Metabolism
Integration of Pathways
Environmental Factors
Biological process are very significantly affected by
environmental factors such as pH, temperature,
presence of sufficient carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous ,
growth factors, vitamins, salt etc.
In addition, actions taken during biotreatment may also
have an influence on the biological processes. For
example, pH modification using NaOH or NH4Cl may
have very different consequences (Na+ inhibition or
increased oxygen demand by NH4+).
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Course Aims:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Understand the role of microorganisms in the treatment of solid, liquid
and gaseous wastes
Understand the range of bioremediation technologies available and the
practical benefits and limitations of bioremediation
Apply the knowledge of (1) and (2) above, to address a series of “real
life” environmental problems by class problems, homeworks ad
supervised project work
Undertake quantitative calculations using Excel and PolyMath
Modern computer design packages will be demonstrated since they are
either not available or are beyond the scope of this course. In addition,
specific programs developed in Excel, Excel VBA and PolyMath will be
developed and/or demonstrated.
Understand how molecular biology is impacting on environmental
biotechnology processes
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Topic 1 :
Introduction (Engineering Design Using Biological Systems, What
are the Engineering Issues?)
Topic 2:
Waste Characteristics / Standard Methods
Topic 3:
Microbiology (Types of microorganisms)
Topic 4:
Biochemistry (Structure of the Cell)
Topic 5:
Metabolism (Major Metabolic Pathways),
Topic 6:
Metabolism (Degradation of Aliphatic, Aromatic, Halogenated
Compounds, Genetic Manipulation)
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Topic 7:
Reactor Systems (Liquid, Gas and Solid) including reactors specific
to waste treatment (Trickling Filter, RDC, Biofilms etc)
Topics 8-12:
Bioremediation Technologies (Anaerobic Digestion, Aerobic
Treatment Processes, Biological Nutrient Removal, Composting,
Landfill, Large Scale Municipal Soild Waste Treatment Systems,
Biofiltration, Artificial Wetlands)
Topic 13:
Introduction to Molecular Biology and its application to
Environmental Biotechnology (selection of microbes for treatment of
particular “target” chemicals; gene probes; fluorescent markers etc)
Topic 14:
Other Industrial Applications (Bioleaching / Sulfate Reducing
Bacteria, Biominerals, Sediments, Biomonitoring, Biosensors,
Biopesticides, Biodiesel etc)
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Textbook:
Extensive Lecture Notes will be provided. These will be posted on Teaching Web
http://www.ust.hk/intranet/
then Teaching and Research then Teaching then Course List on Teaching Web then CENG365
These may be supplemented by the following reference books.
Environmental Biotechnology
Principles and Applications
B.E.Rittman and P.L.McCarty
McGraw-Hill,2001
Bioremediation Principles
J.B.Eweis, S.J.Ergas, D.P.Y.Chang and E.D. Schroeder
McGraw-Hill, 1998
Environmental Engineering
G.Kiely
McGraw-Hill, 1997
Wastewater Engineering – Treatment ,Disposal, Reuse
Metcalf and Eddy
3rd Edition
McGraw-Hill, 1991
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Major Reviews etc
1, New Biotech Tools For a Cleaner Environment
2. Microbial Degradation
3. OECD The Application of Biotechnology To Industrial
Sustainability
4. Maximum Biodegradation Rate and Half saturation
Constant
5. Bacterial metabolism in Waste Water Treatment
Systems
These reviews/notes will be posted on the web and are
put there to further stimulate your interest in the topis
– they will NOT be examinable
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Web Resources:
Biochemistry: bich122
(webpage to be advised)
Microbiology: esce500
(available on LMES through HKUST webpage)
https://access.ust.hk/cas/login?service=http%3A
%2F%2Flmes2.ust.hk%3A80%2Flmes-logintool%2Fcontainer
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Other web resources:
University Of Minnesota: Biocatalysis / Biodegradation Database:
http://umbbd.ahc.umn.edu/
Useful Internet Resources For Microbial Biotechnolgy:
http://umbbd.ahc.umn.edu/resources.html#pathways
Molecular Biology: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/molebio.html
Databanks: http://www.brenda-enzymes.info/
Pathways : http://www.genome.ad.jp/kegg/pathway.html
EPA Reach It: http://www.epareachit.org/
Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable: http://www.frtr.gov
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
CENG 365
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Course Assessment
Homework
Classwork
Project
(Report / Powerpoint Submission)
(Biodegradation Pathways)
(Bioremediation Technologies)
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
15%
7%
20%
25%
33%
Assessment
Homework and Classwork will be due TWO WEEKS
from the date of issue and should be handed to the
Course Instructor in the Classroom or left in the Course
Instructor’s mailbox in the CENG Administrative Office
(Room Lift 27/28). They should NOT be left under the
Course Instructors office door.
All homeworks will be marked and count towards the
course assessment. A selected number of classworks
will be marked and contribute to the course assessment.
Solutions will be posted on Teaching Web after the due
date and no further submissions will be possible once
the solutions have been posted.