A team of researchers from ANU and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is working to develop technology that harvests valuable nutrient resources from wastewater with support from the ANU-CSIRO Agrifood Collaboration Program which is administered by AFII.

The program enables cross-institutional multi-disciplinary research to build a project that leverages the participants’ diverse skills to fast-track a solution to an industry challenge.

The team brings together ANU plant biologists with CSIRO circular economy experts and membrane technologists to develop a plant-inspired innovative technology that will enable the reclamation of nutrients such as ammonia from industrial wastewater so that this resource can then be used as a safe and economically viable circular fertiliser.

The project is addressing a growing need to secure reliable access to clean water and essential nutrients – including nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium – to sustain and grow Australia’s agrifood sector in the face of climate change and geopolitical challenges.

ANU plant scientist Professor Caitlin Byrt says there is demand across a range of industries for this technology.

“We’ve been working closely with aquaculture industry colleagues in Tasmania and municipal wastewater authorities to understand the challenges they face and how we can tailor a solution for them,” Professor Byrt says.

“These industries and services need to manage extraordinary volumes of liquid that are incredibly nutrient rich, and any expansion of their operations will require implementation of ways to manage additional wastewater.

“The technology we are developing takes inspiration from the membrane separation mechanisms which evolved in nature to achieve selective separation of valuable nutrients, elements and clean water from complex liquid wastes.”

As well as addressing a critical industry challenge, Professor Byrt says the project is personally and professionally rewarding.

“This project is a great opportunity to take fundamental research from both institutions and apply it to meet a critical industry need.

“I’ve found working with a team of people whose expertise and experience is different to mine has opened my eyes to other ways of working and brought a greater creativity to everything I do.

“While there have been challenges along the way, this is a superb learning experience, and we need to find ways of supporting more projects like this in Australia because these multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary opportunities are far too rare.”

You can learn more about the project in the Australian Water Association’s Water e-Journal.

This project is funded through a joint investment by ANU and CSIRO as part of a renewed push to combine their world-leading expertise and resources to solve some of the challenges facing the world today and into the future.

Its success so far provides a model for future interdisciplinary projects that harness the strengths of researchers from both institutions in a way that delivers better outcomes for industry.