Professor Gordon Southam
Professor

Gordon Southam

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 58505

Background

Professor Southam is a Professor in Geomicrobiology. He is an interdisciplinary researcher who crosses the traditional boundaries between biological and geological sciences to examine bacterial transformations of materials composing the earth’s crust, and the impact these transformations have had over geologic time. Field sites have ranged from Yellostone National Park, to Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian high arctic, to the ultradeep gold mines in the Republic of Southam Africa (up to 4 km below land surface, to the Amazon Basin. Following his appointment as a Canada Research Chair in Geomicrobiology and Director of Environment and Sustainability at Western University, Canada, Dr. Southam has moved to the University of Queensland where he is leading projects on:

Mineral carbonation, using acid generating bacteria to enhance weathering of ultramafic mine waste, promoting mineral carbonation (CO2 sequestration);

Bioremediation of iron mine sites, by enhancing the biogeochemical cycling of iron to promote the formation of ferruginous duricrusts (canga), and

Bioleaching, focussing on low-grade copper in arid through tropical ecosystems (Australia and Brazil);

Gold exploration, examining the fundamental roles that bacteria play in catalysing the formation of placer gold.

Availability

Professor Gordon Southam is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Guelph
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Guelph

Research interests

  • Life in Extreme Environments / Bacterial Fossilisation

    The growth of bacteria in extreme environments combined with their metal-reactive cell envelopes often results in their fossilization in these environments. The preservation of cellular and molecular biomarkers in ancients Earth systems can teach us about the evolution of life on Earth and their influence on lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere system processes. The diversity of life’s extremes is also intriguing with the respect to the possibility of life occurring elsewhere in the solar system, e.g., Mars. Current research is improving our understanding of the fundamental processes responsible for fossilisation in contemporary and ancient Earth environments, e.g., the biooxidation of iron and subsequent per-mineralization in arid, acid environments.

  • Bioleaching

    Present day mining operations have reached geological scales. Entire mountains are being mined, crushed, sorted, transported, smelted, and consumed by an ever-increasing human population. In parallel, new landscapes are being created with the waste products, often low-grade or lesser-quality ores. Extracting resources from these low-grade ores presents major challenges that we propose to address by determining the critical steps controlling the biooxidation of copper sulphides, in particular, chalcopyrite. The solubilisation, speciation, fractionation and precipitation of many metals and metal ions are directly and indirectly influenced by microbial activity (Southam & Saunders, 2005). The significance of microbial catalysis is highlighted in Enders et al. (2006) where we demonstrated the role of bacteria in the supergene weathering of Fe and Cu at Morenci, AZ, the largest copper mine in North America, producing 1,000 tonnes of Cu/day through bacterial leaching. The biogeochemical oxidation of iron and sulphur in pyrite enhances the dissolution of copper, which can lead to supergene enrichment over geologic time scales (Enders et al., 2006) and can be exploited for the recovery of Cu through bioleaching.

  • Canga

    Supergene enriched iron-ore deposits are typically protected by a goethite-cemented ferruginous duricrust layer referred to as canga. The formation of canga horizons has been linked to the biogeochemical cycling of iron. Incredibly, no work on the biogeochemistry of canga has been done. These supergene Fe-ore systems are actively forming in the tropics by weathering of banded iron formations. Canga forms extensive deposits blanketing ancient erosion surfaces, is tough, moderately hard, well consolidated, permeable and very resistant to erosion and chemical weathering, protecting the relatively soft enriched iron ore below. This protective canga horizon is therefore, essential to supergene iron ore enrichment and formation of high-grade iron ore. Canga hosts unique, endemic open herbaceous-shrubs, dominated by hemicryptophytes that are in dramatic contrast to the surrounding vegetation, especially in the Carajás and Quadrilátero Ferrífero regions of Brazil where tropical rainforests surrounds these ‘islands’ of canga. Effective restoration of mined iron sites to re-establish these unique ecosystems requires the re-precipitation of canga, a process never previously attempted. Studying the biology of these systems, i.e., the biogeochemical cycling of iron and the identification of novel biotechnologically important organisms is essential for the success of this project.

