Sensing Microbial Activities Related To Harmful Algae Blooms

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) impair water quality and ecosystem health, therefore the EU Water Framework Directive requires water management authorities to establish comprehensive monitoring programs in water bodies at risk.

Traditional hand-held sampling provides limited temporal and spatial resolution that generates large uncertainties for decision making and hinders responsiveness of contingency plans.

The SmartHAB project will advance emerging automatic high-frequency monitoring (AHFM) systems to improve the forecasting of HABs through data-driven modeling and real-time decision making.

Microbial electrochemical sensors (MESs) capable of detecting microbial interactions during HABs episodes will be developed.

This novel approach exploits the overlooked role of microbial communities in the promotion and termination of HABs as forecasting model tool.

The fellow will conduct a multidisciplinary methodology at Arizona State University (USA) to (i) design and develop low-cost and low-maintenance biosensors and characterize the interface between electroactive bacterial biofilms (EABs) and the electrode; (ii) design and develop a multimodule AHFM platform with biosensors to collect massive water quality data that, after processing through machine leaning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) tools, will allow to correlate the electrical fingerprints with HAB-related processes; and (iii) understand the sensitivity of the biosensor to microbial community shifts.

All this knowledge will be transferred to IMDEA Water (Spain-EU), where (iv) the ability of biosensors to identify specific events related to HABs will be enhanced by constructing tailored biofilms on electrodes through an innovative 3D-printing technique.

Overall, this project will allow the fellow to gain experience and a set of skills to reach a future position of maturity, while advancing scientific knowledge in the framework of EU policies on adaptation to climate change and digitization of water resources.