Dr. Wolfgang Merkle

Work at ZHAW

Position

Researcher in the field of Environmental Biotechnology and Bioenergy

Focus

Applied research in the field of bioprocess development, anaerobic fermentation and biological methanation. Focus areas: development and optimisation of bioprocesses, process analysis and control, reactor development, scale-up, and integration of renewable gases into sustainable energy systems.

Teaching

Practical course in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Microbial Analysis, Process Automation

Experience

• Postdoc
  University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy
  10 / 2017 - 12 / 2019
• PhD Student
  University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy
  10 / 2013 - 10 / 2017

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Dr. sc. agr. / Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
  University of Hohenheim
  07 / 2013 - 10 / 2017
• Master of Science / Biobased Products and Bioenergy
  University of Hohenheim
  10 / 2011 - 07 / 2013
• Bachelor of Science / Biobased Products and Bioenergy
  University of Hohenheim
  10 / 2007 - 09 / 2011

Continuing Education

CAS Higher & Professional Education
Zurich Unversity of Applied Sciences ZHAW
07 / 2026

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1798-546X

Social media

• Linkedin
• ResearchGate

Projects

• GPC – Green Palm Circuits – Practical training for staff involved in pilot project / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• RPME – Mineral Fertiliser Resource Project / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Biological in-situ methanation / Team member / ongoing
• MiBAS – Micro-biogas plants in Switzerland / Deputy project leader / completed
• PURAMMON (Main Project) – Renewable Nitrogen-Mineral Fertiliser from Slurry / Team member / completed
• VARESI – Recycling industrial waste materials for a sustainable industry / Deputy project leader / completed
• CarboPHOS – Phosphorous recovery through hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge / Project leader / completed
• CarbonVALUE / Project leader / completed
• CarbonATE – Biological methanation / Project leader / completed
• HYKOM – Combination of Hygienisation and Hydrolysis as Pretreatment steps for liquid Substrates prior to Anaerobic Digestion. / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Kalbermatten, C. L. et al. (2026) 'Optimizing trickle-bed reactor performance for hydrogenotrophic methane production in power-to-methane systems', Process Biochemistry, 163, pp. 66–76. doi: 10.1016/j.procbio.2026.02.010.
• Williams, F. P. et al. (2025) 'Technoeconomic feasibility of integrated organics processing facilities with anaerobic digestion and composting : an analytical framework for regional Australia', Waste Management, 208(115153). doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115153.
• Holl, E. et al. (2022) 'Two-stage anaerobic digestion : state of technology and perspective roles in future energy systems', Bioresource Technology, 360(127633). doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127633.
• Zhou, L. et al. (2021) 'Operating performance of full-scale agricultural biogas plants in Germany and China : results of a year-round monitoring program', Applied Sciences, 11(3), p. 1271. doi: 10.3390/app11031271.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

Chaurasiya, U. et al. (2023) 'Microbial intervention in waste remediation for bio-energy production', in Kashyap, B. K. and Solanki, M. K. (eds) Current Research Trends and Applications in Waste Management. Singapore: Springer, pp. 163–190. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-3106-4_7.

Other publications

Haueisen, C. et al. (2026) MiBAS – Mikro-Biogasanlagen Schweiz : Analyse der Leistung einer Kleinstbiogasanlage unter schweizerischen Klimabedingungen. Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.23161290.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

• Dissertation: Two-stage high pressure anaerobic digestion for biomethane production
• Influence of anaerobic digestion on the labile phosphorus in pig, chicken, and dairy manure
• Influence of Anaerobic Digestion Processes on the Germination of Weed Seeds
• Biomethane Potential Test: Influence of Inoculum and the Digestion System
• Utilization of process liquids with high organic loads in bioelectrochemical systems: Organic degradation rates & current densities
• Integration of membrane filtration in two-stage anaerobic digestion system: Specific methane yield potentials of hydrolysate and permeate
• Development of an innovative two-stage fermentation process for high-calorific biogas at elevated pressure
• Effects of high-pressure anaerobic digestion up to 30 bar on pH-value, production kinetics and specific methane yield
• Influence of pressures up to 50 bar on two-stage anaerobic digestion
• High-pressure anaerobic digestion up to 100 bar: Influence of initial pressure on production kinetics and specific methane yields
• Advanced green biorefining: effects of ensiling treatments on lactic acid production, microbial activity and supplementary methane formation of grass and rye
• Effects of temperature, pH and O2 on the removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas by external biological desulfurization in a full scale fixed-bed trickling bioreactor (FBTB)

Other publications

Microbial Intervention in Waste Remediation for Bio-Energy Production

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