Wei Li

My research focuses on environmental biotechnology for removing and transforming persistent pollutants in water and wastewater.I specialise in microbial and hybrid biological–chemical processes that transform hard-to-degrade organic contaminants and nutrient pollutants, including PFAS and nitrogen compounds, into less harmful or resource-recoverable products through sustainable, low-carbon pathways.

I am particularly interested in how microorganisms interact with engineered systems to drive pollutant transformation. My work combines reactor engineering, microbiology, materials-assisted treatment, and multi-omics analysis to understand both treatment performance and the underlying biological mechanisms.

Key areas of my research include:

• PFAS biotransformation and defluorination
• Membrane biofilm reactors
• Microbial ecology in engineered systems
• Biological nitrogen removal
• Bio-Fenton and reactive oxygen species-based treatment
• Metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and bioinformatics

At UQ, my work aims to develop sustainable technologies for treating emerging contaminants and recovering valuable resources from waste streams. This includes identifying microorganisms and enzymes involved in PFAS transformation, designing hybrid treatment systems, and linking microbial function to practical environmental engineering applications.

My research sits at the interface of environmental microbiology, water engineering, contaminant chemistry, and systems biology.