Aqualectra project received an honourable mention in the tenth edition of madri+d Awards granted by the regional body Foundation for Knowledge madri + d.

The project consortium is composed of Bioe Group, IMDEA Water, the Center of New Water Technologies-CENTA and companies Euroestudios, Depuración de Aguas del Mediterráneo-DAM and JOCA. With this recognition, which has no endowment, the foundation wants to “make visible the research and innovative work on public-private partnership, giving relevance and dissemination to a successful model and its players,” according to the jury.

Aquaelectra is a project within the programme of public-private partnership INNPACTO, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. This pioneering initiative in Spain aims to adapt Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (MET) to existing designs at water treatment plants.

For the fifth consecutive year Bioelectrogenesis joins the European Researchers’ Night in Madrid to bring their research to the public.

Hand in hand with IMDEA Water, attendees will discover how biotechnology and microbial electrochemical technologies (MET) can be applied to wastewater treatment and will deepen the water-energy nexus. The event will be held next 26 September at the Royal Botanic Garden in Alcalá de Henares.

The European Researchers’ Night takes place every year all over Europe and beyond the last Friday of September. These year events are happening in around 300 cities located in 24 European and neighbouring countries.

The events are supported by the European Commission as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, which is an EU programme to boost European research careers.

Bioelectrogenesis group is hosting EU-SIMET 2014, the 2nd European Meeting of the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology, to be held from 3 to 5 September at University of Alcalá. Organised in collaboration with the ISMET the meeting will bring together 200 experts from institutions and universities from 20 countries that will present their latest work in the field of microbial electrochemical technologies. Moreover, attendees can exchange experiences and discuss the challenges of this new field of research.

Through more than 130 communications, internationally renowned scientists, young researchers and professionals will show applications of MET in the bioremediation of wastewater, soil or sediment, electrosynthesis or power generation. These techniques are based on microbial electrogenesis or ability of certain microorganisms to “communicate” through electric currents with materials that conduct electricity.

The Hands-on Workshop on Microbial Electrochemistry will take place on September 3 at the laboratories of the Department of Chemistry on the outer campus. During its development, and from the hands of the world’s leading experts, attendees will have opportunity to learn the fundamentals of microbial electrochemical technologies and the main techniques used for the analysis of these systems.

Throughout the day participants will attend the planting of a sycamore maple, as a symbolic gesture to mitigate the carbon footprint caused during the event. The Royal Botanic Gardens Juan Carlos I of the University of Alcalá has given the specimen for that purpose. By the spring of 2015 new species will be planted to offsetting the emissions generated during the celebration of EU-ISMET 2014.

Professor Abraham Esteve Núñez, leader of Bioelectrogenesi Group Department of Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, is the current secretary of the European section of ISMET.

Bioelectrogenesis is attending the 2^nd IWA Specialized International Conference Ecotechnologies for Wastewater Treatment (EcoSTP2014) to be held at University of Verona, Italy, from 23^rd to 27^th June. The conference will focus on the development and application of novel technologies for urban and industrial wastewater treatment while assuring the goals of environmental and economic sustainability.

Dr. Abraham Esteve-Núñez has been invited as a plenary speaker. In his presentation Microbial production of electricity in wastewater treatment plants he will show some of the findings of the projects Biolectrogenesis Group is involved.

EcoSTP2014 will serve as platform for exchange of experience and know-how among water professionals from academia, industry, utilities and public authorities and administrations.

The 2nd European Meeting of the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology will be held from 3 to 5 September at University of Alcalá. Hosted by Bioe Group. This three-day conference will provide an open forum for researchers and professionals in the field of microbial electrochemistry and technologies (METs) to discuss and present their research.

The Electroactive-biofilm workshop will be organised on 3rd September. Attendees will learn the basics from MET from experts in the field while performing a “hands-on” experience.

EU-ISMET is fully committed to maximizing the number of students at the conference. The accommodation for ISMET student members will be covered by the organisation.

AQUAELECTRA will be at the Symposium Applications of Bio-Electrochemical Systems in effluents that will be held on Friday 14 at R&D Center of Abengoa Water in Seville. Dr. Abraham Esteve will talk about

Abengoa Water and Wetsus Research Centre organize this meeting as part of the FP7 EU Project ValuefromUrine The main objective of this project is to demonstrate the application of the BES as a nutrients recovery technology.

The Symposium is aimed to the dissemination of BES capacities as a wastewater treatment technology, as an energy/hydrogen production system, and/or as a products recovery/biosynthesis process. To achieve these objectives, different R&D presentations have been selected and will be presented in the meeting.

The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is the EU’s main instrument for funding research in Europe. FP7 is also designed to respond to Europe’s employment needs, competitiveness and quality of life.