Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is the oldest university of technology in the Netherlands. It belongs to the top 50 (QS) and 70 (THE) universities worldwide, and top 15 in categories Engineering & Technology and Environmental Sciences. It hosts over 20’000 students and 2’500 scientists. TU Delft harbors key partnerships with governments, branch organizations, consultancies, and the private sector.
The Faculty of Applied Sciences (171 faculty members) focuses on finding innovative solutions to some of the problems faced by society. The development of the fundamental knowledge needed to underpin technical developments is of paramount importance.
The Department of Biotechnology is active from industrial microbiology to environmental biotechnology across biocatalysis, cell system engineering, and bioprocess engineering, within the biotechnology and social dimension.
The internationally acclaimed Environmental Biotechnology Section drives high-level education and research on wastewater treatment and waste-based biorefinery. Its high-profile academics address with their research groups the multiple facets of environmental biotechnology, like biofilms, granular sludge, exopolymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates, mixed-culture fermentation, systems microbiology, and electroactive cable bacteria. Bench-top developments are rapidly translated to full-scale innovations in collaboration with the Dutch Water Boards and engineering companies. Connections to research institutes (e.g., Wetsus, RIVM, KWR) and academic partners from national to international scales foster strong integration of methods and findings into applications.