GEMMA - Grup d'Enginyeria i Microbiologia del Medi Ambient

 

El GEMMA és un grup de recerca del Departament d’Enginyeria Hidràulica, Marítima i Ambiental de la UPC, que realitza la seva activitat docent a l’E.T.S. de Camins, Canals i Ports de Barcelona. L’objectiu
principal del GEMMA és desenvolupar i promoure biotecnologies sostenibles i innovadores pel tractament d’aigües i residus orgànics, que eliminin contaminants convencionals i emergents i que puguin produir bioenergia. Els principals temes de recerca són: bioprocessos de baix cost pel tractament d'aigües residuals i fangs, sistemes d’algues pel tractament de les aigües

The goal of our research activities is to develop and promote sustainable and innovative water, wastewater and sludge treatment biotechnologies, capable of removing a wide range of contaminants, including emerging pollutants.

The main research topics are:

- Natural low-cost bioprocesses for wastewater and sludge treatment

- Algal based technologies for wastewater treatment and biomass production

- Bioenergy from waste and wastewater

- Biogas production from solid waste and biomass

- Water reuse and efficiency

- Microbial fuel cells

- Phosphorous removal and recovery from wastewater

- Life Cycle Assessment and economic evaluation of products and technologies

- Numerical simulation of bioprocesses

During the last 5 years, our research has covered a wide range of aspects, including: the influence of design parameters on the removal of pollutants from wastewater and sludge, pollutants degradation pathways, micropollutants and emerging pollutants removal in natural wastewater treatment systems, the role of microfauna in decontamination processes, biogas production in low-cost anaerobic digesters, greenhouse gases emissions from wastewater and sludge treatment facilities, economic and environmental assessment of biotechnologies, bioprocess modeling.

The goal of our research activities is to develop and promote sustainable and innovative water, wastewater and sludge treatment biotechnologies, capable of removing a wide range of contaminants, including emerging pollutants.

The main research topics are:

- Natural low-cost bioprocesses for wastewater and sludge treatment

- Algal based technologies for wastewater treatment and biomass production

- Bioenergy from waste and wastewater

- Biogas production from solid waste and biomass

- Water reuse and efficiency

- Microbial fuel cells

- Phosphorous removal and recovery from wastewater

- Life Cycle Assessment and economic evaluation of products and technologies

- Numerical simulation of bioprocesses

During the last 5 years, our research has covered a wide range of aspects, including: the influence of design parameters on the removal of pollutants from wastewater and sludge, pollutants degradation pathways, micropollutants and emerging pollutants removal in natural wastewater treatment systems, the role of microfauna in decontamination processes, biogas production in low-cost anaerobic digesters, greenhouse gases emissions from wastewater and sludge treatment facilities, economic and environmental assessment of biotechnologies, bioprocess modeling.

The goal of our research activities is to develop and promote sustainable and innovative water, wastewater and sludge treatment biotechnologies, capable of removing a wide range of contaminants, including emerging pollutants.

The main research topics are:

- Natural low-cost bioprocesses for wastewater and sludge treatment

- Algal based technologies for wastewater treatment and biomass production

- Bioenergy from waste and wastewater

- Biogas production from solid waste and biomass

- Water reuse and efficiency

- Microbial fuel cells

- Phosphorous removal and recovery from wastewater

- Life Cycle Assessment and economic evaluation of products and technologies

- Numerical simulation of bioprocesses

During the last 5 years, our research has covered a wide range of aspects, including: the influence of design parameters on the removal of pollutants from wastewater and sludge, pollutants degradation pathways, micropollutants and emerging pollutants removal in natural wastewater treatment systems, the role of microfauna in decontamination processes, biogas production in low-cost anaerobic digesters, greenhouse gases emissions from wastewater and sludge treatment facilities, economic and environmental assessment of biotechnologies, bioprocess modeling.

Recent Submissions

  • Natural pigments and biogas recovery from cyanobacteria grown in treated wastewater. Fate of organic microcontaminants 

    Bellver Catalá, Marta; Ruales Dávila, Evelyn; Escolà Casas, Mònica; Díez Montero, Rubén; Matamoros, Victor; Ferrer Martí, Ivet (Elsevier, 2025-01)
    Article
    Open Access
    Cyanobacterial wastewater-based biorefineries are a sustainable alternative to obtain high-value products with reduced costs. This study aimed to obtain phycobiliproteins and carotenoids, along with biogas from a ...

  • Multi-criteria evaluation method for the selection of nature-based solutions for urban challenges 

    Wójcik Madej, Julia; García Serrano, Joan; Sowinska Swierkosz, Barbara (2025-01)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    This paper presents an innovative and novel approach with the general aim of introducing a multi-criteria evaluation method based on four assumptions. This method is used to select the best-suited NBS types to be implemented ...

