Overview

Acronym | Duration | Granted by

FerMiQ | 01.12.2018 until 31.05.2020 | Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)

Motivation and Background

A previous project ("FNR: Biogas") demonstrated that the technique of Universal Molecular IDentification (UMID) used by AMODIA is able to determine the actually preferred path of methanogenesis in digesters of commercial biogas plants. But this technique requires several days for a result. This is too long to be used for controlling a digester.

Customers of this service asked for accelerating this analysis, and for a more precise quantification of the fractions of the different microorganisms.

Starting with these customer requirements this project should identify new biomarkers, indicative for the state of the microbiology in the digester. And for these biomarkers new molecular- biological detection systems should be developed, which might be used for process control and monitoring.

Goals

A central aim of the project is the development of a fast qPCR-based analysis to monitor the process stability of biogas plants. The procedure should enable an operator to recognise process-biological incidents early by analysing the composition of the microbial community. This would significantly enhance the state-of-the-art techniques to control a digester, and enable an operator to proactively take measures.

The procedure should be useable for a regular process control as well as for an in-depth review and analysis of the digestion process in critical states (i.e. substrate changes, restarts after revisions or incidents, use of additives).

Research Programme

Central Innovation Program Small Business (ZIM)