3rd Workshop
Sustainability assessment of multiple PPB process chains and recovered resources to support market penetration and social acceptance
4 September 2023
Delft – Netherlands
KEY DATES
- Registration is now open (free of charges) until21th August 2023.
- Notification of selected abstracts and funding results (if applicable, in the form of reimbursement): 24tj August 2023.
- Workshop date: 4th September 2023
COST Action
COST Action CA21146
COST Action CA21146 is a four-year networking action that aims at creating a European network to share information, facilitating technology and knowledge transfer between the academic and industrial sectors, related to Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria (PPB) applications for resource recovery from organic waste sources. Resource recovery includes wastewater or organic waste, open or closed environments, in single or chain processes.
The network associates fundamental-focused and applied research groups, improving lab-scale technology optimization through mechanistic modeling. It benefits the technology transfer from applied-research groups to industry, considerably improving process design. PURPLEGAIN also aims to create a database for techno-economic, social and environmental impacts studies, which facilitates the marketability of both the PPB-based technologies and the products to extract. Some focused products are polyhydroxyalkanoates, single-cell proteins, biomass for energy, biomass as fertilizer, biohydrogen, carotenoids, terpenoids, organic acids, coenzyme Q10, and 5-aminolevulinic acid.
COST
COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology established to initiate networking and coordination of nationally funded research activities on a European level. It facilitates bringing good scientists together under light strategic guidance based on networks, called COST Actions, centred around research projects in fields that are of interest to COST countries and cooperating countries.
3rd Workshop
Presentation
The workshop is organized Dr. Ralph Lindeboom (head of the local organizing committee), Dr. Ioanna Vasiliadou (Training Schools Coordinator), Dr. Dr Vasileia Vasilaki (Working Group 3 Co-Leader), Prof. Jana Klopcheska (Working Group 3 Leader), Dr. Joana Fradinho (Vice Chair) and Dr. Daniel Puyol (Chair), in the frame of WG 3: Building the PPB value chain of the COST action (CA21146) – PURPLEGAIN.
- Celebration date: 4th September 2023, Delft, Netherlands
- Location: The workshop will be celebrated at the Faculty Of Civil Engineering And Geosciences In Room 1.96/1.97
- Registration: Third Workshop – Registration
Key dates
- Final date to submit abstracts: 21th August 2023 (Download Template)
- Communication, confirmation and funding (if applicable in the form of reimbursement): 11th August 2023.
- Early bird registration: 07 August 2023.
- Workshop date: 4th September 2023.
Scope
PurpleGain aims to evaluate and foster new combinations of waste and high-end products that are safe and meaningful in a circular economy via (i) the LCA approach to evaluate multiple PPB process chains from waste to high-end products on water and energy and nutrient requirements, (ii) Intellectual property rights (IPR) development through involved companies, (iii) New product development, (iv) Knowledge gap identification.
PurpleGain aims to maximize efficiency in transferring fundamental knowledge and technological know-how to full-scale PPB bioprocess implementations to drive resource recovery. Furthermore, it tries to stimulate end-users of the biobased economy to challenge basic scientists and process developers on the knowledge gaps that must be solved to deploy large-scale PPB-based bioprocesses. Moreover, full techno-economic assessment is necessary to check for the economic and energetic viability of the engineered reactors, whereas the profitability of the resources to be obtained must be assessed by a specific life cycle assessment (LCA). Using waste sources to produce resources as end products entails potential risks. As such, it is essential that depending on the waste origin, a thorough and systematic assessment will be made to determine the effect on the quality of PPB. But even then careful management of social perception and acceptance is of key importance to get PPB technology and products adopted.
Accordingly, the workshop is focused on two main sessions:
- First session: Holistic assessment (sustainability and circularity), Standardization, Certification
- Second session: Social acceptance, marketability and selecting pure and mixed culture PPB cultivation for innovative new products
Call for participating
This is a call for participating in the 3rd Workshop “Sustainability assessment of multiple PPB process chains and recovered resources to support market penetration and social acceptance” in the frame of WG 3: Building the PPB value chain of the COST action (CA21146) – PURPLEGAIN.
