PhD project II: Fate and effects of antibiotics in anaerobic digestion systems
PhD II will focus on the anaerobic digestion of antibiotics in biogas production. Little is known about the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and the potential horizontal transfer of ARGs during the biogas process. Antibiotic digestion systems constantly receiving loads of antibiotics have the potential of being reservoirs for multi-resistant bacteria. Therefore, a proper management is required to enhance the degradation of antibiotics, while reducing the abundance of ARGs. The goal of this PhD is to transform antibiotic digestion systems, from potential hotspots of antibiotic resistance development and spread, into part of the mitigation strategy.
Key Questions
- Can we influence the degradation of antibiotics and removal of ARGs by the management of the reactor operational conditions (e.g. temperature, hydraulic retention time)?
- How do large-scale mesophilic biogas reactors contribute to the degradation of antibiotics and the spread of ARGs?
- Are non-specific enzymes of wood-decaying fungi suitable for the treatment of antibiotics in biogas digestate?
PhD student:
Supervisors:
Dr. Marcell Nikolausz (UMB)
Dr. Hans Hermann Richnow (ISOBIO)
Dr. Jochen Müller (UBT)