Overview
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
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Environmental Engineering, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Shihu Hu’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Robust nitritation sustained by acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Meng, Jia, Hu, Zhetai, Ni, Gaofeng, Guerrero Calderon, Angelica, Li, Huijuan, De Clippeleir, Haydee, Al-Omari, Ahmed, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Robust nitritation sustained by acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Environmental Science and Technology, 55 (3) acs.est.0c05181, 2048-2056. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05181
2021
Conference Publication
Zero- energy sewage treatment: carbon efficient sewage treatment and enhanced biogas recovery
Duan, Haoran, Watt, Shane, Meng, Jia, Liu, Peng, Dwyer, Jason, McPhee, Paul, Rattier, Maxime, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Zero- energy sewage treatment: carbon efficient sewage treatment and enhanced biogas recovery. Reimagining our Water Future: Ozwater 2021, Adelaide, SA Australia, 4-6 May 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and dinitrogen to value-added products: a review
Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Ge, Lei, Zhang, Xueqin, Hu, Shihu, Li, Mengran and Yuan, Zhiguo (2021). Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and dinitrogen to value-added products: a review. Energy and Environmental Science, 14 (4), 1959-2008. doi: 10.1039/d0ee03756g
2020
Journal Article
Critical factors facilitating Candidatus nitrotoga to be prevalent nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge
Zheng, Min, Li, Siqi, Ni, Gaofeng, Xia, Jun, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo, Liu, Yanchen and Huang, Xia (2020). Critical factors facilitating Candidatus nitrotoga to be prevalent nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (23), 15414-15423. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04192
2020
Journal Article
Biogas-driven complete nitrogen removal from wastewater generated in side-stream partial nitritation
Liu, Tao, Lim, Zhuan Khai, Chen, Hui, Wang, Zhiyao, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Biogas-driven complete nitrogen removal from wastewater generated in side-stream partial nitritation. Science of the Total Environment, 745 141153, 141153. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141153
2020
Journal Article
Enhancing methane oxidation in a bioelectrochemical membrane reactor using a soluble electron mediator
Zhang, Xueqin, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Frank, Joshua, Cai, Chen, Stark, Terra, Virdis, Bernardino, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2020). Enhancing methane oxidation in a bioelectrochemical membrane reactor using a soluble electron mediator. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 13 (1) 173, 173. doi: 10.1186/s13068-020-01808-7
2020
Journal Article
Free ammonia shock treatment eliminates nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity for mainstream biofilm nitritation process
Wang, Zhiyao, Zheng, Min, Xue, Yu, Xia, Jun, Zhong, Huiyun, Ni, Gaofeng, Liu, Yanchen, Yuan, Zhiguo and Hu, Shihu (2020). Free ammonia shock treatment eliminates nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity for mainstream biofilm nitritation process. Chemical Engineering Journal, 393 124682, 124682. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.124682
2020
Other Outputs
Circular economy and the water sector of South East Queensland
Wade, Belinda, Humphrey, Jacquelyn, Hopkinson, Peter, Hu, Shihu, Meath, Cristyn, Phelan, Anna and Turner, Cameron (2020). Circular economy and the water sector of South East Queensland. Brisbane, QLD Australia: UQ Business School, University of Queensland.
2020
Journal Article
Full-scale investigation of ferrous dosing in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant for multiple benefits
Kulandaivelu, Jagadeeshkumar, Shrestha, Sohan, Khan, Wakib, Dwyer, Jason, Steward, Alan, Bell, Leo, Mcphee, Paul, Smith, Peter, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Jiang, Guangming (2020). Full-scale investigation of ferrous dosing in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant for multiple benefits. Chemosphere, 250 126221, 126221. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126221
2020
Journal Article
Simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from synthetic mainstream anaerobic effluent
Liu, Tao, Li, Jie, Lim, Zhuan Khai, Chen, Hui, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from synthetic mainstream anaerobic effluent. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (12) acs.est.0c00912, 7629-7638. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00912
2020
Journal Article
Tuning the product selectivity of Cu hollow fiber gas diffusion electrode for efficient CO2 reduction to formate by controlled surface Sn electrodeposition
Rabiee, Hesamoddin, Zhang, Xueqin, Ge, Lei, Hu, Shihu, Li, Mengran, Smart, Simon, Zhu, Zhonghua and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Tuning the product selectivity of Cu hollow fiber gas diffusion electrode for efficient CO2 reduction to formate by controlled surface Sn electrodeposition. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 12 (19) acsami.0c03681, 21670-21681. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c03681
2020
Journal Article
Model-based investigation of membrane biofilm reactors coupling anammox with nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation
Liu, Tao, Guo, Jianhua, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Model-based investigation of membrane biofilm reactors coupling anammox with nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation. Environment International, 137 105501, 105501. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105501
2020
Journal Article
Improving wastewater management using free nitrous acid (FNA)
Duan, Haoran, Gao, Shuhong, Li, Xuan, Ab Hamid, Nur Hafizah, Jiang, Guangming, Zheng, Min, Bai, Xue, Bond, Philip L., Lu, Xuanyu, Chislett, Mariella M., Hu, Shihu, Ye, Liu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Improving wastewater management using free nitrous acid (FNA). Water Research, 171 115382, 115382. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115382
2020
Journal Article
Temperature-tolerated mainstream nitrogen removal by anammox and nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation in a membrane biofilm reactor
Liu, Tao, Khai Lim, Zhuan, Chen, Hui, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Temperature-tolerated mainstream nitrogen removal by anammox and nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation in a membrane biofilm reactor. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (5) acs.est.9b05650, 3012-3021. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05650
2020
Journal Article
Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to manganese reduction by members of the Methanoperedenaceae
Leu, Andy O., Cai, Chen, McIlroy, Simon J., Southam, Gordon, Orphan, Victoria J., Yuan, Zhiguo, Hu, Shihu and Tyson, Gene W. (2020). Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to manganese reduction by members of the Methanoperedenaceae. The ISME Journal, 14 (4), 1030-1041. doi: 10.1038/s41396-020-0590-x