We invite abstract contributions for oral presentations to this interdisciplinary workshop from all academic disciplines (PhD students, young researchers, post-doctoral and senior researchers, and professors) and other stakeholders, that address the following issues of the two main sessions:
- Holistic assessment (sustainability and circularity), Standardization, Certification
Sub-Topics:
1.1. Life cycle analysis methodologies applied to PPB
1.2. Standardization and certification of PPB
1.3. Impact assessment of PPB - Social acceptance, marketability and selecting pure and mixed culture PPB cultivation for innovative new products
Sub-Topics:
2.1. Societal acceptance of single product-oriented PPB technology
2.2. Societal acceptance of multi-product oriented photobiorefinery technology
2.3. Pure versus mixed culture PPB product-oriented approaches
Due to the Council Decision 2022/2056, as of 4 July 2023 and until further notice:
- Participation and eligibility of COST Action participants affiliated with Hungarian legal entities implied by the Council Decision shall be suspended for all COST Actions and COST activities. Therefore, these COST Action participants shall not be invited to participate in any type of Action activities. The Grant Holders must cancel the attendance of any Hungarian participants invited before 4 July to future Action activities. If these participants already incurred non-refundable expenses prior to 4 July, they are invited to contact the Administrative Officer of the respective Action.
- Management Committee and Working Group participants affiliated with Hungarian legal entities implied by the Council Decision are suspended from this role. In case Actions receive new MC or WG membership applications from the affected Hungarian legal entities, please note that the request(s) cannot be approved. The MC should decline any new WG membership requests from any members of the said Hungarian institutions;
- No Action activity is allowed to take place in any of these concerned Hungarian institutions;
- No Hungarian participants affiliated with the said mentioned institutions shall be invited or reimbursed for attending any Action activity after 4 July. Any such reimbursement will be removed from e-COST and the paid expenses will be borne by the Grant Holder Institutions.
In this regard, the Annex I of Level A Country and Organisations table has been updated to include these measures.
Please consult the list of above-mentioned institutions here: List of institutions affected by Council Implementing Decision 2022/2056.
Should you have any further questions, please contact the GH Manager of your Action
Rules for abstract submission
- Abstracts should have a maximum of 350 words (download the Abstract Template).
- Contributors could apply for financial support (see financial support section).
Program (Provisional)
8:30-9:00 | Registration
09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome from the Local Organizer. Dr. Ralph Lindeboom
9:00-12:30 | Session I. Holistic assessment (sustainability and circularity), standardization and certification
09:15 – 10:00 | Professor Evina Katsou (Professor, Brunel University) and David Renfrew (PhD student)
The mighty power of photosynthesis
Planet Earth sustains all its life forms by exploiting photosynthesis, a paramount biological process performed by plants, algae, and some bacteria. Photosynthesis is the sole biological process able to fix energy on Earth by harvesting sunlight. The planetary relevance of such metabolic process was clear to Giacomo Ciamician, one of the founders of modern photochemistry who delivered a visionary in 1912 speech [1] on the urgency of substituting fossil fuels with “The enormous quantity of energy that the Earth receives from the sun”, anticipating by more than one century what is now an almost universally shared opinion.
Two wars, the availability and handiness of fossil fuels and many skeptical world’s leaders have pushed the much-needed deadline for leaving the carbon based energy production further and further. Eventually, spurred by the vision of Ciamician, at the end of the last century the idea of artificial photosynthesis for producing sustainable energy kicked in the scientific community.
Twenty some years and many attempts later, awareness struck: complexity is the key to harness the energy from the Sun and no matter how hard you try, you cannot outdo the primary energy transducers fine-tuned by billions of years of evolution. A lesson learned the hard way, similarly to the way Pinocchio [2] learnt his after meeting the Fox and the Cat, agreed to reach the Field of Wonders in the City of Simple Simons and bury coins.
More recently, the possibility to use whole, metabolically active photosynthetic organisms in technological applications is gaining momentum in the scientific community. Results appear interesting and promising. In other words, if you can’t beat photosynthetic organisms, join them!
The recent attempts made in our laboratory to harness light and exploit it [3-7] are a useful little roadmap to employ photosynthetic bacteria in environmental applications.
10:00 – 10:30 | Fernando J. Utrilla (Head of Research and Innovation Unit Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE )
The mighty power of photosynthesis
Planet Earth sustains all its life forms by exploiting photosynthesis, a paramount biological process performed by plants, algae, and some bacteria. Photosynthesis is the sole biological process able to fix energy on Earth by harvesting sunlight. The planetary relevance of such metabolic process was clear to Giacomo Ciamician, one of the founders of modern photochemistry who delivered a visionary in 1912 speech [1] on the urgency of substituting fossil fuels with “The enormous quantity of energy that the Earth receives from the sun”, anticipating by more than one century what is now an almost universally shared opinion.
