Laboratory of Environmental Bioengineering

Lab Description

Our laboratory conducts research on biological systems engineering.

BioEnergy systems

• Bioenergy systems efficiency analysis
  We develop models to analyze the efficiency and net energy balance of biorefineries.
• Bioelectricity and bioenergy
  We are interested in all aspects of bioelectricity and bioenergy starting from electric fishes, carbon fluxes, bio-batteries and energy molecules metabolism.
• Multiorganism metabolism and fermentation, synthetic ecology
  The majority of current fermentation research focuses on the optimization of single organism metabolic networks with an aim to maximize a single product production.

Technology
Pulsed electric fields (PEF) for energy efficient processes
Traditional biomass processing technologies use heat for drying and thermochemical processes for biomass decomposition. Those processing technologies are extremely energy intensive. Emerging PEF-assisted dewatering enables an energy efficient water extraction from wet biomass, saving up to 50% of the consumed energy. Non-thermal PEF increases biological membrane permeabilization by a process known as electroporation. We propose the PEF pretreatment combined with mechanical press for energy efficient process for biomass drying.

• Microfluidic devices for environmental applications
  Using the power of microfluidic devices, we develop platform technologies that allow single cell identification and functional studies. The goal of these studies is to understand the role of individual members of complex biological system communities in the system function.
• Low cost devices for low-income countries
  We are working on low-cost devices for energy generation, water and food preservation in remote, rural location in low-income communities.

Available Research Services –

1. Consultation on energy efficiency, energy savings, process development

2. Carbohydrate analysis, amino acid analysis.

3. Fermentation processes development

4. Non-thermal extraction on biomolecules process development

5. Non-thermal food and pharmaceutical disinfection with pulsed electric fields

Lab facilities

Equipment

• Dionex ICS-5000+ Reagent-Free HPIC System for Carbohydrates, Organic Acid and Amino Acid Analysis.
• Tecan 200M spectrophotometer with gas modules for microfermentation

Software

• BioLego for fermentation metabolic modeling
• QuickField

Potential industries

• Biochemicals industry
• Biofuel industry
• Food industry
• Nutritional supplement, Vitamins
• Bio-tech
• Agriculture and agro products industry

Contact Information

Dr. Alexander Golberg,
Senior lecture,
The Porter School of Environmental Studies
Room 214
phone: +972-3-640-7182,
e-mail:agolberg@post.tau.ac.il
Tel Aviv University

http://www.tau.ac.il/~agolberg/

Project manager

avi Wener
Research services

Project researchers

Alexander Golberg
T.A.U Tel Aviv University, The Porter School of Environmental Studies