  • Gold

    Gold is a relatively inert metal, yet it is often found as concentrated placer deposits. These deposits are unusual because the gold nuggets recovered from them can be larger than the gold found in the source rock. Using gold-thiosulfate, the gold complex important in base metal sulphide systems, we demonstrated that thiosulfate-oxidising and thiosulfate-reducing bacteria can produce octahedral gold, similar to the interaction between bacteria and gold(III)-chloride complexes. Synchrotron results have begun to elucidate the mechanism of octahedral gold formation, demonstrating that organosulphur-Au(I) compounds are the intermediate complex produced during the reaction between bacteria and gold(III) chloride. Both complexes are important to the biogeochemical cycling of gold in natural systems. Recent evidence of biofilms on gold grains demonstrates that biogeochemical processing of gold is occurring in nature and is therefore, fundamentally important to mineral exploration programs.

  • Mineral Carbonation

    Ultramafic and mafic mine tailings are a potentially valuable feedstock for carbon mineralization that should be used to offset carbon emissions generated by mining. Passive carbon mineralization is occurring at the abandoned Clinton Creek asbestos mine, and the active Diavik diamond and Mount Keith nickel mines. Microbially mediated processes have the potential to accelerate carbon mineralization to create economically viable, large-scale carbon dioxide fixation technologies that can operate at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Bioleaching of magnesium silicates (serpentine, olivine); increasing the supply of CO2 via heterotrophic oxidation of waste organics; and biologically induced carbonate precipitation, as well as enhancing passive carbonation through tailings management practices and use of CO2 point sources. With the aim of developing carbon-neutral mines, tailings storage facilities could be geoengineered as habitats for microbial communities that accelerate carbon mineralization.

  • Methanogenesis

    The methanogenesis project aims to determine how microorganisms degrade coal and to demonstrate the feasibility of producing biogenic methane from waste coal in an abandoned mine. Through this project, we will conduct a microbial survey of at least two Bowen Basin coal mines to identify the organisms that thrive where coal is the sole source of organic carbon. The future methane production of these mines will be determined in a laboratory trial using two different chemical regimes, one possessing a gradient from aerobic to anaerobic conditions and in the other solely anaerobic. Finally, coal will be separated into physical and chemical fractions to determine why coal degradation by anaerobic organisms is limited by the hydrolysis step during methane production.

Search Professor Gordon Southam’s works on UQ eSpace

301 works between 1987 and 2025
All (301) Journal Article (246) Book Chapter (11) Conference Publication (41) Other Outputs (3)

201 - 220 of 301 works

2011

Journal Article

Implications of in situ calcification for photosynthesis in a similar to 3.3 Ga-old microbial biofilm from the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa

Westall, Frances, Cavalazzi, Barbara, Lemelle, Laurence, Marrocchi, Yves, Rouzaud, Jean-Noel, Simionovici, Alexandre, Salome, Murielle, Mostefaoui, Smail, Andreazza, Caroline, Foucher, Frederic, Toporski, Jan, Jauss, Andrea, Thiel, Volker, Southam, Gordon, MacLean, Lachlan, Wirick, Susan, Hofmann, Axel, Meibom, Anders, Robert, Francois and Defarge, Christian (2011). Implications of in situ calcification for photosynthesis in a similar to 3.3 Ga-old microbial biofilm from the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 310 (3-4), 468-479. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2011.08.029

Implications of in situ calcification for photosynthesis in a similar to 3.3 Ga-old microbial biofilm from the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa

2011

Journal Article

Subarctic Weathering of Mineral Wastes Provides a Sink for Atmospheric CO2

Wilson, Siobhan A., Dipple, Gregory M., Power, Ian M., Barker, Shaun L. L., Fallon, Stewart J. and Southam, Gordon (2011). Subarctic Weathering of Mineral Wastes Provides a Sink for Atmospheric CO2. Environmental Science andTechnology, 45 (18), 7727-7736. doi: 10.1021/es202112y

Subarctic Weathering of Mineral Wastes Provides a Sink for Atmospheric CO2

2011

Journal Article

The preservation and degradation of filamentous bacteria and biomolecules within iron oxide deposits at Rio Tinto, Spain