Two wars, the availability and handiness of fossil fuels and many skeptical world’s leaders have pushed the much-needed deadline for leaving the carbon based energy production further and further. Eventually, spurred by the vision of Ciamician, at the end of the last century the idea of artificial photosynthesis for producing sustainable energy kicked in the scientific community.
Twenty some years and many attempts later, awareness struck: complexity is the key to harness the energy from the Sun and no matter how hard you try, you cannot outdo the primary energy transducers fine-tuned by billions of years of evolution. A lesson learned the hard way, similarly to the way Pinocchio [2] learnt his after meeting the Fox and the Cat, agreed to reach the Field of Wonders in the City of Simple Simons and bury coins.
More recently, the possibility to use whole, metabolically active photosynthetic organisms in technological applications is gaining momentum in the scientific community. Results appear interesting and promising. In other words, if you can’t beat photosynthetic organisms, join them!
The recent attempts made in our laboratory to harness light and exploit it [3-7] are a useful little roadmap to employ photosynthetic bacteria in environmental applications.
10:30-10:45 | Coffee-Break
10:45 – 11:15 | Cristina González Buch (R&D&I researcher at ITENE)
The mighty power of photosynthesis
Planet Earth sustains all its life forms by exploiting photosynthesis, a paramount biological process performed by plants, algae, and some bacteria. Photosynthesis is the sole biological process able to fix energy on Earth by harvesting sunlight. The planetary relevance of such metabolic process was clear to Giacomo Ciamician, one of the founders of modern photochemistry who delivered a visionary in 1912 speech [1] on the urgency of substituting fossil fuels with “The enormous quantity of energy that the Earth receives from the sun”, anticipating by more than one century what is now an almost universally shared opinion.
Two wars, the availability and handiness of fossil fuels and many skeptical world’s leaders have pushed the much-needed deadline for leaving the carbon based energy production further and further. Eventually, spurred by the vision of Ciamician, at the end of the last century the idea of artificial photosynthesis for producing sustainable energy kicked in the scientific community.
Twenty some years and many attempts later, awareness struck: complexity is the key to harness the energy from the Sun and no matter how hard you try, you cannot outdo the primary energy transducers fine-tuned by billions of years of evolution. A lesson learned the hard way, similarly to the way Pinocchio [2] learnt his after meeting the Fox and the Cat, agreed to reach the Field of Wonders in the City of Simple Simons and bury coins.
More recently, the possibility to use whole, metabolically active photosynthetic organisms in technological applications is gaining momentum in the scientific community. Results appear interesting and promising. In other words, if you can’t beat photosynthetic organisms, join them!
The recent attempts made in our laboratory to harness light and exploit it [3-7] are a useful little roadmap to employ photosynthetic bacteria in environmental applications.
11:20-13:00 | Oral presentations I
11:15 – 12:30 |Student Presentation
Phototrophic bacterium harvests light energy using both bacteriochlorophyll-containing photosyntems as well as proton-pumping rhodopsins
Bacterium Sphingomonas glacialis AAP5 isolated from the alpine lake Gossenköllesee contains genes for anoxygenic phototrophy as well as proton-pumping xanthorhodopsin. However, these genes are not expressed in standard laboratory conditions. In order to find under which conditions the organisms expresses its light harvesting apparatus we conducted a larger investigation employing RNA sequen-cing, RTqPCR, metabolic assays and biochemical and biophysical investigation of its photosynthetic complexes. We found out that our strain readily express xanthorhodopsin when illuminated at tempera-tures below 14°C. In contrast bacteriochlorophyll-containing reaction centers are expressed between 4 and 23°C in the dark. Thus, cells grown at low temperature under natural light-dark cycle produced both photosystems (Fig. 1). The photosynthetic complexes consist of the type-2 reaction center surrounded by circular light-harvesting complex 1. The purified xanthorhodopsin contains carotenoid nostoxanthin serving as an auxiliary antenna and performs the standard photocycle. The xantho-rhodopsin-producing cells reduced upon illumination their respiration by 70%. This documents that the harvested light energy was utilized in the metabolism, which can represent a large benefit under carbon-limiting conditions.
The presence of two different photosystems may represent a metabolic advantage in alpine lakes where photoheterotrophic organisms face large changes in irradiance, limited organic substrates and low temperature.
