Open for collaboration within the Thematic Area 1 – topic 1.1.1 (IA) and Area 2 both topic

CREA is the leading Italian research organization supervised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food, Forestry Policies (Mipaaf). The CREA scientific activity covers crops, livestock, fishery, forestry, agro-industry, food science as well as socio-economic aspects of the agri-food supply chains.
CREA is divided into 12 research centers on the whole Italian territory. Our Research center focuses on animal husbandry and includes 4 Research Units, spread over the Italian territory. The scientific expertise of our Research Unit, within the Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, encompasses laboratory and field activities:
•Laboratory experiments: biohydrogen and biomethane production tests from several conventional and unconventional biomass feedstock, chemical and biological pre-treatments. Laboratory experiments may rely on the availability of several instruments, among others: atomic absorption spectrometer, liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), UV-spectrophotometer, autoanalyzer, bioreactors for H2 and CH4 production tests, 4 CSTR bioreactors (from 1.7 to 8.5 L) with real-time pH measurement and in-line adjustment.
Proteomic and GC-MS analysis on biomass and/or after the pre-treatment. Molecular biology analyses: extraction and amplification of DNA and RNA, sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses. In vitro toxicology, cell biology assays, flow cytometric analysis, ELISA assays, and microscopes in bright fields and fluorescence. These instruments allow for feed and meat analyses; analyses on soil and plant tissues; and analyses related to biogas research (feedstock, metabolic products, process conditions).
•Farm experiments may rely on the nutrition of dairy cows, beef cattle, buffalo, chicken, rabbits, and fish (Sparus aurata).
•Field experiments may rely on the possibility of cultivating feed crops irrigated with alternative/unconventional water sources; the possibility of evaluating the daily growth of animals fed with feed obtained from crops irrigated with water from alternative/non-conventional sources; qualitative evaluation of the composition of the meat, fat, and milk.
•Possibility of hosting agronomic experiments to cultivate non-food/feed crops for energy purposes.
•A two-stage prototype (production of hydrogen and methane). The first stage (H2) 3 m3 reactor, the second stage (CH4) 30 m3 reactor.
Contact: [email protected]

We are available to join a consortium as a partner, offering our experience in laboratory and field experiments into the Water-Energy-Food framework, on the following issues:
1. Wastewater treatment for energy production.
2. Unconventional water sources for feed crop irrigation.
3. Unconventional water sources for irrigation of non-food/feed energy crops.
4. Hydrogen and methane production from alternative energy crops and agricultural residues.
5. Pre-treatments of lignocellulosic biomass
6. Characterization and germination/agronomic tests using digestate as fertilizer.
7. Carbon soil sequestration dynamics.

Bio hydrogen, biomethane, anaerobic digestion, dark fermentation, waste, wastewater valorization, energy, renewable energy, biomass, livestock, animal slurry, meat quality, agrifood, pre-treatments, circular economy, lignocellulose, food security, animal nutrition, water reuse, dairy waste, manure, soil fertility, wastewater treatment, slurry