Preston, L. J., Shuster, J., Fernandez-Remolar, D., Banerjee, N. R., Osinski, G. R. and Southam, G. (2011). The preservation and degradation of filamentous bacteria and biomolecules within iron oxide deposits at Rio Tinto, Spain. Geobiology, 9 (3), 233-249. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2011.00275.x

The preservation and degradation of filamentous bacteria and biomolecules within iron oxide deposits at Rio Tinto, Spain

2011

Journal Article

Characterizing the effect of carbon steel exposure in sulfide containing solutions to microbially induced corrosion

Sherar, B. W. A., Power, I. M., Keech, P. G., Mitlin, S., Southam, G. and Shoesmith, D. W. (2011). Characterizing the effect of carbon steel exposure in sulfide containing solutions to microbially induced corrosion. Corrosion Science, 53 (3), 955-960. doi: 10.1016/j.corsci.2010.11.027

Characterizing the effect of carbon steel exposure in sulfide containing solutions to microbially induced corrosion

2011

Journal Article

Erratum: Implications of a 3.472-3.333-Gyr-old subaerial microbial mat from the barberton greenstone belt, South Africa for the UV environmental conditions on the early Earth (Philosophical Transactins of the Royal Society B (2011) 366 (464) DOI:10.1098/rstb.2010.0375 )

Westall, Frances, De Ronde, Cornel E. J., Southam, Gordon, Grassineau, Nathalie, Colas, Maggy, Cockell, Charles and Lammer, Helmut (2011). Erratum: Implications of a 3.472-3.333-Gyr-old subaerial microbial mat from the barberton greenstone belt, South Africa for the UV environmental conditions on the early Earth (Philosophical Transactins of the Royal Society B (2011) 366 (464) DOI:10.1098/rstb.2010.0375 ). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 366 (1563), 464-464. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0375

Erratum: Implications of a 3.472-3.333-Gyr-old subaerial microbial mat from the barberton greenstone belt, South Africa for the UV environmental conditions on the early Earth (Philosophical Transactins of the Royal Society B (2011) 366 (464) DOI:10.1098/rstb.2010.0375 )

2011

Book Chapter

Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles: A Review

Lengke, Maggy F., Sanpawanitchakit, Charoen and Southam, Gordon (2011). Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles: A Review. Metal nanoparticles in microbiology. (pp. 37-74) edited by Mahendra Rai and Nelson Duran. Berlin Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-18312-6_3

Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles: A Review

2011

Journal Article

Bacterial nanowires: conductive as silicon, soft as polymer

Leung, Kar Man, Wanger, Greg, Guo, Qiuquan, Gorby, Yuri, Southam, Gordon, Lau, Woon Ming and Yang, Jun (2011). Bacterial nanowires: conductive as silicon, soft as polymer. Soft Matter, 7 (14), 6617-6621. doi: 10.1039/c1sm05611e

Bacterial nanowires: conductive as silicon, soft as polymer

2011

Conference Publication

Electrical transport along bacterial nanowires from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

El-Naggar, Mohamed Y., Wanger, Greg, Leung, Kar Man, Yuzvinsky, Thomas D., Southam, Gordon, Yang, Jun, Lau, Woon Ming, Nealson, Kenneth H. and Gorby, Yuri A. (2011). Electrical transport along bacterial nanowires from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Anaheim, CA, United States, 27-31 March 2011. Washington, DC United States: American Chemical Society.

Electrical transport along bacterial nanowires from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

2011

Conference Publication

Electrical Transport along Bacterial Nanowires

Yuzvinsky, Tom, El-Naggar, Moh, Wanger, Greg, Leung, Kar Man, Southam, Gordon, Yang, Jun, Lau, Woon Ming, Nealon, Kenneth and Gorby, Yuri (2011). Electrical Transport along Bacterial Nanowires. 55th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore, MD United States, 5 - 9 March 2011. Louis, MO United States: Cell Press.

