Overview
Background
Lisa Bai is a Research Fellow in the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology at the University of Queensland, where she is the chief investigator of multiple research projects on process development for sustaibale waste and wastewater management. Her main research focus is resource recoverying from waste and wastewater for the production of bioenergy sources and value-added materials such as biodegradable plastics (PHA).
Dr. Bai has a background in Bioengineering and Environmental Engineering. Before joining ACWEB, Lisa worked in an environmental consultancy company in North Queensland (Townsville - Bowen) for four years, focusing on process design and development for the aquaculture water bioremediation using macroalgae technologies and utilising waste streams as feedstocks for the production of biomass for a diverse usage including aquaculture feed, fertiliser, and other bioactive compound.
Availability
- Dr Lisa Bai is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Theme 1: Data-Based Waste Identification and Characterisation
A waste characterisation study is an essential tool for ensuring local governments and private companies make wise decisions on the wastewater and solid waste management programs, policies, and technologies to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Identifying and characterising core (primarily food organics and biosolids), and non-core (agriculture and aquaculture industry) organic wastes has been a foundation of Lisa's work. Lisa was appointed as the lead post-doctoral fellow within the advanced anaerobic digestion (AD) and resource recovery node of ACWEB. Her research strength is developed and well recognised in the past 3 years, particular in a large Rural-for-Profit program and a Fight-Food-Waste-CRC program. With these two major programs tackling both core and non-core waste management, Lisa's research founds on i) broad-spectrum waste characterisation, including organic content, nutrients profile, metal risks etc. and ii) waste tailored characterisation methods, i.e. fat, oil and grease (FOG) profile, lignocellulosic matrix etc. The database for in-depth material classification has been applied as a critical tool for technology selection and enhancement.
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Theme 2: Tailored Organic Waste and Wastewater Treatment Technology
Following on Theme 1, Theme 2 utilises Lisa's strength in research and industrial consultancy experience. It is largely based on biological wastewater treatment technologies, particularly anaerobic digestion (AD) and other nutrients recovery biotechnology such as algae, ANAMMOX etc. AD is a well-established commercial biological technology that is extremely flexible to degrade and convert all different streams of organic wastes into methane (in the form of biogas), and resource rich residue (i.e. N as fertiliser, bio-stimulant for soil amendment). Lisa's research focuses on maximising the conversion of biowaste to value products via tailored treatment technology application and integration. A range of technology integration has been approved commercially viable and profitable. Her current AD feedstock pre-treatment trials has focused on enhancing multiple solid waste streams from red-meat-processers (RMPs). Her work on developing paunch pre-treatment technology for on-site management is shifting the paunch material from budget burden to ‘energy producer’ using AD. More recently, this work has progressed into pilot scale demonstration that is going to be demonstrated at an RMP partner in BNE.
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Theme 3: Biotechnology Assisted Process Optimisation
Co-digestion is an extension of AD where multiple waste streams are imported and treated in centralised biogas infrastructure. For instance, majority of WWTPs use AD to treat 2-3 solid streams produced on site, and many plants are already or planning to introduce other conventionally landfilled materials such as FOGO (food waste and garden waste) to boost energy production and carbon footprint reduction. Lisa's work of this theme targets to establish a robust co-digestion model for rapid co-substrate selection and co-digestion process optimisation. The model development and validation focus on using simple model and short-term data (batch, semi-continuous) to provide utility, industry and technology providers with low-cost substrate selection and reliable dosing strategies to enhance process stability, avoiding system failure.
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Theme 4: Biotechnology Based Process Enhancement
Biological organic waste treatment is among the most important biotechnological applications and, as drivers of the key processes, microorganisms are central to its success. Essentially, modern wastewater treatment and technologies is using engineering techniques to maximise the targeted processes by either enhancing or inhibiting/eliminating certain groups of microorganisms in a mixed microbial system. As an engineer with molecular biology education background, Theme 4 has been a critical part of Lisa's interest and work in bridging the gap between ‘small’ (microorganisms) and the ‘big’ (full scale engineering systems). By using modern technologies such as FISH, enzyme-based analysis, her work has an essential section of microbial ecology mechanism investigation. For example, Lisa's biotech-based research work largely contributed to a full-scale process enhancement for N removal at a Red-Meat-Processing facility at NSW. The process applies PN-ANAMMOX (partial nitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation) process to remove N from wastewater in a low-energy consumption method to achieve the Carbon Neutral target.
