
Overview
Background
I have over 10 years of research and work experience in the field of mining land rehabilitation, acquiring a total of>3.5 million in fund support from the Australian government, research council and mining companies. My extensive experience in industrial engagement, field trial design and application also increased my growth as the leader in sustainable mining waste management.
I am an Advanced Queensland research fellow in the leading global research group of Ecological Engineering of Mine Wastes at the Sustainable Mineral Institute (SMI). My research interest is investigating important molecular and cellular processes in eukaryotes that first arose in bacteria and archaea, and microbial metabolic activities control numerous geochemical cycles in soil formation for sustainable mineral waste management. I have intensive work experience on multiple representative mining wastes, including Cu-Au, Pb-Zn, Iron ore, Uranium mine waste rock and bauxite tailings and residues.
My research strength lies in my multidisciplinary work and research program spans the interface between environmental microbiology, geochemistry, and plants. My expertise includes 1) mineral characterization, 2) soil and rhizosphere element cycling, 3) next-generation sequencing and online-controlled bioreactor techniques. Through the integrated application of environmental 'omics approaches, stable isotope analysis and imaging would give new insights into the fundamental element cycling processes of mined land mining wastes, and upon which I could develop novel biotechnology and methodology to prime sustainable mined land management and bioinoculum product with the field validated designated performance.
Availability
- Dr Fang You is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Land Resource Science, Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学)
- Masters (Research) of Human & Environmental Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Doctor of Philosophy of Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Microbiological and geochemcial processes that control bioactive minerals in the mined enviroment
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Terrestrical and endosphere diazotroph phylogeny and symbiosis between Australian native plants and mined soil bacterium
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Acidogenic processes driven resource recovery in mined waste
Research impacts
Despite main involvement in projects with confidentiality requirements and long-term field trials, I have 30+ publications, and 95% of my papers feature in the highest impact journals (Q1) in multidisciplinary fields of mineral chemistry, environmental science and microbiology, soil ecology and plant science. To date, these papers have been cited over 673 times and have an H-index of 14. Of my publications, 82.4% are in the top 10% of journals (Elsevier's SciVal). I also actively engage in a diverse range of research themes and serve as the first responding author for >60% of peer-reviewed papers resulting from multiple projects.
In addition to academic excellence, my research brings practical benefits to improve mining industry sustainability. I have established links with key industry partner organisation and government, including Rio Tinto, Queensland Alumina Limited, Energy Resource Australia and Queensland Government. One of her highlights translational research is the co-invention of the world-first, cost-effective and field operable technology as stated in the patent “Treatment of bauxite residues” (WO2022099360), which is also featured in the “Sustainable Bauxite Residue Management Guidance” released by International Aluminium Institute (April 2022), Nature Research (https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-021-00429-4), and mining industry media (https://aluminium.org.au/news/red-mud-dam-research-uq-partnership/;html; https://www.mining.com/technology-to-transform-bauxite-red-mud-into-fertile-soil-almost-a-reality/). This technology is currently being commercialised by UniQuest Pty Ltd throughout the world and is expected to bring significant changes to bauxite treatment in Australia and globally. In addition, her research findings about keystone underground indicative fungi and bacteria colonizing Uranium mined site have contributed to the formulation of rehabilitation strategy using understorey plant for Energy Resource Australia.
Works
Search Professor Fang You’s works on UQ eSpace
2010
Journal Article
Emergy-based ecological economic characteristics in Guizhou Province
Yi, Dinghong, Wen, Lizhang, Xiao, Qiang, Hu, Dan, Li, Feng and You, Fang (2010). Emergy-based ecological economic characteristics in Guizhou Province. Shengtai Xuebao/ Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30 (20), 5635-5645.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Fang You is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Organic matter decomposition and turnover in rhizobiomes of bauxite residue technosols
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM, Professor Longbin Huang
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Doctor Philosophy
Nitrogen-fixing microbe functions in supplying N for sustaining plant productivity in bauxite residue technosol
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Longbin Huang
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Doctor Philosophy
The diversity and fate of organic molecules protected by amorphous phase of minerals in tailing-soils during soil-formation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Ram Dalal AM, Dr Wenda Chen, Professor Longbin Huang
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Doctor Philosophy
The rhizosphere drives alkaline mineral weathering and the dissolved organic matter association in bauxite residues
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Narottam Saha, Professor Longbin Huang
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular mechanisms of haloalkaliphilic bacteria in carbohydrate metabolism under extremely alkaline and saline conditions
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Longbin Huang, Dr Haoran Duan
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial sulfur oxidation driven mineral weathering in alkaline iron ore tailings
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gordon Southam, Professor Longbin Huang
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Improving biogeochemical properties and pioneer plant growth in alkaline iron ore tailings undergoing soil formation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gordon Southam, Professor Longbin Huang
Media
Enquiries
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