Electrical Transport along Bacterial Nanowires

2010

Journal Article

Nanoparticle factories: Biofilms hold the key to gold dispersion and nugget formation

Reith, Frank, Fairbrother, Lintern, Nolze, Gert, Wilhelmi, Oliver, Clode, Peta L., Gregg, Adrienne, Parsons, John E., Wakelin, Steven A., Pring, Allan, Hough, Robert, Southam, Gordon and Brugger, Joel (2010). Nanoparticle factories: Biofilms hold the key to gold dispersion and nugget formation. Geology, 38 (9), 843-846. doi: 10.1130/G31052.1

Nanoparticle factories: Biofilms hold the key to gold dispersion and nugget formation

2010

Journal Article

Multi-technique investigation reveals new mineral, chemical, and textural heterogeneity in the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite

Izawa, M. R. M., Flemming, R. L., McCausland, P. J. A., Southam, G., Moser, D. E. and Barker, I. R. (2010). Multi-technique investigation reveals new mineral, chemical, and textural heterogeneity in the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite. Planetary and Space Science, 58 (10), 1347-1364. doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2010.05.018

Multi-technique investigation reveals new mineral, chemical, and textural heterogeneity in the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite

2010

Journal Article

Characterization of halophiles in natural MgSO4 salts and laboratory enrichment samples: Astrobiological implications for Mars

Foster, Ian S., King, Penelope L., Hyde, Brendt C. and Southam, Gordon (2010). Characterization of halophiles in natural MgSO4 salts and laboratory enrichment samples: Astrobiological implications for Mars. Planetary and Space Science, 58 (4), 599-615. doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2009.08.009

Characterization of halophiles in natural MgSO4 salts and laboratory enrichment samples: Astrobiological implications for Mars

2010

Journal Article

Bioleaching of Ultramafic Tailings by Acidithiobacillus spp. for CO2 Sequestration

Power, Ian M., Dipple, Gregory M. and Southam, Gordon (2010). Bioleaching of Ultramafic Tailings by Acidithiobacillus spp. for CO2 Sequestration. Environmental Science and Technology, 44 (1), 456-462. doi: 10.1021/es900986n

Bioleaching of Ultramafic Tailings by Acidithiobacillus spp. for CO2 Sequestration

2009

Journal Article

Microbial Architecture of Environmental Sulfur Processes: A Novel Syntrophic Sulfur-Metabolizing Consortia

Norlund, Kelsey L. I., Southam, Gordon, Tyliszczak, Tolek, Hu, Yongfeng, Karunakaran, Chithra, Obst, Martin, Hitchcock, Adam P. and Warren, Lesley A. (2009). Microbial Architecture of Environmental Sulfur Processes: A Novel Syntrophic Sulfur-Metabolizing Consortia. Environmental Science and Technology, 43 (23), 8781-8786. doi: 10.1021/es803616k

Microbial Architecture of Environmental Sulfur Processes: A Novel Syntrophic Sulfur-Metabolizing Consortia

2009

Journal Article

The Biogeochemistry of Gold

Southam, Gordon, Lengke, Maggy F., Fairbrother, Lintern and Reith, Frank (2009). The Biogeochemistry of Gold. Elements, 5 (5), 303-307. doi: 10.2113/gselements.5.5.303

The Biogeochemistry of Gold

2009

Journal Article

Mechanisms of gold biomineralization in the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans

Reith, Frank, Etschmann, Barbara, Grosse, Cornelia, Moors, Hugo, Benotmane, Mohammed A., Monsieurs, Pieter, Grass, Gregor, Doonan, Christian, Vogt, Stefan, Lai, Barry, Martinez-Criado, Gema, George, Graham N., Nies, Dietrich H., Mergeay, Max, Pring, Allan, Southam, Gordon and Brugger, Joel (2009). Mechanisms of gold biomineralization in the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106 (42), 17757-17762. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0904583106

Mechanisms of gold biomineralization in the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans

2009

Journal Article

Sulfur Isotope Enrichment during Maintenance Metabolism in the Thermophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Desulfotomaculum putei

Davidson, Mark M., Bisher, M. E., Pratt, Lisa M., Fong, Jon, Southam, Gordon, Pfiffner, Susan M., Reches, Z. and Onstott, Tullis C. (2009). Sulfur Isotope Enrichment during Maintenance Metabolism in the Thermophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Desulfotomaculum putei. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75 (17), 5621-5630. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02948-08

