Matias B. Vanotti, Ph.D.

Distinguished Senior Research Scientist
USDA-ARS
Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center
2611 West Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501-1242

matias.vanotti@usda.gov
Cell: 843-245-6625
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3128-4101
Loop profile: 430473

Dr. Matias Vanotti is a Super-grade Scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). His research with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) since 1995 has focused on development of innovative waste treatment technologies. He holds 18 patents. He was elected Fellow of American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America. He received the Presidential Rank Award, the Environmental Quality Research Award, and five times the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) National Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. ( Loop | Matias B. Vanotti)

Education

1982   University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Agricultural Engineer
1989   University of Wisconsin-Madison, Soil Science, M.S
1993   University of Wisconsin-Madison, Soil Science, Ph.D.

Work Experience:

1988 1993           Research Assistant, Dept. Soil Science, University of Wisconsin Madison
1993 1995           Research Associate, Dept. of Agronomy, University of Nebraska Lincoln
1995 2017           GS11-GS15, Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS, Florence, SC
2017-present       ST, Soil Scientist, USDA.

Research Accomplishments:

• Developed soil-grouped economic nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations in the early '90s for Wisconsin, replacing yield-goal. These are now the basis for N recommendation systems affecting 59% of the corn grain produced in the USA.  
• Pioneered the use of polymers for efficient solid-liquid separation of manure, which is now a key component used in manure treatment systems worldwide. More Information 
• Discovered a method to extract phosphorus from livestock wastewater using a new theory. It uses fewer chemicals than other methods and recovers the P in a reusable form. More Information  
• Discovered and patented a high-performing nitrifying sludge (HPNS) for effective nitrification under cold conditions allowing affordable wastewater ammonia treatment in farms. More Information
• Developed new concepts for effective greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and carbon credits using aerobic treatment of manure recommended by USDA for GHG mitigation.  
• Invented and developed a policy-changing swine waste treatment system without a lagoon, the Super Soil system, designated Environmentally Superior Technology (EST) by meeting standards for pathogens, odor, ammonia emissions, nutrients, and heavy metals. More Information 
• Invented the Quick Wash method to extract P from poultry litter. This pioneering agricultural waste technology crossed discipline boundaries and is being adopted in municipal markets. More Information 
• Invented new methods for recovering ammonia and reducing gaseous ammonia from animal production operations using gas-permeable membranes. More Information 
• Isolated from manure and patented a new anammox bacterial species (Brocadia caroliniensis) used by NASA to develop water treatment systems for space exploration. More Information 
• Invented a new method to extract amino-acids and phosphorus from manure and algae.  More Information
• Invented a new method for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from wastewater using electrochemistry.

Selected Publications:

Patents (matias vanotti - Google Patents): 

• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A. and Moral-Herrero, R. 2020. Extraction of amino acids and phosphorus from biological materials using sugars (acid precursors). US Patent 10,710,937.  
• Vanotti, M.B., and Szogi, A.A. 2019. Extraction of amino acids and phosphorus from biological materials. US Patent 10,150,711.   
• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., and Dube, P.J. 2018. Systems and methods for recovering ammonium and phosphorus from liquid effluents. US Patent 9,926,213.
• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., 2015. Systems and methods for reducing ammonia emissions from liquid effluents and for recovering the ammonia. US Patent 9,005,333.
• Szogi, A.A., Vanotti, M.B., and Hunt, P.G. 2014. Process for removing and recovering phosphorus from animal waste. US Patent 8,673,046 B1.
• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A. and Rothrock, M.J. 2013. Novel anammox bacterium isolate. US Patent 8,574,885.
• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A. and Ducey, T.F. 2013. High performance nitrifying sludge for high ammonium concentration and low temperature wastewater treatment. US Patent 8,445,253.
• Vanotti, M.B., A.A. Szogi, and L. Fetterman. 2010. Wastewater treatment system with simultaneous separation of phosphorus sludge and manure solids. US Patent 7,674,379
• Vanotti, M.B., A.A. Szogi, and P.G. Hunt. 2005. Wastewater treatment system. US Patent No. 6,893,567.   

 

Refereed Publications (Google Scholar profile):

