Eoin Casey

Professor Eoin Casey is a distinguished academic at University College Dublin's College of Engineering and Architecture, where he serves in the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering. His career has been dedicated to advancing sustainable wastewater treatment technologies, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and environmental impact reduction. Professor Casey leads groundbreaking research that bridges academic inquiry with practical industrial applications through collaborations with spin-out companies.

Professor Casey's primary research interests center around Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology, which represents a paradigm shift in wastewater treatment. His work explores biofilm dynamics, energy optimization in treatment processes, membrane technology applications, and sustainable engineering solutions for water management. His research group investigates how bacterial biofilms function within MABR systems, examining both the fundamental science and practical implementation challenges. This research spans environmental engineering, chemical engineering, and sustainable technology development, with significant implications for global water and energy conservation efforts.

The articles published by Professor Casey and his research group demonstrate a consistent focus on optimizing wastewater treatment processes while reducing energy consumption. Recent publications reveal an expanding scope that now includes data-driven modeling, continuous biomanufacturing, and integration of water treatment facilities into broader energy systems. His work shows a clear trajectory from fundamental biofilm research toward practical implementation of energy-efficient systems that address climate change challenges. The research increasingly incorporates advanced modeling techniques, process optimization, and consideration of the energy-water nexus.

Professor Casey's research has generated significant commercial and environmental impact through the spin-out company OxyMem, founded in 2013 with support from NovaUCD. While specific personal awards aren't detailed in the provided text, his work has contributed to OxyMem receiving notable recognition including the 2014 Irish Times Innovation Award, the US Imagine H2O 2015 Infrastructure Challenge award, and a Knowledge Transfer Ireland 2015 Impact Award. OxyMem was also named in the prestigious Global Cleantech 100 in 2016 and 2017.

Professor Casey's research group has secured substantial funding from Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to develop and scale MABR technology. His work has progressed from laboratory experiments to full-scale implementation at wastewater treatment plants, demonstrating energy savings of up to 75% compared to conventional treatment methods. The commercial deployment of this technology in countries including the United States, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, and Japan represents significant international impact. His research group continues to collaborate with OxyMem on further development and optimization of the technology.

The research led by Professor Casey operates through specialized laboratories focused on membrane technology, biofilm reactors, and sustainable water treatment. His team has successfully demonstrated the scalability of MABR technology from laboratory settings to full-scale wastewater treatment plants, most notably in a demonstration plant near Birmingham, UK. The research infrastructure supports both fundamental investigations of biofilm mechanics and practical engineering development of commercial systems.