Functional Analyses of Bacteria Involved in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater. The abundant growth of blue-green algae in global waterways is substantially caused by phosphorus (P) release from wastewater treatment plants. This environmental drama can be mitigated against by P-accumulating bacteria partitioning the P inside their cells. The P-removal process often fails, but since the metabolism of P-accumulating bacteria is unknown, remedial actions are based on conjecture ....Functional Analyses of Bacteria Involved in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater. The abundant growth of blue-green algae in global waterways is substantially caused by phosphorus (P) release from wastewater treatment plants. This environmental drama can be mitigated against by P-accumulating bacteria partitioning the P inside their cells. The P-removal process often fails, but since the metabolism of P-accumulating bacteria is unknown, remedial actions are based on conjecture. This fundamental, knowledge-generating project will address this shortfall and will develop methods to evaluate the activity of P-accumulating bacteria, contributing substantial understanding of their metabolism. The final goal is to promote stable, reproducible P-removal from wastewater.Read moreRead less
Bioleaching of copper in tropical systems. This project is focussed on bioleaching of chalcopyrite, to recover copper from currently sub-economic low-grade ore. Conventional mining processes are too energy intensive to economically extract copper from low-grade ores. However, these waste ores are still subject to natural, bacterial leaching causing environmental harm. Enhancing this natural process by removing key limitations in bacterial colonisation of metal sulfides aims to enhance bioleachin ....Bioleaching of copper in tropical systems. This project is focussed on bioleaching of chalcopyrite, to recover copper from currently sub-economic low-grade ore. Conventional mining processes are too energy intensive to economically extract copper from low-grade ores. However, these waste ores are still subject to natural, bacterial leaching causing environmental harm. Enhancing this natural process by removing key limitations in bacterial colonisation of metal sulfides aims to enhance bioleaching of low-grade ores creating a win-win scenario, reducing environmental harm while extracting value from these currently uneconomic materials.Read moreRead less
Breaking critical barriers in soil formation of bauxite residues . Conventional methods of bauxite residue rehabilitation require expensive and unsustainable covering topsoil. Building on recent breakthroughs in eco-engineering tailings into soil, the project aims to develop a field-based technology using marine microbes and halophytic plants to accelerate in-situ soil formation from bauxite residues (incl seawater neutralised bauxite residues) under field conditions. The technology will be unde ....Breaking critical barriers in soil formation of bauxite residues . Conventional methods of bauxite residue rehabilitation require expensive and unsustainable covering topsoil. Building on recent breakthroughs in eco-engineering tailings into soil, the project aims to develop a field-based technology using marine microbes and halophytic plants to accelerate in-situ soil formation from bauxite residues (incl seawater neutralised bauxite residues) under field conditions. The technology will be underpinned by understanding the roles of marine microbe consortia and eco-engineering inputs in accelerating key mineralogical, geochemical, physical and biological changes in bauxite residues. This technology is expected to be transferable and adaptable across other alumina refineries in Australia.Read moreRead less
Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation. Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation. This project aims to develop integrated and low-cost eco-engineering technology to purposefully accelerate in-situ formation of soil from tailings for sustainable native plant community rehabilitation at metal mines. Soil shortages at mines cost the Australian mining industry billions of dollars in sustainable rehabilitation of tailings, and threaten t ....Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation. Eco-engineering soil from mine tailings for native plant rehabilitation. This project aims to develop integrated and low-cost eco-engineering technology to purposefully accelerate in-situ formation of soil from tailings for sustainable native plant community rehabilitation at metal mines. Soil shortages at mines cost the Australian mining industry billions of dollars in sustainable rehabilitation of tailings, and threaten the industry’s ecological and commercial sustainability. Building on recent findings of critical processes in soil formation from copper/lead–zinc tailings, this research will use key biogeochemical and rhizosphere processes in the tailing-soil to create a functional 'technosol'. This technology is intended to be used in Australian metal mines to offset the soil needed to rehabilitate tailings landforms with native plant communities.Read moreRead less
The only constant is change: ecology and evolution of phage-host interactions in a model ecosystem. Microorganisms underpin life on Earth, but our understanding of their diversity and activity is limited by our inability to grow most of them in the laboratory. Recently, new techniques have emerged that allow access to the genetic information of all microorganisms by directly sequencing DNA and RNA from the environment. In this research we will further develop these frontier technologies, promoti ....The only constant is change: ecology and evolution of phage-host interactions in a model ecosystem. Microorganisms underpin life on Earth, but our understanding of their diversity and activity is limited by our inability to grow most of them in the laboratory. Recently, new techniques have emerged that allow access to the genetic information of all microorganisms by directly sequencing DNA and RNA from the environment. In this research we will further develop these frontier technologies, promoting this new area of science in Australia. We will apply these techniques to microbial communities involved in wastewater treatment in order to understand the interactions between microorganisms and the viruses that infect them. Understanding this interaction will have important implications for optimising these treatment processes.Read moreRead less
In situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation. In situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation. By enhancing and guiding abiotic and biotic processes of soil development, this project aims to accelerate the in situ remediation of bauxite residue (alumina refining tailings). Over 7 gigatonnes of tailings are produced globally every year, comprising complex mineral assemblages at extremes of pH and salinity with minimal biological activity. This project will build detailed knowledge on the chemi ....In situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation. In situ remediation in mine site rehabilitation. By enhancing and guiding abiotic and biotic processes of soil development, this project aims to accelerate the in situ remediation of bauxite residue (alumina refining tailings). Over 7 gigatonnes of tailings are produced globally every year, comprising complex mineral assemblages at extremes of pH and salinity with minimal biological activity. This project will build detailed knowledge on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of bauxite residue and apply this to develop field-scale in situ remediation strategies. This research will also advance understanding of soil development and primary succession of microbial communities in extreme, anthropogenic environments such as those presented by tailings.Read moreRead less
Accelerated tailings remediation with plant and microbial biotechnologies. The Australian alumina industry produces 32 million tonnes of bauxite residue (alumina refining tailings) each year, most of which is stored in perpetuity in landfill-type tailings storage facilities. The high pH, high salinity, lack of plant nutrients, and poor physical properties of bauxite residue are major barriers to safe storage and successful closure of tailings storage facilities. Existing remediation approaches a ....Accelerated tailings remediation with plant and microbial biotechnologies. The Australian alumina industry produces 32 million tonnes of bauxite residue (alumina refining tailings) each year, most of which is stored in perpetuity in landfill-type tailings storage facilities. The high pH, high salinity, lack of plant nutrients, and poor physical properties of bauxite residue are major barriers to safe storage and successful closure of tailings storage facilities. Existing remediation approaches are expensive, slow, and often ineffective. We will deliver new microbial- and plant-driven biotechnologies for rapid, cost-effective remediation of bauxite residue. This will enable safe, sustainable closure of storage facilities, and safeguard the strong contribution of this $15 billion industry to Australia's economy. Read moreRead less