Jonathan Trent

Dr. Jonathan Trent is a former NASA scientist and current director of the open-source UpCycle Systems project. At NASA, he led the OMEGA project, pioneering work on offshore, floating algae photobioreactors to produce biofuels without competing with agriculture for land, fertilizer, or freshwater. With a Ph.D. in biological oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, he conducted research at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, and Argonne National Laboratory, before joining NASA. Currently, his “UpCycle System” focuses on colocating data centers and wastewater treatment plants to optimize resource recovery, using NASA-inspired “Space-Grade Sustainability” principles for thermal management of data centers, anaerobic digesters, water purification, and algae cultivation.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-trent-7742555/opens in new tab/window

Background: https://www.nasa.gov/general/interview-with-jonathan-trent/opens in new tab/window