Microbial contamination of TransX diesel fuel tanks.

The TransX Group of Companies is Canadas largest privately owned transportation company. Its mission is to provide integrated transportation solutions to businesses throughout North America. In the fall of 2017, the Winnipeg office of TransX discovered that diesel fuel tanks for their long-haul refrigeration units contained a sludge-like, microbial biofilm and that the fuel filters from these tanks to the generators running the refrigeration compressors were becoming clogged. Dr. David Levin, in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba. will oversee a project to determine the identity of the microbes in diesel fuel tanks. The specific objectives of the proposed research are to: 1) isolate the microorganisms in the sludge from TransX diesel fuel tanks; 2) identify these microorganisms and determine the composition of the microbial community in the sludge; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial biocide (Biobar JF) in eliminated the microbial contamination.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Levin

Student:

Tingting Peng

Partner:

TransX Group of Companies

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Program: