Three Minute Thesis - Joseph Donohue (1st place)

Joseph Donohue, First place Masters student, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Donohue proposes a new -- and more localized -- way of thinking about wastewater treatment. The basic difference between his system and a conventional one is that, in a conventional system, the bacteria (responsible for cleaning the water) are essentially 'swimming' through the water in order to find food (waste) that they use to grow. In his system, the bacteria grow on small surfaces -- like sand, rocks or