Thanks for this @funbelievableMore to do with R&D and expanding...

Thanks for this @funbelievable
More to do with R&D and expanding knowledge base, rather than actual business generation.
However, working with experts in the field across a multi-country consortium is never a bad thing.

More info.

http://www.nireas-iwrc.org/?link=DSWAP.html

DSWAP

Decision support-based approach for sustainable water reuse application in agricultural production (DSWAP)
Funding Agency	PRIMA - Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area
Programme period	2019-2022
Project acronym	DSWAP
Project title	Decision support-based approach for sustainable water reuse application in agricultural production
Website	Not available yet
Total budget of the Cypriot Consortium	244,999.00 EURO
Abstract	This project adopts a circular economy approach, aiming for safe and sustainable valorization of wastewater for irrigation, with minimized ecological and agronomic impacts. The overall concept is to develop cost-effective modular, de-centralized wastewater treatment/irrigation systems coupled to decision support tools that enables coupling/decoupling of treatment modules for the removal of pathogens, CECs and salinity as a function of the wastewater source and measured quality parameters, to ensure optimal reused water quality for irrigation and long-term sustainability of irrigated soils. Individual modules within these networks (compiled based on specific requirements) will be coupled to alternative energy sources to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The above concept will focus on seven wastewater treatment modules.Two novel decentralized secondary treatment modules, three energy-efficient advanced treatment modules specifically designed to remove microbial and chemical contaminants and two units designed to remove salinity. A key component of this project are the decision support tools for the application of post treatment desalination and pathogen intervention, which requires efficient data transfer, processing and harmonization from online and offline monitoring sources. The monitoring will rely on a comprehensive diagnostic toolbox, which will not only evaluate the quality of the effluents from individual and integrated modules, but also their impact on soil quality, ecosystem functioning and agronomic performance.
Specific objectives	Optimization and evaluation of energy-efficient secondary treatment modules specifically designed for integration to decentralized wastewater reuse systems. Development and evaluation of novel advanced treatment (tertiary) modules for integration into decentralized wastewater reuse systems for reduction of microbial pathogens, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Development and evaluation of modules for reduction of effluent salinity to prevent soil salinization, which under certain conditions cause deterioration of soil quality and crop decline overtime. Evaluation of the individual performances of different integrated modular configurations (using the modules described above) that meet the needs and criteria of specific stakeholders based on local infrastructure, geography, influent load, installation and energy costs and maintenance availability. Development and application of decision support tools that integrate and evaluate data generated by a myriad of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools for holistic evaluation of microbial, chemical, phyto-toxicological and ecosystem functioning-associated parameters in effluents and in corresponding irrigated soils.
Project Coordinator	Dr. Eddie Cytryn, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel
Consortium Organisations	Fluence Corp. (FLC), Israel Technical University of Dresden (TUD), Germany Nireas-International Water Research Center (Nireas-IWRC), University of Cyprus, Cyprus S.K. Euromarket LTD (SKE), Cyprus Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain Apria Systems (APRIA), Spain University of Loraine, CNRS (LCPME), France University of Salerno (UNISA), Italy Catholic University of Portugal (UCP), Portugal

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance (AR) has considerable epidemiological ramifications, predicted to reach pandemic proportions in the next few decades. Although AR is traditionally linked to hospitals and the community, there is growing evidence that it is also associated with the environment. Nonetheless, our understanding of environmental "resistomes" and their connection to AR in humans is currently an enigma. This lecture will focus on three studies that targeted AR in the environment. The first assessed the scope of AR in wastewater treatment facilities and attempted to elucidate the impact of treated wastewater irrigation on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in terrestrial and food-associated microbiomes. It combined culture-based and culture independent methodologies, including a novel amplicon sequencing approach that specifically targeted antibiotic resistance genes carried on integron gene cassettes. The second study explored the abundance and diversity of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in aerial ecosystems, comparing ambient air to dust storms tracked using satellite trajectories. Finally, the third study applied complex network analyses to investigate correlations between antibiotic resistance genes from metagenomic data to elucidate potential mobilization of antibiotic resistance genes between different ecosystems. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that antibiotic resistance dynamics and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment is highly complex and is associated with a broad spectrum of multifactorial biotic and abiotic constraints that we are just beginning to understand.

About the Speaker

Dr. Eddie CYTRYN is a microbial ecologist, whose research focuses on environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance (in aquatic, terrestrial and aerial ecosystems) and on plant-microbe interactions. His lab implements both culture based and culture independent methods to delineate microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes, with specific emphasis on next-generation sequencing based metagenomic approaches. He has published over 70 scientific manuscripts, reviews and book chapters in leading periodicals and is currently leading several national and international research grants; including a multinational European "PRIMA" grant entitled "Decision support-based approach for sustainable water reuse application in agricultural production (DSWAP)" and a large Israeli infrastructure grant aimed at developing bacterial biocontrol agents to combat soilborne plant pathogens.

Eddie Cytryn also lists microbial fuel cells as an area of expertise, so in future Fluence may call upon his knowledge if they ever choose to launch the MFC.

Environmental microbiologist

Company NameARO, Volcani Research Center

Dates EmployedSep 2009 – Present

Employment Duration9 yrs 10 mos

Scientific research in Wastewater microbiology
Water reclamation
Antibiotic resistance
Microbial fuel cells
Genetic and physiological mechanisms involved in desiccation and salt resistance
Microbial genomics