  • Optimizing the final rest period of sludge treatment wetlands: assessment of biosolids quality 

    Cano Larrotta, Ana María José Candelaria; Castellnou, Roger; Jair Pastor, Edward; Subirats, Jessica; Matamoros, Victor; Uggetti, Enrica (2024-11)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) generate a substantial amount of sludge as a residue of the wastewater treatment process. The management of this sludge requires the adoption of cost-effective and environmentally friendly ...

  • Enhancing pigment production with cyanobacteria-rich microbiomes: effect of light quality and exposure time 

    Bellver Catalá, Marta; Altamira Algarra, Beatriz; García Serrano, Joan; Ferrer Martí, Ivet; González Flo, Eva (Elsevier, 2024-10)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    Cyanobacteria-rich microbiomes may stand as a cost-effective source of pigments, as they exhibit improved stability in comparison to monocultures and do not require sterile media to grow. However, these bioproduct sources ...

  • Vermifiltration as a green solution to promote digestate reuse in agriculture in small-scale farms 

    Cucina, Mirko; Castro, Liliana; Font Pomarol, Jana; Escalante, Humberto; Muñoz Muñoz, Alexander; Ferrer Martí, Ivet; Garfi, Marianna (2024-09)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    Digestates from low-tech digesters need to be post-treated to ensure their safe agricultural reuse. This study evaluated, for the first time, vermifiltration as a post-treatment for the digestate from a low-tech digester ...

  • Photosynthetic species composition determines bioplastics production in microbiomes: strategy to enrich cyanobacteria PHB-producers 

    Altamira Algarra, Beatriz; Lage Julia, Artai; García Serrano, Joan; González Flo, Eva (Elsevier, 2024-04)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    The aim of this study was to set the operating mode in regards to nutrients, temperature and light to use as a strategy to enrich a microbiome rich in cyanobacteria in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-producers in order to enhance ...

  • Bioplastic production by harnessing cyanobacteria-rich microbiomes for long-term synthesis 

    Altamira Algarra, Beatriz; Lage Julia, Artai; Meléndez, Ana Lucía; Arnau Roca, Marc; González Flo, Eva; García Serrano, Joan (Elsevier, 2024-12)
    Article
    Open Access
    Departing from the conventional axenic and heterotrophic cultures, our research ventures into unexplored territory by investigating the potential of photosynthetic microbiomes for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis, a ...

  • Recovery of bio-based products and bioenergy from microalgae in the framework of a circular bioeconomy 

    Ferrer Martí, Ivet; Bellver Catalá, Marta; Ruales Dávila, Evelyn; Passos, Fabiana Lopes del Rei; Garfi, Marianna (ITU Press, 2024)
    Conference report
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    This presentation will provide an overview on role of anaerobic digestion in microalgae biorefineries intended to recover value-added bio-based products and bioenergy from waste streams. Firstly, the results of several ...

  • Integrated microalgal biorefinery for carotenoids and bioenergy recovery 

    Ruales Dávila, Evelyn; Bellver Catalá, Marta; Álvarez González, Ana; Garfi, Marianna; Sampaio, Igor; Passos, Fabiana Lopes del Rei; Ferrer Martí, Ivet (ITU Press, 2024)
    Conference report
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    This study aimed to evaluate the potential of microalgae grown in wastewater to recover carotenoids and biogas in a biorefinery approach. To this end, two pilot raceway ponds treating real wastewater were operated with a ...

  • The role of anaerobic digestion in the sustainable management of olive mill solid waste: a techno-economic study 

    Correa González, Sandra; Llamas Redondo, Mercedes; Passos, Fabiana Lopes del Rei; González Fermoso, Fernando; Ferrer Martí, Ivet (ITU Press, 2024)
    Conference report
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    Olive oil production, with a market value of 13.4 billion euros, generates annually 10 million tons of olive mill solid waste (OMSW), yet sustainable technologies for the valorisation of this material are still missing at ...

  • Resource recovery and contaminants of emerging concern mitigation by microalgae treating wastewater 

    Ruales Dávila, Evelyn; Gómez, Cintia; Morillas España, Ainoa; González López, Cynthia Victoria; Escolà Casas, Mònica; Matamoros, Victor; Garfi, Marianna; Ferrer Martí, Ivet (2024-09)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    This study aimed to investigate the recovery of agricultural biostimulants and biogas from microalgae treating wastewater, in the framework of a circular bioeconomy. To this end, municipal wastewater was treated in ...

  • Optimisation of high rate algal ponds performance for post-treatment of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor effluents 

    Castro, Lucas Vassalle de; Rueda Hernández, Estel; Passos, Fabiana Lopes del Rei; Díez Montero, Rubén; García Serrano, Joan; Ferrer Martí, Ivet (Elsevier, 2024-07)
    Article
    Restricted access - publisher's policy
    Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors are widely used for wastewater treatment in tropical regions, yet the resulting effluent requires further post-treatment to meet the quality standards for a safe discharge ...

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