Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2014 Issue 1

Food security is field of major research and investigation to improve and find new resource production systems for a continuously growing world population. The State of Qatar, being arid and with limited arable lands, is increasingly reliant on imported food products and has recently engaged in extensive efforts to advance its challenging strategy to sustainably enhance its food security. Microalgae, found in the local environment and adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, are considered promising candidates to play a central role in this food security strategy since neither arable land nor freshwater are needed for its cultivation. We aim in this study to identify the species and culture conditions for obtaining microalgal biomass as a source for feedstock production. Tetraselmis and Nannochloris isolates were selected from the Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae (QUCCCM) based on preliminary results and extensive available literature review. Salinity and CO2 enrichment experiments were conducted at several levels (i.e. 35, 40 and 45 psu salinities and 3%, 5% and 10% CO2 enrichment), using a photobioreactor cultivation system. Results suggest that 35 psu salinity and 5% CO2 enrichment cultivation conditions are favorable for the protein hyper-producer Tetraselmis strain, while 40 psu salinity and 3% CO2 enrichment are more suitable for the lipid hyper-producer Nannochloris strain. Mineral uptake differed between the two species and between different salinities and CO2 enrichment culture conditions. Tetraselmis contains a higher amount of calcium, while Nannochloris contains a higher amount of potassium. Mineral profiles of the two species responded differently to salinity and CO2 enrichment culture conditions. Biochemical characterization of the obtained biomass suggests that a feed blend using both Tetraselmis and Nannochloris biomasses would provide high quality products with high protein contents, while supplying animals with essential fatty acids (i.e. PUFAs) and mineral ingredients. Recommendations for future research and development efforts are discussed.

Micro algae are a single celled biomass with a very high potential in the biobased economy. In algal biomass cultivation, the harvesting step (i.e., separation of the dilute single cell algae from the growth medium) is a considerable part of the capital and operational cost. These processes typically require the use of high amounts of chemicals and/or a significant energy input. A second important point of attention in algae cultivation is water recycle. Due to the low concentration of the algae in the cultivation (ca. 0,2 g/l dry algae in open ponds and 2 g/l in photobioreactors), large amounts of water need to be processed to produce algae paste. For example in open pond cultivation a production installation of 1000 ton dry algae per year requires about 700 m³/h water to be processed. Thus for large scale installation medium recycle is a sine qua non. A solution that tackles both issues simultaneously is the submerged flat panel membrane system. The membrane system is used as the first dewatering step in a hybrid system of algae harvesting with centrifugation as final concentration. This technology has the potential to lower energy and investment costs compared to centrifugation alone. The technology furthermore has major advantages on water recycling as > 95 % of the water needs to be removed to produce a 20 % paste of algae. As the membranes don't add any chemicals and remove all suspended solids and bacteria, the technology is very promising toward medium recycle. Submerged membrane filtration is preferred over other membrane filtration technologies (e.g. crossflow filtration), due to its low energy demand and low shearing forces. Membrane fouling is controlled by the cleaning effect of coarse bubbling aeration. Additionally, the flat panel membranes used in this study are backwashable (patented flat sheet membrane envelopes with an integrated permeate channel, IPC). The algae filtration experiments were performed on both lab and pilot-scale submerged reactors with different membranes (MF and UF), algae species (Nannochloropsis, Pavlova, Isochrysis, Phaeodactylum), algae concentration, filtration regimes and filtration cycle times and aeration flows. The results show that membrane operation with backwashing results in higher stable fluxes than operation with only relaxation which is the normal operating mode for submerged membranes. Moreover the flux of UF membranes is more stable than MF membranes and that shorter filtration times result in higher stable fluxes (in the backwashing regime). Aeration flow turned out to be critical towards achievable flux levels and the characteristics of the algae suspension. VITO will further develop and optimize the technology for harvesting and water recycle on pilot scale and demonstration scale. The latest information on the developments of this technology will be presented.

MICROBIAL DESALINATION CELL: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR BRACKISH WATER DESALINATION AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT WITH BIOELECTRICITY GENERATION Surajbhan Sevda1, Zhen He2, Ibrahim M. Abu-Reesh*1 1Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The shortage of the fresh water has become a more and more serious issue because of the rapid increase in human population and resource consumption. Although water is an abundant natural resource available in the earth, only 3% of the water is potable and the other 97 % (seawater) is not potable. To meet the demand for fresh water, desalination processes are used for removing salt from seawater. The major limitation with current desalination processes (membrane or thermal) is the high energy requirement. Therefore, new technologies are required to reduce energy consumption by desalination. Among the new developments, microbial desalination cell (MDC) has a great potential as a low-energy desalination process with significant benefits such as simultaneous wastewater treatment. MDC is a new technology in which salt water can be desalinated without using any external energy source (except that for pumping water). The exoelectrogenic-bacteria in the anode of an MDC oxidize biodegradable substrate in wastewater and transfer the electrons to the anode electrode. Those electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode electrode where they are used to reduce external electron acceptors such as oxygen. Unlike microbial fuel cell (MFC) from which an MDC is derived, an MDC contains a middle chamber between the anodic and cathodic chambers formed by a pair of anion exchange membrane and cation exchange membranes. This middle chamber works as a desalination chamber like that in an electrodialysis (ED). The potential difference between the anode and cathode electrodes drives the migration of ions out of the desalination chamber, with cations (Na+) migrating to the cathodic chamber and anion (Cl-) moves to the anodic chamber. As a result, salts are removed from the saltwater. MDC technology could be attractive in Qatar and the region because of strong demand for cost effective desalination technologies for desalination of seawater through linking to conventional desalination process, or of brackish water. This paper will introduce the fundamentals and future prospects of MDC technology.

