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

145 works between 2009 and 2025
All (145) Journal Article (128) Book Chapter (3) Conference Publication (7) Other Outputs (7)

41 - 60 of 145 works

2023

Journal Article

Anaerobic methanotroph ‘Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens’ has a pleomorphic life cycle

McIlroy, Simon J., Leu, Andy O., Zhang, Xueqin, Newell, Rhys, Woodcroft, Ben J., Yuan, Zhiguo, Hu, Shihu and Tyson, Gene W. (2023). Anaerobic methanotroph ‘Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens’ has a pleomorphic life cycle. Nature Microbiology, 8 (2), 321-331. doi: 10.1038/s41564-022-01292-9

Anaerobic methanotroph ‘Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens’ has a pleomorphic life cycle

2023

Journal Article

High hydraulic loading rates favored mainstream partial nitritation: experimental demonstration and model-based analysis

Duan, Haoran, Zheng, Min, Li, Jiyun, Liu, Tao, Wang, Zhiyao, Shrestha, Sohan, Wang, Bingzheng, Ye, Liu, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2023). High hydraulic loading rates favored mainstream partial nitritation: experimental demonstration and model-based analysis. ACS ES and T Water, 3 (2), 556-564. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00569

High hydraulic loading rates favored mainstream partial nitritation: experimental demonstration and model-based analysis

2023

Journal Article

Ammonium concentration determines oxygen penetration depth to impact the suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria inside partial nitritation and anammox biofilms

Zhao, Jing, Liu, Tao, Meng, Jia, Hu, Zhetai, Lu, Xuanyu, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2023). Ammonium concentration determines oxygen penetration depth to impact the suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria inside partial nitritation and anammox biofilms. Chemical Engineering Journal, 455 140738, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.140738

Ammonium concentration determines oxygen penetration depth to impact the suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria inside partial nitritation and anammox biofilms

2022

Journal Article

Characterizing and comparing microbial community and biofilm structure in three nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors

Zhao, Jing, Ni, Gaofeng, Piculell, Maria, Li, Jie, Hu, Zhetai, Wang, Zhiyao, Guo, Jianhua, Yuan, Zhiguo, Zheng, Min and Hu, Shihu (2022). Characterizing and comparing microbial community and biofilm structure in three nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors. Journal of Environmental Management, 320 115883, 115883. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115883

Characterizing and comparing microbial community and biofilm structure in three nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors

2022

Journal Article

Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater

Hu, Zhetai, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu, Hong, Pei-Ying, Zhang, Xueqing, Prodanovic, Veljko, Zhang, Kefeng, Pikaar, Ilje, Ye, Liu, Deletic, Ana and Yuan, Zhiguo (2022). Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater. Water Research, 225 119202, 119202. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119202

Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater

2022

Journal Article

Re-configuring mainstream anammox

Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Duan, Haoran, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2022). Re-configuring mainstream anammox. Chemical Engineering Journal, 445 136817, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.136817

Re-configuring mainstream anammox

2022

Journal Article

Selective enrichment of comammox Nitrospira in a moving bed biofilm reactor with sufficient oxygen supply

Zhao, Jing, Zheng, Min, Su, Zicheng, Liu, Tao, Li, Jie, Guo, Jianhua, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). Selective enrichment of comammox Nitrospira in a moving bed biofilm reactor with sufficient oxygen supply. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (18), 13338-13346. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03299

Selective enrichment of comammox Nitrospira in a moving bed biofilm reactor with sufficient oxygen supply

2022

Journal Article

Microtubular electrodes: an emerging electrode configuration for electrocatalysis, bioelectrochemical and water treatment applications

Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ge, Lei, Hu, Shihu, Wang, Hao and Yuan, Zhiguo (2022). Microtubular electrodes: an emerging electrode configuration for electrocatalysis, bioelectrochemical and water treatment applications. Chemical Engineering Journal, 450 138476, 138476. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.138476