12:30-14:00 | Lunch Break
14:00-18:00 | SESSION II. Societal acceptance and marketability
14:00 – 14:45 | Dr. Baptiste Leroy
Purple phototrophs, electricity, and the circular economy
The Bose lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using a transdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such climate change, sustainability, and the circular economy. My lab’s recent work has focused on the ability of microbes to use solid-phase conductive materials as electron donors. The ability to use electrons from minerals and other solid-phase conductive materials (in essence using electricity) is called “Extracellular Electron Uptake” or (EEU). EEU fundamentally changes our perception of the ecological role of microbes (including phototrophs) in nature because it suggests that abundant elements (such as iron) can serve as electron sources for microbial productivity and survival. In addition, our work suggests that EEU might be a fundamental process that underlies microbial energy conservation ranging from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the human body. The Bose lab has pioneered technologies to study EEU, driven fundamental knowledge in the field, and laid a solid foundation of tools and approaches to answer key questions about EEU in nature. We have applied this knowledge to produce carbon-negative bioplastics and carbon-neutral biofuels. Currently, we are pursuing fundamental and applied research on phototrophic EEU, and determining its role in microbial ecology in marine and freshwater ecosystems. We are leveraging this knowledge to develop a variety of climate technologies for the circular economy.
14:45 – 15:05 | Prof. Mar Palmeros Parada (TUDelft)
Purple phototrophs, electricity, and the circular economy
The Bose lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using a transdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such climate change, sustainability, and the circular economy. My lab’s recent work has focused on the ability of microbes to use solid-phase conductive materials as electron donors. The ability to use electrons from minerals and other solid-phase conductive materials (in essence using electricity) is called “Extracellular Electron Uptake” or (EEU). EEU fundamentally changes our perception of the ecological role of microbes (including phototrophs) in nature because it suggests that abundant elements (such as iron) can serve as electron sources for microbial productivity and survival. In addition, our work suggests that EEU might be a fundamental process that underlies microbial energy conservation ranging from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the human body. The Bose lab has pioneered technologies to study EEU, driven fundamental knowledge in the field, and laid a solid foundation of tools and approaches to answer key questions about EEU in nature. We have applied this knowledge to produce carbon-negative bioplastics and carbon-neutral biofuels. Currently, we are pursuing fundamental and applied research on phototrophic EEU, and determining its role in microbial ecology in marine and freshwater ecosystems. We are leveraging this knowledge to develop a variety of climate technologies for the circular economy.
15:05 – 15:25 | To Be Announced Soon
Purple phototrophs, electricity, and the circular economy
The Bose lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using a transdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such climate change, sustainability, and the circular economy. My lab’s recent work has focused on the ability of microbes to use solid-phase conductive materials as electron donors. The ability to use electrons from minerals and other solid-phase conductive materials (in essence using electricity) is called “Extracellular Electron Uptake” or (EEU). EEU fundamentally changes our perception of the ecological role of microbes (including phototrophs) in nature because it suggests that abundant elements (such as iron) can serve as electron sources for microbial productivity and survival. In addition, our work suggests that EEU might be a fundamental process that underlies microbial energy conservation ranging from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the human body. The Bose lab has pioneered technologies to study EEU, driven fundamental knowledge in the field, and laid a solid foundation of tools and approaches to answer key questions about EEU in nature. We have applied this knowledge to produce carbon-negative bioplastics and carbon-neutral biofuels. Currently, we are pursuing fundamental and applied research on phototrophic EEU, and determining its role in microbial ecology in marine and freshwater ecosystems. We are leveraging this knowledge to develop a variety of climate technologies for the circular economy.
15:30-16:15 | Round table I discussion on “Doing science or increasing marketability?”
16:15-17:15 | Oral presentations from Applicants
Purple phototrophs, electricity, and the circular economy
The Bose lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using a transdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such climate change, sustainability, and the circular economy. My lab’s recent work has focused on the ability of microbes to use solid-phase conductive materials as electron donors. The ability to use electrons from minerals and other solid-phase conductive materials (in essence using electricity) is called “Extracellular Electron Uptake” or (EEU). EEU fundamentally changes our perception of the ecological role of microbes (including phototrophs) in nature because it suggests that abundant elements (such as iron) can serve as electron sources for microbial productivity and survival. In addition, our work suggests that EEU might be a fundamental process that underlies microbial energy conservation ranging from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the human body. The Bose lab has pioneered technologies to study EEU, driven fundamental knowledge in the field, and laid a solid foundation of tools and approaches to answer key questions about EEU in nature. We have applied this knowledge to produce carbon-negative bioplastics and carbon-neutral biofuels. Currently, we are pursuing fundamental and applied research on phototrophic EEU, and determining its role in microbial ecology in marine and freshwater ecosystems. We are leveraging this knowledge to develop a variety of climate technologies for the circular economy.