Improved Acid Stimulation in Carbonates: impact of acid types and flow rate on reactive transport mechanisms Oussama Gharbi1, Stefan Goedeke2, Mohammed Al-Sammarraie2, Nour El Cheikh Ali1, Saqer Al-Shahwani2, Pascal Chenevière1, Dominique Guérillot2 and Philippe Julien1 1 TOTAL E&P Golfe ltd - Qatar branch , 2 Qatar Petroleum Research & Technology Centre Acid stimulation in carbonates is a reactive transport mechanism where transport dynamics are coupled with reaction kinetics. Accurate description of reactive transport in heterogeneous porous media still represents a scientific challenge. One of the main objectives of acid stimulation treatments in carbonate reservoirs is to achieve a good zonal coverage with the acid, especially to unlock low permeability hydrocarbon regions. However, field applications show that acid stimulation leads to a poor increase of permeability in the targeted region as well as an increase in water production. In this joint research program between Qatar Petroleum and TOTAL, we aim to develop and test novel pumping sequences of fluids in order to improve acid stimulation efficiency in mature carbonate reservoirs. We performed high pressure and temperature single and dual core flooding experiments over a range of four different carbonate samples with different permeabilities and pore structures. Live and emulsified acids were used as well as Relative Permeability Modifiers (RPMs) and particle-laden diverters. Changes in permeability were measured in real time during the injection across the length of the cores. In addition, pre and post-injection micro-CT scanning allowed the visualization of different dissolution patterns (mainly dominant wormholing). Changes in porosity induced by the chemical reactions were also deduced based on image analysis. We compared the response of different acid types and assess the impact of RPMs on brine and oil flow. Results show the impact of flowrate and acid type on reactive transport mechanisms. The measurements of pore volume to breakthrough are discussed. The insights into different pumping strategies can be used to different other applications such as carbon storage in heterogeneous carbonates.

The Al Shaheen oil field is located approximately 80 km north-east of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf. The area hosts a highly productive marine environment due to a combination of complex currents and high temperatures. The diverse marine fauna is exemplified by one of the world largest aggregations of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) that return to this area every summer. The research has demonstrated that whale sharks come here to feed on the high concentration of tuna mackerel spawn (Euthynnus affinis). Over the past four years the Qatar Whale Shark Research project (www.qatarwhalesharkproject.com) has used novel acoustic and telemetric technologies to describe the demography and behaviour of the Arabian Gulf whale shark population. More than 70 whale sharks have been fitted with acoustic tags to be able to identify their main aggregation sites within the Al Shaheen oil field. Photo identification of more than 300 individuals and satellite telemetry tracking has confirmed the Arabian Gulf as a highly important habitat. Detailed hydrological modelling has been initiated in order to better describe the currents that influence the spawning location of the tuna mackerel and if they influence the movements of the whale sharks in the Arabian Gulf. Acoustic data loggers have also been deployed for monitoring the diurnal and seasonal presence of marine mammals based on their vocalisation. Several species of dolphins have already been identified including Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis), and Dwarf spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris roseiventris). The high concentration of these species in the Al Shaheen field might be a result of the reef-effect associated with offshore platforms. Images taken by Remote Operated Vehicles demonstrate extensive marine growth on the subsea structures that again attracts numerous pelagic species. More than 30 fish species have been identified so far including top predators such as Scalloped hammerhead(Sphyrna lewini), Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), and Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum). The research is based on collaboration with both international and Qatar based researchers representing universities, government and the oil industry. The data will make it possible for relevant authorities and industry operators to take appropriate action in order to secure the protection of biodiversity in the Arabian Gulf.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the geochemical behavior of Re and Os in petroleum in the context of the Re-Os radiometric age dating of petroleum. Rhenium (Re) and osmium (Os) are organophile elements. For this reason, the 187Re-187Os radiogenic system is well adapted to date organic-rich rocks such as source rocks. Absolute datation of source rocks is more particularly important for Petroleum Systems knowledge. Recently, it was suggested that the Re-Os system could also be used to date hydrocarbon generation (Selby and Creaser, 2005). However, the meaning of the obtained age is ambiguous. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge about the geochemical behavior and the speciation of Re and Os in oils. Specifically, using the Re-Os geochronometer requires a complete system reset (corresponding to an age of 0) during the hydrocarbon generation and the system to remain closed through geological times and events. Moreover, additional conditions are necessary as the isotopic homogenization of oils at the scale of a basin and the chemical fractionation of Re from Os to obtain samples with various Re/Os ratios. If one of these steps is not fulfilled, no age can be measured, that why it is essential to develop a better understanding of the geochemical behavior of these elements. Several key events may have a significant influence on Re and Os partitioning such as the formation, primary and secondary migration or alteration of petroleum in reservoirs. Formation was already studied through artificial maturation (Rooney et al., 2012). However, the other aspects have to be investigated. To try to better understand Re-Os chemical behavior in hydrocarbons, we performed experiments to simulate possible events occurring during migration and reservoir storage such as asphaltenes partial deposition (Mahdaoui et al., 2013) and contact with an aquifer (Mahdaoui et al., submitted). After chemical treatment of samples, Re and Os concentrations were determined by isotope dilution. Re and Os isotopic compositions used for concentration calculations were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and by Negative Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (N-TIMS), respectively. Results of our experiments enable us to constrain the processes which control most likely Re and Os content in oil and thus they provide a firm basis to characterise Petroleum System events that are actually dated by the Re-Os geochronometer, e.g.: genesis, migration or reservoir filling. REFERENCES Mahdaoui, F., Reisberg, L., Magali, P., Poirier, Y. Behavior of Re and Os during contact between an aqueous solution and oil. Submitted Mahdaoui, F., Reisberg, L., Michels, R., Hautevelle, Y., Poirier, Y. and Girard, J.-P., 2013. Effect of the progressive precipitation of petroleum asphaltenes on the Re-Os radioisotope system. Chemical Geology, 358, 90-100. Selby, D., Creaser, R.A., 2005. Direct radiometric dating of hydrocarbon deposits using Rhenium-Osmium isotopes. Science, 308, 1293-1295. Rooney, A.D., Selby, D., Lewan, M.D., Lillis, P.G., Houzay, J.P., 2012. Evaluating Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sedimentary rocks in response to petroleum generation using hydrous pyrolysis experiments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 77, 275-291.

