The SCALE project is 3 years old

The Scale (Scandium Aluminium Europe) project became 3 years old on the 30th November, 2019.

The consortium has held its 3 year Project Meeting and the 3rd year Review in Brussels, on 16-17 October, 2019.

Dr. Viktória Feigl and Emese Vaszita attended the meeting on behalf of BME..

BME’s research group is involved in the project with the following main tasks: assessment of the environmental effects of the planned processes, chemicals, wastes and products, environmental risk management, Life Cycle Analysis and development of an environmental database  for scandium bearing wastes (included into the MOKKKA-ENFO database ).

Zsófia Berkl, our PhD student, received the Best Poster Award at EURO CD 2019

We are pleased to announce that our PhD student, Zsófia Berkl, received the Best Poster Award at the 6th European Conference on Cyclodextrins (EURO CD 2019) (https://eurocd2019.com/) organised in Santiago de Compostela, Spain between 2-4 October 2019 for the poster entitled:

The effect of cyclodextrins on the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa – Modulation of quorum sensing

Authors: Berkl, Zs., Molnár, M., Bordohányi Á., Fekete-Kertész, I., Németh, I., Fenyvesi, É., Szente L.

Congratulations Zsófi!

We participated at EURO CD 2019, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2-4 October, 2019

We participated at the 6th European Conference on Cyclodextrins (EURO CD 2019) (https://eurocd2019.com/) organised in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, between 2-4 October, 2019.

The goal of EURO CD 2019 was to offer a multidisciplinary meeting point for scientists involved in cyclodextrin production, chemistry and modelling, or applications in diverse fields including analytical chemistry, drug formulation, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, cosmetics, food, bioremediation and agriculture.

The attendees had an excellent opportunity to learn the latest findings on raw materials, products, procedures and equipment affecting cyclodextrin field, and how to integrate them into the own research, to directly engage people working in complementary fields, make professional connections and create scientific synergies, to discover the similar challenges faced by other researchers and keep the mind open to novel ways of dealing with chemistry, biomedical, food technology and ecological problems exploiting the endless capabilities of cyclodextrins.

Our group was represented at EURO CD 2019 by 3 members: Mónika Molnár, Ildikó Fekete Kertész and Zsófia Berkl, presenting 3 posters.

Mónika Molnár presented a poster on cyclodextrin mediated quorum quenching in the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence model system.

Molnár, M., Berkl, Zs., Németh, I., Fekete-Kertész, I., Márton, R., Timár B., Fenyvesi, É., Szente, L. (2019) Cyclodextrin mediated quorum quenching in the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence model system – Modulation of bacterial communication, (PO-37), https://eurocd2019.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PRELIMINARY-LIST-OF-POSTERS-v3.pdf

Ildikó Fekete Kertész presented the quorum quenching effect of different CD molecules and their derivatives in the P. aeruginosa model system based on pyoverdin and pyocyanin pigment production.

Fekete-Kertész, I., Berkl, Zs., Tóth, Zs., Fenyvesi, É., Szente, L., Molnár, M. (2019) The quorum quenching effect of cyclodextrins on the pigment production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, (PO-92). https://eurocd2019.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PRELIMINARY-LIST-OF-POSTERS-v3.pdf

Zsófia Berkl’s poster presented the study on the effect of cyclodextrines on the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Zs. Berkl, M. Molnár, Á. Bordohányi, I. Fekete-Kertész, I. Németh, É. Fenyvesi, L. Szente (2019) The effect of cyclodextrins on the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa – Modulation of quorum sensing, (PO-36). https://eurocd2019.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PRELIMINARY-LIST-OF-POSTERS-v3.pdf

We participated at ECCE12 and ECAB5 joint congresses in Florence, 14-19, September, 2019

We participated at the joint Congresses ECCE12 (the 12th European Congress of Chemical Engineering) and ECAB 5 (the 5th European Congress of Applied Biotechnology) organised  by the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE)), the European Society of Biochemical Engineering Science (ESBES) and the Italian Association of Chemical Engineering (AIDIC) in Florence between 14-19, September, 2019 (http://www.ecce12-ecab5.org/).

The conferences covered a wide range of research themes under the umbrella of Chemical Engineering and Applied Biotechnology. The topics treated were all typical of Chemical Engineering and Applied Biotechnologies, from the classical ones, like process simulation and reactor design, to the most current ones, like nanotechnologies, bio-fuels, bio-catalysts, food and water, that represent the challenges of the future and are of interest to everybody.

Our group was represented by Emese Vaszita, who presented in an e-poster the most recent results of one of our research topics, biochar, as soil amendment. The poster detailed the results of a laboratory incubation study monitoring the effects of artificial biological aging on the physicochemical, biological and ecotoxicological properties of five biochar types.

