1. Loudoun Water and the Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility Visit
October 19, 2015Serving Loudoun County, the second fastest growing county in the nation, Loudoun Water meets the ever-increasing demands of our county for providing drinking water and treating domestic wastewater. Having just returned from the 2015 iGEM Jamboree and with an eye to continue our iGEM research on industrial wastewater treatment, we contacted our local domestic wastewater treatment facility, Loudoun Water. We sought out this communication to better understand commonalities and differences between industrial and domestic wastewater treatments and gain more understanding of the complexities of organic waste treatment and water reclamation.On October 19, we presented our iGEM research to Loudoun Water technical and managerial staff. They were intrigued by our synthetic biology approach involving modified yeast and our efforts to bring synthetic biology closer to real world applications. We presented our research, expanding on the implementation of a biological system in wastewater treatment and the safety of treating wastewater with genetically engineered organisms. Our audience, all involved in the strategic development and operation of the on-site Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility and many other treatment plants, engaged with us in an insightful discussion about these topics.During the meeting, we discussed how Loudoun Water’s system was different to ones found in ceiling tile manufacturing. The type and strength of organic compounds in an industrial wastewater treatment (WWT) plant differ from a domestic WWT plant; higher organic loading may persist in industrial wastewater dictating the chemical oxygen demand of the aerobic or anaerobic biomass. We talked about similarities, namely, the effluent water quality that both an industrial and domestic WWT plant strive for, and differences-industrial wastewater plants have an added goal of extracting organic compounds, such as starch, to be recycled back into the production process.Touring the Broad Run Wastewater Treatment Facility that treats 4 million gallons of sewage a day, we learned about the major components of a wastewater treatment plant: clarifiers, biological reactors, thickeners, and specialized membrane filters. Having never visited an industrial plant before, seeing things at work at this massive scale brought to life the treatment plant schematics and blueprints. Furthermore, it raised our awareness of the practical considerations in implementing an industrial solution and the greater community that relies on its proper functioning.
2. Armstrong World Industries Global Headquarters Visit
Oral Presentation to Armstrong Vice Presidents, Senior Program Managers and Technical DirectorsArmstrong Headquarters Lancaster, PennsylvaniaNovember 11, 2015After the completion of our iGEM 2015 research project, we were invited to Armstrong’s global headquarters to present our work. Before this group of engineers, vice presidents, and senior managers, we delivered a presentation of our research and our vision for future work and collaboration. They were very impressed with our approach and the caliber and quality of our research. During the questions and open discussion period, we received their feedback and insight on solving the butyric acid problem. Starch was affirmed as a binder in ceiling tile production process and also an excellent food source for the bacteria. As we steered the discussion towards a future potential implementation with our modified yeast approach, in particular in the primary clarifier of the water treatment plant, one idea that emerged was the possibility of drawing water from the clarifier to be treated in smaller biological reactors with our engineered yeast. We also took a tour of the model plant, led by Mr.Paul Hough. We gained a better perspective of the production process and Armstrong’s dedication to environmental responsibility initiatives; using recycled waste materials, such as waste paper and old ceiling tiles and minimizing waste by recycling wet and dry broke into the manufacturing production chain. We also toured their design/showroom displaying the numerous ceiling tile products from the ubiquitous flat-panel white ceiling tiles to high-end products of contoured geometries, special acoustic and fire-retardant properties. Through the tour and the discussion, we gained an appreciation for Armstrong’s efforts to sustain an environmentally responsible manufacturing business in a competitive global market.
3. Business Communications with Armstrong on Project Funding
November 2015 - October 2016We had made a strong impression and a solid case for continued funding for our synthetic biology project during the November 11 meeting at Armstrong headquarters. A week after that presentation and meeting, we were informed that Armstrong would continue to provide financial support to continue our project research and involvement with iGEM. We prepared and submitted a funding proposal for the next phase of our work. We are extremely grateful to Armstrong, and Mr. Paul Hough in particular, for providing $5,000 in early January, with $4,500 going for iGEM registration and $500 to cover use of resources at the BUGSS community lab.
