Overview
We apply science and engineering principles to understand the behavior and fate of pollutants in natural environments, improve waste treatment processes, and develop sustainable industrial processes and products that reduce pollutants in the ecosystem. Our research investigates both local and global environmental impacts of gaseous and aqueous pollutants, and opportunities to reduce such contaminants through better use of renewable bioresources and sustainable bioprocesses. Some examples of our research activities include:
- Studying the sources and fate of atmospheric particulates, and impacts on health and climate.
- Tracking the fate and removal of contaminants in drinking water and wastewater.
- Establishing novel and robust microbial communities to remediate contaminated groundwater.
- Treating industrial effluents through anaerobic digestion for energy and biochemical recovery, or freeze crystallization for water recovery.
- Developing efficient physico-chemical, enzymatic and microbial processes for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials from renewable bio-resources.
- Designing new materials such as membranes, adsorbents, and catalysts for water treatment and desalination.
- Recovering critical and strategic materials from industrial waste streams and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
- Applying technoeconomic and life-cycle analysis tools to guide the development of sustainable technologies and products.
Key Terms
- Atmospheric chemistry
- Aerosols and particulate matter
- UV disinfection
- Bioremediation
- Biological wastewater treatment
- Biomass valorization
- Industrial biocatalysis
- Green chemistry
- Functional genomics
- Metabolic engineering
- Microbiome engineering
- Sustainable bioproducts
- Synthetic biology
- Stable isotope analysis
- Bioretention cells and wetlands
- Industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment
- Waste management and valorization
- Urban mining
Core Principal Investigators
Waste management and valorization; sustainable bioproducts; biological wastewater treatment
Waste management and valorization; urban mining
Environmental health; exposure assessment; chronic disease; open data platforms
Atmospheric chemistry; aerosols and particulate matter
Biomass valorization; green chemistry
Waste valorization
Bioremediation; functional genomics; waste management and valorization
Air pollution; advanced measurement methods; environmental data analytics
Water recovery; biomass valorization; UV disinfection
Green chemistry; nanotechnology; industrial wastewater treatment
Biomass-derived functional materials; waste management and valorization; water purification and desalination
Electrolyte thermodynamics; chemical modelling; sensors
Biomaterials; bio composites; paper science
Industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment
Biological wastewater treatment; microbiome engineering; functional genomics; waste management and valorization
Synthetic biology; metabolic engineering; sustainable bioproducts; industrial biocatalysis; functional genomics; microbiome engineering
Industrial biocatalysis; functional genomics; biomass valorization; sustainable bioproducts
Novel materials; technoeconomic and life-cycle assessment; carbon capture
Industrial water purification and recovery; forward osmosis; freeze concentration; bioleaching; hydrometallurgy; extraction and recovery of rare earth elements
Bioremediation; stable isotope analysis; bioretention cells and wetlands
Sustainable bioproducts; industrial biocatalysis
Sustainable bioproducts; waste management and valorization; water recovery
Water management and valorization; water recovery; sustainable bioproducts
Biomass valorization; green chemistry; sustainable bioproducts