Energy Neutral Anthropogenic Nitrogen Management. This project aims to develop an innovative energy-neutral biological ammonium management strategy based on a novel anaerobic ammonia oxidation pathway. Ammonium-rich waste streams from urban and agricultural settings are a major cause of eutrophication and impose severe environmental burdens to human and ecological health. This project is expected to fundamentally change how we manage ammonium pollution, and will have immediate applicability to e ....Energy Neutral Anthropogenic Nitrogen Management. This project aims to develop an innovative energy-neutral biological ammonium management strategy based on a novel anaerobic ammonia oxidation pathway. Ammonium-rich waste streams from urban and agricultural settings are a major cause of eutrophication and impose severe environmental burdens to human and ecological health. This project is expected to fundamentally change how we manage ammonium pollution, and will have immediate applicability to engineered bioreactors systems. This will provide significant benefits in supporting a wide range of industries that struggle with finding affordable and net-zero ways to manage ammonium wastes, providing an important step to reach global net-zero carbon emissions.Read moreRead less
Mid-Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IM230100030
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$855,472.00
Summary
Transforming urban water management through technology translation . Through university and industry partnership, this project will develop and demonstrate, at pilot scale, a highly innovative technology that manufactures an iron salt, FeCO3, for use in urban water management, and simultaneously removes CO2, H2S and NH3 from biogas thus achieving biogas valorisation. This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of FeCO3 produced, in infrastructure protection, nutrients removal and recycling, ....Transforming urban water management through technology translation . Through university and industry partnership, this project will develop and demonstrate, at pilot scale, a highly innovative technology that manufactures an iron salt, FeCO3, for use in urban water management, and simultaneously removes CO2, H2S and NH3 from biogas thus achieving biogas valorisation. This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of FeCO3 produced, in infrastructure protection, nutrients removal and recycling, and capacity enhancement of wastewater treatment plants. The outcomes of this project will lead to the adoption and commercialisation of the technology, which will substantially enhance the sustainability of urban water management in Australia, and also create jobs in, and bring incomes to Australia. Read moreRead less
Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade ....Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade of existing wastewater treatment plants. The project will advance the practical applications of water electrolysis for scalable and sustainable hydrogen production and help Australia secure a leading position in the global emerging hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less
Simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal. Direct anaerobic treatment of wastewater converts majority of organic matters in wastewater to methane, an energy source. However, up to 50% of the methane produced stays dissolved in wastewater. Its subsequent stripping to atmosphere in aerobic treatment not only causes significant loss of energy but also emission of a potent greenhouse gas. This project aims to develop a technology that not only avoids methane stripping but also enables its ....Simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal. Direct anaerobic treatment of wastewater converts majority of organic matters in wastewater to methane, an energy source. However, up to 50% of the methane produced stays dissolved in wastewater. Its subsequent stripping to atmosphere in aerobic treatment not only causes significant loss of energy but also emission of a potent greenhouse gas. This project aims to develop a technology that not only avoids methane stripping but also enables its beneficial use to enhance nitrogen removal, which is otherwise typically unsatisfactory due to the lack of organic carbon to support denitrification. The project will provide strong support to the Australian water industry in their endeavour to achieve energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services.Read moreRead less
A novel microbial process breaking through the nitrogen cycling. Nitrogen transformation is central to life on Earth. This project will challenge a century-old paradigm that microorganisms must cooperate in a team to convert nitrogen from organic- to inorganic forms. We will carry out the first-ever systematic investigation of a novel process, where a single organism mediates complete ammonification and ammonia oxidation, directly connecting organic- and inorganic nitrogen. By revealing metaboli ....A novel microbial process breaking through the nitrogen cycling. Nitrogen transformation is central to life on Earth. This project will challenge a century-old paradigm that microorganisms must cooperate in a team to convert nitrogen from organic- to inorganic forms. We will carry out the first-ever systematic investigation of a novel process, where a single organism mediates complete ammonification and ammonia oxidation, directly connecting organic- and inorganic nitrogen. By revealing metabolic pathways, characterising ecophysiological properties, isolating key microorganisms and exploring their application potential, this project will change our fundamental understanding of global nitrogen cycling, improve the sustainability of water management, and contribute to the circular economy transitionRead moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100842
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,057.00
Summary
