Bruce Rittmann

Bruce Rittmann. He is an American environmental engineer recognized as a pioneer in the field of environmental biotechnology. His research focuses on harnessing microorganisms for solving challenges in water treatment, bioenergy, and bioremediation. Rittmann's work has profoundly influenced the scientific understanding of biofilm processes and their engineering applications.

Early life and education

Born in 1949, he pursued his undergraduate education in civil engineering at UC Berkeley, graduating in 1971. He then earned a Master of Science degree from Stanford University in 1973. Rittmann completed his doctoral studies, also at Stanford University, in 1979 under the guidance of Perry L. McCarty, a foundational figure in environmental engineering. His dissertation work established early principles for modeling biofilm kinetics, a theme that would define his career.

Academic career and research

Following his PhD, he began his academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1991, he moved to Northwestern University, where he directed the Center for Microbial Ecology. A major career shift occurred in 2005 when he joined Arizona State University (ASU). At ASU, he became a Regents' Professor and founded the Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology within the Biodesign Institute. His research program integrates molecular biology tools with engineering principles to study microbial communities in engineered systems like bioreactors and microbial electrochemical technologies.

Environmental biotechnology contributions

Rittmann is renowned for developing the concept of the microbial fuel cell for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy recovery. He made seminal contributions to the quantitative modeling of biofilm processes, leading to widely used tools such as the BIOFILM model. His work extends to bioremediation, creating strategies to degrade contaminants like perchlorate and trichloroethylene in groundwater. Furthermore, he has advanced the field of microalgae cultivation for producing biofuels and capturing carbon dioxide, contributing to the circular economy.

Awards and honors

His contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. In 2004, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He received the Clarke Prize from the National Water Research Institute in 2005. The Water Environment Federation awarded him the Gordon Maskew Fair Medal in 2011. Other significant honors include the Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and the A.P. Black Research Award from the American Water Works Association. In 2018, he was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Selected publications

* Rittmann, B.E.; McCarty, P.L. (2001). *Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications*. McGraw-Hill Education. * Rittmann, B.E. (2008). "Opportunities for renewable bioenergy using microorganisms." *Biotechnology and Bioengineering*. * Logan, B.E.; Rittmann, B.E. (2012). "Microbial fuel cells: Methodology and technology." *Environmental Science & Technology*. * Rittmann, B.E.; et al. (2011). "Capturing the lost phosphorus." *Chemosphere*. * Rittmann, B.E. (2018). "Biofilms, active substrata, and me." *Water Research*.

Category:American environmental engineers Category:National Academy of Engineering members Category:Arizona State University faculty