Sulfur Isotope Enrichment during Maintenance Metabolism in the Thermophilic Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Desulfotomaculum putei

2009

Journal Article

Effect of the cyanide-producing bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum on ultraflat Au surfaces

Fairbrother, Lintern, Shapter, Joe, Brugger, Joel, Southam, Gordon, Pring, Allan and Reith, Frank (2009). Effect of the cyanide-producing bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum on ultraflat Au surfaces. Chemical Geology, 265 (3-4), 313-320. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.04.010

Effect of the cyanide-producing bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum on ultraflat Au surfaces

2009

Journal Article

The hydromagnesite playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada: A biogeochemical model for CO2 sequestration

Power, Ian M., Wilson, Siobhan A., Thom, James M., Dipple, Gregory M., Gabites, Janet E. and Southam, Gordon (2009). The hydromagnesite playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada: A biogeochemical model for CO2 sequestration. Chemical Geology, 260 (3-4), 286-300. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.01.012

The hydromagnesite playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada: A biogeochemical model for CO2 sequestration

2009

Journal Article

Carbon dioxide fixation within mine wastes of ultramafic-hosted ore deposits: examples from the Clinton Creek and Cassiar Chrysotile deposits, Canada

Wilson, Siobhan A., Dipple, Gregory M., Power, Ian M., Thom, James M., Anderson, Robert G., Raudsepp, Mati, Gabites, Janet E. and Southam, Gordon (2009). Carbon dioxide fixation within mine wastes of ultramafic-hosted ore deposits: examples from the Clinton Creek and Cassiar Chrysotile deposits, Canada. Economic Geology, 104 (1), 95-112. doi: 10.2113/gsecongeo.104.1.95

Carbon dioxide fixation within mine wastes of ultramafic-hosted ore deposits: examples from the Clinton Creek and Cassiar Chrysotile deposits, Canada

