Business Opportunities for Water Pollution Remedies using Microbiomes

Abstract

Water pollution occurs for many different reasons, both anthropogenic and natural. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2008/2009 “46% of our rivers and streams are in poor biological condition. Poor biological condition can lead to loss of fishing and recreational opportunities.” The decreased water quality of the US water bodies is a growing public cost. The EPA has multiple grants to help municipalities treat water bodies and water treatment is a multi-billion dollar industry. Microbiome is a promising treatment option due to advanced processes such as CRISPR technology that edit genes to create the desired outcome. With the ability to create specialized solutions, microbe technology companies must analyze the market opportunities within the water pollution industries to determine if the research and development costs are worth expected future returns. This report will look at three water treatment industries; hydrofracking wastewater, wastewater reuse and recycling, and nutrient pollution in freshwater. The analysis will determine if there is an opportunity for a biological treatment in these industries and if there is a financial benefit to the R&D and commercialization of such a product.