Abstract: A method for treatment of wastewater includes passing influent wastewater through an anaerobic, anoxic, or bioelectrochemical bioreactor to produce an effluent. The membrane bioreactor includes a membrane with pores having a nominal pore size less than the smallest measured biopolymers and organic nanoparticles in the influent wastewater, thereby preventing them from entering and blocking membrane pores, and further comprising degrading dissolved organics smaller than 20 nm in the influent wastewater within the membrane bioreactor before entering membrane pores.

Abstract: Described herein is a mixing entropy battery including a cationic electrode for sodium ion exchange and an anionic electrode for chloride ion exchange, where the cationic electrode includes at least one Prussian Blue material, and where the mixing entropy battery is configured to convert salinity gradient into electricity.

Abstract: A microbial battery is provided. At the anode, microbial activity provides electrons to an external circuit. The cathode is a solid state composition capable of receiving the electrons from the external circuit and changing from an oxidized cathode composition to a reduced cathode composition. Thus, no external source of oxygen is needed at the cathode, unlike conventional microbial fuel cells. The cathode can be removed from the microbial battery, re-oxidized in a separate oxidation process, and then replaced in the microbial battery. This regeneration of the cathode amounts to recharging the microbial battery.

Abstract: Described herein is a mixing entropy battery including a cationic electrode for sodium ion exchange and an anionic electrode for chloride ion exchange, where the cationic electrode includes at least one Prussian Blue material, and where the mixing entropy battery is configured to convert salinity gradient into electricity.

Abstract: A method of producing polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA)-producing biomass that includes using a first bioreactor for growth of methanotrophic biomass, flushing the methanotrophic biomass with a CH4:O2 mixture and providing nutrients needed for sustained cell division, removing a portion of the flushed biomass, where the remainder is retained in the first bioreactor as starter biomass for continuous cycles of cell replication, transferring the removed biomass to a second bioreactor, incubating the removed biomass in the second bioreactor with a CH4:O2 mixture or CH3OH:O2 mixture in the absence of sufficient nutrients for cell replication and in the presence of a co-substrate, and harvesting PHA-containing cells from the second bioreactor.

Abstract: A method of producing polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA)-producing biomass is provided that includes obtaining a methane-oxidizing inoculum, flushing the methane-oxidizing inoculum with natural gas and oxygen, amending the flushed methane-oxidizing inoculum with a fresh growth medium, using a non-aseptic bioreactor for growing a PHA-producing biomass, where the non-aseptic bioreactor is seeded with the amended methane-oxidizing inoculum, where a natural gas and oxygen mixture is added to the non-aseptic bioreactor, where a growth medium comprising ammonium and nutrients required for exponential growth is added to the non-aseptic bioreactor, harvesting a portion of the methane-oxidizing biomass and incubating the harvested portion in the absence of nitrogen and with the natural gas and oxygen mixture, where a PHA-enriched biomass is produced, purifying PHA from the PHA-enriched biomass, and adding the fresh growth medium and the natural gas and oxygen mixture to the bioreactor to re-grow the methane-oxidizing inoc

Abstract: A method of high throughput growth and quantitative analysis of microorganisms is provided that includes providing a microtiter plate growth and gas delivery system having well plates disposed for growth of the microorganisms, and providing a spectroscopic screening system disposed to analyze lipid inclusions of the microorganisms.

Abstract: A microbial battery is provided. At the anode, microbial activity provides electrons to an external circuit. The cathode is a solid state composition capable of receiving the electrons from the external circuit and changing from an oxidized cathode composition to a reduced cathode composition. Thus, no external source of oxygen is needed at the cathode, unlike conventional microbial fuel cells. The cathode can be removed from the microbial battery, re-oxidized in a separate oxidation process, and then replaced in the microbial battery. This regeneration of the cathode amounts to recharging the microbial battery.

Abstract: A method of selection for type II methanotrophs is provided that includes enriching a microbial feedstock using a non-sterile bioreactor with a methane source and a nitrogen source, where the microbial feedstock includes a mixture of Type I and Type II methanotrophic cells, where an inhibited growth of the Type I methanotrophic cells and an enhanced growth of the Type II methanotrophic cells forms. The method further includes exposing intermittently the enriched microbial feedstock to i) nitrate, ii) urea, or i) and ii), where enhanced growth of the Type II methanotrophs is established, and exposing the Type II methanotrophs to an unbalanced growth condition where production of polyhydroxybutyrate is induced.

Abstract: A method of selection of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing Type II methanotrophs is provided that includes enriching PHB-producing methanotrophic strains, using a bioreactor, where ammonium includes a nitrogen source, where growth of the enriched PHB cells on ammonium selects for a PHB-producing methanotrophic strains by inhibiting survival of Type I organism growth, growing the enriched PHB-producing strains, using the bioreactor, on nitrate or urea to promote rapid and more dense growth of the enriched PHB-producing strains, where production of the PHB occurs when nitrogen is exhausted, and cycling between the enriching PHB-producing methanotrophic strains and growing the enriched PHB-producing strains, using the bioreactor, where a mixed culture of the PHB-producing strains are maintained without reducing growth rates of the methanotrophic strains or PHB production rates in the bioreactor.