Roles of emerging pollutants in spreading antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global challenge, yet the impact of environmental agents on the spread of antimicrobial resistance is poorly understood. Drawing on my recent findings and a tight integration of a model microbial ecology system, this project aims to investigate the impact of environmental pollutants on the colonisation and spread of antimicrobial resistance in situ ecological communities. This project expect ....Roles of emerging pollutants in spreading antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global challenge, yet the impact of environmental agents on the spread of antimicrobial resistance is poorly understood. Drawing on my recent findings and a tight integration of a model microbial ecology system, this project aims to investigate the impact of environmental pollutants on the colonisation and spread of antimicrobial resistance in situ ecological communities. This project expects to generate new knowledge at the forefront of research into antimicrobial resistance in a complex ecosystem. The outcomes should provide a deep mechanistic understanding of environmental factors associated with antimicrobial resistance, with applications to antimicrobial resistance risk management for One Health.Read moreRead less
Efficient Pipeline Transport of Highly Concentrated Wastewater Sludge . This project aims to investigate the rheology and fluid mechanics of highly concentrated wastewater sludges and develop tools to support effective pipeline designs for wastewater treatment plants. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the complex flow of concentrated wastewater which will enable predictive models to support the design and optimization of pipeline transport systems. Expected outcomes of the proj ....Efficient Pipeline Transport of Highly Concentrated Wastewater Sludge . This project aims to investigate the rheology and fluid mechanics of highly concentrated wastewater sludges and develop tools to support effective pipeline designs for wastewater treatment plants. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the complex flow of concentrated wastewater which will enable predictive models to support the design and optimization of pipeline transport systems. Expected outcomes of the project include a new toolkit that will enable wastewater treatment plants to design and optimize both existing and future pipeline systems. This will support the Australian wastewater industry to plan for future growth, increase throughput and efficiency, reduce environmental pollutants, and capital and operating costs.Read moreRead less
Sustainable wastewater management. This project aims to extract high-value liquid products (medium-chain fatty acids) from wastewater with minimised greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, in addition to clean water. Traditional wastewater treatment removes organic carbon and nutrients by using vast amounts of energy and releasing greenhouse gas. However, wastewater is a substantial but largely untapped renewable resource. The intended outcome is to transform wastewater from a troubleso ....Sustainable wastewater management. This project aims to extract high-value liquid products (medium-chain fatty acids) from wastewater with minimised greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, in addition to clean water. Traditional wastewater treatment removes organic carbon and nutrients by using vast amounts of energy and releasing greenhouse gas. However, wastewater is a substantial but largely untapped renewable resource. The intended outcome is to transform wastewater from a troublesome pollutant to a valuable resource and reduce carbon footprints.Read moreRead less
Carbon fibre thermoplastics as next-generation carbon fibre composites. By combining sizing, chemical grafting, and nano-reinforcement strategies, this project develops chemically and thermally robust thermoplastic interfacial sizing for carbon fiber/thermoplastic composites for rapid manufacturing. Thermostamped carbon fiber/thermoplastic composite prototypes will be used to verify the sizing. In order to demonstrate industrial viability, recyclability and reprocessability analyses will be cond ....Carbon fibre thermoplastics as next-generation carbon fibre composites. By combining sizing, chemical grafting, and nano-reinforcement strategies, this project develops chemically and thermally robust thermoplastic interfacial sizing for carbon fiber/thermoplastic composites for rapid manufacturing. Thermostamped carbon fiber/thermoplastic composite prototypes will be used to verify the sizing. In order to demonstrate industrial viability, recyclability and reprocessability analyses will be conducted. This sizing method can enable high-performance thermoplastic composites in nonaerospace applications with its atomistic level modelling and comprehensive characterisation routine. A key objective of this study is to produce sustainably manufactured composite materials that are also commercially relevant.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the dynamics of nitrous oxide production in wastewater systems. This project aims to unravel the dynamics of Nitrous oxide (N2O) production in wastewater treatment systems by combining continuous stable isotope tracing techniques with innovative experimental design and sophisticated mathematical modelling. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment systems. Yet we have a poor understanding of how it is produc ....Unravelling the dynamics of nitrous oxide production in wastewater systems. This project aims to unravel the dynamics of Nitrous oxide (N2O) production in wastewater treatment systems by combining continuous stable isotope tracing techniques with innovative experimental design and sophisticated mathematical modelling. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment systems. Yet we have a poor understanding of how it is produced in such systems. The outcomes of this project will benefit Australian water utilities by helping them to reduce N2O emissions.Read moreRead less