David Weissbrodt
About
Advancing Environmental, Chemical and Life Sciences & Engineering for Water, Resource and Energy Recovery, fostering a Nature-based, Blue, and Circular Economy in an Ecologically-balanced and Healthy Society.
As an environmental chemist, microbiologist, biotechnologist, engineer, and educator, I am motivated by scientific challenges at the water line. My curiosity for chemical and microbial ecology leads me to develop nature-based solutions for a better preservation of water, natural resources, and health.
Water is an essential connector between life, food, crop production, anthropogenic activities, and the environment, and requires careful attention. Chemical cocktails, their interactions, and transformation processes are severely affecting water quality and (re-)use. Physical-chemical processes shape environmental and living conditions, and water resources. Microbiomes are the first to sense the effects of chemicals, genetic contaminants, and climate change in the environment either through physiological adaptation, resistance, or disturbance of the biogeochemical cycles that they propel. Microorganisms and their metabolisms are useful to clean up water and remove, capture, and valorise nutrients and resources from used streams. The integration of chemical, physical, and biological principles provide the keys for natural sciences, technology, the circular economy, and space. Translating scientific findings into responsible innovation, solutions, policy, and citizen engagement is an important objective for sustainability.
Academic positions
Full Professor, NTNU /NO | since 2022
Tenure Track Assistant Professor, TU Delft /NL | 2016-2022
Swiss NSF Fellow, TU Delft /NL and Aalborg University /DK | 2015-2016
Postdoctoral researcher, ETH Zürich and Eawag /CH | 2013-2014
PhD candidate, EPFL /CH | 2008-2012
Several previous appointments in the private and public sectors
Background
Ph.D. Environment, EPFL /CH | 2013
M.Sc. Environmental Sciences & Engineering, EPFL /CH | 2006
Dipl.-Ing. Chemistry for Life Technologies, HES-SO Valais/Wallis /CH,
with research stay at Hochschule Mannheim and Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg /DE | 2003
Competencies
- Antibiotic resistance and biocontaminants
- Chemical and biological processes
- Environmental and industrial biotechnology
- Environmental chemistry
- Environmental sciences and engineering
- Gene transfer
- Microbial and chemical ecology
- Microbial community engineering
- Microbiomes
- Natural - industrial - urban - lab ecology
- Nature-based solutions
- Nutrients and chemical contaminants
- One Health
- Plants and hydroponics
- Recirculating aquaculture systems
- Responsible innovation & policy
- Water & Health
Research
Team
Dr. Gunn Merethe Bjørge Thomassen, postdoctoral researcher and lecturer »
Mona Schiefloe, PhD candidate @ CIRiS Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Space »
Néstor Sergio Gil Izcara, PhD candidate »
Carmen Bernard, MSc student
Alberto Emmanuele Maria Fattore, MSc student
Ole Jørgen Thue Holte, MSc student
Elise Mellem Frantzen, MSc student
Giovanni Panico, MSc student
Alumni related to NTNU activities
Dr. Gonçalo Macedo, postdoctoral researcher »
Dr. Diego Di Curzio, postdoctoral researcher »
Dr. Maria Paula Giulianetti de Almeida, research collaborator »
Dr. Marta Cerruti, guest researcher »
Zoé Forgereau, research assistant »
Ramun Bär, MSc student (completed)
Stamatios Kapasakis, MSc student @ SINTEF Ocean »
Jiha Park, MSc student (completed)
Alice Decheppe, MSc student (completed) »
Hedda Flattum, MSc student @ N2 Applied (completed) »
Projects
VertiGrow [Gemini center] Indoor farming »
PhotoLogy [NV Start-up Grant] Phototrophic chemical and microbial ecology
LunarPlant [Research Council of Norway] Hydroponic plant cultivation on a lunar base using nutrient sources from human waste »
PurpleGain [EU COST Action] Fundamentals and applications of purple bacteria biotechnology for resource recovery from waste »
PhageLand [JPI AMR] Phage treatment and wetland technology as intervention strategy to prevent dissemination of antibiotic resistance in surface water »
Parrtae [JPI Oceans; collaborator] Probing antibiotic residues and resistance transfer in aquatic environments »
Research awards
2019 | IWA MEWE Early Career Researcher Award, International Water Association
2015 | Springer Theses Series – Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research
2013 | Luce Grivat Award – Best doctoral research contributing a high level and innovative share in the field of environmental science and engineering at EPFL /CH
2011 | PhD Mobility Award of the EDCE program /CH
Publications
2025
-
Deng, Zhe;
Poulsen, Jan Struckmann;
Nielsen, Jeppe Lund;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
Spanjers, Henri;
van Lier, Jules B..
