Overview
Background
Adrian Oehmen is an Associate Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. He leads research in the area of bioprocess engineering, particularly focussing on wastewater treatment and resource recovery. His research interests include enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR or BioP), metabolic modelling, biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoate – PHA) production, micropollutant removal and greenhouse gas (N2O) assessment and mitigation. He also focusses on other aspects of bioprocess engineering, including microbial encapsulation, bioprocess modelling and food and beverage applications. He has published more than 100 papers in international scientific journals, led or collaborated on more than 30 research projects (many with industry). He is active within the International Water Association (IWA), serving on specialist group and conference committees and is an Associate Editor of Water Research.
Availability
- Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Wastewater Treatment
Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Technologies
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Resource Recovery
Recovering Value-Added Products (e.g. Nutrients, Biopolymers) from Waste and Wastewater Streams
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Biological Nutrient Removal
Biological Processes for Removing Nutrients such as Phosphorus and Nitrogen from Wastewater
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Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal
Process Engineering, Microbiology and Metabolic Features associated with Biological Phosphorus Removal
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Biopolymer Production
Mixed Culture Technologies focussed on the Production and Recovery of Biopolymers (e.g. Polyhydroxyalkanoates - PHA) from Waste/Wastewater Feedstocks
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Greenhouse Gas Assessment and Mitigation
Measurement and Minimisation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Wastewater Treatment Processes (e.g nitrous oxide - N2O)
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Micropollutant Removal
The Removal of Pharmaceutical Active Compounds, Heavy Metals, and other Hazardous Substances from Wastewater using Biological and Physical-Chemical Approaches
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Process Modelling
Process Modelling for Design, Optimisation and Control of Wastewater Treatment Processes.
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Metabolic Modelling
Modelling the Metabolism Associated with Biological Processes and their Application towards Process Engineering
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Anaerobic Digestion
Experimental and Modelling Studies focused on Fermentation and Biogas Production from Waste/Wastewater Feedstocks
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Drinking Water Treatment
Heavy Metal Removal (e.g. Arsenic) from Drinking Water Supplies. Application of Ion Exchange Membrane Process Technologies for Drinking Water Treatment.
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Phototrophic Processes
Light-Driven Biological Technologies for Value-Added Product Generation (e.g. PHA) from Wastewater
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Bioremediation
Removal of Herbicides/Pesticides from Contaminated Waters
Works
Search Professor Adrian Oehmen’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
The impact of temperature on the metabolism of volatile fatty acids by polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs)
Wang, Li, Shen, Nan, Oehmen, Adrian and Zhou, Yan (2020). The impact of temperature on the metabolism of volatile fatty acids by polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). Environmental Research, 188 109729, 109729. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109729
2020
Book Chapter
Enhanced biological phosphorus removal
Lopez-Vazquez, Carlos M., Wentzel, Mark C., Comeau, Yves, Ekama, George A., van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M., Brdjanovic, Damir and Oehmen, Adrian (2020). Enhanced biological phosphorus removal. Biological wastewater treatment. (pp. 239-326) edited by Guanghao Chen, Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht, George A. Ekama and Damir Brdjanovic. London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781789060362_0239
2020
Journal Article
Modified poly(acrylic acid)-based hydrogels for enhanced mainstream removal of ammonium from domestic wastewater
Cruz, Heidy, Laycock, Bronwyn, Strounina, Ekaterina, Seviour, Thomas William, Oehmen, Adrian and Pikaar, Ilje (2020). Modified poly(acrylic acid)-based hydrogels for enhanced mainstream removal of ammonium from domestic wastewater. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (15) acs.est.9b07032, 9573-9583. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b07032
2020
Journal Article
A novel metabolic-ASM model for full-scale biological nutrient removal systems
Santos, Jorge M.M., Rieger, Leiv, Lanham, Ana B., Carvalheira, Mónica, Reis, Maria and Oehmen, Adrian (2020). A novel metabolic-ASM model for full-scale biological nutrient removal systems. Water Research, 171 115373, 115373. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115373
2020
Conference Publication
Achieving combined partial nitrification and biological phosphorus removal in a side-stream sludge treatment system
Lu, Xuanyu, Duan, Haoran, Oehmen, Adrian, Carvalho, Gilda, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2020). Achieving combined partial nitrification and biological phosphorus removal in a side-stream sludge treatment system. IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Conference, Helsinki, Finland, 8 - 12 June 2020. IWA.
