Blog from the Environmental Engineering Research Group at SLU
Jenna Senecal attended a course on Molecular Methods for Detection of Food- and Waterborne Pathogens in Helsinki, Finland (04.03.2018-08.03.2018). The course was taught and attended by top researchers from the Nordic countries. She learned about the latest available technologies for DNA extraction and analyses being used for detecting pathogenic strains of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
Group Photo with PCR
There is a lot going in the SPANS project in Uganda right now.
We have started demonstration units of nutrient-recovery treatment technologies for fecal sludge at the Luibgi wastewater treatment plant in Kampala. Two MSc students from Luleå University of Technology are currently operating demonstration units for treatment with lime and urea. The students are collecting and analyzing samples to determine if the technologies are functioning properly with regard to reduction of public and environmental health risks. They are also doing interviews with workers at the wastewater treatment plant and other stakeholders to understand the levels of acceptance and feasibility of implementing such technologies within the existing management structures. Soon two students from Makerere University will be starting a demonstration unit with Black Soldier Fly composting at the wastewater treatment plant.
SLU and IAS (International Aid services) jointly hosted a round table meeting on the 25th of January in Nairobi, Kenya. Different stakeholders such as local politicians, NGOs and researchers took part in the meeting, to discuss how to jointly solve the sanitation situation in Africa’s largest urban slum, Nairobi’s Kibera.
Participants of the round table meeting. PC: Sheila Gatumu