Associate Professor Shihu Hu
Associate Professor

Shihu Hu

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 63226

Background

A/Prof Hu is an environmental scientist and engineer. He has a track record in both undertaking ground-breaking research works and applying fundamental research to develop practical solutions. A/Prof Hu's research and discoveries help established previously unrecognised links between the global carbon, nitrogen and metal cycles, as shown by his publications in Nature, Nature Microbiology and Nature Communications, which have significant implications in methane emissions from aquatic environments. A/Prof Hu has also been working intensively with water industry partners in developing novel water technologies. A/Prof Hu has worked as a CI and project manager of many industry projects (total cash budget > $14 M) in collaboration with Australian and international water utilities on sulfide control and carbon and nutrients removal and recovery in wastewater, resulting in many publications including in Science, Nature Communications, Water Research, Environmental Science and Technology.

A/Prof Hu is an Executive Committee member of UQ’s Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, which is one of the top three water research centres in the world. He has played a leadership role in the joint establishment and management of the Urban Utilities Innovation Centre since 2014, which is now regarded as the best platform for demonstration and translation of novel water treatment technology in Australia.

As an expert in new technology scale-up, he has won 10+ awards for collaborative R&D projects:

  • Australian Water Association (AWA) Queensland R&D Excellence Award 2022 for project ‘Transforming wastewater treatment in regional Australia', as a CI
  • UQ Awards for Excellence 2022 - Promoting Industry Engagement in Graduate Research, as program leader
  • AWA Queensland Infrastructure Project Innovation Award 2021 for project ‘Australia’s first municipal sidestream anammox treatment facility’, as the UQ representative
  • AWA Qld R&D Excellence Award 2020 for project ‘Zero-energy sewage treatment, harnessing the power of biogas’, as a CI and project co-leader
  • Finalist for AWA Qld R&D Excellence Award 2020 for project ‘Urban Utilities algae research project/program’, as a project CI
  • AWA Qld R&D Excellence Award 2019 for project ‘An integrated approach to iron salt use in urban water systems’, as a team member
  • UQ Awards for Excellence - Partners in Research Excellence Awards 2017
  • Queensland Urban Utilities Research Innovation Award 2017
  • AWA National R&D Excellence Award 2017 for project ‘Nitrogen removal from wastewater while maximising resource recovery potential’, as project co-leader
  • Advance Queensland Research Fellowship 2016
  • AWA Qld R&D Excellence Award 2016 for project ‘Affordable and sustainable water recycling through optimal technology integration’, as project co-leader
  • Finalist for AWA Qld R&D Excellence Award 2015 for project ‘Queensland Urban Utilities Innovation Centre', as project co-leader
  • International Water Association (IWA) Global Project Innovation Award 2014 for Project ‘Sewer Corrosion and Odour Research (SCORe) - Putting Science in Sewers’, as a team member

Teaching

WATR 6103: Advanced Wastewater and Biosolids Treatment

WATR 6105: Integrated Urban Water Management

WATR7104 Sewer Networks - Design, Operation and Maintenance

Availability

Associate Professor Shihu Hu is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Microbiology

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework) of Environmental Engineering, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland

Search Professor Shihu Hu’s works on UQ eSpace

141 works between 2009 and 2025
All (141) Journal Article (124) Book Chapter (3) Conference Publication (7) Other Outputs (7)

1 - 20 of 141 works

2025

Journal Article

Gas-delivery membrane as an alternative aeration method to remove dissolved methane from anaerobically treated wastewater

Lu, Yan, Liu, Tao, Wang, Hui, Zuo, Lukun, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bagg, Wayne and Guo, Jianhua (2025). Gas-delivery membrane as an alternative aeration method to remove dissolved methane from anaerobically treated wastewater. Water Research, 268 122760, 122760. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122760

Gas-delivery membrane as an alternative aeration method to remove dissolved methane from anaerobically treated wastewater

2024

Journal Article

Anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to reductive immobilization of hexavalent chromium by “Candidatus Methanoperedens”

Wang, Suicao, Zhang, Xueqin, Tian, Dihua, Zhao, Jing, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Cai, Fangrui, Xie, Mengying, Virdis, Bernardino, Guo, Jianhua, Yuan, Zhiguo, Zhang, Run and Hu, Shihu (2024). Anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to reductive immobilization of hexavalent chromium by “Candidatus Methanoperedens”. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 480 136020, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136020

Anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to reductive immobilization of hexavalent chromium by “Candidatus Methanoperedens”