Abstract: A bioreactor designed to produce N2O from organic nitrogen and/or reactive nitrogen in waste is coupled to a hardware reactor device in which the N2O is consumed in a gas phase chemical reaction, e.g., catalytic decomposition to form oxygen and nitrogen gas. Heat from the exothermic reaction may be used to generate power. The N2O may alternatively be used as an oxidant or co-oxidant in a combustion reaction, e.g., in the combustion of methane. The bioreactor may have various designs including a two-stage bioreactor, a hollow-fiber membrane bioreactor, or a sequencing batch reactor. The bioreactor may involve Fe(II)-mediated reduction of nitrite to nitrous oxide.

Abstract: A bioreactor designed to produce N2O from organic nitrogen and/or reactive nitrogen in waste is coupled to a hardware reactor device in which the N2O is consumed in a gas phase chemical reaction, e.g., catalytic decomposition to form oxygen and nitrogen gas. Heat from the exothermic reaction may be used to generate power. The bioreactor may use communities of autotrophic microorganisms such as those capable of nitrifier denitrification, ammonia oxidizing bacteria, and/or ammonia oxidizing archaea. A portion of the N2O dissolved in aqueous effluent from the bioreactor may be separated to increase the amount of gas phase N2O product. The amount of the gas phase N2O in a gas stream may also be concentrated prior to undergoing the chemical reaction. The N2O may alternatively be used as an oxidant or co-oxidant in a combustion reaction, e.g., in the combustion of methane.

Abstract: A method to produce N2O from organic nitrogen and/or reactive nitrogen in waste uses a bioreactor coupled to a hardware reactor device in which the N2O is consumed in a gas phase chemical reaction, e.g., catalytic decomposition to form oxygen and nitrogen gas. Heat from the exothermic reaction may be used to generate power. The N2O may alternatively be used as an oxidant or co-oxidant in a combustion reaction, e.g., in the combustion of methane.

Abstract: New multifunctional synthetic nanoparticles are adapted for water treatment, with environmentally-functional layers, optional capping layers, and synthetic antiferromagnetic cores. With high surface-to-volume ratio, these nanoparticles are very efficient in water treatment, including but not restricted to water disinfection, photo-catalytic degradation, contaminant adsorption, etc., in the context of drinking water or waste water treatment. Meanwhile, their magnetic cores are highly magnetically responsive and can be separated by 99% within 10 min using simply a permanent magnet. Moreover, once some non-degradable chemicals (like perfluorinated compounds) are absorbed to the particle surface, these chemicals can be further degraded by introducing hyperthermia or eddy current heating. These particles can be redispersed after the external magnetic field is removed, and can therefore be used in a regenerative treatment process, substantially reducing the cost while eliminating contaminated byproducts.

Abstract: In situ formation of U(VI)-Fe(III) oxides and hydroxides can provide effective uranium remediation. The reason for this is that such compounds can effectively sequester uranium, even in the (VI) oxidation state. Such compounds can be formed in situ by 1) providing Fe(II), 2) reducing uranium to U(IV), and 3) oxidizing the resulting mixture to provide the desired U(VI)-Fe(III) oxides and hydroxides.

Abstract: Methods for producing bioplastics from biogas include techniques for the production of PHB using a dirty biogas (e.g., methane from landfill, digester) as both a power source for the process and as feedstock. Biogas is split into two streams, one for energy to drive the process, another as feedstock. Advantageously, the techniques may be implemented off the power grid with no dependence upon agricultural products for feedstock.

Abstract: A method of selection for type II methanotrophs is provided that includes enriching a microbial feedstock using a non-sterile bioreactor with a methane source and a nitrogen source, where the microbial feedstock includes a mixture of Type I and Type II methanotrophic cells, where an inhibited growth of the Type I methanotrophic cells and an enhanced growth of the Type II methanotrophic cells forms. The method further includes exposing intermittently the enriched microbial feedstock to i) nitrate, ii) urea, or i) and ii), where enhanced growth of the Type II methanotrophs is established, and exposing the Type II methanotrophs to an unbalanced growth condition where production of polyhydroxybutyrate is induced.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for producing lactide, which can be used for PLA production or other valuable bioproducts. PLA is heated to undergo thermal depolymerization to recover lactide. The lactide can be used for PLA production or other valuable bioproducts.

Abstract: A method to produce N2O from organic nitrogen and/or reactive nitrogen in waste uses a bioreactor coupled to a hardware reactor device in which the N2O is consumed in a gas phase chemical reaction, e.g., catalytic decomposition to form oxygen and nitrogen gas. Heat from the exothermic reaction may be used to generate power. The N2O may alternatively be used as an oxidant or co-oxidant in a combustion reaction, e.g., in the combustion of methane.

Abstract: Semicrystalline bioplastic materials are processed by thermally annealing the bioplastic to increase degree of crystallinity in the bioplastic; and anaerobically biodegrading the thermally annealed bioplastic. The thermal annealing may be performed using a commercial annealing oven. The anaerobic biodegradation may be performed in an anaerobic digester, a landfill, or other suitable environment.