by Elizabeth Uehling
Paul Black believes his research into lipid metabolism will provide key information that will lead to prevention of diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. But a new direction is proving Black’s research also is improving the quality of communities’ water supplies.
Black is the head of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). Much of his work addresses lipid (fat) metabolism in mammals using cell-based and animal model (mice) systems. His research into lipid metabolism began in the 1980s and has continued to lead him down different research paths in the years since.
Much like lipids occur in mammals, they also occur in algae, Black said. Algae also can metabolize the nitrates and phosphates found in fertilizers used on cropland.
“One of the challenges in modern agriculture is fertilizers high in nitrates and phosphates,” Black said. Nitrates and phosphates are added to fertilizers to help crops grow, but end up in groundwater. Nitrates often run off the land and flow into natural water supplies like groundwater and rivers. Black said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked the city administration of Hastings, Nebraska, to create a clean water filtration system to reduce the nitrates in the water.
That’s where Black’s research translates into not only human health, but the health of vital natural resources.
Cleaner water through science
Hastings Mayor Vern Powers reached out to Black to advise and partner to meet the EPA’s requirements. Black said talks began in 2010, and in 2015 Powers created a company called Vestal W2O (Waste to Oil). “It’s a play on H2O,” Black said.
“Fundamentally, the question addressed to the mayor is ‘what can we strategically do to make sure the water that comes into the Hastings water system and goes out of the Hasting water system is clean?’ One of our thoughts was whether we can empower a biological system to be sustainable in wastewater remediation.” The answer, Black says, is yes.
Black said the filtration system will use bioreactors to grow algae. These reactors will be linked up to Hastings’ water system as part of the city’s wastewater treatment system. The wastewater will be used as a nutrient source to grow algae and in so doing will remove nitrates, phosphates and likely other contaminants using the biological, metabolic process of the algae itself. “This process allows biology to do what biology does best,” Black said.
An important consideration in these studies is that under stress, algae creates triglycerides — oil — that can be used to create a number of high-value products while simultaneously removing nitrates and phosphates from water. Black said these high value products range from biofuel to precursors for chemotherapeutic drug synthesis.
“We’re looking at the biological strategies for production of oil, or another high-value product. In addition, we’re looking to provide clean water that meets EPA standards of quality that goes downstream,” Black said. “An important consideration is the algal biomass that’s left over.” Following the extraction of oil or other high-value products, the biomass can be dried and used as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. “In essence, we are using biology to develop a system that is economically sustainable. There’s high value in all the pieces,” Black said.
Importance of partnering
The work has been proven successful in laboratory-scale experiments, and Black believes they are ready to take the research to the next level through partnerships with engineers and the private sector.
“The public-private relationship is extremely important on this,” Black said. “We get grants from the government, but it’s really going to be what the private sector allows us to do to translate it into something bigger.”
The project has received funding from the Department of Energy, the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, Vestal W2O and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. NUtech Ventures (the technology-transfer unit of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln) is assisting with commercialization of the process.
“Partnerships are important because of the transitional nature of science. What we are doing is going to have a positive impact,” Black said.
Impacting society
While there is no specific timeline set for a finished product, Black expects to deploy a small-scale system in 2017, as he knows the work is important not just for Hastings, but for the world.
“What we do as scientists is largely directed to improving the human condition,” Black said. “We’re trying to make the human condition better through science and technology development.”
While Vestal W2O is being created locally, Black recognizes long-term global impact. “The foundation of everything we do is clean water,” he said. “We turn a faucet on and we’ve got clean water. If you think of parts of the world where they don’t have clean water, what is it associated with? It’s associated with disease and poverty.”
Black explained that clean water is central to human health. When clean water is available, the surrounding communities are healthier. Because these communities have access to clean water, infectious disease is less of a problem. Using a biological system to enhance wastewater remediation also will contribute to water conservation for crops and livestock.
“What you have is a mechanism that begins with clean water, which leads to a healthier society where children can go to school, and you end up with a more educated society,” Black said. What comes with a more educated society includes reduction of poverty, enhanced quality of life for small communities and an overall increase in opportunity.
“It all leads to a better and more sustainable structure because we’ve done the right thing at that foundational level of clean water. That’s a big deal.” [ biochem.unl.edu ]