Sawda Nathil is one of a series of inland depressions that extend nearly continuously from Umm Bab along the Saudi Arabia-Qatar border to Khor Al Adid. Six to eight thousand years ago, these depressions were marine embayments that separated the peninsula of Qatar from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Narrow land bridges connected Qatar, restricting the migration of people and animals. These embayments infilled rapidly with dune sands blown southward from Qatar. Since then, they have become progressively more evaporitic. Inland depressions like Sawda Nathil represent unique environments of Qatar. Most depressions are close to or below sea level. This brings groundwater to the surface in the driest parts of Qatar. Evaporation to salt saturation creates thick gypsum and salt crusts (sabkhas), as well as shallow hypersaline ponds (salinas) with spectacular microbial gypsum stromatolites. The present ground surface is a mosaic of relict marine facies, deflated dune sands, inland sabkhas, and salinas. The study area is located along the eastern margin of the Sawda Nathil depression. Four shallow cores were taken at the sabkha area surrounding the salina. A total of 30 sediment samples and an additional 5 samples from the stromatolitic salina deposits were collected for thin section and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Radiocarbon (AMS) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age-dating were carried out on three samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses was carried out on samples from a gypsum stromatolite. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dates for marine shells and the enclosing sediment provide ages of approximately 6,000 years before present (yr BP) and coincide with a well-documented highstand, when sea level was 2 to 4 meters higher than present. These beach deposits are interpreted to represent remnants of the post-glacial Holocene transgression which began about 18,000 years ago and reached its highest level during the Late Holocene about 6,000 years ago. The sabkhas (gypsum and salt flats) and salinas (saline ponds) are younger, associated with infilling of the embayments, related to a drop of sea level to present day. SEM examination of gypsum stromatolite samples show gypsum crystals developing in close spatial association with microbial biofilms (filamentous structures). Whether this is a purely passive microbially-influenced gypsum mineralization process or whether the microorganisms actively control the mineralization process in order to obtain ecological advantages, remains to be evaluated. Studying and documenting different types of microbial sedimentary structures preserved in gypsum is of particular interest, not only in the field of petroleum geology, but also in the field of exobiology. Whereas carbonate minerals are quantitatively the most important sediment for preserving morphological biosignatures on Earth, the most relevant chemical sediments on Mars are likely sulfate minerals. Gypsum has been widely detected on Mars and is interpreted to have formed under evaporitic conditions broadly similar to those characterizing terrestrial sabkha and salina environments of Qatar.

Dolomite is an important constituent of many economically important gas and oil reservoir rocks. Studies conducted in modern environments combined with microbiological laboratory experiments have shown that microbes and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play an important role for the formation of primary dolomite at Earth's surface conditions. These studies showed that, at low temperature, Mg is incorporated into the carbonate mineral exclusively in the presence of specific organic molecules. However, because the organic molecules involved in the mineralization process rarely survive metamorphism and are usually not preserved in the carbonate mineral, identifying microbial dolomite in ancient rocks represents a challenging task. It remains, as yet, unclear what percentage of sedimentary dolomite is a primary microbially mediated precipitate vs. a secondary replacement product that formed during diagenesis or at high temperatures during metamorphism. A useful approach for evaluating the microbial origin of ancient dolomite is that of searching for microfossils and other microstructures of biological origin associated with the dolomite crystals. Here, we present the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations of various ancient sedimentary dolomites. Several investigated samples include abundant filamentous microstructures that we interpret to be mineralized EPS. In some cases, these filaments form a well-structured alveolar pattern, whose architecture appears too complex to be the result of an abiotic process. In order to reinforce our interpretation, we also investigated modern biofilms, which include microstructures of EPS that are morphologically identical to the mineralized and preserved EPS in ancient dolomites. In some rare cases, we also found microfossils (i.e. mineralized cells) in close spatial association with the dolomite crystals. These occurrences are remarkable, considering that it is commonly thought that only chert has the potential of preserving the soft tissues constituting microbial cells. Although we cannot prove conclusively that the fossilized cells and EPS mediated the formation of the adjacent dolomite crystals, our results indicate that dolomite formation took place in environments where microorganisms and biofilms were an important component of the depositional setting. The "microbial factor", which has been proven to be essential for the precipitation of dolomite at low temperature in modern environments, may, therefore, have also been active during the formation of these ancient carbonates.

The United Nations 2010 Climate Change Conference in Cancun (The Cancun Agreements) reached a verdict on climate change as one of the greatest challenges of our time and that deep cuts in emissions are required to prevent its potentially devastating effects. Energy is currently a vital global issue given the likely depletion of current resources (fossil fuels) coupled with the demand for higher-performance energy systems. Today the world face an urgent need for renewable energy technologies; solar power—the direct exploitation of the ultimate energy source for nature and our planet—should be one of these. Organic electronics has made enormous scientific and commercial progress over the last 10 years, mainly driven by the potential of applications such as light-emitting diodes(OLEDS) for display and large area lighting, field effect transistors (OFETs) for flexible backplanes and e-paper and solar cells (OPV) for large area energy generation. Much of this work has been motivated by the fact that organic semiconductors can combine the superb mechanical and processing characteristics of plastics with a variety of printing techniques, enabling large-area, low-cost manufacturing. Bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaic (BHJ OPV) cells are a potential competitor to amorphous silicon-based technologies. Because of the ready availability of carbon feedstocks and numerous and flexible synthetic pathways, organic compounds are attractive materials for solar cell applications. OPV cells have experienced tremendous progress in performance during the last three years, with power conversion efficiency (PCE) now routinely surpassing 9%, attracting industries to commercialize these high-tech devices. A promising strategy to improve the performance in FETs and OPVs has been the inclusion of fused aromatic heterocycles into the conjugated polymer backbone. One such fused heterocycle of considerable recent interest and promise, is dithienopyrrole (DTP). Low band gap co-polymers of N-alkylated or N-arylated DTPs show promise as the active components in OPV and FETs. However their device performance has been limited by the propensity for the DTP to be readily oxidised. In addition to limiting the ambient stability of FETs under operating conditions, the low ionisation potential of DTP containing polymers limits the available open circuit voltage available in bulk heterojunction OPV devices, thus limiting efficiency. In the light of this we were interested in developing analogues of DTP which would demonstrate improved oxidative stability, by replacement of the flanking thiophene groups with more electron deficient thiazole groups to produce a fused dithiazolopyrrole (DTzP). We have developed a route to novel dithiazolopyrrole monomers and incorporated them in donor acceptor co-polymers, they have been successfully co-polymerised with thiophene, selenophene, thienothiophene and bithiophene by microwave assisted Stille polycondensation. The resulting polymers exhibited small optical band gaps combined with low lying HOMO energy levels, high ionization potential and good solubility in most common organic solvents and show promise for use in optoelectronic devices. Further investigations into their photovoltaic performance are ongoing which would be coupled with industrial partners in Qatar.

