Clean up contaminated land with plants and their associated bacteria and the use of the resulting biomass

We are a worldwide pioneer in the use of plants and bacteria for soil remediation and increased biomass production on marginal land (spin off Bio2Clean)

Phytoremediation is a sustainable, green remediation technology that uses plants (e.g. willow, poplar, hemp) and their associated microorganisms to remediate contaminated soil, (ground)water or sediment via degradation, extraction, stabilization, transformation or volatilization. Phytoremediation is a sustainable and low cost remediation alternative compared to traditional remediation techniques. The resulting harvested biomass can be used as a sustainable alternative e.g. in construction material, textile and as a source for bio energy. We characterize the plant’s associated microbial community in order to understand and optimize its influence on biomass production and contamination uptake. We also analyze the resulting biomass for its alternative end uses.

We recently started a project aiming to explore the combination of ‘microbe-assisted phytoremediation’ and ‘bio-photovoltaics’, in which living plants and their associated microbiome could fulfill the double function of cleaning up contamination and producing electricity. Recently, phytoremediation of air pollution is proposed as a strategy to improve air quality in urban areas.

Projects

• Phy2Climate - A global approach for recovery of arable land through improved phytoremediation coupled with advanced liquid biofuel production and climate friendly copper smelting process
• Bio2Clean - A CMK spin off  for the remediation of soil and groundwater in a qualitative, sustainable and environmentally friendly way
• RESANAT - Remediate residual contamination with nature-based techniques