SHORT SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC LIFE

Albert Guisasola i Canudas (Mataró, 1978) is a chemical engineer (UAB, 2001) and PhD in Environmental Technology with the thesis entitled “Modelling biological organic matter and nutrient removal from wastewater using respirometric and titrimetric techniques” awarded with Cum Laude, European Mention and UAB Honors. The topic of his research was to gain understanding on the biological nutrient removal processes via an engineering approach based on experimental assays, on-line monitoring through respirometry and titrimery and modelling. He was visiting during half year the lab BIOMATH (Gent Universiteit, Belgium) during this period to understand the estimation of confidence intervals on parameter estimates in non-linear models under the supervision of Prof. Peter Vanrolleghem. After his PhD thesis, he moved to the AWMC research group (University of Queensland, Australia) on a postdoctoral contract with Dr. Zhiguo Yuan. He studied the biological process occurring in pressurized sewer systems and described, for the first time, methane production in these systems as well as its mechanisms. Then, he moved for short time to LEQUIA research group (Universitat of Girona) to work on granular biomass.

In 2007, he moved back to GENOCOV (UAB) with a tenure position to continue with the research on biological nutrient removal processes from wastewater. Together with Dr. Juan Baeza, he started, in 2009, a new research line on Biolectrochemical systems for the valorization of wastewaters, being PI in the obtained projects.

Albert’s current research interests are:

• Design, building and operation of novel configurations for an efficient biological nutrient (i.e. organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus) removal processes for urban/industrial wastewaters in view of decreasing energy requirements and favouring nutrient recovery
• Scale-up of novel configurations for energy and resource recovery from real wastewater.
• Development of modelling tools for a better understanding of biological nutrient removal processes
• Model-based development and practical implementation of control strategies for an efficient operation of biological systems.
• Mathematical tools to estimate reliability of parameter estimation from experimental data in complex models
• Understanding and modelling sulfidogenesis and methanogenesis in pressurized sewer systems
• Understanding and modelling N2O emissions in biological nutrient removal processes
• Biological biogas upgrading to increase efficiency in biogas valorization: biological reduction of H₂S and CO₂.Understanding the fundamentals of bioelectrochemical systems for hydrogen and electricity production from wastewaters in view of optimisation energy recovery,
• Scaling-up of bioelectrochemical systems to bridge the gap between lab and pilot scale
• Microbial electrosynthesis of organic compounds.
• Production of added-value organic acids from residual CO2 streams.
  
• Advanced microbiological tools to gain understanding on the previous biological processes

1.M. Pijuan, A. M. Saunders, A. Guisasola, J. A. Baeza, C. Casas, L.L. Blackall (2004).Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor using propionic acid as the sole carbon source: Biotechnology and Bioengineering 85(1), 56-67

2.G. Sin, A. Guisasola, D. De Pauw, J.A. Baeza, J. Carrera, P.A. Vanrolleghem (2005) A new approach for modelling simultaneous storage and growth processes for activated sludge systems under aerobic conditions. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 92(5), 600-613

3. A. Guisasola, S.Petzet, J.A. Baeza, J. Carrera and J. Lafuente (2007). Inorganic carbon limitations on nitrification: experimental assessment and modelling Water Research 41(2), 277- 286

4. A. Guisasola, D. de Haas, J. Keller, Z. Yuan (2008) Methane formation in sewer systems. Water Research 42(6-7),1421-1430

5. A. Guisasola, K. Sharma, J. Keller, Z.Yuan (2009) Development of a model for assessing methane formation in sewer systems. Water Research 43(11), 2874-2884

6. J.Guerrero, A.Guisasola, J.A. Baeza (2011) The nature of the carbon source rules the competition between PAO and denitrifiers in systems for simultaneous biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Water Research 45(16), 4793-4802

7. Javier Guerrero, Carlota Tayà, Albert Guisasola, Juan A. Baeza (2012) Glycerol as a sole carbon source for Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal. Water Research 46(9), 2983-2991

8. Núria Montpart, Ribot_Llobet E., Garlapati V.K., Laura Rago, Juan Antonio Baeza, Albert Guisasola. (2014) Methanol opportunities for electricity and hydrogen production in bioelectrochemical systems.International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 39,770-777

9. Yolanda Ruiz, Juan A. Baeza, Albert Guisasola (2015). Enhanced Performance of Bioelectrochemical Hydrogen Production with a pH Control Strategy. ChemSusChem; 8(2): 389-397

10) Enric Blázquez, David Gabriel, Juan Antonio Baeza, Albert Guisasola (2016). Treatment of high-strength sulfate wastewater using an autotrophic biocathode in view of elemental sulfur recovery Water Research, 105:295-405