DNA barcoding, as a fast and reliable technique, has already gained tremendous popularity among the biologists for identification of animals. Like other animal groups, an international consortium named Fish Barcode of Life (FISH-BOL) has been initiated with a target of barcoding all the fish species. DNA barcoding is a molecular approach to identifying species by comparing sequences of a short DNA fragment of an unknown sample derived by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) against the sequence of known species through alignment and phylogenetic tree construction. As a barcode, approximately 650 bp from the 5' end of Cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene of the mitochondrial genome has been found to be most effective in identifying fish and other animals with a high discrimination power. The objective of the study was to identify Sheirii (Lethrinus nebulosus) based on mitochondrial CO1 gene sequence-based DNA barcode. Sheirii samples were collected from Al Khor by the Department of Fisheries. Total DNA was extracted from the fin tissue using QIAGEN tissue/blood DNA extraction kit. PCR was conducted using universal primer pairs designed for the mitochondrial CO1 barcode region of animals. Both strands of the PCR-derived fragment of approximately 650bp were sequenced using a Big Dye Terminator kit (Applied Biosystems) and an ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer. The molecular identification of the species was performed by comparing 601 nucleotide sequences of sheirii CO1 gene with those of relevant species collected from the GenBank using basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). The BLAST alignment of the sequence obtained in the present study showed 100% identity with the CO1 gene sequence of Lethrinus nebulosus available in the gene bank. Thus, the sheirii sample from Qatar has been correctly identified by the DNA barcoding technique. The findings of this study will be included in the databank of the FISH-BOL that are available for molecular identification of fish eggs, larvae and stomach contents of other predator fishes, processed fish and fish products in Qatar and worldwide. Molecular identification and assessing biodiversity would help implementing the national plan for sustainable utilization and conservation of local fish species.

The Holy Quran and Hadith mentioned more than 50 plants, include wild plants, cultivated plants, annual plants, perennial plants, shrubs and trees. Qatari plant genetic resources facing with many challenges and risks, human activity, desertification, overgrazing, Climate change and global warming. Conservation of plant genetic resources has become the biggest challenge today, this paper focuses initially on ex-situ conservation of the Qur'anic plants is the method of conservation of all stages of biodiversity outside their natural habitats using different methods. The genetic resources department collection missions 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Qatar Peninsula, following the principals and guidelines of Plant genetic resources collections set by Biodiversity International, in this case we selected Zizyphus spina-christi, Acacia tortilis, Salvadora persica, and Citrullus colocynthis to conduct some ecophysiological studies. According the standard gene banks management and the international conservation rules, the staff of genetic resources department make a survey, collect plant genetic resources materials, characterization, documentation and preservation process, cleaning, drying, seed germination, viability test, packaging and storing were applied for seeds of some Qatari wild plants mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadith they conserved in genetic resources department, ministry of environment for environmental sustainability for genetic resources. The final results reported the need to preserve these important Qur'anic plants species in the gene bank and it has been conserved the seeds of those species in storage units short-term, medium-term and long-term conservation. The herbarium specimens were conserving in the appropriate herbarium units, under international standards, and we have been sent a copy of the herbarium specimens to Kew Herbarium - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK to be Gift and confirm the scientific classification and DNA was extracted and stored in units equipped for this purpose.

In Flanders, households, industry, energy and agriculture consume significant amounts of water. As a consequence of the high population density, the water availability is rather low. This causes an imbalance between water demand and water availability. To protect groundwater resources for public water and to prepare for prospective water shortages in relation to changing climate scenarios, De Watergroep, a Flemish water company, aims to improve its water management. To evaluate the possibility for the application of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques in Flanders, a literature study on existing MAR applications in Flanders was carried out, followed by a detailed screening of 1) potential aquifers and 2) water production sites of De Watergroep. According to the literature study, only at 2 waterproduction facilities in Flanders (i.e. St. André1 and Grobbendonk2) MAR techniques have been implemented by means of infiltration ponds. Rapid screening of the potential for MAR for existing water production facilities indicates that MAR techniques using temporary water storage in a riverbed (e.g. percolation tanks, underground dams, sand dams, recharge releases) are not relevant. In Flanders rivers drain the water table which is connected to the surface water level and, in contrast to arid regions, the rivers contain water permanently. The only feasible MAR techniques for Flanders are infiltration basins, riverbank infiltration and injection techniques. According to the geohydrological context of aquifers at water production facilities, the geochemical composition of the raw water, the presence of an industrial water softening plant, and additional water resources, it was concluded that: *infiltration or injection, in unconfined aquifers is in general not a plausible option, because of the high groundwater level, the low storage capacity and the limited aquifer thickness (<25 m). *deep infiltration or injection in unconfined aquifers can be considered at locations characterised by positive relief forms. These areas however, are characterised by iron-bearing deposits enhancing the risk of iron precipitation and well clogging. *the aquifers characterised by optimum geohydrologic conditions with respect to aquifer thickness (50 m), hydraulic conductivities (30 - 40 m/d) and specific yield (40 - 60 m³/h/m) are not considered, because in the respective area there is no need for additional water storage. Finally, out of 78 water production facilities, for 2 sites with favorable conditions a conceptual model for the application of AS(T)R has been worked out (Table 1). Depending on further modelling results a pilot test will be worked out. Since Qatar faces significant increases in peak water demand due to its growth in population, industrial activities and the organization of sport events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup Football, the evaluation and implementation of MAR techniques is essential to assure the required drinking water production. A similar approach as applied for Flanders, i.e. evaluation of applicable MAR techniques, screening of potential aquifers and design of a conceptual model is recommended. References 1.Van Houtte E. et al. (2012) 2.Feyen J. (2001)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of fifteen chemical elements in the periodic table. They are 15 lanthanides besides (scandium and yttrium). These elements are commonly found in the same mineral assemblages because of similar physical and chemical properties. REEs are critical for several high technologically industries such as hybrid cars, batteries, electronics, clean energy (wind turbines). The presence of REEs in Jordanian phosphate waste which currently dumped to the desert may have an economic value since large amount of phosphate rock are used in fertilizers industry annually. REE extraction from phosphate mine waste will not only improve the profitability of phosphate mine but conserve the natural resources. Furthermore, REEs extraction from phosphate tailings and slime will reduce the cost of mining and beneficiation as well as reduces the environmental impact of these effluents. In this work, we digested dried and finely ground phosphate slime and tailings by diluted phosphoric acid and sodium carbonate in specially designed reactor at temperature 72 Co for 3 hours. Then the leachate was filtered and TBP solvent was used to extract REE. Finally phosphoric acid was produced from the raffinate by conventional method i.e. addition of concentrated sulfuric acid. It was found that that Jordanian phosphate have 59.8 ppm TREE (Ce, La, Y, Eu). HREE (Y, Eu ) represents 83% while 17 % are LREE( Ce, La) . A linear relationship was also found between phosphate and REE which may be due to isomorphism of REE- ions with other ions in apatite / Francolite crystal, most likely Ca+2. The results also showed that Slime contain 28% of the phosphate REE while Tailings contain 50 % of REE. Therefore, mixing slime and tailings for REE leaching and extraction may be justified. However, it was found that in high phosphate medium it is better to precipitate REE by oxalic acid instead of TBP solvent. REE recovery was 35% by oxalate precipitation compared to 7 % by TBP extraction.

