2017 Laureate Profile: Professor Zhiguo Yuan
Professor Zhiguo Yuan

Administering Organisation: The University of Queensland
Discipline Area: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Fellowship project summary
Methane bioconversion to liquid chemicals (FL170100086)
This project aims to develop a suite of leading-edge biotechnology solutions to enable the cost-effective production of liquid chemicals from biogas. This will create a much stronger economic driver for biogas production from organic wastes, by significantly increasing the value of biogas compared to its current use for power generation. With a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will substantially advance the fundamental science in the exciting and highly valuable area of anaerobic microbial conversion of methane, the least understood process in the global carbon cycle. This transformational research has a strong potential to create a new biotechnology sector producing high-value chemicals from methane, and will propel Australia to the forefront of sustainable resources research.
Australian Research Council funding: $2,924,858
About Professor Yuan
Professor Zhiguo Yuan is a Professor within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at The University of Queensland, where he is Director of the Advanced Water Management Centre. Professor Yuan is also Leader of the Future Technologies Program of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. Professor Yuan’s research focuses on the development of innovative solutions for urban water management through effective integration of fundamental science and applied engineering. His research has delivered substantial savings to the Australian water industry and his research achievements have been acknowledged through awards, such as the 2015 Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) Clunies Award and the International Water Association 2014 Global Project Innovation Award in Applied Research. Professor Yuan was named as one of Engineer Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineers for 2015 and is an ATSE Fellow.
Find out more about Professor Yuan and his research by visiting his profile page on The University of Queensland website.
For further information about this funding scheme, please visit the Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme page on the ARC website.