Synthetic Biology for Waste Water to Energy Conversion

Abstract

Waste-to-energy (WtE) is a process that generates electricity and heat from waste treatment or processing into fuel sources. WtE can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, landfill waste, and dependence on fossil fuels. However, it faces challenges such as high capital and operational costs, environmental and health impacts, and public acceptance. Synthetic biology (SynBio) can offer novel solutions for WtE by enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and diversity of biological processes. This chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art and future prospects of SynBio applications for WtE, focusing on the integration of IoT and AI technologies. IoT is a network of physical devices, sensors, and actuators that collect, transmit, and process data over the internet, while AI simulates human intelligence in machines. IoT and AI can enable smart monitoring, control, and optimization of SynBio systems for WtE, providing data-driven insights and decision support for stakeholders.