Solar energy conversion in oxygen evolving organisms occurs in two separate reaction center protein complexes called photosystems I and II. In each, light induces the transfer of electrons, via a series of protein bound pigment acceptors, across a biological membrane. The very high efficiency of light induced electron transfer is related to the electronic and structural organization of these protein bound electron acceptors. To study the electronic and structural organization of these acceptors in the protein binding site we have used time-resolved visible and infrared difference spectroscopy. In photosystem I a highly reducing phylloquinone functions as an intermediary in electron transfer. Phylloquinone is bound to the protein in the, so called, A1 binding site, and it is the nature of this binding that makes phylloquinone so reducing. To probe the properties of the A1 binding site we have made use of a mutant cyanobacterial strain that allows different quinones to be easily incorporated into the A1 binding site. To verify the extent of quinone incorporation into the A1 binding site we have used nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in the visible spectral region. To probe the molecular properties of the introduced quinones in both the neutral and anion states, we have used microsecond time-resolved FTIR difference spectroscopy at 77 K. The time resolved FTIR difference spectra display a multitude of bands that are associated with both the quinone and the protein binding site. The convoluted nature of the spectra makes interpretation difficult. However, by comparing spectra obtained for photosystem I particles with four different quinones incorporated (phylloquinone, 2-methyl naphthoquinone, plastoquinone and dichloro naphthoquinone) we have been able to distinguish quinone infrared absorption bands from protein bands. To complement the experimental work and to aid in FTIR difference band assignment we have used quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics computational methods to simulate the infrared difference spectra associated with the different quinones in the protein binding site.

With proper treatment to remove organics and inorganics, the produced water (PW) generated during oil and gas extraction can be reused as process water. Biotreatment is generally regarded as the most cost-effective method for organics removal and although widely used in industrial wastewater treatment, PW biotreatment installations are limited. The research described in this paper focused on the aerobic biotreatment of PW from the Qatari "North Shore" gas field supplemented with either 1.5% kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) or 1.5% thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor (monoethylene glycol, MEG). KHI and MEG are "field chemicals" added off-shore during the winter months. This research was part of a larger project assessing the biotreatability of produced water from both summer and winter seasons. Although the feed pH was 4.5 and the biomass used as seed was cultured at pH 5.5, the bioreactor pH stabilized at 2.6 when KHI or MEG were added. Active biological oxidation was demonstrated in our tests for a period of 7 months through COD tests and in-situ dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements. When 1.5% KHI in PW was added to the bioreactor, the DO decreased sharply and the OUR increased quickly from 0.2 to 1.9 mg O2/L.min. The COD results indicated that 43% and 81% of the organics present were removed through biotreatment of PW dosed with 1.5% KHI or MEG respectively. The concentration of 2-butoxyethanol (one of the two main components in KHI) was reduced from >5,000 mg/l to <10 mg/L indicating effective biodegradation of these chemicals even under the acidic conditions of our reactor. Removal of KHI and MEG by simple stripping was also investigated and results indicated that stripping was not responsible for significant COD removal. Literature references on aerobic biological activity at pH 2.6 are scarce. We postulate that the biological activity in our reactor is producing acids that resulted in the pH depression. One possible mechanism by which the acid production could have occurred through the bio-oxidation of either KHI and MEG has been developed and will be included in this presentation. A discussion of the specific fungus believed to be responsible for this unexpected biological activity is also included. The results are aligned with the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and fall directly within "Energy and Environment" Research Theme of the QNRS in two areas: i) water security, and ii) energy security. With the recent announcement that Qatargas is building a water reuse system incorporating membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis technologies, the research results are particularly relevant.

