Frequently asked questions

Microbial entrapment immobilises selected microorganisms inside a porous polymer hydrogel. The hydrogel protects the microbes from toxicity, low pH, temperature fluctuations and hydraulic stress, and keeps them in the reactor instead of being washed out.

Because the microbes are retained inside the hydrogel, the process avoids growing excess biomass that must be wasted as sludge. In lab trials, sludge fell by up to 40% in municipal wastewater and by up to 85% compared with non-entrapped sulfate-reducing bacteria in mining wastewater.

Yes. At laboratory scale, entrapped sulfate-reducing bacteria performed stably under low pH, high metal concentrations and temperature fluctuations, achieving 2–3× higher sulfate removal rates than conventional systems.

Lab trials recovered up to 95–100% of dissolved metals, including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and rare earth elements (REEs).

Yes. The technology is designed to be retrofitted into existing infrastructure, allowing low-disruption upgrades to treatment capacity and performance.

It has been validated at laboratory scale for municipal and mining wastewater. Current work focuses on advancing its technology readiness level through pilot validation with industry partners.

The composition and method of use are protected by an Australian provisional patent application (No. 2025902658).

Researchers at The University of Queensland. The work is published in peer-reviewed journals, including Bioresource Technology (2025).

We are seeking industry partners for pilot demonstrations and co-development, as well as funding partners. Partners gain early access to the technology and preferential positioning in future commercialisation and spin-out opportunities, including potential equity participation.