What if wastewater treatment plants could do much more than clean water? Our latest publication explores how microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) could transform wastewater from a waste stream into a valuable source of clean water, energy and recoverable materials. Rather than treating wastewater as something to dispose of, these systems harness the activity of naturally occurring microorganisms to recover resources while reducing environmental impacts.
The paper reviews the current state of MET research, highlighting how these systems can recover valuable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus for agricultural use while simultaneously generating electricity or energy carriers such as hydrogen and methane. It also explores how METs can be integrated with existing wastewater treatment technologies—or even coupled with hydroponic food production—to reduce energy demand, recover resources and support more circular water management.
As global demand for sustainable water and resource management continues to grow, microbial electrochemical technologies represent a promising step towards closing material and energy loops. Read the full open-access article to learn more about the potential of these innovative systems.
Read the full publication here:
Schröder U, Harnisch F, Heidrich E, Ieropoulos IA, Logan BE, Nath D, Pant D, Patil SA, Puig S, Ren J, Rossi R, Rotaru A-E and ter Heijne A (2026) Waste to value: microbial electrochemical technologies for sustainable water, material, and energy cycles. Front. Sci. 4:1688727. doi: 10.3389/fsci.2026.1688727
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