Research in the Behrens lab is focusing on the intersection of microbial ecology, environmental biotechnology, and biochar-based remediation technologies. The Behrens group studies how microbial communities can be leveraged to remove contaminants, recover resources, and improve the sustainability of engineered environmental systems. Recent research in the Behrens lab is using microbial processes and engineered materials such as biochar to address emerging environmental challenges, including contaminant degradation, nutrient management, microplastic pollution, and sustainable water treatment.
Some of our group’s recent research areas include:
- Biochar for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment – Developing biochar materials that enhance microbial degradation of contaminants, improve nitrification in activated sludge systems, and support removal of pollutants from water and soil.
- Urban biochar applications – Ongoing work explores the use of biochar in urban soils and water management systems, with applications in soil remediation, stormwater management, and carbon sequestration.
- Biodegradation of fluorinated compounds – Investigating microbial and biochar-mediated approaches for the transformation and degradation of organofluorine contaminants, an area of growing environmental concern.
- Microplastics in wastewater treatment – Recently launched projects are examining how microplastics behave in wastewater treatment plants and how weathered plastics affect biological nutrient removal and contaminant degradation processes.
- Wastewater microbial ecology – A 2025 study from our group used single-cell and flow-cytometric approaches to characterize shifts in activated-sludge microbial communities during wastewater treatment, providing new insights into microbial community function and process performance.