Research conducted by the Urban River Lab team has revealed a new natural, zero-kilometer solution for treating wastewater from isolated houses or small urban areas. The Urban River Lab team is  composed of professionals from the Blanes Center for Advanced Studies (CEAB-CSIC), Naturalea Conservació, the University of Barcelona, and the Besòs-Tordera Consortium.

The Centre for Materials Physics (CFM, CSIC-UPV/EHU) has developed a material that can clean water and other fluids contaminated by heavy metals and organic compounds such as pharmaceuticals. Laboratory tests show that the material can trap pollutants with efficiencies close to 100 % in the case of heavy metals, and over 50 % in the case of some organic compounds.

The INIA-CSIC Forestry Research Centre has developed a method to increase the compressive strength and stiffness of packaging paper. Based on the reuse of ligno-cellulose waste, it gives the paper greater strength with less fibre, keeping its performance intact and generating less waste. The absence of sulphur makes the reinforced paper suitable for all types of uses, including food. They are currently looking for companies interested in developing the technology.

Being able to predict the resilience of trees after a fire is essential for decision-making. A team of scientists has developed a device that makes it possible to determine the survival of living tissue under the bark of trees by measuring the electrical resistance.

Scientists at the National Biotechnology Centre are researching to develop industrial processes with a zero CO2 footprint based on recombinant strains of cyanobacteria. They have obtained a cyanobacteria strain that produces sucrose efficiently from CO2, and does not need osmotic stress neither high salinity environments, making it easier to cultivate. Scientists are now working to transfer the method to industry.

CSIC scientists have developed a disposable electrochemical sensor to detect contaminants in water. No sample pre-treatment is required and water can be analysed on site in the field. The sensor can be connected to a portable device, such as a mobile phone, and no specific training is needed to use it.

Estrogenic contaminants dispersed in the environment are a growing cause for concern. A new biosensor can specifically detect the estrogens estradiol and estrone in environmental samples without the need for specialised laboratories, in a fast, efficient and inexpensive process. The device is available for technology transfer.

Scientists at the CSIC have developed biocatalysts that work as biotech tools for the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of o-phtalate (PA), a persistent organic pollutant detected in the environment, and its bioconversion into value-added biodegradable polymers. The invention consists in the generation of recombinant genetic cassettes and bacterial host cells to contain them.