The team is working with Hyderabad-based Biological E. Limited to scale up the system for industrial application. Prof. Sankar Ganesh Palani, who led the research, said the current treatment process depends on significant chemical use and thermal energy. “Our integrated approach demonstrates that it is possible to safely disinfect this complex wastewater using electrical pulses while simultaneously recovering valuable resources including reusable water and clean energy,” he said. Biopharmaceutical wastewater typically contains large quantities of microorganisms used in production, along with antibiotic residues and resistance genes. The researchers indicated that the system could be extended to wastewater from other pharmaceutical and industrial units generating high pollution loads.