Diego Jarrin presenting his poster.

Sahar Babazadeh and Diego Jarrin Valencia present at the 8th International WASTE Symposium

December 16, 2024 / Dr. Ilka Schwittlinsky

On Friday, December 13th, 2024, the 8th International WASTE Symposium was held at ARENA2036, University of Stuttgart. This symposium served as a vital platform for fostering dialogue among experts from industry, government, and academia on critical global challenges, including energy, waste management, climate change, pollution control, and biodiversity conservation.

The event consisted of thought-provoking keynote talks delivered by experts from the Institute of Combustion and Power Plant Technology (IFK, University of Stuttgart), the Institute of Food Chemistry (ILC, University of Hohenheim), the Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems (IWS, University of Stuttgart), and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) as well as a poster presentation session, where students showcased their research in brief five-minute talks. The event concluded with start-up presentations from Variolytics and Cyclize, and a poster award ceremony. Our group was represented by our master students Sahar Babazadeh and Diego Jarrin Valencia, who presented their research findings during the poster session.

Sahar Babazadeh showcased a poster on the effect of aeration mode on the activity of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms and N₂O emissions in wastewater treatment plants. Her study combines hydrochemical monitoring and molecular biology analyses to investigate the microbial and operational factors driving nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. The findings aim to provide actionable insights for optimizing operational strategies, reducing emissions, and maintaining treatment efficiency in wastewater treatment plants.

Diego Jarrin Valencia presented research on the impact of microbial communities on heavy metal removal in the mixing zone of the Rio Tinto – Jarama river in Spain. His study delves into the interactions between microbial populations and heavy metals such as iron, arsenic, and aluminum. Utilizing 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, bioinformatics, and enrichment experiments under acidic and microaerophilic conditions, the research uncovers specific mechanisms by which microbes influence heavy metal mobility and removal in this unique environment. This exceptional work earned recognition as one of the best posters at the symposium.

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