Works
Search Professor Lisa Bai’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Journal Article
Effect of alkaline pre-treatment on hydrolysis rate and methane production during anaerobic digestion of paunch solid waste
Bai, Xue, Grassino, Maria and Jensen, Paul D. (2023). Effect of alkaline pre-treatment on hydrolysis rate and methane production during anaerobic digestion of paunch solid waste. Waste Management, 171, 303-312. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.08.027
2022
Book Chapter
Established full-scale applications for energy recovery from water: anaerobic digestion
Jensen, Paul D., Astals, Sergi, Bai, Xue, Nieradzik, Ludwika, Wardrop, Peter, Batstone, Damien J. and Clarke, William P. (2022). Established full-scale applications for energy recovery from water: anaerobic digestion. Resource recovery from water. (pp. 99-139) London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781780409566_0099
2022
Book Chapter
Established full-scale applications for energy recovery from water: anaerobic digestion
Jensen, Paul D., Astals, Sergi, Bai, Xue, Nieradzik, Ludwika, Wardrop, Peter, Batstone, Damien J. and Clarke, William P. (2022). Established full-scale applications for energy recovery from water: anaerobic digestion. Resource recovery from water: principles and application. (pp. 99-140) edited by Ilje Pikaar, Jeremy Guest, Ramon Ganigué, Paul Jensen, Korneel Rabaey, Thomas Seviour, John Trimmer, Olaf van der Kolk, Céline Vaneeckhaute and Willy Verstraete. London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781780409566_0099
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
2018
Journal Article
Experimental analysis and diffusion modelling of solar drying of macroalgae - Oedogonium sp
Hammond, Lauren, Bai, Lisa, Sheehan, Madoc and Walker, Craig (2018). Experimental analysis and diffusion modelling of solar drying of macroalgae - Oedogonium sp. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 65, 427-432. doi: 10.3303/CET1865072
2016
Journal Article
Lipid extraction from wet Chaetoceros muelleri culture and evaluation of remaining defatted biomass
Naghdi, Forough Ghasemi, Bai, Xue, Thomas-Hall, Skye R., Sharma, Kalpesh and Schenk, Peer M. (2016). Lipid extraction from wet Chaetoceros muelleri culture and evaluation of remaining defatted biomass. Algal Research, 20, 205-212. doi: 10.1016/j.algal.2016.10.011
2016
Journal Article
Enhanced methane production from algal digestion using free nitrous acid pre-treatment
Bai, Xue, Lant, Paul A., Jensen, Paul D., Astals, Sergi and Pratt, Steven (2016). Enhanced methane production from algal digestion using free nitrous acid pre-treatment. Renewable Energy, 88, 383-390. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2015.11.054
2015
Journal Article
Enhanced triacylglyceride extraction from microalgae using free nitrous acid pre-treatment
Bai, Xue, Schenk, Peer M., Yuan, Zhiguo, Lant, Paul A. and Pratt, Steven (2015). Enhanced triacylglyceride extraction from microalgae using free nitrous acid pre-treatment. Applied Energy, 154, 183-189. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.04.045
2015
Journal Article
The contribution of bacteria to algal growth by carbon cycling
Bai, Xue, Lant, Paul and Pratt, Steven (2015). The contribution of bacteria to algal growth by carbon cycling. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 112 (4), 688-695. doi: 10.1002/bit.25475
2015
Journal Article
Anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure and algae: impact of intracellular algal products recovery on co-digestion performance
Astals, S., Musenze, R. S., Bai, X., Tannock, S., Tait, S., Pratt, S. and Jensen, P. D. (2015). Anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure and algae: impact of intracellular algal products recovery on co-digestion performance. Bioresource Technology, 181, 97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.01.039
2014
Journal Article
Enhanced lipid extraction from algae using free nitrous acid pretreatment
Bai, Xue, Naghdi, Forough Ghasemi, Ye, Liu, Lant, Paul and Pratt, Steven (2014). Enhanced lipid extraction from algae using free nitrous acid pretreatment. Bioresource Technology, 159, 36-40. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.01.133
2013
Journal Article
Algal growth and community structure in a mixed-culture system using coal seam gas water as the water source
Buchanan, Jessica, Slater, Frances R., Bai, Xue and Pratt, Steven (2013). Algal growth and community structure in a mixed-culture system using coal seam gas water as the water source. Environmental Technology, 34 (6), 695-701. doi: 10.1080/09593330.2012.715676
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Lisa Bai is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Novel halophilic biotechnology for PHA production from sugar
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Pratt, Dr Ian Levett, Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
Media
Enquiries
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