2024

Journal Article

Enhancing nitrogen and phosphorus removal in plant-biochar-pyrite stormwater bioretention systems: Impact of temperature and high-frequency heavy rainfall

Xu, Mei, Zhi, Yue, Kong, Zheng, Ma, Haiyuan, Shao, Zhiyu, Chen, Lei, Chen, Hong, Yuan, Yunsong, Liu, Fujian, Xu, Yanhong, Ni, Qichang, Hu, Shihu and Chai, Hongxiang (2024). Enhancing nitrogen and phosphorus removal in plant-biochar-pyrite stormwater bioretention systems: Impact of temperature and high-frequency heavy rainfall. Environmental Research, 262 119926, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119926

Enhancing nitrogen and phosphorus removal in plant-biochar-pyrite stormwater bioretention systems: Impact of temperature and high-frequency heavy rainfall

2024

Journal Article

Coarse bubble mixing in anoxic zone greatly stimulates nitrous oxide emissions from biological nitrogen removal process

Duan, Haoran, Watt, Shane, Erler, Dirk, Li, Huijuan, Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu, Ye, Liu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2024). Coarse bubble mixing in anoxic zone greatly stimulates nitrous oxide emissions from biological nitrogen removal process. Water Research X, 25 100263, 100263. doi: 10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100263

Coarse bubble mixing in anoxic zone greatly stimulates nitrous oxide emissions from biological nitrogen removal process

2024

Journal Article

Advances and challenges of carbon‐free gas‐diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ma, Beibei, Yang, Yu, Li, Fengwang, Yan, Penghui, Wu, Yuming, Zhang, Xueqin, Hu, Shihu, Wang, Hao, Ge, Lei and Zhu, Zhonghua (2024). Advances and challenges of carbon‐free gas‐diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for electrochemical CO2 reduction. Advanced Functional Materials, 35 (1) 2411195. doi: 10.1002/adfm.202411195

Advances and challenges of carbon‐free gas‐diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for electrochemical CO2 reduction

2024

Journal Article

Significant in situ sludge yield reduction in an acidic activated sludge system

Kong, Zheng, Wang, Zhiyao, Lu, Xi, Song, Yunqian, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2024). Significant in situ sludge yield reduction in an acidic activated sludge system. Water Research, 261 122042, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122042

Significant in situ sludge yield reduction in an acidic activated sludge system

2024

Journal Article

Quadrupling the capacity of post aerobic digestion treating anaerobically digested sludge using a moving-bed biofilm (MBBR) configuration

Wang, Zhiyao, Lu, Xi, Zheng, Min, Hu, Zhetai, Batstone, Damien, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2024). Quadrupling the capacity of post aerobic digestion treating anaerobically digested sludge using a moving-bed biofilm (MBBR) configuration. Water Research X, 24 100240, 100240. doi: 10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100240

Quadrupling the capacity of post aerobic digestion treating anaerobically digested sludge using a moving-bed biofilm (MBBR) configuration

2024

Journal Article

Characterization of the redox-active extracellular polymeric substances in an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium

Zhang, Xueqin, Zhao, Jing, Erler, Dirk V., Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Kong, Zheng, Wang, Suicao, Wang, Zhiyao, Virdis, Bernardino, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2024). Characterization of the redox-active extracellular polymeric substances in an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium. Journal of Environmental Management, 365 121523, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121523

Characterization of the redox-active extracellular polymeric substances in an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium

2024

Book Chapter

Novel anammox-based biological nitrogen removal process for high-strength industry wastewater treatment

Hu, Zhetai and Hu, Shihu (2024). Novel anammox-based biological nitrogen removal process for high-strength industry wastewater treatment. Trends in biological processes in industrial wastewater treatment. (pp. 14.1-14.17) edited by Maulin P. Shah. Bristol, United Kingdom: Institute of Physics Publishing. doi: 10.1088/978-0-7503-5678-7ch14

Novel anammox-based biological nitrogen removal process for high-strength industry wastewater treatment

2024

Journal Article

Superior mainstream partial nitritation in an acidic membrane-aerated biofilm reactor

Niu, Chenkai, Ying, Yifeng, Zhao, Jing, Zheng, Min, Guo, Jianhua, Yuan, Zhiguo, Hu, Shihu and Liu, Tao (2024). Superior mainstream partial nitritation in an acidic membrane-aerated biofilm reactor. Water Research, 257 121692, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121692

Superior mainstream partial nitritation in an acidic membrane-aerated biofilm reactor

