The innovative concept of REPLACER is to combine renewable living materials with porous recycled plastic to develop new sustainable technologies. We will grow synergistic microbial biofilm consortia in porous plastic scaffolds that sequester greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane and produce microbial proteins as a value-added product.
Our original effort will fabricate the 3D porous structure exclusively from re-PET plastic composite membranes, which provide a scaffold with a high surface-to-volume ratio and tuned surface structure and properties to support gas-liquid separation for viable biofilm growth. The resulting novel Hybrid Living Materials (HLMs) and HLM bioreactor prototypes (TRL4-5) will be advanced beyond the current state of the art by a unique combination of biofilm imaging, chemical analysis, hybrid computer modeling, and artificial intelligence to design sophisticated membrane structures that optimize the performance of the HLMs.
Most importantly, the REPLACER-based technological results will be subjected to life cycle assessment at an early stage to quantify HLMs from an environmental sustainability perspective and estimate the environmental impacts resulting from GHG emissions capture and provide a cost-effective GHG mitigation strategy. With REPLACER, we address global social challenges that the member states of the United Nations have defined as development goals for 2030. The focus is on four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
The project duration is 3 years, starting on 5 June 2023 and ending on 31 May 2026.
