ANZBP - Lunch & Learn Webinar Series August 2023

This webinar will include presentations from:

Dr Elvis Okoffo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland
Presentation: Agricultural soils and plastic pollution: Are biosolids the problem?

Dr Okoffo completed his PhD at QAEHS in 2021, focusing on developing quantitative analytical methods to measure (mass-based concentration) and provide an understanding of plastic residues in Australian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) biosolids, and subsequent releases into the Australian environment. Dr Okoffo’s current research focuses on developing novel sampling approaches and analytical techniques for monitoring plastic residues (microplastics, nanoplastics and microbioplastics) in environmental samples.

Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt, ANU College of Science
Presentation: Harvesting valuable resources from industrial wastewater

Caitlin Byrt is an Associate Professor with the ANU working on investigating how plants achieve energy efficient precision membrane separation. Caitlin serves as Deputy Director (Research) of the Australian Research Council Future Crops Centre and as co-Director of Membrane Transporter Engineers Pty Ltd. The knowledge that Caitlin and team gain from studying plant molecular membrane separation is being applied to improving crop performance and designing systems for separating valuable resources from industrial wastewater. This current research project is being developed in collaboration with CSIRO through the inaugural Agri-Food Collaboration Program (AFCP), and includes a team of researchers from ANU and CSIRO Agriculture & Food and Manufacturing.