2024

Journal Article

Ammonium-based bioleaching of toxic metals from sewage sludge in a continuous bioreactor

Wang, Zhiyao, Lu, Xi, Zhang, Xueqin, Yuan, Zhiguo, Zheng, Min and Hu, Shihu (2024). Ammonium-based bioleaching of toxic metals from sewage sludge in a continuous bioreactor. Water Research, 256 121651, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121651

Ammonium-based bioleaching of toxic metals from sewage sludge in a continuous bioreactor

2024

Journal Article

Bioreduction of chromate in a syngas-based membrane biofilm reactor

Niu, Chenkai, Zhao, Xinyu, Shi, Danting, Ying, Yifeng, Wu, Mengxiong, Lai, Chun-Yu, Guo, Jianhua, Hu, Shihu and Liu, Tao (2024). Bioreduction of chromate in a syngas-based membrane biofilm reactor. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 470 134195, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134195

Bioreduction of chromate in a syngas-based membrane biofilm reactor

2024

Journal Article

Coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and n-DAMO in a membrane aerated biofilm reactor for simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal

Lu, Yan, Liu, Tao, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Dwyer, Jason, Akker, Ben Van Den, Lloyd, James and Guo, Jianhua (2024). Coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and n-DAMO in a membrane aerated biofilm reactor for simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal. Water Research, 255 121511, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121511

Coupling Partial Nitritation, Anammox and n-DAMO in a membrane aerated biofilm reactor for simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal

2024

Journal Article

Biological bromate reduction coupled with in situ gas fermentation in H2/CO2-based membrane biofilm reactor

Zuo, Zhiqiang, Niu, Chenkai, Zhao, Xinyu, Lai, Chun-Yu, Zheng, Min, Guo, Jianhua, Hu, Shihu and Liu, Tao (2024). Biological bromate reduction coupled with in situ gas fermentation in H2/CO2-based membrane biofilm reactor. Water Research, 254 121402, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121402

Biological bromate reduction coupled with in situ gas fermentation in H2/CO2-based membrane biofilm reactor

2024

Journal Article

Wastewater Tiling Amplicon Sequencing in Sentinel Sites Reveals Longitudinal Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Prevalence

Wang, Yu, Ni, Gaofeng, Tian, Wei, Wang, Haofei, Li, Jiaying, Thai, Phong, Choi, Phil M., Jackson, Greg, Hu, Shihu, Yang, Bicheng and Guo, Jianhua (2024). Wastewater Tiling Amplicon Sequencing in Sentinel Sites Reveals Longitudinal Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Prevalence. Water Research X, 23 100224, 100224. doi: 10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100224

Wastewater Tiling Amplicon Sequencing in Sentinel Sites Reveals Longitudinal Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Prevalence

2024

Journal Article

Humic substances as electron acceptor for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and electron shuttle in Mn (IV)-dependent AOM

Xie, Mengying, Zhang, Xueqin, Li, Shiqing, Maulani, Nova, Cai, Fangrui, Zheng, Yue, Cai, Chen, Virdis, Bernardino, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2024). Humic substances as electron acceptor for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and electron shuttle in Mn (IV)-dependent AOM. Science of The Total Environment, 912 169576, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169576

Humic substances as electron acceptor for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and electron shuttle in Mn (IV)-dependent AOM

2024

Journal Article

Multi-media interaction improves the efficiency and stability of the bioretention system for stormwater runoff treatment

Kong, Zheng, Song, Yunqian, Xu, Mei, Yang, Yan, Wang, Xinyue, Ma, Haiyuan, Zhi, Yue, Shao, Zhiyu, Chen, Lei, Yuan, Yunsong, Liu, Fujian, Xu, Yanhong, Ni, Qichang, Hu, Shihu and Chai, Hongxiang (2024). Multi-media interaction improves the efficiency and stability of the bioretention system for stormwater runoff treatment. Water Research, 250 121017. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.121017

Multi-media interaction improves the efficiency and stability of the bioretention system for stormwater runoff treatment

2024

Journal Article

Rational designing microenvironment of gas-diffusion electrodes via microgel-augmented CO2 availability for high-rate and selective CO2 electroreduction to ethylene

Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Li, Mengran, Yan, Penghui, Wu, Yuming, Zhang, Xueqin, Dorosti, Fatereh, Zhang, Xi, Ma, Beibei, Hu, Shihu, Wang, Hao, Zhu, Zhonghua and Ge, Lei (2024). Rational designing microenvironment of gas-diffusion electrodes via microgel-augmented CO2 availability for high-rate and selective CO2 electroreduction to ethylene. Advanced Science, 11 (40) 2402964. doi: 10.1002/advs.202402964

