Eshetu Janka Wakjera

Eshetu Janka Wakjera

Forsker
Institutt for prosess-, energi- og miljøteknologi
Fakultet for teknologi, naturvitenskap og maritime fag
Campus Porsgrunn
35 57 52 59 / 415 09 113
I am a researcher and lecturer at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), where I serve as the course coordinator and instructor for the Water Treatment and Environmental Biotechnology course, offered to master's students in the Energy and Environmental Technology program. In addition, I am responsible for and teach a PhD-level course on Biofilm Processes. My research interests and projects are centered on the biological treatment of wastewater and contaminants, as well as resource recovery from wastewater, including clean water, energy, and fertilizers. I have a particular focus on biofilm processes (e.g., anammox and aerobic granular sludge) for nutrient removal, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. I am also deeply interested in reactor technologies, including modular systems such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) and membrane-aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs). I am enthusiastic about collaborating on research projects that advance sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

Ansvarsområder

  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Project coordiation (both national and international)
  • PhD students supervision
  • MSc students supervision
  • Creating university and industry partnership

Kompetanse

  • Wastewater Treatment Technologies
  • Bioprocess engineering
  • Biochemical Processes
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Analytical Methods
  • Data Analysis and Modeling

CV

Education:

2011- 2014      Ph.D. Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Denmark

2004 – 2006    Msc. Wageningen University, Netherlands

1998 – 2000    Bsc. Hawasa University, Ethiopia

Work Experiance:

Aug. 2014–present                  University of South-Eastern Norway

Jan. 2011 – Mar. 2014:           Aarhus University, Denmark,

Projects:

1. ESWAT- Energy Efficient and sustainable Wastewater Treatment, Project Manager (RCN/Project No. 352845, Fund amount 12 million NOK) Energy Efficient and Sustainable Wastewater Treatment (ESWAT) - Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge

2. WASH4ONEHEALTH- Capacity Building in Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for ONE HEALTH, Project Manager (NORPART-2021/10070, Fund amount 8 million NOK) WASH4ONEHEALTH - Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge (usn.no) 

3. MAAO- Mainstream Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation, Project Manager (RCN/Telemark Project No. 356350, Fund amount 1 million NOK).  Project funder: Regionale forskningsfond (RFF) 

4. B4WWT- Biofilms Characterization for Wastewater Treatment, Project Manager (RFF/Telemark Project No. 332865, Fund amount 500 000 NOK).

 Project funder: Regionale forskningsfond (RFF) 

Publikasjoner

Publications:

  1. Eshetu Janka, Ram Prasath Alagappan, Dipaluk Das, Leif Arne Kjeldsberg, Shuai Wang, Tone Haugen, Alexander Wentzel. Diverse microbial communities colonize biofilm carriers in moving bed and intermittent cleaning reactors for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. Biofilm 2025, Volum 10, 100337.
  2. Afata, Tariku Neme; Mekonen, Seblework; Tomasgaard, Trine Aulstad Sogn; Pandey, Manoj Kumar; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Tucho, Gudina Terefe. Examining the Effect of Agrochemicals on Soil Microbiological Activity, Micronutrient Availability, and Uptake by Maize (Zea mays L.) Plants. Agronomy 2024; Volum 14.
  3. Fentie, Mesenbet; Assefa, Eshetu; Aklog, Dagnachew; Tadesse, Adugnaw; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka. Assessment of Drinking Water Quality in Northern Ethiopia Rural Area: A Case Study of Farta District, South Gondar Zone. Water 2024; Volume 16.
  4. Fentie, Mesenbet; Assefa, Eshetu; Tena, Tilik; Aklog, Dagnachew; Tadesse, Adugnaw; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka. Determinant Factors of Microbial Drinking Water Quality at the Point of Use in Rural Ethiopia: A Case Study of the South Gondar Zone. Water 2024; Volume 16.
  5. Wondim, Tilik Tena; Dzwairo, Rimuka Bloodless; Aklog, Dagnachew; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Samarakoon Arachchige, Gamunu. Enhancing Textile Wastewater Treatment Performance: Optimization and Troubleshooting (Decision Support) via GPS-X Model. Processes 2023; Volume 11.(10).
  6. Wondim, Tilik Tena; Dzwairo, Rimuka Bloodless; Aklog, Dagnachew; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Samarakoon Arachchige, Gamunu; Dereseh, Mekuria Mulusew. Wastewater treatment plant performance assessment using time-function-based effluent quality index and multiple regression models: the case of Bahir Dar textile factory. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 2023; Volume 195.
  7. Pathak, Sabin; Wang, Shuai; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka. Achieving Partial Nitritation in Anammox Start-Up Environment. Water 2022; Volume 14.(2)
  8. Eshetu Janka; Pathak, Sabin; Rasti, Alireza; Gyawali, Sandeep; Wang, Shuai. Simultaneous Heterotrophic Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification of Water after Sludge Dewatering in Two Sequential Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) 2022; Volum 19.
  9. Umetani, Ikumi; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Sposób, Michal; Hulatt, Christopher Jonathan; Kleiven, Synne; Bakke, Rune. Bicarbonate for microalgae cultivation: a case study in a chlorophyte, Tetradesmus wisconsinensis isolated from a Norwegian lake. Journal of Applied Phycology 2021; Volume 33.(3) 2020
  10. Sivalingam, Vasan; Dinamarca, Carlos; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Kukankov, Sergey; Wang, Shuai; Bakke, Rune. Effect of Intermittent Aeration in a Hybrid Vertical Anaerobic Biofilm Reactor (HyVAB) for Reject Water Treatment. Water 2020; Volume 12.
  11. Sivalingam, Vasan; Ibrahim, Osama M.; Kukankov, Sergey; Omodara, Babafemi; Janka, Eshetu; Wang, Shuai; Dinamarca, Carlos; Haugen, Hildegunn Hegna; Bakke, Rune. Chemical equilibrium model to investigate scaling in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR). Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 2019 (170).
  12. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Carvajal Rodriguez, Diego Armando; Wang, Shuai; Bakke, Rune; Saldias Dinamarca, Carlos Antonio. Treatment of Metformin-Containing Wastewater by a Hybrid Vertical Anaerobic Biofilm- Reactor (HyVAB). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) 2019; Volum 16.
  13. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Umetani, Ikumi; Sposob, Michal; Bakke, Rune. Photosynthesis response of microalgae (Tetradesmus wisconsinensis) to different inorganic carbon sources probed with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Photosynthetica (Praha) 2019; Volum 57. 2018
  14. Eshetu Moges, Melesse; Todt, Daniel; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Heistad, Arve; Bakke, Rune. Sludge blankets anaerobic baffled reactor for source-separated blackwater treatment. Water Science and Technology 2018; Volume 78.
  15. Saldias Dinamarca, Carlos Antonio; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Bakke, Rune; Wang, Shuai. Biological reject water treatment for enhanced carbon recovery. 2ND international conference Bioresource technology for bioenergy bioproducts and environmental sustainability; 2018-09- 16 - 2018-09-19
  16. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Umetani, Ikumi; Sposob, Michal; Bakke, Rune. Photosynthesis response of microalgae (Tetradesmus wisconsinesis) to different inorganic carbon sources probed with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. IPAP 2018 │ International Plant and Algal Phenomics Meeting; 2018-08-26 - 2018-08-29 2017
  17. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Körner, Oliver; Rosenqvist, Eva; Ottosen, Carl-Otto. Simulation of PSII- operating efficiency from chlorophyll fluorescence in response to light and temperature in chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora) using a multilayer leaf model. Photosynthetica (Praha) 2017; Volume Published ahead of print.
  18. Wang, Shuai; Ghimire, Nirmal; Gang, Xin; Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Bakke, Rune. Efficient high strength petrochemical wastewater treatment in a hybrid vertical anaerobic biofilm (HyVAB) reactor: a pilot study. Water practice and technology 2017; Volume 12. 2016
  19. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Körner, Oliver; Rosenqvist, Eva; Carl Otto, Ottosen. A coupled model of leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and leaf energy balance for chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora). Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2016; Volume 123.
  20. Wakjera, Eshetu Janka; Körner, Oliver; Rosenqvist, Eva; Ottosen, Carl-Otto. Using the quantum yields of photosystem II and the rate of net photosynthesis to monitor high irradiance and temperature stress in chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora). Plant physiology and biochemistry (Paris) 2015; Volume 90.