2020
Journal Article
Free nitrous acid pre-treatment enhances anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge and rheological properties of digested sludge: a pilot-scale study
Meng, Jia, Duan, Haoran, Li, Huijuan, Watts, Shane, Liu, Peng, Shrestha, Sohan, Zheng, Min, Yu, Wenbo, Chen, Zhongwei, Song, Yarong, Dwyer, Jason, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2020). Free nitrous acid pre-treatment enhances anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge and rheological properties of digested sludge: a pilot-scale study. Water Research, 172 115515, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115515
2019
Journal Article
High-level nitrogen removal by simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox and nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation
Liu, Tao, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2019). High-level nitrogen removal by simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox and nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation. Water Research, 166 115057, 115057. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115057
2019
Journal Article
Effects of ultrasonic treatment on the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) growth kinetics
Zheng, Min, Duan, Haoran, Dong, Qian, Ni, Bing-Jie, Hu, Shihu, Liu, Yanchen, Huang, Xia and Yuan, Zhiguo (2019). Effects of ultrasonic treatment on the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) growth kinetics. Science of The Total Environment, 690, 629-635. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.435
2019
Journal Article
Acetate production from anaerobic oxidation of methane via intracellular storage compounds
Cai, Chen, Shi, Ying, Guo, Jianhua, Tyson, Gene W., Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2019). Acetate production from anaerobic oxidation of methane via intracellular storage compounds. Environmental Science & Technology, 53 (13) acs.est.9b00077, 7371-7379. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00077
2019
Journal Article
Perchlorate bio-reduction in a methane-based membrane biofilm reactor in the presence and absence of oxygen
Wu, Mengxiong, Luo, Jing-Huan, Hu, Shihu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Guo, Jianhua (2019). Perchlorate bio-reduction in a methane-based membrane biofilm reactor in the presence and absence of oxygen. Water Research, 157, 572-578. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.04.008
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Shihu Hu is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
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
Enhancing anaerobic digestion with microbial electrochemical process
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang
-
Master Philosophy
Upgrading biogas to biomethane electrochemically while producing iron salts for wastewater management
Principal Advisor
-
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
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
Electrochemically generated iron dosing for sulfide control and phosphate recovery in anaerobic wastewater treatment system
Associate Advisor
-
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
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
Fate and removal of PFAS in sewage sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial Benchmarking at Wastewater Treatment Plants
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable management of sewage sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Paul Jensen, Dr Haoran Duan
-
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
Application of Membrane Biofilm Reactor for Nitrogen Removal and Metal Recovery
Associate Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable management of sewage sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Paul Jensen, Dr Haoran Duan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Revolutionising sludge management, turning costly waste into a safe product
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang
-
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
Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane coupled to oxidised contaminants reduction by `Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens¿
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial Benchmarking at Wastewater Treatment Plants
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
Completed supervision
-
2024
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
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding of the novel metabolic behaviour of nitrogen and metal-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing microorganisms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xueqin Zhang
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Isolation and understanding of a novel acid-tolerant heterotrophic denitrifier in acidic wastewater treatment systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zhiyao Wang
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Versatile uses of iron in the urban wastewater system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Liu Ye
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and characterisation of novel nitrogen-transforming microorganisms
Principal Advisor
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the effect of salinity and methane concentration on nitrate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding of biofilm ecosystem in Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors for wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Chemical pre-treatment for enhanced anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan, Dr Haoran Duan
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Application of AnMBR and MBfR for carbon recovery and nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding extracellular respiration of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and application for bioelectrochemical oxidation of methane
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Enrichment and characterisation of novel microorganisms involved in the nitrogen cycle
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding and Application of Methane-supported Microbial Selenate and Perchlorate Reduction Processes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Hollow Fibre Gas-diffusion Electrodes for Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lei Ge, Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Innovative nitrogen conversion to enhance wastewater and sludge management
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring versatile applications of nitrite/nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation through modelling and experimental investigations
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Nitrate-, Fe(III)- and Mn(IV)-dependent Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the effect of changing urban water management on sewer emissions
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding and Application of the Denitrifying Anaerobic Methane Oxidation (DAMO) Process
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
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