Microtubular electrodes: an emerging electrode configuration for electrocatalysis, bioelectrochemical and water treatment applications

2022

Journal Article

Regulating the reaction zone of electrochemical CO2 reduction on gas-diffusion electrodes by distinctive hydrophilic-hydrophobic catalyst layers

Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ge, Lei, Zhao, Jing, Zhang, Xueqin, Li, Mengran, Hu, Shihu, Smart, Simon, Rufford, Thomas E., Zhu, Zhonghua, Wang, Hao and Yuan, Zhiguo (2022). Regulating the reaction zone of electrochemical CO2 reduction on gas-diffusion electrodes by distinctive hydrophilic-hydrophobic catalyst layers. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 310 121362, 121362. doi: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.121362

Regulating the reaction zone of electrochemical CO2 reduction on gas-diffusion electrodes by distinctive hydrophilic-hydrophobic catalyst layers

2022

Journal Article

Achieving robust mainstream nitrite shunt at pilot-scale with integrated sidestream sludge treatment and step-feed

Duan, Haoran, Watts, Shane, Zheng, Min, Wang, Zhiyao, Zhao, Jing, Li, Huijuan, Liu, Peng, Dwyer, Jason, McPhee, Paul, Rattier, Maxime, Larsen, Eloise, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). Achieving robust mainstream nitrite shunt at pilot-scale with integrated sidestream sludge treatment and step-feed. Water Research, 223 119034, 119034. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119034

Achieving robust mainstream nitrite shunt at pilot-scale with integrated sidestream sludge treatment and step-feed

2022

Journal Article

Determining factors for nitrite accumulation in an acidic nitrifying system: influent ammonium concentration, operational pH, and ammonia-oxidizing community

Meng, Jia, Hu, Zhetai, Wang, Zhiyao, Hu, Shihu, Liu, Yanchen, Guo, Hongguang, Li, Jianzheng, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2022). Determining factors for nitrite accumulation in an acidic nitrifying system: influent ammonium concentration, operational pH, and ammonia-oxidizing community. Environmental Science & Technology, 56 (16), 11578-11588. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07522

Determining factors for nitrite accumulation in an acidic nitrifying system: influent ammonium concentration, operational pH, and ammonia-oxidizing community

2022

Journal Article

Bio-reduced graphene oxide on hollow fibers as gas-diffusible anodes for enhancing bioelectrochemical methane oxidation

Zhang, Xueqin, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ni, Gaofeng, Frank, Joshua, Zhao, Jing, Cai, Chen, Virdis, Bernardino, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). Bio-reduced graphene oxide on hollow fibers as gas-diffusible anodes for enhancing bioelectrochemical methane oxidation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 440 135811, 135811. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.135811

Bio-reduced graphene oxide on hollow fibers as gas-diffusible anodes for enhancing bioelectrochemical methane oxidation

2022

Journal Article

Mycolicibacter acidiphilus sp. nov., an extremely acid-tolerant member of the genus Mycolicibacter

Xia, Jun, Ni, Gaofeng, Wang, Yu, Zheng, Min and Hu, Shihu (2022). Mycolicibacter acidiphilus sp. nov., an extremely acid-tolerant member of the genus Mycolicibacter. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 72 (6) 005419, 1-9. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005419

Mycolicibacter acidiphilus sp. nov., an extremely acid-tolerant member of the genus Mycolicibacter

2022

Journal Article

A 20-year journey of partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A): from sidestream toward mainstream

Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Duan, Haoran, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). A 20-year journey of partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A): from sidestream toward mainstream. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (12), 7522-7531. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06107

A 20-year journey of partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A): from sidestream toward mainstream

2022

Journal Article

Polyhydroxyalkanoate-driven current generation via acetate by an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium

Zhang, Xueqin, McIlroy, Simon J., Vassilev, Igor, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Plan, Manuel, Cai, Chen, Virdis, Bernardino, Tyson, Gene W., Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). Polyhydroxyalkanoate-driven current generation via acetate by an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium. Water Research, 221 118743, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118743