2019
Journal Article
Author Correction: Global diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (Nature Microbiology, (2019), 4, 7, (1183-1195), 10.1038/s41564-019-0426-5)
Wu, Linwei, Ning, Daliang, Zhang, Bing, Li, Yong, Zhang, Ping, Shan, Xiaoyu, Zhang, Qiuting, Brown, Mathew Robert, Li, Zhenxin, Van Nostrand, Joy D., Ling, Fangqiong, Xiao, Naijia, Zhang, Ya, Vierheilig, Julia, Wells, George F., Yang, Yunfeng, Deng, Ye, Tu, Qichao, Wang, Aijie, Acevedo, Dany, Agullo-Barcelo, Miriam, Alvarez, Pedro J. J., Alvarez-Cohen, Lisa, Andersen, Gary L., de Araujo, Juliana Calabria, Boehnke, Kevin F., Bond, Philip, Bott, Charles B., Bovio, Patricia ... Zhou, Jizhong (2019). Author Correction: Global diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (Nature Microbiology, (2019), 4, 7, (1183-1195), 10.1038/s41564-019-0426-5). Nature Microbiology, 4 (12), 2579-2579. doi: 10.1038/s41564-019-0617-0
2019
Journal Article
Oerskovia paurometabola can efficiently decolorize azo dye Acid Red 14 and remove its recalcitrant metabolite
Franca, Rita Dias Guardão, Vieira, Anabela, Carvalho, Gilda, Oehmen, Adrian, Pinheiro, Helena Maria, Barreto Crespo, Maria Teresa and Lourenço, Nídia Dana (2019). Oerskovia paurometabola can efficiently decolorize azo dye Acid Red 14 and remove its recalcitrant metabolite. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 191 110007, 110007. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110007
2019
Journal Article
Denitrifiers in mainstream anammox processes: competitors or supporters?
Cao, Shenbin, Oehmen, Adrian and Zhou, Yan (2019). Denitrifiers in mainstream anammox processes: competitors or supporters?. Environmental Science & Technology, 53 (19), 11063-11065. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05013
2019
Journal Article
Nitrous oxide emissions from a full-scale biological aerated filter (BAF) subject to seawater infiltration
Vieira, Anabela, Marques, Ricardo, Galinha, Claudia, Povoa, Pedro, Carvalho, Gilda and Oehmen, Adrian (2019). Nitrous oxide emissions from a full-scale biological aerated filter (BAF) subject to seawater infiltration. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26 (20), 20939-20948. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-05470-x
2019
Journal Article
Metabolic modelling of mixed culture anaerobic microbial processes
Batstone, D.J., Hülsen, T. and Oehmen, A. (2019). Metabolic modelling of mixed culture anaerobic microbial processes. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 57, 137-144. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.03.014
2019
Journal Article
Application of dissolved oxygen (DO) level control for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation with concurrent nitrification in surplus municipal activated sludge
Wang, Xiaofei, Bengtsson, Simon, Oehmen, Adrian, Carvalho, Gilda, Werker, Alan and Reis, Maria A.M. (2019). Application of dissolved oxygen (DO) level control for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation with concurrent nitrification in surplus municipal activated sludge. New Biotechnology, 50, 37-43. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2019.01.003
2019
Journal Article
Global diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants
Wu, Linwei, Ning, Daliang, Zhang, Bing, Li, Yong, Zhang, Ping, Shan, Xiaoyu, Zhang, Qiuting, Brown, Mathew, Li, Zhenxin, Van Nostrand, Joy D., Ling, Fangqiong, Xiao, Naijia, Zhang, Ya, Vierheilig, Julia, Wells, George F., Yang, Yunfeng, Deng, Ye, Tu, Qichao, Wang, Aijie, Acevedo, Dany, Agullo-Barcelo, Miriam, Alvarez, Pedro J. J., Alvarez-Cohen, Lisa, Andersen, Gary L., de Araujo, Juliana Calabria, Boehnke, Kevin, Bond, Philip, Bott, Charles B., Bovio, Patricia ... Zhou, Jizhong (2019). Global diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants. Nature Microbiology, 4 (7), 1183-1195. doi: 10.1038/s41564-019-0426-5
2019
Journal Article
Improving polyhydroxyalkanoates production in phototrophic mixed cultures by optimizing accumulator reactor operating conditions
Fradinho, J. C., Oehmen, A. and Reis, M. A.M. (2019). Improving polyhydroxyalkanoates production in phototrophic mixed cultures by optimizing accumulator reactor operating conditions. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 126, 1085-1092. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.270
2019
Journal Article
The impact of the art-ICA control technology on the performance, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of full-scale wastewater treatment plants
Vieira, Anabela, Marques, Ricardo, Raposo, Ricardo, Martins, Margarida, Alves, Rita, Povoa, Pedro, Irizar, Ion, Beltrán, Sergio, Craamer, Peter, Urchegui, Gorka and Oehmen, Adrian (2019). The impact of the art-ICA control technology on the performance, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of full-scale wastewater treatment plants. Journal of Cleaner Production, 213, 680-687. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.229
2019
Journal Article
The link between nitrous oxide emissions, microbial community profile and function from three full-scale WWTPs
Vieira, A., Galinha, C. F., Oehmen, A. and Carvalho, G. (2019). The link between nitrous oxide emissions, microbial community profile and function from three full-scale WWTPs. Science of the Total Environment, 651 (Pt 2), 2460-2472. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.132
2019
Journal Article
Phosphorus and ammonium removal characteristics from aqueous solutions by a newly isolated plant growth-promoting bacterium
Daly, Imen, Jellali, Salah, Mehri, Ines, Reis, Maria A. M., Freitas, Elisabete B., Oehmen, Adrian and Chatti, Abdelwaheb (2019). Phosphorus and ammonium removal characteristics from aqueous solutions by a newly isolated plant growth-promoting bacterium. Environmental Technology, 41 (20), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/09593330.2019.1575917
2019
Journal Article
Bioaugmentation of membrane bioreactor with Achromobacter denitrificans strain PR1 for enhanced sulfamethoxazole removal in wastewater
