Quebec City, September 27, 2010 – Rajeshwar Dayal Tyagi, research professor at the INRS - Eau Terre Environnement Research Center, has won the International Water Association's 2010 Global Honour Award for Applied Research in recognition of his work on the bioconversion of waste water and sewage sludge into high-value-added products. This prestigious award, given every two years to distinguished projects from around the world that promote effective, sustainable approaches for water management, was presented to Prof. Tyagi at ceremony held at the Montreal Science Centre as part of IWA's biennial World Water Congress and Exhibition.
The Global Honour Award recognizes the importance of Prof. Tyagi's research in developing environmentally friendly and cost-effective processes for treating wastewater and wastewater sludge to produce enzymes, bioinsecticides, bioherbicides, biofungicides, bioinoculants, and bioplastics. Along with his research team, Prof. Tyagi has made significant advances in environmental biotechnology by creating high value-added products from wastewater sludge and residual biomass, which are normally difficult and expensive to dispose off. Further, using this biomass as raw material can reduce the cost of producing increasingly sought-after biomaterials by 40-60%. Tyagi's work was also recently honored by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, University Research Grand Prize in May 2010.
Double Honors
Professor Tyagi received another distinction on September 23, 2010, when his work in partnership with HET Corporation was recognized at the "Celebrating Partnerships" event organized by Association de la recherche industrielle du Québec (ADRIQ) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Working in collaboration with HET and Fromagerie Perron (a Quebec cheese maker), Professor Tyagi of INRS - Eau Terre Environnement Research Center successfully produced animal feed using lactoserum (a byproduct of the cheese making process). The project, funded by NSERC and the Business Development Bank of Canada, promises to yield significant economic and environmental benefits for society as a whole. Five other successful partnerships were recognized at this event, the first of its kind.
As Canada Research Chair in Bioconversion of Waste Water and Sewage Sludge into High-Value-Added Products, Professor Tyagi uses state-of-the-art equipment to bring various processes for converting waste materials into bioproducts to the pre-commercialization phase. According to INRS executive director Daniel Coderre, "Professor Tyagi's highly original research not only offers concrete solutions to environmental concerns, but also promises economic spinoffs for society as a whole. This research falls squarely within INRS's mission."
INRS is a university dedicated to research and graduate studies. One of Canada's leading research universities in terms of grants per professor, INRS brings together 160 research professors at centers in Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, and Varennes. Conducting the fundamental research essential to the advancement of science in Quebec as well as internationally, INRS research teams also play a critical role in developing concrete solutions to the problems facing our society.
Source: Julie Martineau, Communications Director
Communications Department
INRS
Email: julie.martineau@adm.inrs.ca
Tel.: 418-654-3814