Biological Wastewater Treatment and Management

A group lead by Dr. Adey Feleke focuses on microbial ecology of biological wastewater treatment systems and resource recovery from wastewater, with a particular focus on the fate of bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes during the process of recovering Phosphorus and Nitrogen from domestic wastewater. Through research fellowships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and African Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF), the group has demonstrated cost-effective methods for detection and monitoring of microbial communities in biological wastewater treatment plants. During the research fellowship from the University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS), Dr. Adey started researching the role and fate of microbes during the process of nutrient recovery from human urine. Dr. Desta and her group are currently working on reclamation of nutrients from urine and domestic wastewater in Ethiopia in collaboration with national and international partners.