University of Surrey scores funding to develop better microbe-base waste management

In the UK, researchers are using artificial intelligence to develop better microorganism-led processes that efficiently ‘eat’ products such as food waste, wastewater and animal manure to help boost the UK’s burgeoning green industry. The project, which is led by the University of Surrey, has been awarded a £1.4 million grant by UK Research and Innovation. 

The research will investigate the impact of using different types of waste to feed anaerobic digestors, along with computational tools for site-wide optimisation. Using sensors from across the value chain and information from sampling the microbes, the team will create virtual copies of the digestors (digital twins), which will enable AI systems to learn about the impacts of different feedstocks and early indicators of change.