• González-García, I., Riaño, B., Molinuevo-Salces, B., Vanotti, M.B., García-González, M.C. 2021. Improved anaerobic digestion of swine manure by simultaneous ammonia recovery using gas-permeable membranes. Water Research (190) 116789
• Vanotti, M. B., García-González, M. C., Molinuevo-Salces, B., Riaño, B. 2019. New Processes for Nutrient Recovery from Wastes. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88963-219-0
• Daguerre-Martini, S., Vanotti, M.B., Rodriguez-Pastor, M., Rosal, A., Moral, R. 2018. Nitrogen recovery from wastewater using gas-permeable membranes: Impact of inorganic carbon content and natural organic matter. Water Research (137) 201-210.
• Vanotti, M.B., Ro, K.S., Szogi, A.A., Loughrin, J.H., Millner, P.D. 2018. High-rate solid-liquid separation coupled with nitrogen and phosphorus treatment of swine manure: Effect on water quality. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2:49, https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2018.00049
• Vanotti, M.B., Dube, P.J., Szogi, A.A., and Garcia, M.C. 2017. Recovery of ammonia and phosphate minerals from swine wastewater using gas-permeable membranes. Water Research 112:137-146
• Magri, A., Vanotti, M.B. and Szogi, A.A. 2012. Anammox sludge immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogel carriers. Bioresource Technol. 114 (2):231-240. 2012.
• Vanotti, M.B., A.A. Szogi, M.P Bernal, and J. Martinez. 2009. Livestock waste treatment systems of the future: A challenge to environmental quality, food safety, and sustainability. OECD Workshop. Bioresource Technol. 100(22):5371 5373.
• Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A. and Vives, C.A. 2008. Greenhouse gas emission reduction and environmental quality improvement from implementation of aerobic treatment systems in swine farms. Waste Management 28:759–766.
• Vanotti M.B., Szogi, A.A., Hunt, P.G., Millner, P.D. and Humenik, F.J. 2007.Development of environmentally superior treatment system to replace anaerobic swine lagoons in the USA. Bioresource Technol. 98:3184-3194.
• Vanotti M.B., Millner, P.D., Hunt, P.G., and Ellison, A. 2005. Removal of pathogen and indicator microorganisms from liquid swine manure in multi-step biological and chemical treatment. Bioresource Technol. 98:209-214
• Vanotti, M. B., Szogi, A.A. and Hunt, P.G. 2003. Extraction of soluble phosphorus from swine wastewater. Trans. ASAE 46:1665-1674.
• Vanotti, M.B. and Hunt, P.G. 1999. Solids and nutrient removal from flushed swine manure using polyacrylamides. Trans. ASAE 42:1833-1840.
• Vanotti, M.B. and Bundy, L.G. 1994. An alternative rationale for corn nitrogen fertilizer recommendations. J. Prod. Agric. 7:243-249.

Pictures:

 

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Jewel Bronaugh 
present Dr. Matias Vanotti the Presidential Rank Award, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 16, 2023.

 

 

At the meeting of the OECD CRP Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems Governing Body
in Chateau de la Muette, Paris, France, Nov. 27, 2023.

 

 

Dr. Matias Vanotti with Taiwan Livestock Research Institute Director General Dr. Jeng-Fang Huang,
Deputy Director Dr. Mei-Ping Cheng, and cooperating researchers, in Tainan, Taiwan, March 8, 2023.

 

 

Matias Vanotti receives the 2022 Environmental Quality Research Award from David E. Clay,
President of the American Society of Agronomy, in Baltimore, Maryland, Nov. 8, 2022.

 

 

Drs. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Matias Vanotti, Scott Hutchins, and Mr. Archie Tucker at
Scientist of the Year Award Ceremony, Beltsville, Maryland, April 9, 2019.

 

 

Dr. Matias Vanotti with Federal Judge The Honorable Victor J. Wolski at appointment by
U.S. Office of Personnel Management of a ST position (Supergrade) at USDA, at Alexandria, Virginia, Nov.19,  2019.

 

 

Keynote speech at the International Anammox Symposium at Star Gate hotel in Osaka, Japan, Nov. 14, 2019.

 

Dr. Matias Vanotti receiving Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA),
with Dr. William Pan, SSSA president, at San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 11, 2019.

 

 

Drs. Matias Vanotti and C. Ray Campbell, vice president of research and development, Terra Blue, Inc.,
examine a compost sample.  Photo by Peggy Greb. Agricultural Research/ Producers and Pigs Profit From Manure Management Process.

 

Matias Vanotti monitors conditions in a bioreactor that uses immobilized
bacteria to clean agricultural effluents. Photo by Peggy Greb.

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ARS News Articles

• The Alchemy of Waste: Researchers Transform Animal Byproducts Into Valuable Assets
• H2O in Space: Waste Not, Want Not
• USDA's Agricultural Research Service Honors Scientists of the Year
• USDA Patents Method to Reduce Ammonia Emissions
• ARS Scientists Honored for Technology Transfer Efforts
• Mining Manure for Phosphorus
• New System Allows Efficient, Earth-Friendly Use of Hog Waste
• There’s Money in Managing Manure--When It’s Done Right
• Wastewater Irrigation Effective on Bermudagrass Hay
• Reducing Nitrate Discharge to Downstream Ecosystems
• Manure Treatment System Erases Greenhouse Gases
• Coping with swine manure: State-of-the-art technology cleans up wastewater from large-scale animal production
• Process Developed by USDA Scientists Makes Swine Wastewater Environmentally Friendly
• Blue Lagoons on Pig Farms? A new waste-handling system can make it a reality
• Bacteria propel gains in ammonia removal
• Score one for anammox
• More Carbon Credits Per Pig! Slashing greenhouse gases from hog waste
• New Ways To Clean Up Water and Use It Again
• Producers and Pigs Profit From Manure Management Process
• Livestock Waste Management 2.0: Recycling Ammonia Emissions as Fertilizer