Research Projects

CO2 emissions are primarily increasing due to the use of fossil fuels for energy. CO2 sequestration technologies, especially those targeting energy production and conversion, are urgently required to mitigate the environmental impact of these emissions. Bioelectrochemical systems, including plant-microbial fuel cells and microbial carbon capture cells, offer promising solutions for both capturing CO2 and generating valuable by-products. Among these, the microbial carbon capture cell (MCC) provides an efficient and cost-effective approach for carbon storage and utilization by leveraging carbon sequestration to convert CO2 into algal biomass, while simultaneously treating wastewater and generating electricity. In the MCC, photosynthetic microorganisms supply the oxygen needed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the cathode chamber, eliminating the need for external aeration and thereby enhancing the system's overall energy recovery. CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, is captured in the cathodic chamber and converted into organic forms by microalgae and cyanobacteria. This captured carbon can be transformed into valuable products such as biofertilizers, amino acids, hydrogen, and ethanol. Chlorella vulgaris, a well-known photosynthetic microalga, not only fixes CO2 but also captures it to produce bioenergy in the form of biodiesel and bioelectricity. This project will utilize the application of MCC using Chlorella vulgaris to treat the contaminated water from the Yamuna River and simultaneously generate power and extract biodiesel. In recent years, biodiesel has gained growing attention, not just as an alternative fuel but also as a sustainable energy source. The Yamuna River, a vital water source for millions, is severely contaminated due to urban and industrial waste, with untreated wastewater and heavy metals from agricultural runoff creating hazardous conditions for both human and ecological health. Numerous studies have been conducted on treating contaminated water using various chemical and biological methods. However, there has been no research reported on the use of MCC for treating wastewater from the Yamuna River. In this study, wastewater from the contaminated Yamuna River will be introduced into the anode chamber for treatment, while the microalga Chlorella vulgaris will be added in the cathode chamber to facilitate carbon sequestration and simultaneous electricity generation. Additionally, Chlorella vulgaris will be processed for lipid extraction, and the resulting lipid-extracted algae will be used as a substrate in the anode chamber, enhancing the system's cost-effectiveness. The extracted lipid will be further processed for biodiesel generation.