Nguyen, P.Y., Silva, Ana F., Reis, Ana C., Nunes, Olga C., Rodrigues, Alexandre M., Rodrigues, João E., Cardoso, Vitor Vale, Benoliel, Maria J., Reis, Maria A.M., Oehmen, Adrian and Carvalho, Gilda (2019). Bioaugmentation of membrane bioreactor with Achromobacter denitrificans strain PR1 for enhanced sulfamethoxazole removal in wastewater. Science of The Total Environment, 648, 44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.100
2019
Journal Article
Elucidating functional microorganisms and metabolic mechanisms in a novel engineered ecosystem integrating C, N, P and S biotransformation by metagenomics
Zhang, Yan, Hua, Zheng-shuang, Lu, Hui, Oehmen, Adrian and Guo, Jianhua (2019). Elucidating functional microorganisms and metabolic mechanisms in a novel engineered ecosystem integrating C, N, P and S biotransformation by metagenomics. Water Research, 148, 219-230. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.061
2019
Book Chapter
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics from organic waste
Pratt, Steven, Vandi, Luigi-Jules, Gapes, Daniel, Werker, Alan, Oehmen, Adrian and Laycock, Bronwyn (2019). Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics from organic waste. Biorefinery: integrated sustainable processes for biomass conversion to biomaterials, biofuels, and fertilizers. (pp. 615-638) edited by Juan-Rodrigo Bastidas-Oyanedel and Jens Ejbye Schmidt. Springer International Publishing: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-10961-5_26
2019
Conference Publication
The effect of seed sludge on the selection of a photo-EBPR system
Carvalho, V. C. F., Freitas, E. B., Fradinho, J. C., Reis, M. A. M. and Oehmen, A. (2019). The effect of seed sludge on the selection of a photo-EBPR system. 9th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Management (ICEEM), Bologna, Italy, 6 - 9 September 2017. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier BV. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2018.10.003
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
The development of process control strategies to optimise biological phosphorus removal and recovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho, Professor Liu Ye
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Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Modelling of Fermentative and Conventional Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
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Master Philosophy
Biological methods to identify and quantify PAO/GAO microorganisms and their activity in wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrated model-based assessment of the impact of sidestream biological phosphorus removal processes on resource recovery in wastewater treatment systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
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Doctor Philosophy
Application of novel immobilized microbial enrichment for intensified removal of nutrients from water
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable and cost-effective biological phosphorus removal technology in urban water systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho, Professor Liu Ye
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Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Modelling of Fermentative and Conventional Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
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Doctor Philosophy
Novel halophilic biotechnology for PHA production from sugar
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Steven Pratt, Dr Lisa Bai, Dr Ian Levett
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Doctor Philosophy
Application of novel immobilized microbial enrichment for intensified removal of sulfate from mining influenced waters and recovery of metals
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
A sustainable biological nutrient removal and recovery process for cost-effective wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho, Professor Liu Ye
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Master Philosophy
Biological methods to identify and quantify PAO/GAO microorganisms and their activity in wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho
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Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Modelling of Fermentative and Conventional Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing a novel taste and odour removal process for drinking water
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Shihu Hu, Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating novel microbes for simultaneous nutrient removal from wastewater in Carbon Neutral era
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Liu Ye, Dr Zhiyao Wang
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Doctor Philosophy
Enzyme-assisted deconstruction of lignocellulose and reconstruction into high value bio-derived advanced materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mike Tebyetekerwa, Professor Darren Martin
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Doctor Philosophy
Novel Phosphorous accumulating organisms in next generation wastewater treatment systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Liu Ye
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Modelling of Fermentative and Conventional Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
The return activated sludge sidestream process and the role of Tetrasphaera, a fermenting polyphosphate accumulating organism
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Liu Ye
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Achieving and Understanding Combined Biological Phosphorus Removal and Short-cut Nitrogen in Wastewater Treatment Processes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan, Professor Liu Ye
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen directly for media enquiries about:
- Bioprocess Engineering
- Wastewater Treatment
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