Research Experience

Assistant Research Scientist (2019- Present):

  • Wastewater treatment through electrocoagulation and hydrocavitation while using microbial electrolysis cells for energy generation.
  • Innovative polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production with microbial electrochemical technology (MET) incorporation for community-scale valorization.
  • Assessment of petroleum-based plastic and bioplastics degradation using anaerobic digestion.
  • Life cycle assessments (LCA) of bioenergy, bioprocessing, and nutrient transformations.
  • Fast pyrolysis of poultry litter and waste valorization.
  • Enhancing biogas production from wastewater using zeolite, biochar additives, and/or manure co-digestion.
  • Nanotechnology applications in waste management and bioenergy production.
  • Municipal solid waste (trash) characterization by season and time for biofuel production.
  • Biogas enhancement and ammonia extraction for increased revenue in waste-to-energy systems.
  • Effect of antibiotics on methane production, substrate properties, and microbial community during anaerobic digestion process.
  • Verifying on-farm anaerobic digestion production from dairy, food, and poultry wastes.
  • Comparing hydrogen sulfide removal effectiveness in a field-scale digester using microaeration and iron filters.

Post-doctoral Associate, University of Maryland, MD (2016 – 2019)

  • Determined the effect of nanoparticles (NP) on energy production potential during anaerobic digestion.
  • Tracked NP degradation during digestion, and uptake of NPs by crops when digested bio-slurry is used to fertilize crops.
  • Evaluated and analyzed the operation and performance of an anaerobic digester processing poultry litter combined with a nutrient capture system that can partition nutrients from system by-products to increase the options and flexibility for managing nutrients, thereby reducing potential nutrient run-off into local waterways.
  • Conducted life cycle assessment of poultry litter digester combined with a nutrient capture system.
  • Collaborated with the Port of Baltimore to start a biogas digester for algae harvested from Algal Turf ScrubberTM
  • Conducted extension work and outreach related to anaerobic digestion (Workshop: Opportunities and Challenges in Anaerobic Digestion: Maryland and the Northeast US Experience; Annapolis, Maryland, October 2, 2018).

International fellowship, University of Maryland, MD (2015)

  • Evaluated the use of bio-slurry, wetland soil, and plant roots on microbial fuel cell performance.

Research Assistant (Ph.D.), Northwest A&F university, China (2012-2015)

  • Combined microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) with anaerobic digestion (AD) to improve digester performance.
  • Determined the factors effecting hydrogen production during dark fermentation.
  • Enhanced hydrogen and methane production from wastewater, cattle manure, food waste, glucose, maize flour, and cattle manure using microbial electrolysis cell.
  • Evaluated the use of solar energy to both heat anaerobic digesters and produce electricity for MEC.

Graduate Research Assistant (M.Sc.), Northwest A&F university, China (2009-2011)

  • Designed and created a model to simulate the use of parabolic trough solar collector (PTC) for improving AD efficiency when exposed to ambient temperature.
  • Designed single-axis solar tracking system for parabolic trough solar collector (PTC) combined with solar cell.
  • Simulated and validated the use of greenhouse to heat biogas digesters.
  • Evaluated the effectiveness of PTC and greenhouse for heating biogas digester.

Assistant Lecturer, Suez Canal University, Egypt (2008-2009)

  • Evaluated the effect of mixing, pH, and heating on biogas production during the anaerobic digestion of dairy manure.
  • Evaluated the use of different electrodes material on solar electrolysis performance.
  • Determined the heat flow of solar dryer performance.

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