Research by Dr. Dario R. Shaw, a research scientist in Professor Pascal Saikaly's group at KAUST, has received the Best Presentation Award at the International Water Association (IWA) Nutrient Removal and Recovery Conference 2026, one of the world's leading conferences dedicated to wastewater treatment, nutrient removal, and resource recovery.

The award recognizes Dr. Shaw's presentation on a novel salt-tolerant anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) bacterium cultured from the Red Sea. The microorganism can efficiently remove nitrogen from high-salinity wastewater, offering a promising solution for wastewater streams that are difficult to treat using conventional technologies.

This year's conference held particular significance as it celebrated the distinguished career of Professor Mark van Loosdrecht, whose pioneering research has helped transform next-generation wastewater treatment technologies from laboratory discoveries into real-world applications. The event brought together many of the world's leading research groups in the field, making the recognition especially meaningful.

"Our team was surprised and honored to receive this award," said Shaw. "It is particularly rewarding to have our work recognized by the international research community at such a prestigious conference."

The research addresses one of the world's most pressing environmental challenges: water scarcity. In regions where freshwater resources are limited, seawater can be used for applications such as toilet flushing, reducing freshwater demand by as much as 30%. The approach is especially relevant to Saudi Arabia, where freshwater is scarce and largely produced through energy-intensive desalination.

Because the newly cultivated Anammox bacterium is naturally adapted to marine conditions, it has the potential to enable efficient nitrogen removal from saline wastewater generated by seawater-based sanitation systems and other high-salinity industrial processes. Unlike conventional wastewater treatment, the Anammox process operates without oxygen, reducing aeration energy requirements by up to 60% while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional nitrogen removal processes.

The findings support the development of more sustainable wastewater treatment technologies that could contribute to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals for water security and environmental sustainability.

The manuscript describing the research is currently being prepared for publication.

The award adds to a growing list of international recognitions for Dr. Shaw's research in environmental biotechnology, reflecting the broad impact of his work across areas including Anammox biotechnology, bioelectrochemical systems, electroactive microorganisms, and microbial ecology.