Inaugural Lecture: How will microbes and electrons help us to achieve a circular economy?
Inaugural Lectures have been an essential feature of university life for centuries. Loughborough University continues to value the tradition, encouraging new Professors to deliver them, and all staff and students to attend. Inaugural Lectures are a public event and open to everyone - you do not have to be an expert in the field to attend. The University extends the invitation to these lectures to all members of staff, students and their guests as well as our campus partners, based on LUSEP, and the local community.
About the lecture
The global population boom is dramatically increasing demand for resources, energy and water. Meanwhile, soaring greenhouse gas emissions and pollution are damaging the natural environment and accelerating climate change. We urgently need innovative ways to tackle these complex and related challenges.
Bio-electrochemical systems (BES) provide one solution. An exciting emerging approach, they combine wastewater treatment and resource recovery with energy generation and storage. Crucially, BES use microorganisms as biocatalysts to recover metals and nutrients from CO2 while synthesising high-value chemicals. These reduction reactions are powered by electrons harvested from the oxidation of organic pollutants in wastewater or from green energy sources.
BES are attracting growing interest as a way of reducing CO2 emissions and enhancing energy security while sustainably providing valuable chemicals – reducing our fatal reliance on fossil fuels.
Professor Yu’s lecture will explore how integrated processes – combining biological and electrochemical reactions – can provide a crucial route to achieving a healthy circular economy that supports sustainable development.
Contact and booking details
- Cost
- Free
- Booking required?
- Yes