BGU Aerogel Adsorbs Oil and Supports Biodegradation

01/09/2026

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed an innovative technology for treating crude oil and fuel pollution in marine and aquatic environments.

Oil and fuel spills pose serious environmental challenges, contaminating water and soil and disrupting marine ecosystems. Conventional remediation methods often focus on containing or removing pollutants. The new technology is designed to address both the immediate capture of hydrocarbons and their longer-term degradation.

In laboratory experiments, the material adsorbed approximately 100 times its own weight in crude oil, fuel, and other hydrocarbons.

Developed in BGU's Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, the technology uses a two-stage approach combining physical adsorption with biological degradation. It employs a porous aerogel made from cellulose fibers enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients support oil-degrading bacteria, enabling the material to capture pollutants and facilitate their subsequent biological breakdown.

The research team was led by Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, with the study headed by Dr. Danit Lisa Karsagi Biron of BGU's Faculty of Engineering. The researchers produced the aerogel through a process involving nutrient enrichment, freeze-drying, and pyrolysis.

Image from the article showing adsorbtion of oil by aerogel

The aerogel provides a surface to which bacteria can attach, bringing them into close contact with the adsorbed hydrocarbons and the nutrients they need. The resulting conditions support the microbial breakdown of the captured pollutants.

Importantly, the researchers found that the process may ultimately lead to the biodegradation of the cellulose-based aerogel itself. This could reduce the need to retrieve and dispose of contaminated adsorption material after treatment.

The research was published in Chemical Engineering Journal Advances.

"These findings demonstrate the potential of the method we developed as a versatile and sustainable platform for treating oil spills in aquatic and marine environments. By combining physical adsorption with biodegradation, the technology offers a promising and innovative alternative to conventional approaches, addressing both immediate containment and long-term environmental recovery," said Prof. Kushmaro.

The research team also included Dr. Hanna Barak, Dr. Barak Halpern, Dr. Esti Kramarski-Winter, Lee Sheli, Noa Azri, Prof. Shmuel Hayoun, and the late Prof. Alex Sivan, all from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

The research was supported by the Abraham and Stella Goldstein-Goren Foundation, the John A. Ungar Chair for Biotechnology, and the Ministry of Regional Cooperation.

Patent protection for the technology is being pursued through BGN Technologies, BGU's technology commercialization company.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed an innovative technology for treating crude oil and fuel pollution in marine and aquatic environments. Oil and fuel spills pose serious environmental challenges, contaminating water and soil and disrupting marine ecosystems. Conventional remediation methods often focus on containing or removing pollutants. The new technology is designed to address both the immediate capture of hydrocarbons and their longer-term degradation. In laboratory experiments, the material adsorbed approximately 100 times its own weight in crude oil, fuel, and other hydrocarbons. Developed in BGU's Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, the technology uses a two-stage approach combining physical adsorption with biological degradation. It employs a porous aerogel made from cellulose fibers enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients support oil-degrading bacteria, enabling the material to capture pollutants and facilitate their subsequent biological breakdown. The research team was led by Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, with the study headed by Dr. Danit Lisa Karsagi Biron

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