Rational designing microenvironment of gas-diffusion electrodes via microgel-augmented CO2 availability for high-rate and selective CO2 electroreduction to ethylene

2023

Journal Article

Challenges of suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in membrane aerated biofilm reactors by low dissolved oxygen control

Lu, Yan, Liu, Tao, Niu, Chenkai, Duan, Haoran, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Wang, Hui and Guo, Jianhua (2023). Challenges of suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in membrane aerated biofilm reactors by low dissolved oxygen control. Water Research, 247 120754, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120754

Challenges of suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in membrane aerated biofilm reactors by low dissolved oxygen control

2023

Journal Article

Pyrogenic carbon promotes anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with iron reduction via the redox-cycling mechanism

Zhang, Xueqin, Xie, Mengying, Cai, Chen, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Wang, Zhiyao, Virdis, Bernardino, Tyson, Gene W., McIlroy, Simon J., Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2023). Pyrogenic carbon promotes anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with iron reduction via the redox-cycling mechanism. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (48), 19793-19804. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05907

Pyrogenic carbon promotes anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with iron reduction via the redox-cycling mechanism

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Transforming urban water management through technology translation
    ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Biofilm-based solution for cost-effective high-quality drinking water
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2025
    Revolutionising sludge management, turning costly waste into a safe product (CRC-P administered by Urban Utilities)
    Queensland Urban Utilities
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    A practical approach for water utilities to quantify direct greenhouse gas emissions
    UQ Knowledge Exchange & Translation Fund
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2024
    Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Sewer corrosion reduction through model-supported ventilation control
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Centre of Excellence for NEOM research at KAUST- UQ subaward
    King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
    Open grant
  • 2019
    STP Innovation and leading practice environmental management
    Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Transforming Wastewater treatment in regional Australia (CRC-P administered by Queensland Urban Utilities)
    Queensland Urban Utilities
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Transforming Wastewater Treatment Ponds in Rural Australia
    Cooperative Research Centre Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Revealing the microbial process of iron-driven anaerobic ammonium oxidation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Maximizing Energy Recovery through Innovative Nitrogen remOval (MERINO) - DC Water Project
    District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2021
    Transforming wastewater treatment plants from a large energy consumer to an energy exporter through maximizing renewable energy recovery
    Melbourne Water Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Zero-energy sewage treatment
    Queensland Government Advance Queensland Innovation Partnerships
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry (CGMS) - Achieving excellence in isotope geochemistry and geochronology
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Understanding of Iron-Dependent Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane Process
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Advance Queensland Research Fellowship (Mid): Energy Positive Domestic Wastewater Treatment
    Advance Queensland Research Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Next-generation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) with laser-ablation capability for in situ high-throughput and high resolution isotope dating and characterizat
    UQ Major Research Facility Fund
    Open grant
  • 2014
    A Platform for Translational Water Research
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2010
    Diversity and distribution of methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms in the suboxic transition zones of Little Nerang
    Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority trading as Seqwater
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Shihu Hu is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Application of iron salts for urban water system management

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Recycling scrap iron for integrated urban wastewater management

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Autotrophic nitrogen removal from low carbon wastewater by anammox

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Production of C1-C2 liquid chemicals from waste streams containing carbon dioxide

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis, Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Greenhouse gas emission quantification and methane emission mitigation of open wastewater sludge lagoons using laboratory-scale column incubations

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan

  • Master Philosophy

    Upgrading biogas to biomethane electrochemically while producing iron salts for wastewater management

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Enhancing anaerobic digestion with microbial electrochemical process

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Microbial Benchmarking at Wastewater Treatment Plants

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fate and removal of PFAS in sewage sludge

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Sustainable management of sewage sludge

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Paul Jensen, Dr Haoran Duan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Application of Membrane Biofilm Reactor for Nitrogen Removal and Metal Recovery

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Reducing activated sludge production by advanced oxidation process in wastewater treatment

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Revolutionising sludge management, turning costly waste into a safe product

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Microbial Benchmarking at Wastewater Treatment Plants

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cost-effective and sustainable treatment of ammonium-rich industrial wastewater

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Liu Ye, Dr Haoran Duan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis, Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Electrochemically generated iron dosing for sulfide control and phosphate recovery in anaerobic wastewater treatment system

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane coupled to oxidised contaminants reduction by `Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens¿

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Developing a novel taste and odour removal process for drinking water

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen, Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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