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2026
    Weathering of peridotite; geomicrobiology and materials characterization
    Australian National University Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Discovery Program Consortium
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Fingerprinting environmentally sustainable ores using neodymium isotopes
    Queensland Department of Resources
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Bio-recovery of rare earth elements from Australian soils and mine tailings
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Creative Copper Recovery : Transformation of chalcopyrite to covellite - for improved bioleaching & Cu recovery.
    BHP Groups Operations Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2024
    Exploring alternate sources for resourcing the green-energy transition: Tracking and characterisation of bio-mobilised copper and cobalt in the Princess Creek Tailings Storage Facility
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2023
    Tracking the Fate of Rare Earth Elements in the Peak Range Volcanics: Insights from X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy.
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2023
    Characterisation and Transformation of Phosphogypsum
    The Mosaic Company
    Open grant
  • 2022
    Organic carbon sequestration by secondary Fe, Al and Si minerals in Fe ore tailings driven by sulfur oxidizing bacteria
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2022
    Investigation of the interface between Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an electrochemically-active bacterium and copper
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2022
    Tracking the distribution of strategic metals (Co, Cu, Ni) during bioleaching of Princess Creek Tailings, Tasmania; transforming a waste into a resource.
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2024
    Expanding Queensland's Rare Earth Element opportunities - defining and extracting new REE resources
    Queensland Department of Resources
    Open grant
  • 2022
    Spatial mapping of organic functional groups within aggregates formed in iron ore tailings driven by plant-mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2022
    Mapping the Impact of Microbial Activity as a Catalyst for Kimberlite Weathering and Carbon Storage in Kimberlite
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Review of arsenic treatment technologies
    MMG Australia Limited
    Open grant
  • 2021
    The distribution and speciation of zinc and their association with iron minerals in hardpan naturally formed from mine tailings under different pH conditions
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2020
    Characterising organic carbon forms in newly formed Fe-ore tailing aggregates in the mycorrhizosphere
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2022
    Bio-recovery of rare earth elements from Australian soils and mine tailings (ARC Discovery Project administered by University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2020
    Mapping the impact of bacteria on metal mobility with tailings: mineral dissolution, metal migration and metal precipitation
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Extracting Queensland's Rare Earth Elements Sustainably
    Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Regulated metals in oil and gas shale and associated flow back fluids
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Regulated metals in oil and gas shale and associated flow back fluids
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2019
    The role of microorganisms in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and copper in the critical zone.
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Topsoil deficits in site rehabilitation accelerated transformation of spoils to functional soils
    Australian Coal Association Research Program
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Mapping Microbially Mediated Carbonation: The Role of Phototrophy and Heterotrophy in a Laboratory model of Heron Island (Southern Great Barrier Reef) Beachrock Formation
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2019
    X-ray absorption spectroscopy - Iron speciation changes in magnetite iron-ore tailings undergoing rhizosphere-driven bioweathering
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Natural mineral trapping of regulated metals from groundwater by long term CO2-fluid-rock interactions
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2018
    The detection of organic biomarkers associated with microfossils identified within iron-rich duricrusts
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    In situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation (ARC Linkage Project administered by University of Western Australia)
    University of Western Australia
    Open grant
  • 2018
    The immobilisation of zinc in hardpan as an environmental remediation strategy for sulphidic zinc bearing mine tailings
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2018
    The role of plants and microorganisms in the biogeochemical cycling of iron within ferruginous duricrusts
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Determining the minimum topsoil necessary to rehabilitate mine spoils at Norwich Park and identifying the microbial processes that underpin transformation of stored topsoils and spoils to ...
    BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2023
    Mineralogical and geomicrobial assessment of carbonation potential in kimberlite mine tailings
    DeBeers Group Services Proprietary Limited
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS) and ancillary preparation systems for carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope microanalysis for archaeology, biology, earth and environmental scie
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Biosignatures associated with microbially influenced iron oxide precipitation
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Recovering base metals from mining wastes: exploration of a new global resource for Ni and Co
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Mapping carbonate reservoirs in Shark Bay stromatolites: Determining the diagenetic effects of microbialite formation on stromatolite architecture
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Isolation and characterisation of deep sub-seafloor thermophilic microorganisms.
    Australian National University
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Sources of element mobilisation to groundwater carbon dioxide storage
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Assessment of geomicrobial acceleration potential of De Beers kimberlite tailings (De Beers funding administered by Monash University)
    Monash University
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry (CGMS) - Achieving excellence in isotope geochemistry and geochronology
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    From tailings to soil: in situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Instrumentation for the analysis of cellular and metabolic phenotypes
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    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
  • 2015 - 2016
    Mapping cement formation in synthetic beachrock: implications for island stability in the Great Barrier Reef
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Do Mg-carbonates sequester toxic metals as well as CO2? Putting to rest a 20-year old question about environmental protection during carbon sequestration in minerals
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2020
    Biogeochemistry of ferruginous duricrusts
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2020
    Bioleaching of copper in tropical systems
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Detection of organic compounds within iron-cemented duricrusts (canga)
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2015
    UQ Travel Award 2015 - Dr Danielle Fortin
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS133/XFM/7130: Differential diagenetic behaviour in oolitic limestones: controls on strain patitioning and silicification
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS133/XFM/7225: Implications for biosphere in major and trace element distributions in terrestrial Fe-oxide deposits and oceanic Fe-Mn-oxide accumulations
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS131/XFM/5741: Trace metal distribution in contemporary versus paleo-reef-microbialites: Implications for microbial activity, ocean chemistry & paleocli
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    The biogeochemical cycling of gold: Development of innovative strategies in exploration
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2016
    Accelerating Carbon Mineralization in Mine Waste (C390). Led by University of British Columbia.
    University of British Columbia
    Open grant
  • 2012
    The Geomicrobiology Laboratory
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Gordon Southam is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation of the interface between electrochemically-active microorganisms and metals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation of the interface between electrochemically-active microorganisms and metals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation of the interface between electrochemically-active microorganisms and metals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation of the interface between electrochemically-active microorganisms and metals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigation of the interface between electrochemically-active microorganisms and metals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Bernardino Virdis

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Acid Mine Drainage Passive Treatment Method Using Hyperaccumulator Plants for Post Mining Rehabilitation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Denys Villa Gomez, Professor Peter Erskine

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Alternative uses of mine influenced water

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Mandana Shaygan, Professor Mansour Edraki

Completed supervision

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