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Researcher

Siegfried Vlaeminck

  • Research Expertise  (University of Antwerp):In general: • Biological wastewater treatment • Resource recovery and reuse • Sustainable water treatment technology • Cleantech and environmental technology • Microbial biotechnology More specifically: • Microbial cleantech for a sustainable water cycle and food production chain • Nutrient removal and recovery • Microbial technology for resource-efficient nutrient management • Regenerative life support systems (RLSS) for human spaceflight More detailed: "Clean, safe and cost-efficient" • Sustainable: resource efficient, low or positive in energy, minimum emission of greenhouse gases (e.g. N2O) • Low in undesirable trace contaminants/emerging pollutants • Mass/substance flow analysis (MFA/SFA), life cycle analysis (LCA), techno-economic assessment (TEA) "Microbial technology" • Nitrogen removal: mainstream and sidestream partial nitritation/anammox, nitritation/denitritation, S-based denitrification, thermophilic nitrification/denitrification, thermophilic anammox • Carbon capture: organics (high-rate activated sludge) and and CO2 (phototrophs) • Energy-positive sewage treatment • Production of liquid nitrate-based fertilizers through nitrification • Production of microbial protein for feed and food (single-cell protein) and slow-release fertilizers: microalgae, purple bacteria, aerobic heterotrophs • High-rate composting and delignification "To recover resources or treat waste and side streams, or to produce from renewable resources" • Cities (sewage, urine, black water), industry, agriculture (e.g. manure), aquaculture • Applications on Earth and in Space (regenerative life support systems, RLSS)
  • Keywords  (University of Antwerp):REGENERATIVE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS, NUTRIENTS, SINGLE-CELL PROTEIN, WATER, MICROBIAL PROTEIN, WASTEWATER TREATMENT, INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, WATER TREATMENT, SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES, ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY, FOOD, Applied biological sciences, biotechnology
  • Disciplines  (Ghent University):Biomechanical engineering, Industrial biotechnology, Environmental engineering and biotechnology, Biomaterials engineering, Biological system engineering, Other biotechnology, bio-engineering and biosystem engineering, Other (bio)medical engineering
  • Disciplines  (University of Antwerp):Biological system engineering, Environmental engineering and biotechnology, Industrial biotechnology, Biotechnology for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and allied sciences, Food sciences and (bio)technology, (Waste)water treatment processes
  • Research techniques  (University of Antwerp):In the areas of wastewater treatment, biological nitrogen removal (anammox, nitrification, denitrification, nitritation, denitritation), activated sludge (high-rate and conventional), water production and/or quality assessment, production of microbial protein for feed/food (microalgae, purple bacteria, aerobic heterotrophs), fertilizers (solid organic, liquid nitrate-based, struvite), organic waste composting,… (further details in expertise section): • Independent consultancy to companies and government agencies • Impartial opinions for court cases • Lab tests, input and advice on: • Water quality analysis (standard parameters and micropollutants) • Biomass analysis: activity measurements (kinetics) and molecular characterization • Basic fertilizer characterization (e.g. struvite, organic fertilizers,…) • Nutritional characterization of biomass: protein, lipid, amino acids, fatty acids, digestibility,… • Toxicity tests and feasibility studies to treat effluents biologically • Quantification and mitigation of greenhouse and acidifying gas emissions (N2O, CH4, NH3,…) • Provision of active suspended and/or immobilized biomass • Inoculum cultivation and preservation • Raceway reactors for growth characterization of phototrophs (microalgae/purple bacteria) • Determination of mineralization rates of organic fertilizers • Aerobic biodegradability and degradation rate of organic waste (compostability in drum reactor) • Bioreactor development, design and control • Start-up and operation strategies for bioreactors • Mass/substance flow analyses (MFA/SFA) • Sustainability assessment through life cycle analysis (LCA) • Energetic potential and economic viability (techno-economic assessment, TEA)
  • Users of research expertise  (University of Antwerp):Companies, authorities and organisations active in the development, implementation, use and/or control of technology for the water cycle and/or food chain