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A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkie, is among 24 recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for 2015, the foundation announced Sept. 29. Often referred to as the MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award, the “no strings attached” fellowship is given to people with outstanding talent in various fields and includes a stipend of $625,000 paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years to the recipient.
Kartik Chandran, 41, associate professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University, integrates microbial ecology, molecular biology, and engineering to transform wastewater from a troublesome pollutant to a valuable resource. And unlike traditional methods that require vast amounts of energy to do so and leave behind pollutants, Chandran approaches wastewater treatment with the goal of producing useful resources such as fertilizers, chemicals, and energy sources, in addition to clean water, taking into account climate, energy, and nutrient challenges faced today.
He has found that certain combinations of mixed microbial communities, similar to those that occur naturally, can be used to mitigate the harmful environmental impacts of wastewater and extract useful products. For example, Chandran has found an optimal combination of microbes (and associated wastewater treatment technologies) to remove nitrogen from waste while minimizing the release of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
More recently, using ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, Chandran enabled the transformation of bio-generated methane gasinto methanol, a chemical that is both easily transported and widely useful in industry (including the wastewater industry).
“Chandran imaginatively tailors his solutions to be locally appropriate,” a release from MacArthur Foundation said. In rural Ghana, in conjunction with his Engineers without Borders students, he has re-engineered source-separation toilets to both provide sanitation and recover nutrients for use in agriculture.
“Through his groundbreaking research and its practical applications, Chandran is demonstrating the hidden value of wastewater, conserving vital resources, and protecting public health.” the release said.
Chandran has a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. His work has been demonstrated in New York City and Ghana and has been published in such journals as PLoS ONE, Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Science & Technology, and Biotechnology and Bioengineering, among others.
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