The e-poster can be viewed at the conference webpage (Screen 44, P/392): http://www.livecongress.it/posters/public/viewer/C456CB6E#posters/screen-04

The abstract of the presentation is available in the Book of Abstracts, page: 1832-1833 of the Conference:

Molnár, M., Kőszegi, M., Vaszita, E., Gruiz, K., Farkas, É. (2019) Influence of artificial biological aging on physicochemical, biological and ecotoxicological properties of five biochars – a laboratory incubation study, ECCE12, The 12th European Congress of Chemical Engineering, ECAB5, The 5th European Congress of Applied Biotechnology, Florence 15-19 September 2019, Book of Abstracts, pp. 1832-1833, ISBN : 978-88-95608-75-4, DOI: 10.3303/BOA1901

We participated at the ISTA 19 Symposium in Thessaloniki, Greece, August 25-30, 2019

We participated at the 19th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment (ISTA 19) (http://ista19.civil.auth.gr/), hosted by the Division of Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with the Society of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (SECOTOX) in Thessaloniki, Greece, between August 25-30, 2019.

ISTA conference series has been biennial since 1983 and it serves as a catalyst for fruitful exchanges between researchers, managers and legislators involved in all fields of environmental science, safety and health. ISTA provides a forum for discussions dealing with current advances in toxicity and risk assessment, fundamental and innovative concepts in ecotoxicology.

The programme of the symposium can be downloaded from the Symposium webpage:  http://ista19.civil.auth.gr/deadlines-2/

Maria Tolner, on behalf of our group, presented a poster (see title below) in the Soil Microbiology and Ecotoxicity Topic of the Symposium:

Farkas, É., Kerekes, I., Tolner M., Szabó, Á., Vaszita, E. and Molnár, M. (2019) Biochar mediated short-term effects on acidic sandy soil and influence on soil living animal Enchytraeus albidus preference behavioral test as a screening tool to assess soil habitat function, Abstracts ISTA 19 , p. 39.

The abstract of the presentation can be reached in the Book of Abstracts, available at the conference webpage (http://ista19.civil.auth.gr/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Abstracts_ISTA-2019.pdf page 39).

A four volumes book series “Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management” edited by Hungarian scientists was published by CRC Press

A four volumes book series “Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management” edited by Hungarian scientists (Katalin Gruiz: Budapest University of Technology, Budapest, Hungary, Éva Fenyvesi: Cyclodextrin Research and Development Ltd, Budapest, Hungary, Tamas Meggyes: Berlin, Germany) was published by CRC Press, member of the Taylor & Francis publishing group.

The book series deals with environmental management, assessment & monitoring tools, environmental toxicology and risk reduction technologies and focuses on the state of knowledge concerning the environment and its conscious and structured application in environmental engineering, management, decision making and legislation. The members of our research group are amongst the authors of the book series.

Series Titles (the books are still available for purchase)

 Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management: 1. Environmental Deterioration and Contamination – Problems and their Management

1st Edition

Katalin Gruiz, Tamas Meggyes, Eva Fenyvesi
August 08, 2014

Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management: 2. Environmental Toxicology

1st Edition

Katalin Gruiz, Tamas Meggyes, Eva Fenyvesi
April 27, 2015

Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management: 3. Site Assessment and Monitoring Tools

1st Edition

Katalin Gruiz, Tamas Meggyes, Eva Fenyvesi
October 21, 2016

Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management: 4. Risk Reduction Technologies and Case Studies

1st Edition

Katalin Gruiz, Tamás Meggyes, Éva Fenyvesi
January 17, 2019

We participated at the CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS DATA MANAGEMENT & EUROPEAN SCANDIUM INVENTORY WORKSHOPS at Berlin, on 26-27 November 2018

The German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in cooperation with the SCALE Project, organised a workshop on secondary raw materials / urban mining data management in close connection with a scientific exchange platform for stake holders of the European scandium inventory.

Our group was represented at both events.

On behalf of our group, Dr. Éva Ujaczki presented a lecture on the ENFO-MOKKA environmental database, which incorporates the SCALE database planned within the SCALE project.

The SCALE database may include information not only on Sc containing wastes but also on other Critical Raw Materials.

The lecture on the ENFO-MOKKA database (E. Vaszita, V. Feigl, É. Ujaczki, I. F. Kertész, Z. Berkl & M. Molnár, Budapest University of Technology and Economics: Hungarian ENFO MOKKA environmental database: Environmental information on scandium containing wastes) can be reached via the SCALE project website: http://scale-project.eu/scandium-workshop/

Our review paper on the re-use of bauxite residues was published in the Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology

Dr. Éva Ujaczki, as first author, in collaboration with Hungarian, Irish, Swiss and Greek scientists, has presented a stop-gap review article on  bauxite residue in the Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The paper does not only discuss the  re-use options of bauxite residue (red mud), but it outlines  their environmental consequences.

The paper (Éva Ujaczki, Viktória Feigl, Mónika Molnár, Patricia Cusack, Teresa Curtin, Ronan Courtney, Lisa O’Donoghue, Panagiotis Davris, Christoph Hugi, Michael W.H. Evangelou, Efthymios Balomenos, Markus Lenz: Re‐using bauxite residues: benefits beyond (critical raw) material recovery) can be reached via:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jctb.5687.

The work was carried out with the support of a Swiss-Hungarian Sciex project and the Scale H2020 project.