17:25-17:30 | Award
17:30-TBD | Round table II discussion on “Building a PPB CoP within Purplegain”
Financial Support – Application procedure for reimbursement
Documentation for applying
The documentation needed for applying for reimbursement are as follows:
- Applicants must upload a short Curriculum Vitae (in English).
- Applicants must upload a motivation letter (in English).
- Applicants must upload a scanned copy of their passport (if applicants do not have a passport, they can upload their national ID card)
Please, check the General Rules to be reimbursed.
Selection criteria
The selection criteria for participants that will be eligible for reimbursement will comply with the COST Excellence and Inclusiveness Policy, in the implementation of the Action. They will encourage attendance by a diverse selection of participants in consideration of:
- Underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities. Priority will be given to underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities.
- Gender balance.
- The level of involvement of Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs). Priority will be given to participants from Inclusiveness Target Countries. The current list of ITCs include Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
- The level of involvement of Early Career Investigators (ECIs). Priority will be given to PhD students and young post-doctoral researchers, followed by senior post-doctoral researchers and professors.
- In addition, workshop organizers may also consider other special attributes such as
- Type, or level of expertise in the field of the Workshop based on the curriculum vitae,
- Appropriate core knowledge and understanding
- Willingness to participate based on the motivation letter
- Demonstrated interest based on the motivation letter,
- The positive impact that the participants will have on the applicant’s future carrier and
- Willingness to make a presentation in the Workshop session.
Financial support through reimbursement does not necessarily cover all expenses but is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses.
Financial contribution
Financial support through reimbursement does not necessarily cover all expenses but is a contribution to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses.
The financial contribution for each successful applicant shall respect the following criteria:
- Up to a maximum of EUR 450 in total can be afforded to each successful applicant from ITC country.
- Up to a maximum of EUR 250 in total can be afforded to each successful applicant from non-ITC country.
- Up to a maximum of EUR 150 in total can be afforded to each successful applicant from the Netherlands, except for people who are based locally in Delft.
Please remind that this financial contribution must be understood as financial aid aimed to help applicants to cover the expenses of their participation in the Workshop.
This financial aid does not aim to cover 100% of the expenses.
Please see COST General Annotated Rules to be reimbursed.
Evaluation process and result announcement
Evaluation process
The selection committee, composed of the Action Chair, the Vice Chair, the Grant Awarding coordinator, the Training Schools Coordinator and the WG1 Leader, will evaluate the applications within a month after the abstract submission deadline and will inform the successful evaluated applicants. The successful applicants will then receive an e-mail from the grant holder (Grant Letter Notification), stating the official approval of the reimbursement, the granted budget and a payment request form which must be completed after the completion of the Workshop.
Criteria of reimbursement
If the amount of reimbursement by all applications within a call does not exceed the available budget, the applications are handled by the selection committee. If there are more applications than funding is available, the following procedure takes place.
- A list of all applications (containing an informative summary) is distributed to all members of the selection committee in form of a table in which every evaluator can mark which applications he or she can evaluate according to their field of expertise.
- To guarantee a fair and objective evaluation, an evaluator should have no affiliation with neither the home nor the host institution of the application in question.
- All applications are evaluated by two members of the selection committee. The Grant Awarding coordinator distributes the proposals to the individual evaluators.
- The criteria given in the table below shall be applied for evaluation. The first criterion (a) is assessed by the Grant Awarding coordinator prior to the evaluation process.
Criterion | max. points |
a) Before any further criteria are considered | |
Application is complete and fulfils all formal requirements | pass/no pass |
The application will be ranked last if the applicant was granted in previous call | pass/no pass |
b) Evaluation of the proposal | |
Applicant from ITC country | 0 or 10 |
Applicant is ECI (or promotes gender balance) | 0 or 10 |
Impact on the career of the applicant | 15 |
Willingness to participate based on the motivation letter | 10 |
Willingness to make a presentation in the Workshop session | 10 |
CV of the applicant | 10 |
Relevance to the objectives of PurpleGain Action | 20 |
- The evaluators report their evaluations to the Grant Awarding coordinator.
- The Grant Awarding coordinator ranks all evaluations and then reports the final result to the selection committee to be discussed and accepted.
- The applicants are informed about the decision reached.
More information
For further information, you may contact the
- Dr Daniel Melchor Puyol Santos – Chair
- Dr. Ralph Lindeboom – Head of the local organizing committee
- Dr Raul Muñoz Torre – Grant Awarding Coordinator
- Dr. Ioanna Vasiliadou – Training Schools Coordinator