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“I wish I had another two years.” One of the first PhD candidates that started working for the Biopolymers from Water theme cannot get enough of his research. He’s a man with a plan – who discovered his love for teaching and microscopy. This is the story of Ruizhe Pei.
The science behind the person, and the person behind the science
Ruizhe’s inherent passion for the inconceivably small kept him chasing the unknown. “I’ve always been amazed by the liveliness we cannot even see. Take a plant, for instance – it seems static to us, but it’s far from that, complex systems with parts that move at unimaginable speeds.” Inside it’s an immense traffic chaos of molecules that float all over the place for networks and pathways that we have yet to discover.
Biology was not more than a logical choice of study, were it not for Ruizhe’s parents. “My parents always left me free in my choices, though they always nudged me a little in a direction they thought would benefit me. And so I ended up studying the engineering side of the field. And I’m glad to have done so.”
After his studies in Wageningen and a brief chase for different positions in Wetsus, Ruizhe was offered a job in the biopolymers from water theme. A position that he did not apply for, as that one was already given to Ángel. Instead, research dedicated to processing the PHA bioplastic after production was his goal. “’No way’ was my first response. I’m picky. But I did end up going for it, as I got to give it my own twist.”
And since little infrastructure was there to start with, Ruizhe’s creativity and input were welcome. “I went all over the place, to Van Hall across the street, and to Paques in Balk to get my experiments going. But in the end, we decided to invest in our own equipment. It was an amazing opportunity to start from scratch. I did get some experiments in before the order, but now we could really get going.”
The production of PHA was already relatively well known, but recovery was an understudied part of the process. “So, half of my PhD I dedicated to understanding this step. How do we get the biopolymers from the bacteria without the PHA breaking down in the process? About the degradation, little was known, and you can imagine that losing material on the side of a test tube is negligible. However, on a larger scale with a larger amount of materials, more polymer loss can be expected, and that can determine the viability of the process” Quality and quantity are key. “I witnessed it at multiple levels – from our lab to our large reactor and even a 4 m3 reactor operated by Paques in Leeuwarden wastewater treatment plant.”
“But I really want to see what I’m working on too. So, I spent quite some time staring down the microscope. It gave me great insight into the accumulation of PHA in bacteria. With a chemical analysis, you can only see how much you get from certain cells in total, not at the different cells individually.” Since Ruizhe worked with sewage sludge bacteria, it is quite the mix. “With microscopy, I understood where the biopolymers formed, giving fundamental insight into our unique method of making PHA. And it allowed me to fulfill the desire of seeing these tiny processes in action.”
“I wish I had another two years. The beauty of Wetsus is that you can do research that can be used in collaborating companies, and you get a real insight into what they want to know. But I also learned how great it is to work with children and students. To give them insights in the science. It is fulfilling to see them grow in knowledge over time, and it is already great to share what I know.”
“Now I’ve worked from a top-down perspective. I would love to continue from the bottom up too. I realized that I want to continue working in academia, so I will definitely go for a postdoc. One key thing to look for in my next job is that it is in a city with a climbing gym. It must be in a city with a climbing gym. Climbing, too, is a passion I have uncovered during my PhD.”
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