4. Technical Communications with Armstrong for Project Design, Modeling, and Testing
October 2015 - October 2016
We stayed in email and phone communication with our main point of contact Mr. Paul Hough, Manager of Product Performance. As we brainstormed and planned our new research, we had phone meetings and email communications with Mr. Thomas Woolley, the process control engineer of the Marietta plant, and Mr.Craig Hoosier, a chemical process control engineer. Much of these conversations were also helpful in understanding the process at the board mill in addition to the WWTP. For instance, we learned that higher than normal butyric acid problems occur after plant shutdowns for holidays.We also talked over the phone with Mr. Mike McCarty, a retired Marietta plant operator, to gather information and data on the wastewater treatment process to assist us with modeling. As we approached the stages of designing realistic testing scenarios for our modified yeast, it became evident a visit to the plant was needed. We are thankful to Mr. McCarty for the guided tour of the Marietta facility and Mr. Woolley for accommodating our request to send water samples from 4 locations of the plant’s WWTP.
Marietta, PAAugust 10, 2016Over 5 hours, on a blistering hot summer day, we toured the Marietta plant. We walked through its two main parts; the board mill and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Mr. Mike McCarty, a 30-year retired, veteran plant operator, gave us this tour. After the tour, we came away with a far better understanding of how ceiling tiles are made; from the unloading of raw materials from rail cars and containers to the finished product ready for shipment.Inside the board mill, the raw materials-mineral wool, fiberglass, waste paper, starch and clay- are mixed with recovered scraps and trimmings (called wet and dry broke) from previous batches,and water from the WWTP. The mixture is poured onto a tray, from which water is drained down into a 50,000 gallon white water chest. Water is also suctioned by vacuum. The ensuing ‘wet boards’ are cut and then dried in a series of dryers. After being cut again to the desired ceiling tile size, the boards are painted and packaged. In the board mill, the raw materials are stored and mixed in separate tanks/chests. Some of these tanks/chests are set up to be treated with biocides.Outside the board mill was the sprawling wastewater treatment operations. Water from the board mill is processed in a primary clarifier, a thickener, aeration basins, and secondary clarifiers. The rotating rakes of the massive clarifiers and thickeners control flow rates and provide mechanical agitation. In the two aeration basins, the main goal is to remove soluble organic compounds in the wastewater using bacteria. Dissolved oxygen levels are maintained by bubbling air and mixing to ensure the system does not go anaerobic; because, if not, the bacteria will anaerobically breakdown starch and produce the undesired butyric acid. Process water from the aeration basin flows to the secondary clarifier where biomass (bacterial growth) settles and the activated sludge is largely returned to the aeration basin. The treated water from the secondary clarifier goes to a storage tank from which water is drawn into the board mill. We also visited the lab where water tests are run to measure a variety of plant parameters.Visiting the plant was a great exposure. We learned not merely of the scale of operations but the inter-connectivity of the different plant stages in a continuously running process that had no idle time except for planned maintenance or holiday season shutdowns.Reflecting on this, we pondered about the manufacturing process that is not a simple linear operation from a start-stage to an end-stage; it is one where wastewater and product waste is recycled back into the process. We realized that a problem cropping in any one stage can impact operations not just downstream but also upstream. It also meant that a solution to the butyric acid problem had many possible implementation locations, unlike our prior thinking for a single location for implementation.More knowledgeable after the plant visit on the manufacturing process as a whole, our modeling team spent the next weeks digesting this information and poured over plant schematics, Armstrong’s lab water testing results we were given access to, and all the notes taken during the visit. We considered the higher temperatures of mill processes, the viscosity of mixtures, aeration and agitation already provided in some storage chests, and the impact of bringing in new biological organisms to this environment inside the board mill. We also gave consideration to the water treatment plants outside the board mill as a potential location for the implementation of our solution.
