Uncovering Microbial Potential: From Chemical Biotransformation to Resource Recovery

Biotransformation plays a crucial role in understanding the environmental fate ofanthropogenic chemicals in both engineered and natural environments. While efforts have been made tostudy the contaminants persistence across environmental compartments, identifying the molecular insights of these reactions (e.g., microorganisms and enzymes) remains challenging. In this seminar, I will showcase how my research has progressed from identifying microorganisms responsible for the biotransformation of specific organic contaminants (e.g., PFAS) using cultivation-dependent methods todeveloping cultivation-independent approaches for broader applications. I will also discuss how these findings contribute to developing early warning systems for wastewater treatment plants and advancing the vision of harnessing microbial potential for simultaneous pollutant removal and waste-to-resourcerecovery.

Speaker: Yaochun Yu, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

Attend in person or online (see weblink)