Outcomes - Meet my Lab x JFS on "Clean, Accessible and Secure Energy Supply"

On 20 March 2024, EURAXESS ASEAN partnered with The Southeast Asia-Europe Joint Funding Scheme (JFS) and organised the first "Meet my Lab x JFS" event on "Clean, Accessible and Secure Energy Supply". This virtual match-making session served as a platform for two promising researchers to showcase their laboratories, engage in insightful discussions, and forge invaluable connections within the scientific community from ASEAN and EU countries. The timing of the first Meet my Lab x JFS was aligned with an ongoing call for funding by JFS on the same topic.

Following an ASEAN-EU wide Open Call for Researchers, the two selected researchers to present their work were:

• Dr Hanifrahmawan Sudibyo, who is Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Department at the Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. He presented his work on a “Systems Approach for Sustainable Biomass Waste Management”.

• Dr Hana Chen Wei Jun, who is Research Head - Sustainable Community Development, Department of Community Medicine, International Medical School, at the Management and Science University, Malaysia. She shared her research on “Electrogenic Bacterial Battery for Sustainable Bioenergy Generation”.

Mr Victor Gram-Erichsen, Policy Officer of the Directorate General Research of the European Commission, opened the session with welcome remarks. The event was moderated by Dr Ir Grandprix T M Kadja, Assistant Professor, Division of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, at the Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia. Representatives from the EURAXESS ASEAN and JFS team also presented an overview of Horizon Europe and JFS funding opportunities respectively, addressing an online audience of about 70 people. 

Synopsis:

Dr Hana’s research focuses on the generation of electricity from bacteria as new, eco-friendly, and sustainable energy associated with human life (e.g.: E.coli). Her research aims to enhance the structure and design development of the Electrogenic Bacterial Battery (EBB), leading to the production of smaller-sized cells with higher voltage. The principle of EBB is to use the storage energy (ATP, FAD and NADH) of bacteria in the cell membrane via Cytochrome and Electron Transport Chain (ETC) to produce electricity by using simple organic media for bacteria growth. Dr Hana and her research team isolate these bacteria from the environment and test for electricity production using an EBB device. The anode will absorb the electron from the outer surface of the bacterial cell wall and the cathode serves as the endpoint of the electron flow, completing the circuit and allowing for continuous electron transfer from the bacterial cell to the external environment. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) will be used to identify specific strains of bacteria that generate the highest electricity. In her research, Dr Hana tests different growth factors and develops an EBB device with higher voltage in smaller-sized cells compared to microbial fuel cells. The development of EBB from a combination of medical science and technology can support the transition to renewable energy and the transformation of the energy system, leading to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 7, 11, 12 and 13. 

Click here to watch Dr Hana's presentation and lab tour.

Synopsis:

Together with his research team in the Bioresource Engineering and Biomaterial Lab, Dr Hanif focuses on establishing integrated biorefineries to sustainable recover valuable resources from biomass/biomass waste. He incorporates both biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies to produce a range of valuable products with economic value and environmental benefits including 1) mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestions integrated with CO2 capture systems to produce pure biomethane, 2) aerobic treatment with microbubble aeration, 3) hydrothermal carbonization and

liquefaction to produce carbon-dense biocrude oil and hydrochar, 4) aqueous-phase reforming to produce syngas, and (5) wet oxidation to produce clean effluent dischargeable to the water basin. In his lab research, he investigates the chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics of respective processes to specify a range of optimal process conditions for controlling target products’ properties relevant to resource recovery goals. These technical data are pivotal for techno-economic viability assessment of the developed biorefineries as well as to achieve SDGs 6, 7, and 11.

Click here to watch Dr Hanif's presentation and lab tour.