Event
CHBE Seminar: Dr. Birthe Kjellerup, UMD
Friday, February 28, 2025
11:00 a.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Patricia Lorenzana
301-405-1935
"Beneficial biofilms for bioremediation of persistent organic pollutants"
Abstract: Removal of chlorinated compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated sediments and chlorinated solvents tetrachloroethylene/trichloroethylene from groundwater are a priority because of their ability to enter the food chain and due to their toxicity thus impacting public health. Commonly adopted remedies include dredging and capping which are associated with challenges including disruption of existing habitat and high cost. While in situ microbial degradation of PCBs represents an improvement, previous attempts have failed because of PCB stability, low bioavailability, low abundance and activity of indigenous PCB-degrading microorganisms. The high efficiency of activated carbon (AC) and other sorptive substrates to quickly adsorb PCBs from sediments has been demonstrated. Co-localizing PCB-degrading microbes onto surfaces of sorptive particles as biofilms and utilization as a delivery system provides a novel approach to address PCB contamination.
Bio: Birthe Kjellerup is a Professor at the University of Maryland in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with a secondary appointment in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. She also serves as the Chair for Civil Empowerment in her department. Dr. Kjellerup has trained as an environmental engineer and microbiologist specializing in beneficial and detrimental aspects of microbial communities for over 25 years. She has pioneered the application of biofilms on sorptive materials for bioremediation and energy recovery from wastewater and used them to develop novel bioremediation strategies. Dr. Kjellerup has a strong background in team based multidisciplinary research, where she has obtained nearly $8 million from local, state and federal funding agencies in the past 8 years. Dr. Kjellerup has served on more than 40 graduate committees and is the primary advisor for 10 graduate students and five undergraduate students. She also serves as a senior editor for the journal Biofilm published by Elsevier and is involved in leadership positions for American Society for Microbiology.
