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L´Arena News (22-03-2026)

Significance of the pathogen screening result within the REFRAME framework

The REFRAME project aims to redefine urban wastewater treatment plants by transforming them from end-of-pipe treatment facilities into resource recovery platforms and biorefineries, capable of producing high-value bio-based products such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and functional microbial biomass. This approach aligns with the broader European strategy on circular bioeconomy, where waste streams […]

We are @ Skåne Innovation Day 2025 – December 1, Lund, Sweden

On 1 December 2025, Skåne Innovation Day convened more than 500 researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators and public-sector representatives at The Loop, Science Village in Lund – a full-day regional innovation forum focused on turning ideas into market-ready solutions. The programme spanned the complete innovation journey: from early research and technology development, through test and demonstration environments, […]

ICHEAP17, 17th International Conference on CHEMICAL AND PROCESS ENGINEERING

ICHEAP 2025 – Oral Presentation on Glucose Recovery from Cellulosic Sludge 29 June -2 July 2025, Florence, Italy. This year at ICHEAP (International Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering), I had the pleasure of giving an oral presentation on our recent work focused on the recovery of glucose from cellulose-rich sludge, generated in municipal wastewater […]

Rethinking bioplastics in the REFRAME project

What are PHAs? Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bioplastics synthesized and stored intracellularly by a wide range of bacteria and archaea as a reserve of carbon and energy. PHAs are typically produced through microbial fermentation, where bacteria such as Cupriavidus necator convert carbon-rich substrates —such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs)— into intracellular granules of biopolymer. A promising […]

VFAs and circular economy

What if your city’s wastewater was a source of industrial molecules? Let’s talk about VFAs – volatile fatty acids – and their potential to transform how we view sewage sludge and fermentation. VFAs like acetate, propionate, and butyrate are short-chain organic acids that can be produced naturally through the fermentation of organic waste, thus avoiding […]

Electrofermentation: Steering microbial metabolism with electricity

Simply put, fermentation is a natural process where microorganisms like bacteria or yeast break down sugars (or other organic compounds) without oxygen to gain energy. As they do so, they also produce useful byproducts such as alcohol, lactic acid, or short-chain fatty acids like acetate, butyrate, and propionate, depending on the microbes involved and the surrounding conditions. […]

From sludge to sugars: the role of hydrolysis

In the EU-funded REFRAME project, we aim to convert wastewater treatment plants into circular biorefineries. A key step in this transition is recovering sugars from cellulose-rich streams, such as primary sludge, to feed targeted fermentations and produce value-added compounds. Cellulose is a complex molecule made up of long chains of glucose units. While biodegradable, it […]

Filtration First: A Smarter Way to Treat Wastewater

Revolutionizing wastewater treatment, is it possible? Yes, step by step, with smart upgrades. One of the first impactful actions we can take is applying filtration before wastewater enters the treatment plant. Filtration is a physical separation process that removes suspended solids by passing water through a fine mesh or porous material. Unlike traditional sedimentation, which […]

REFRAME: turning wastewater into a resource

In response to the new EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the REFRAME project is working to transform traditional Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) into Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). Our mission aligns with several key articles of the directive, including Art. 11, and Arts. 14, 15, and 20. 🔋 1. Boosting Energy Efficiency How can REFRAME […]

EU’s New Urban Wastewater Directive

Urban Wastewater: The EU Gets an Upgrade Why this matters: the old rules were established back in 1991, a time when environmental concerns and technological capabilities were vastly different from today. Over the past three decades, significant advancements have been made in understanding and managing what we flush, making an update crucial. To […]

WIN Water Meeting with Sandberg Development – April 10, 2025 | Jägersro, Sweden

In April 2025, REFRAME was selected by WIN Water to present its project during the meeting with Sandberg Development and industrial investors in Jägersro, Sweden. REFRAME is a European research project with a clear ambition: to support the transition of wastewater treatment plants from cost-intensive infrastructure to resource-efficient platforms for bioproduct recovery, combining applied research, […]