Ma Research Group
1. Pathogen control in water treatment and water supply systems
Current water supply systems rely on high concentrations of chemical disinfectant residual to minimize microorganisms as water moves to the consumers. There are, however, several issues and limitations, including unable to timely respond to pathogen outbreaks, limited biofilm control, and disinfection by-product (DBP) formation. We aim to develop the next-generation water supply systems using chemical-free, energy-efficient ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) systems as a new approach for secondary disinfection, coupled with real-time in-pipe monitoring systems to provide effective and timely management of pathogen contamination and biofilm development without DBP formation.
2. Air and surface disinfection in public spaces
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a dire need for safe and effective solutions to mitigate airborne and surface mediated pathogen transmission in public spaces. Current strategies, such as ventilation, personal protective gear, and chemical disinfectant, are often costly and ineffective. Our lab is interested in exploring alternative sanitization solutions, such as emerging far UVC technologies like krypton chloride (KrCl*) excimer, especially in high-risk places, including public toilets, healthcare facilities, office areas, and classrooms. Our goal is to reduce disease transmission in build environment through innovative designs and better understanding of the interactions between human behavior and engineering interventions.
3. Biological treatment systems for water treatment and water reuse.
Performance optimization
Ecological implication
Biological processes are widely used in water/wastewater treatment and water reuse systems. The microbial communities in these systems are beneficial in reducing chemical contaminants and resource recovery, but may also produce undesirable by-products and degrade water quality. