Research Project

Investigating Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion in Water Distribution Systems

25

Countries with High Water Stress

1st

Project of Its Kind in Cyprus

9

Month Research Duration

About the Project

Addressing critical water infrastructure challenges through innovative microbiological research

Water Crisis in Cyprus

Cyprus faces extremely high water stress annually, ranking among the world’s 25 most water-stressed countries. Distribution losses from damaged pipes significantly impact our already strained water resources.

Microbiologically Influenced CorrosionWater Crisis in Cyprus

MIC refers to corrosion caused by microorganisms – bacteria, archaea, fungi, and microalgae. While they don’t create unique corrosion types, they can accelerate reactions and shift corrosion mechanisms.

Industry Impact

MIC affects multiple sectors including oil production, power generation, transportation, and water/wastewater systems. This research provides crucial knowledge for prevention and mitigation strategies.

Research Innovation

This project demonstrates the potential involvement of microorganisms in pipe corrosion – a factor not usually considered by industry experts and government authorities.

Project Details

Comprehensive information about the CyMIC research initiative

Demonstrate microorganism involvement in pipe corrosion and provide industry-ready evaluation methods for corrosion assessment, prevention, and mitigation in water distribution systems.

Utilizing multiple lines of evidence to evaluate corrosion cases, combining microbiological analysis with traditional corrosion assessment techniques for comprehensive understanding.

Provide essential knowledge transfer to industry and government authorities, establishing Cyprus as a regional leader in MIC research and water infrastructure protection.

Research Team

Addressing critical water infrastructure challenges through innovative microbiological research

Prof. Edna Yamasaki

Primary Investigator

The coordinator is Prof Edna Yamasaki, MD, MSc, PhD, the Director of the Environmental Health Research Centre. She is a Professor at the Departments of Life and Health Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Nicosia, the Vice-President for the Cyprus Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism and the editor-in-chief of the PANR eJournal for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Rehabilitation.  Previously she held the position of Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, chairing the Internal QA Committee and the Erasmus Office at the University of Nicosia, and a member of the Parallel Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus in the Committee on Environment, Ecology-Sustainability and Health. She is actively involved in internationally funded projects (vide CV). Her research interests focus on the area of the central nervous system, public health, and the environment.

Kyriakos Georgiou

Researcher

Kyriakos Georgiou studied Mech. Eng. and MBA at Univ. Houston. He has extensive experience in project management and is a certified Project Manager (PRINCE II). A Senior Administrator in the Office of the VR Academic Affairs, he has been working on issues pertaining to the environment and sustainable development with a focus on the rural, mountainous area of Troodos. He teaches courses in Mechanical Engineering including a course on Fatigue and Fracture .

Helena S. Y. Patrickiou

Researcher

Helena S. Y. Patrickiou (new researcher) has a MEng Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London. Ms Yamasaki Patrickiou has an interest in environmental and health issues, having interned at the Department of Engineering at the University of Nicosia working on sea currents models, and developing a code on MATLAB to model objects in the sea and how their motion is affected by currents, at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cyprus shadowing researchers on cancer and cancer cells mechanical properties, in addition to having worked as research assistant at AquaRio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, conducting a research on environmental education.

Torben Lund Skovhus

External consultant

Torben Lund Skovhus, PhD, is Docent and Project Manager at VIA University College (Campus Horsens) in the Research Centre for Built Environment, Climate, Water Technology and Digitalisation. He graduated from Aarhus University, Denmark, in 2002 with a master’s degree (cand.scient.) in biology. In 2005 he earned a PhD from the Department of Microbiology, Aarhus University. In 2005, Dr. Skovhus was employed at Danish Technological Institute (DTI) in the Centre for Chemistry and Water Technology, where he was responsible for the consultancy activities for the oil and gas industry around the North Sea. He was heading DTI Microbiology Laboratory while he was developing several consultancy and business activities with the oil and gas industry. Later he founded DTI Oil and Gas in both Denmark and Norway, where he was team and business development leader for five years. Thereafter Dr. Skovhus worked as project manager at DNV GL (Det Norske Veritas) in the field of corrosion management in both Bergen and Esbjerg. He is currently chair of AMPP SC-22 on Biodeterioration and ISMOS TSC, an organization he cofounded in 2006. Further he is an international scientific reviewer and the author of 150+ technical and scientific papers and book chapters related to industrial microbiology, applied biotechnology, corrosion management, oilfield microbiology, water treatment and safety, reservoir souring, and biocorrosion. He is scientific/technical reviewer with over 30 international journals in the same fields. He is coeditor of several books including Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems (Springer, 2011); 3rd International Symposium on Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oil Systems (Elsevier, 2013); Applications of Molecular Microbiological Methods (Caister Academic Press, 2014); Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry (CRC Press, 2017), Microbiological Sensors for the Drinking Water Industry (IWA Publishing, 2018), Oilfield Microbiology (CRC Press, 2019) and Failure Analysis of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (CRC Press, 2021). Dr. Skovhus was honored with the NACE Technical Achievement Award in 2020 for outstanding research and outreach on the Management of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in the Energy Sector.

Research Impact

Contributing to sustainable water management and infrastructure protection

Scientific Innovation

First-of-its-kind research in Cyprus advancing understanding of microbiological factors in infrastructure corrosion.

Industry Application

Practical solutions for multiple sectors including oil, power generation, transportation, and water treatment.

Environmental Protection

Reducing water waste and improving distribution efficiency in water-stressed regions globally.

Knowledge Transfer

Providing government authorities and industry with evidence-based evaluation and prevention methods.

News & Events

Latest updates and activities from the CyMIC project

MICxUS 2025 Symposium

MICxUS 2025 is a three-day hybrid symposium dedicated to the latest research and advancements in Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in industrial and utility systems. Organized by the Environmental Health Research Centre of the University of Nicosia, the event will take place from January 21-23, 2025, in Cyprus.

CyMIC Project

Investigating Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion in water distribution systems to address Cyprus’s water infrastructure challenges.

Research Partner

EREVNITIKO IDRIMA P.L. (UNRF)
Primary Investigator: Prof. Edna Yamasaki

Funding

Co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the ΘΑλΕΙΑ 2021-2027 programme.

© 2024 CyMIC Project. All rights reserved. | Project Reference: CONCEPT/0823/0479