AquaPhos - Pollutant removal and resource recovery to clean our ponds
The Butler Research Group is looking for undergraduate students interested in developing research skills in water quality, pollution control and bioprocesses!
Under the PhosForUs project, this student will learn how to measure key water quality parameters, how to construct, operate and optimize a bioreactor for the treatment of polluted waters and secondary wastewater, and participate in the field deployment of a new technology! The project seeks to remove phosphorus from polluted waters and recover it as a raw resource, preventing harmful algae blooms and strengthening the circular economy model.
The project is highly interdisciplinary. The student will have the opportunity learn a variety of important lab techniques, from nutrient measurements and chromatography, to molecular biology, as well as engineering skills in reactor design, operation and troubleshooting, and broader conservation, sampling and outreach skills.
Although the project is led by PhD Candidate Lucca Mancilio, the mentoring model adopted seeks to give undergraduates greater autonomy and freedom to make the project their own. We are not looking for help washing glassware and dishes, or doing mundane tasks, we want you to be a researcher.
The project is also designed to last another 3-4 years, and contains enough novelty to support more than one exceptional honors thesis.
