December 2006 - ASU conducts research to fine-tune OpenCEL’s applications

The Center for Environmental Biotechnology at Arizona State University conducts research to fine-tune OpenCEL’s applications. The CEB is especially interested in capturing energy from wastewater treatment.

The Department of Energy estimates that the organic content of wastewater can potentially produce $2 billion of energy. Animal wastewater produces three times that amount. And food processing, with its high sugar content, low bacteria concentration, and clean effluent is a potential energy source worth $2 billion. The total energy potential from all these sources adds up to $10 billion. To recapture energy, you must first break down the walls of the cell. That’s where OpenCEL’s technology comes in.