https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/matthew-gaughan/index.html2nd Year PhD Student at UIC studying bioprocess development for lignin valorization. Contact info Homework, Labs, and Projects See the nav bar on the left to look through my work for How To Biomanufacture Almost Anything (Fall 2026)!Hugoenhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/matthew-gaughan/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/matthew-gaughan/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlABC’s: Algal-Bacterial Consortium for Growing Aromatic and Biofuel Compounds from Lignin Waste Author: Matthew Javier Gaughan Abstract This project will grow a metabolically optimized microalgal and bacterial consortia to produce both value-added chemicals and lipid-rich biomass flocks for biofuels production from phenolic-rich wastewater content1–5. Phenolic-rich waste feedstocks occur during agricultural production, biomass refining, and industrial chemical runoff, creating an environmental pollutant. This makes addressing the challenge of remediating and converting phenolic-rich waste streams, such as those from lignin refining, an imperative6,7. Certain microalgae species are documented playing a role in phenolic and nitrate remediation from wastewater streams and can metabolize and produce aromatic platform compounds2,4,5,8–10. This presents a potential route for monolignol upgrading from depolymerized lignin waste, while simultaneously operating as a carbon sink and local source for sustainable fuel5,6. Within the timescale of the HTBAA course, this project will deliver a locally sourced microalgae growth on a phenol-enriched media for future metagenomic and metabolomic testing.https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/matthew-gaughan/final-project/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/matthew-gaughan/final-project/index.html