By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 30, 2026 7:07 pm
The novel three-stage treatment system eliminates the need for energy-intensive sterilisation by using electric pulse technology, allowing water to be reused and biogas to be recovered
Scientists at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, have developed an integrated low-energy wastewater treatment technology that offers a sustainable solution for managing one of the biopharmaceutical industry's most challenging wastewater streams.
The innovation enables safe disinfection of fermentation wastewater while recovering reusable water and methane-rich biogas, reducing dependence on chemical- and steam-based sterilisation.
The laboratory-scale technology replaces conventional sterilisation with Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology, significantly lowering energy consumption and improving resource recovery.
Researchers are now collaborating with Biological E. Limited, a leading vaccine manufacturer based in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, to scale the system for industrial deployment.
Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under its Water Technology Initiative, the project has led to the filing of an Indian patent for the core disinfection technology, titled Voltage-Assisted Inactivation of Bacteria in Wastewater (VAIBaW).
The research was carried out by the BITS Environmental Science and Technology (BEST) Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, led by Prof. Sankar Ganesh Palani, along with Prof. Mithun Mondal from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and research scholar Ravindra Dnyanaba Kulal.
Prof. Sankar Ganesh Palani, Department of Biological Sciences, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, said, "Our integrated approach demonstrates that it is possible to safely disinfect this complex wastewater using electrical pulses while simultaneously recovering valuable resources including reusable water and clean energy.”
“We hope this technology will support industries in reducing their environmental footprint while improving the sustainability of wastewater management,” Palani added.
The researchers have filed an Indian patent for the disinfection technology, titled ‘Voltage-Assisted Inactivation of Bacteria in Wastewater (VAIBaW)’, while a research paper detailing the findings is currently under peer review.