More than 50% of the world's hydrocarbons reserves are contained in carbonate reservoirs. Carbonate rocks have a very complicated and heterogeneous porous structure in comparison with sandstone reservoir rock [1]. To understand the transport processes in any porous medium, we need to enhance our knowledge of the geometry and topology of the porous media [2]. Our understanding of porous carbonate rocks in this respect is still very limited in comparison with sandstones. In the last few years, pore scale studies have revolutionised the fundamental understanding of complex fluid flow processes in the field of groundwater remediation, oil industry and environmental issues related to carbon storage and capture. Therefore, in this work we present advances in several multi-scale imaging techniques to obtain 2D and 3D images at pore scale (voxel size 1- 10µm) using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM)and Micro CT imaging as shown in Figure 1 . We will also discuss a novel technique of CLSM to obtain 2D images with a large field of view, including advantages and limitations for scanning porous carbonate rocks. We then describe approaches to extract statistical information about total, macro and micro-porosity from 2D large field of view CLSM and validate the results using Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MICP). In this work, using the image processing techniques for different phase segmentation, we study the effect of scanned resolution images on porosity and permeability using Lattice Boltzmann simulation and pore network modelling. Finally, we describe the recent development of lattice-Boltzmann (LB) simulations for the prediction of multi-phase flow properties in complex carbonate pore space images; as potential element of Special Core Analysis (SCAL); and for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) operations. We introduce a GPU algorithm for large scale LB calculations, offering greatly enhanced computing performance in comparison with CPU calculations. References [1] Knackstedt, M., Arns, C., Ghous, A., Sakellariou, A., Senden, T., Sheppard, A., Sok, R., Averdunk, H., Val Pinczewski, W., Padhy, G.S., Ioannidis, M.A., 3D Imaging and flow characterization of the pore space of carbonate rock samples, International Symposium of the society of Core Analysts., SCA2006-23, Norway [2] Baldwin, C.A., Sederman, A.J., Mantle, M.D., Alexander, P., Gladden, L.F., Determination and characterization of the structure of a pore space from 3D volume images, Journal of Colloid and Interface Sciences., 181 (79-92), 1996.

The urban heat island, in which air temperatures in urban environments tend to be higher than in rural areas, is a well-known and widely studied phenomenon. During heat waves, the urban heat island is known to exacerbate the impact on population health. Including urban heat island effects in the formulation of heat warnings, climate change adaptation plans is therefore essential and part of a sustainable urban development in general. Given the extreme climate of Qatar, heat stress is a prime concern, not only from health perspective, but also e.g. from an energy consumption perspective (cooling demand). Few studies have however been performed for arid or tropical cities. Results indicate that in desert city areas, the typical pattern of a hot urban core is often inverted, with downtown areas appearing cooler compared to the suburbs , which obviously adds to the complexity of understanding the urban climate dynamics in such cities. An important difficulty often encountered with typical numerical climate models is the limited resolution and long integration time, making them difficult to use when studying urban and intra-urban variations especially in the context of climate change. In this contribution, we will present a new urban climate model, further referred to as UrbClim , designed to cover agglomeration-scale domains at a spatial resolution of a few hundred metres. This model is composed of a land surface scheme containing simple urban physics, coupled to a 3-D atmospheric boundary layer module. In the land surface scheme, urban terrain is represented as an impermeable slab with appropriate parameter values for albedo, emissivity, and aerodynamic and thermal roughness length, and accounting for anthropogenic heat fluxes. Despite its simplicity, UrbClim is found to be of the same level of accuracy than more sophisticated models. At the same time, the urban boundary layer climate model is faster than high-resolution mesoscale climate models by at least two orders of magnitude. Because of that, the model is well suited for long time integrations, in particular for applications in urban climate projections. Within the EU RAMSES (Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for citiES, http://www.ramses-cities.eu) and NACLIM (North Atlantic Climate, http://www.naclim.eu ) projects, the UrbClim model has been set up for a large number of cities : Antwerp, London, Bilbao, Berlin, Hyderabad, New York, Rio De Janeiro and Skopje. We will present results and comparisons for these cities as well as detailed validations against air temperature measurements. Furthermore, a coupling was established between UrbClim and CMIP5 ensemble climate projections employed by the IPCC taking full advantage of the fast integration time of the model and allowing assessment of the urban heat island effects under future climate conditions. In addition, we will present an application of the UrbClim model on the city of Doha, Qatar, assessing it's applicability for very arid climatic conditions.

A radio-analytical technique for determination of plutonium (Pu) isotopes in soil samples is tested against NIST and IAEA standard reference materials to determine its accuracy and precision for reliable results. The technique is then used in the investigation of 132 topsoil samples, collected from the natural environment of Qatar, to assess the effect of global fallout accumulation of these radionuclides in the region. Plutonium was sequentially leached form 1000 g of each soil sample using nitric and hydrochloric acids. The residual fine particles were separated by filtration and centrifuge. The solution was reduced to 1 ml by evaporation in dry oven and measured directly by CRC-ICP-MS/MS without prior chemical separation of Pu. The concentrations of 238Pu in the collected soil samples vary from < 0.026 - 0.058 fg/g (< 0.0160 - 0.0266 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 0.034 fg/g (0.0195 Bq/kg) and a median value of 0.032 fg/g (0.0195 Bq/kg). The concentrations of 239Pu fall in the range 5.67 - 166.09 fg/g (0.014 - 0.381 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 67.33 fg/g (0.154 Bq/kg) and a median value of 63.21 fg/g (0.145 Bq/kg). The concentrations of 240Pu fall in the range 1.48 - 28.21 fg/g (0.013 - 0.240 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 11.46 fg/g (0.098 Bq/kg) and a median value of 10.835 fg/g (0.093 Bq/kg). The isotopic and activity concentrations ratios of 238Pu/239Pu, 240Pu/239Pu, and 238Pu/239+240Pu can be used to identify the source. The main isotope ratios of 238Pu/239Pu in Qatari soils is (3.33 ± 1.02) x 10-4. A reported global and Chernobyl fallouts isotope ratio of 238Pu/239Pu are 1.77 x 10-4 and 4.3 x 10-3, respectively. The main isotope ratio of 240Pu/239Pu in Qatari soils is 0.1749 ± 0.0211. A reported global and Chernobyl fallouts isotope ratios of 240Pu/239Pu are 0.18-0.19 and 0.34-0.57, respectively. The average isotopic and activity ratios of 238Pu/239,240Pu in Qatari soils are (2.856 ± 0.881) x 10-4 and 0.0505 ± 0.0032, respectively. The activity ratio 238Pu/239+240Pu in releases from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, nuclear tests, weapons grade, and Chernobyl fallout are about 0.25, 0.026, 0.014 and 0.47, respectively. Accordingly, it is difficult to identify the source, but it may be due to the contribution of more than one source. The most probable sources are both Chernobyl fallout of Pu isotopes and several decades of fallout Pu accumulation due to nuclear weapons testing. Novel Aspect New data base was established for the concentration and isotope ratios of Pu isotopes (238Pu, 239Pu, and 240Pu) in Qatar topsoil.

