Rate My Professor Jan Dries

Jan Dries serves as an associate professor in the Faculty of Applied Engineering at the University of Antwerp, within the Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering. He leads the BioWAVE research group, focusing on biochemical wastewater valorization and engineering. His research specializes in environmental biotechnology, particularly the development of sustainable technologies for the treatment and reuse of industrial wastewater. Key areas include biological nutrient removal for nitrogen and phosphorus, with emphasis on nitrous oxide emission mitigation; removal of micropollutants such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants; and recovery of valuable resources like biopolymers from sludge and wastewater streams. Dries applies these technologies through high-rate granular sludge systems, aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactors, and integrated processes combining ozonation with biological activated carbon filtration.

Dries directs multiple funded projects demonstrating practical impact, including HiGS for resource recovery via high-rate granular sludge (2024-2028), PROGRASS for polymer recovery optimization from industrial granular sludge systems (2023-2027), AGS-MBR for continuous-flow aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactors (2022-2026), and Clean Water through ozonation and activated carbon (2023-2026). He collaborates internationally with institutions like Gdańsk University of Technology and Vietnamese German University on N2O mitigation models and seafood wastewater treatment. In education, he teaches advanced courses such as Advanced Wastewater Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Circular Water, and BioXpert in master's programs including Biochemical Engineering Technology and Chemical Engineering Technology, and supervises bachelor's and master's projects with internships. He holds leadership roles in university committees, chairing the examination committee for the master in industrial sciences - biochemistry and serving on faculty doctoral, research, and education commissions. Notable publications include 'Microbial and morphological sludge dynamics during the transition to biological nutrient removal using high-starch industrial wastewater' (2025, Environmental Technology & Innovation), 'Effect of the feeding strategy on aerobic granular sludge formation and microbial selection in the treatment of real brewery wastewater' (2026, Water Science and Technology), 'Comparative evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, microbial community development, and N2O emissions in aerobic granular sludge under different aeration strategies' (2026, Bioresource Technology), and 'Aerobic granular sludge treatment of industrial wastewater: stability and integration with membrane filtration' (2025, University of Antwerp PhD dissertation). His Google Scholar profile reports an h-index of 20 and over 1,500 citations, underscoring his contributions to sustainable water technologies and microbial ecology in wastewater systems.