Our Conference on Water and Biotechnologies is coming up and you are kindly invited to book the date in your calendar:
Water and Biotechnologies
Friday, 25 September 2020
15:00 – 18:00 EEST, Sofia, Bulgaria (online event)
Water, in its various aspects, is a topic of growing significance. Droughts and floods are being recognized as top risks globally, diminishing water resources are among the major reasons for international tensions and limitations in water supply are key constraints for business growth.
And only now, after these issues have been around for several decades, is water the subject of widespread awareness, novel business models and, not least, technological disruptions.
The purpose of the “Water and Biotechnologies” Panel at the 2020 Biotech Atelier is to outline three specific bridges between water and the application of biotechnological tools and innovations.
Water as “Genetics”
In this sub-panel we will introduce some technological advancements in the area of genetic testing in the context of water and wastewater samples. Inevitably, we will be talking about COVID-19 and the recent projects for sampling urban sewer networks as an approach for early-warning and tracing of the virus. The panel will make the point that after decades of physio-chemical and microbiological testing being “the norm” the sector is now considering genetic testing as another approach to screen “what is in the water sample”. Related topics such as environmental monitoring, tracking social trends by analyzing water and others will be on the agenda as well.
Water as “Health”
Water is Life, so it must be Health as well. It is that simple. Doctors are clear that both quantity and quality of water consumed by human beings have massive impact on health. And, furthermore, it is one of the behavioral factors related to human health that can be controlled most effectively. In this sub-panel we will be reflecting on how biotechnologies can help us understand better the impact of nutrients, minerals and other water ingredients on human health. We will touch upon the subject of varying water quality in different urban water-supply systems and even some personalized-medicine recommendations to water consumption.
Water as “Drought”
Droughts, or at least significant deviations in rain and snow fall, are no longer risks; they are a reality. The technologies are one of the tools to tackle the problem and the biotechnologies, more specifically, offer some insight. Among the topics in this sub-panel are: (1) utilization of wastewater and understanding how micro and macro nutrients, microelements and pathogens can impact the process of treating wastewater for irrigation (and other) purposes, and (2) understanding the biology of crops and the vast potential of grey water for irrigation.
Moderators and Guests
Austria
Norbert Kreuzinger
Assistant Professor
TU Vienna-Austria, Institute for Water Quality and Resources Management
Organizers
