An engineered alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) has been grown directly in treated wastewater effluent to produce a valuable co-product. This work by a KAUST team led by Kyle Lauersen in collaboration with KAUST environmental scientist Peiying Hong is the first of its kind to show that the algae used in genetic engineering studies could also have real-world translation in direct production-relevant conditions.

Conventional aerobic and chemical wastewater nutrient-removal methods use a lot of energy, have long process times and produce both carbon emissions as well as excess sludge discharge.

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