Polyhydroxyalkanoate-driven current generation via acetate by an anaerobic methanotrophic consortium

2022

Journal Article

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with tiling amplicon sequencing from wastewater

Wang, Yu, Ni, Gaofeng, Tian, Wei, Yang, Lin, Hosegood, Ian, Newell, Rhys, Woodcroft, Ben J., Yang, Bicheng, Hu, Shihu and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with tiling amplicon sequencing from wastewater. ACS ES and T Water, 2 (11), 2185-2193. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00083

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with tiling amplicon sequencing from wastewater

2022

Journal Article

Response of the anaerobic methanotrophic archaeon candidatus “methanoperedens nitroreducens” to the long-term ferrihydrite amendment

Cai, Chen, Ni, Gaofeng, Xia, Jun, Zhang, Xueqin, Zheng, Yue, He, Bingqing, Marcellin, Esteban, Li, Weiwei, Pu, Jiaoyang, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2022). Response of the anaerobic methanotrophic archaeon candidatus “methanoperedens nitroreducens” to the long-term ferrihydrite amendment. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13 799859, 799859. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.799859

Response of the anaerobic methanotrophic archaeon candidatus “methanoperedens nitroreducens” to the long-term ferrihydrite amendment

2022

Journal Article

A genome-scale metabolic model of Methanoperedens nitroreducens: assessing bioenergetics and thermodynamic feasibility

He, Bingqing, Cai, Chen, McCubbin, Tim, Muriel, Jorge Carrasco, Sonnenschein, Nikolaus, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Marcellin, Esteban (2022). A genome-scale metabolic model of Methanoperedens nitroreducens: assessing bioenergetics and thermodynamic feasibility. Metabolites, 12 (4) 314, 314. doi: 10.3390/metabo12040314

A genome-scale metabolic model of Methanoperedens nitroreducens: assessing bioenergetics and thermodynamic feasibility

2022

Journal Article

Copper stimulation on methane-supported perchlorate reduction in a membrane biofilm reactor

Wang, Yulu, Lai, Chun-Yu, Wu, Mengxiong, Lu, Xuanyu, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Copper stimulation on methane-supported perchlorate reduction in a membrane biofilm reactor. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 425 127917, 127917. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127917

Copper stimulation on methane-supported perchlorate reduction in a membrane biofilm reactor

2021

Journal Article

Stand-alone asymmetric hollow fiber gas-diffusion electrodes with distinguished bronze phases for high-efficiency CO2 electrochemical reduction

Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ge, Lei, Zhang, Xueqin, Hu, Shihu, Li, Mengran, Smart, Simon, Zhu, Zhonghua, Wang, Hao and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Stand-alone asymmetric hollow fiber gas-diffusion electrodes with distinguished bronze phases for high-efficiency CO2 electrochemical reduction. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 298 120538, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120538

Stand-alone asymmetric hollow fiber gas-diffusion electrodes with distinguished bronze phases for high-efficiency CO2 electrochemical reduction

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

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
  • 2021 - 2025
    Revolutionising sludge management, turning costly waste into a safe product (CRC-P administered by Urban Utilities)
    Queensland Urban Utilities
    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

  • 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

    Recycling scrap iron for integrated urban wastewater management

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Application of iron salts for urban water system management

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang

  • 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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Development and Application of Multiplexed Amplicon Sequencing for Wastewater-based Epidemiology and Pathogen Detection

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo

  • 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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Microbial Benchmarking at Wastewater Treatment Plants

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo

  • Doctor Philosophy

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

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang

  • Doctor Philosophy

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

    Associate Advisor

  • 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

    Application of Membrane Biofilm Reactor for Nitrogen Removal and Metal Recovery

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fate and removal of PFAS in sewage sludge

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan

  • 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

    Sustainable management of sewage sludge

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Paul Jensen, Dr Haoran Duan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis, Dr Xueqin Zhang

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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