(2025)
Identification of protein-degraders in an anaerobic digester by protein stable isotope probing and metagenomics.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Academic article
2024
-
Park, Jiha;
Hoel, Sunniva;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory.
(2024)
Antibiotic resistance determinants in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) - Molecular insights from the water phase of a full-scale RAS and a pilot experiment.
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
de Almeida, Maria Paula Giulianetti;
Mondini, Camille;
Bruant, Guillaume;
Tremblay, Julien;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
Mockaitis, Gustavo.
(2024)
Thermal and alkaline pre-treatments of inoculum halt methanogenesis and enable cheese whey valorization by batch acidogenic fermentation.
Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986)
Academic article
-
Policastro, Grazia;
Ebrahimi, Sirous;
Weissbrodt, David;
Fabbricino, Massimiliano;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M..
(2024)
Selecting for a high lipid accumulating microalgae culture by dual growth limitation in a continuous bioreactor.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic article
-
Di Curzio, Diego;
Laureni, Michele;
Broholm, Mette M.;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
van Breukelen, Boris M..
(2024)
Integrating Enzyme-Based Kinetics in Reactive Transport Models to Simulate Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Biomarkers during Chlorinated Ethene Degradation.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Martínez-Quintela, Miguel;
Calderón-Franco, D.;
van Loosdrecht, M.C.M.;
Suárez, S.;
Omil, F.;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory.
(2024)
Antibiotic resistance response of activated sludge to sulfamethoxazole: insights from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions.
Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (ESWRT)
Academic article
2023
-
Piaggio, Antonella;
Mittapalli, Srilekha;
Calderón-Franco, David;
Weissbrodt, David;
van Lier, Jules;
de Kreuk, Merle.
(2023)
The fate of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in a micro-aerated anaerobic membrane bioreactor and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the permeate.
Water Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Giulianetti de Almeida, Maria Paula;
Mockaitis, Gustavo;
Weissbrodt, David.
(2023)
Got Whey? Sustainability Endpoints for the Dairy Industry through Resource Biorecovery.
Fermentation
Academic literature review
-
Calderón-Franco, David;
Corbera-Rubio, Francesc;
Cuesta-Sanz, Marcos;
Pieterse, Brent;
de Ridder, David;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M..
(2023)
Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems.
Water Research
Academic article
-
Calderón-Franco, David;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C. M.;
Abeel, Thomas;
Weissbrodt, David.
(2023)
Catch me if you can: capturing microbial community transformation by extracellular DNA using Hi-C sequencing.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology
Academic article
-
Alloul, Abbas;
Moradvandi, Ali;
Puyol, Daniel;
Molina, Raul;
Gardella, Giorgio;
Vlaeminck, Siegfried E..
(2023)
A novel mechanistic modelling approach for microbial selection dynamics: Towards improved design and control of raceway reactors for purple bacteria.
Bioresource Technology
Academic article
-
Teixera, Ana Margarida;
Vaz-Moreira, Ivone;
Calderón-Franco, David;
Weissbrodt, David;
Purkrtova, Sabina;
Gajdos, Stanislav.
(2023)
Candidate biomarkers of antibiotic resistance for the monitoring of wastewater and the downstream environment.
Water Research
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Deng, Zhe;
Poulsen, Jan Struckmann;
Nielsen, Jeppe Lund;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
Spanjers, Henri;
van Lier, Jules B..
(2025)
Identification of protein-degraders in an anaerobic digester by protein stable isotope probing and metagenomics.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Academic article
-
de Almeida, Maria Paula Giulianetti;
Mondini, Camille;
Bruant, Guillaume;
Tremblay, Julien;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
Mockaitis, Gustavo.
(2024)
Thermal and alkaline pre-treatments of inoculum halt methanogenesis and enable cheese whey valorization by batch acidogenic fermentation.
Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986)
Academic article
-
Policastro, Grazia;
Ebrahimi, Sirous;
Weissbrodt, David;
Fabbricino, Massimiliano;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M..
(2024)
Selecting for a high lipid accumulating microalgae culture by dual growth limitation in a continuous bioreactor.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic article
-
Di Curzio, Diego;
Laureni, Michele;
Broholm, Mette M.;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory;
van Breukelen, Boris M..
(2024)
Integrating Enzyme-Based Kinetics in Reactive Transport Models to Simulate Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Biomarkers during Chlorinated Ethene Degradation.
Environmental Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Martínez-Quintela, Miguel;
Calderón-Franco, D.;
van Loosdrecht, M.C.M.;
Suárez, S.;
Omil, F.;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory.
(2024)
Antibiotic resistance response of activated sludge to sulfamethoxazole: insights from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions.
Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (ESWRT)
Academic article
-
Piaggio, Antonella;
Mittapalli, Srilekha;
Calderón-Franco, David;
Weissbrodt, David;
van Lier, Jules;
de Kreuk, Merle.
(2023)
The fate of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in a micro-aerated anaerobic membrane bioreactor and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the permeate.
Water Science and Technology
Academic article
-
Giulianetti de Almeida, Maria Paula;
Mockaitis, Gustavo;
Weissbrodt, David.
(2023)
Got Whey? Sustainability Endpoints for the Dairy Industry through Resource Biorecovery.
Fermentation
Academic literature review
-
Calderón-Franco, David;
Corbera-Rubio, Francesc;
Cuesta-Sanz, Marcos;
Pieterse, Brent;
de Ridder, David;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M..
(2023)
Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems.
Water Research
Academic article
-
Calderón-Franco, David;
van Loosdrecht, Mark C. M.;
Abeel, Thomas;
Weissbrodt, David.
(2023)
Catch me if you can: capturing microbial community transformation by extracellular DNA using Hi-C sequencing.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology
Academic article
-
Alloul, Abbas;
Moradvandi, Ali;
Puyol, Daniel;
Molina, Raul;
Gardella, Giorgio;
Vlaeminck, Siegfried E..
(2023)
A novel mechanistic modelling approach for microbial selection dynamics: Towards improved design and control of raceway reactors for purple bacteria.
Bioresource Technology
Academic article
-
Teixera, Ana Margarida;
Vaz-Moreira, Ivone;
Calderón-Franco, David;
Weissbrodt, David;
Purkrtova, Sabina;
Gajdos, Stanislav.
(2023)
Candidate biomarkers of antibiotic resistance for the monitoring of wastewater and the downstream environment.
Water Research
Academic article
Report
-
Park, Jiha;
Hoel, Sunniva;
Weissbrodt, David Gregory.
(2024)
Antibiotic resistance determinants in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) - Molecular insights from the water phase of a full-scale RAS and a pilot experiment.
NTNU
Masters thesis
Teaching
Courses
20 years of international teaching experience
(foundation, bachelor, master, doctoral, postgraduate, and vocational programs)
- General Chemistry, Analysis of Organic Pollutants, Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Transport and Separation
- Microbiology, Microbial Ecology and Methods, Biofilms, Microbial Omics, Metagenomics, Microbial Community Engineering
- Environmental Biotechnology, Environmental Bioprocess Design, Bioprocesses
- Water and Wastewater Treatment, Biological Wastewater Treatment, Industrial Wastewater Treatment, WWTP Instrumentation and Simulation
- Field and Lab in Aquatic Systems, Chemistry for WWTP Operators, Air Pollution
University didactics, leadership, and language
University Teaching Qualification Certificate, 4TU.Education, TU Delft /NL | 2019/22
Personal Development Program, TU Delft /NL | 2019
English (CAE, prof.); French (prof.); German (prof.)
Norwegian levels 1+2+3 (~B2); Dutch basics (~A2)
French sign language basics (~A1)
Education project
Vurdering [NTNU Teaching Excellence; collaborator] Assessment for learning through theory, laboratory activity, and collaboration with working life »
Open-access education materials
In collaboration with Damir Brdjanovic, IHE Delft /NL »:
Weissbrodt, Laureni, van Loosdrecht, Nielsen, Comeau. 2024. 2: Microbiology & Metabolism. In: Brdjanovic et al. (eds.) Open Access Course Series on Biological Wastewater Treatment. IWA Publishing /UK. OLC weblink | Microbiology & Metabolism
Weissbrodt, Laureni, van Loosdrecht, Comeau. 2023. Chapter 2: Basic Microbiology & Metabolism. In: Lopez-Vazquez et al. (eds.) Biological Wastewater Treatment: Examples and Exercises. 1st edition, IWA Publishing /UK. Exercise book DOI | Microbiology & Metabolism
Weissbrodt, Laureni, van Loosdrecht, Comeau. 2020. Chapter 2: Basic Microbiology & Metabolism. In: Chen et al. (eds.) Biological Wastewater Treatment: Principles, Modelling and Design. 2nd edition, IWA Publishing /UK. Textbook DOI | Microbiology & Metabolism
Education awards
2021/22 | 1st Best Teacher of Year, Environmental Engineering Master, TU Delft /NL
2020/21 | 2nd Best Teacher of Year, Environmental Engineering Master, TU Delft /NL
2018/19 | 3rd Best Teacher of Year, Environmental Engineering Master, TU Delft /NL
2017/18 | 2nd Best Teacher of Year, Environmental Engineering Master, TU Delft /NL