European Union's energy goals for 2020, inclusion of aviation in EU ETS since 2012 and the important increase of CO2 emissions in Southern Mediterranean countries, all justify to pay careful attention to the challenges of the carbon constraint at the Euro-Mediterranean scale. The notion of "carbon constraint" stems from the application of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and from the Kyoto Protocol that resulted in the implementation of the EU ETS in European Union countries. Contrary to European countries that committed to emissions reductions goals ("Annex I countries" of UNFCCC and "Annex B countries" of Kyoto Protocol), Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries (SEMC), like other emergent countries, apply the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" that exempt them from adopting any binding emission reductions goals. The extension of the EU ETS, with the auctioning of emission credits as of 2013, and the evolution, even though difficult, of international climate negotiations might nevertheless modify the situation of unbalanced commitments that prevails between Northern countries and Southern countries (section 1). Moreover, if the carbon constraint for European countries remains today soft, it might on a short or medium term generate several economic and social impacts, and potentially on the regional trade (section 2). Several green initiatives undertaken on the Southern shore to develop environmental policies and new carbon market mechanisms have to be supported so as to limit these negative impacts and to implement a virtuous regional momentum (section 3).

This work presents a recent progress on the polyanionic phosphate family that functions as cathode materials in sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Firstly, this study will cover vanadium-containing frameworks that show very stable voltage curves in different potential regimes with advantageous behaviors such as single flat voltage plateaus and the presence of intermediate phases that are beneficial for cell kinetics. In the second part of our study, some anomalous manganese activation in the SIBs pyrophosphate family that overcomes the chronic Jahn-Teller distortion, in contrast to the Li counterparts will be introduced. By employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it is figured out that such anomalous activation is originated from its unique crystal structure where corner-sharing is the main structural change during the phase transformation in the charge-discharge processes. In addition, unique SIBs properties will be compared to the lithium ion batteries (LIBs) analogues even for the same chemical formulae.

Background Marine phytoplankton form the basis of the marine food chain and are essential for the normal functioning of ecosystems. Any disturbance to this component, due to the release and accumulation of toxic compounds can have an impact on higher trophic levels. In this study, we investigate the impact of toxicants on the microalgae isolated from Qatari seawater and cultured under controlled laboratory conditions. Objectives * Develop a toxicity test for Synechococcus sp that can be added to the suite of tests currently available for marine invertebrates and fish. * Perform chronic toxicity tests of three reference toxicants (DCA, SDS and Zn) * Evaluate the sensitivity of Synechococcus sp to three reference toxicants and compare sensitivity to other species used in toxicity tests. Methodology Chronic toxicity tests were carried out in 24-well microplate for a period of 3 days for the DCA and Zn tests and 7 days for SDS test. Algal cultures in logarithmic growth phase (cell density of about 3.105 cells mL−1) were used as inoculum. Each test consisted of at least five test concentrations and a control, in triplicate. A different range of concentrations were used to estimate the range findings for each toxicant. * Cell counting using an hemocytometer was conducted to evaluate the inhibition of microalgal growth * The average specific growth rate and the percent inhibition of growth rate were calculated, the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) and the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) were statistically determined. Results A growth inhibition toxicity test was successfully developed for Synechococcus sp, which was isolated from Qatari coastal waters. Prior to conducting the toxicity testing, key environmental parameters including light, temperature and nutrients were optimized to obtain acceptable algal growth rates over 72 hours. Results showed that Synechococcus sp was more sensitive to DCA than SDS and Zn. The growth of Synechococcus sp was found to be stimulated by the SDS at the beginning of the test. The growth inhibition by the SDS on Synechococcus sp was shown by day 3 of the experiment. At a longer exposure time, significant values of the percent inhibition of growth rate were reached compared to the control. Conclusion and Discussion Controlled experiments on microalgae under laboratory conditions provide an opportunity to understand the action of these toxicants in the ecosystem. The growth stimulation in the Synechococcus sp test sample seems to be related to the ability of the microalgae to use the SDS as a source of carbon. Inhibition of cell growth under the influence of high concentrations of SDS may result from the destruction of cellular structures and disruptions of metabolism. The findings in this study showed that Synechococcus sp possess a number of desirable characteristics for use in toxicity assessment. In particular, the algae's high sensitivity to environmentally relevant toxicants makes it a suitable choice for site-specific testing. Therefore, we recommend that they be considered, along with other local organisms, as part toxicity tests in the region.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to sequence and annotate the genomes of the entire spix's macaw population "the world's most endangered parrot" at AWWP (of Al Wabara Wildlife Preservation). This data would be used to identify Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) that would later be used in population studies of this species. The results would be used to guide future breeding programs to increase the genetic diversity of the spix's macaw, which will lead to the ultimate objective of the reestablishment of a self-sustaining population of Spix's Macaws in its native Caatinga habitat. Methods: DNA samples, thus far, were provided from 40 males and females at the AWWP. The spix's macaw whole genome was sequenced using Next-Generation sequencing approach. For the genome assembly, we utilized a 63bp kmer and ~1.1 billion paired 100bp reads (~66x coverage) from Illumina HiSeq 2500 instruments. These reads were distributed across libraries ranging in size from 300-1000bp for paired-end and 2000-15000bp for matepair. SNPs were detected on scaffolds >1000bp. Results: The predicted genome size is ~1.5Gb, which is similar to the parrot genome, the closest sequenced species. Scaffold N50 of 3.1Mb (longest scaffold of ~16.5Mb) and an assembly spanning >92% of the genome. The sequence is distributed across ~6500 scaffolds >500bp. Heterozygous SNPs with coverage of >20x were considered to analyze the survival rates of offspring. We noticed that the average percentage of unique heterozygous SNPs in a bird drastically dropped to below 50% when compared to a second bird. This percentage further dipped exponentially each time another bird was added to the comparison. The average percentage of unique heterozygous SNPs fell to below 10% when 8 birds were compared for unique heterozygous SNPs. This shows that random mating combinations increase the chance of generating offspring with decreased survival rates due to loss of heterozygosity. Conclusion: The initial analysis of polymorphisms confirms the existence of a very high level of inbreeding, in which a random recombination of birds could result in offspring with very high levels of homozygous SNPs by the 4th generation. Further study will be needed to identify detrimental SNP combinations. This information will be used to better understand the genetic pool and to promote better breeding results with higher offspring survival rates.

In this study sandwich-walled cylindrical shells with aluminum pyramidal truss core of constant curvature suitable for functional applications were fabricated employing an interlocking fabrication technique for the metallic core. The skins were made of carbon-fiber reinforced composites and co-cured with the metallic truss core. Thereafter, axial compression tests on some representative samples were carried out to investigate the failure modes of these structures and compared with an analytical failure map developed to account for Euler buckling, shell buckling, local buckling between reinforcements and face-crushing. The experimental data closely matched the analytically predicted behavior of the cylinders. In particular, it was found that local buckling and face crushing modes can exist together and are the most important modes of failure of the fabricated structure. In addition, a study on the bending response of semi-cylindrical samples is also presented using a combination of analytical modeling, three-point bending experiments and finite element (FE) based simulations. The aluminum pyramidal cores of these samples were also constructed using the novel interlocking method before curing them with composite face sheets to fabricate the final structure. A theoretical model was developed to analyze the experiments and develop failure criteria. Three failure modes: i) Face wrinkling, ii) Face crushing, and iii) Debonding between face sheet and truss cores, were considered and theoretical relationships for predicting the collapse load associated with each mode were developed. The experiments were carried out on two sets of specimens with differing face sheet thickness which clearly indicated the important role played by core debonding in determining the peak load of the structure. Localized buckling instabilities were also reported for samples with thinner face sheets. The role of debonding in determining strength was further highlighted by a comparison with FE simulations with suppressed debonding. This study highlighted the superior structural performance and failure properties of these structures thus demonstrating their suitability for their integration into the next generation of ultralight multifunctional systems.

Oxide semiconductors have been widely used in the area of sensors, energy conversion, and environmental cleanup technologies; because of their high multifunctional photo-activities. However, the overall performance of oxide semiconductors is influenced by their photocatalytic activities which are highly dependent on physical properties such as crystallinity, surface area, morphology (e.g., shape and porosity), etc. Thus, understanding the shape-dependent photocatalytic reactions is important for energy or environmental cleanup applications. Herein, two different types of ZnO, rods and plates, were synthesized using solvothermal technique and the shape-dependent photo-activities were evaluated for degradation of methylene blue and phenol and for hydrogen evolution. Experimental results showed that the surface area and bandgap (E=3.26 eV) of rods and plates were found to be nearly identical, but charge transfer varied. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) analysis revealed that the rods have more pronounced structural oxygen vacancies (Vox, Vo●, and Vo●●) close to the conduction band which lead to electrons trap. On the other hand, the plates relatively have more interstitial oxygen (Oi, Oi', and Oi'') close to the valence band which facilitate hole trapping, reversely increasing the availability of photogenerated electrons and thus resulting in multi-electron transfer reactions. Accordingly, the rods achieved higher degradation efficiency of both methylene blue and phenol than the plates while the opposite was observed for hydrogen evolution. Therefore, ZnO rods can be a relatively good material for production of OH radicals that require degradation of environmental pollutants, whereas ZnO plates can be used for the system that require multiple electron transfer reaction such as energy production via hydrogen evolution.

Background Increasing renewable electricity leads to moments of overproduction coupled to points in time for which not enough production is available to fulfill the needs. In a scenario of 100% renewable energy, about 20% of the yearly production will need to be stored to keep the system in balance. Since the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr (ARRR) cluster is the European region where the highest CO2-emissions are measured (highest production, but also highest population density and energy supply), this region is well positioned to focus on CO2 and 'peak shaving' of renewable energy. Since it is also one of the biggest chemical clusters, the conversion of CO2 into new molecules makes sense guaranteeing that the final balance on energy use and CO2-emissions are lower than in the classical production. We have started an initiative to explore technologies for converting CO2, preferentially coupled to 'peak shaving', to building blocks for the chemical sector. Microbial Electrosynthesis Generation of electric current from the metabolism of organic substrates in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), using bacteria as electrocatalysts was reported. By converting the chemical energy stored in organic substrates to electricity, MFCs can reduce the operational cost of wastewater treatment plants. Recently, a new concept of microbial electrosynthesis has evolved where similar setups, generally known as bioelectrochemical systems (BES), are being used for the production of chemicals. Already the bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to acetate has been achieved, as well as the reduction of CO2 to methane and multi-carbon compounds. Efforts are underway to utilize a wide variety of substrates for production of an array of compounds. The key advantage here is the use of excess electricity that is often generated renewably, from solar cells and wind mills, all of which cannot be utilized immediately and can be fed into BES to produce chemicals. We will report our first results with specific bacteria towards bioelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to organic compounds. Acetogens like Sporomusa and Clostridium sps. were experimented for their CO2 reduction capacity at -0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl cathode potential. Adjustment of reduction potential and optimization of cell conditions were carried out in a fed batch reactor with an activated carbon cathode. Production of 67 mg/L ethanol with mixed culture as biocatalyst was the most remarkable achievement. Enzymatic Electrosynthesis Enzymes can also be used for chemical transformations including both the reduction and oxidation reactions. We are using CO2 as substrate for the production of methanol which will have a significant positive impact on environment as well as energy crisis. Electrosynthesis of formic acid was higher at an operational voltage of -1 V vs. Ag/AgCl (9.37 mg L-1 CO2) compared to operation at -0.8 V (4.73 mg L-1 CO2) which was strongly supported by the reduction catalytic current. Voltammograms also depicted a reversible redox peak throughout operation at -1 V, indicating NAD+ recycling for proton transfer from the source to CO2. Product saturation was observed after 45 minutes of enzyme addition and then reversibility commenced, depicting a lower and stable formic acid concentration throughout the subsequent time of operation.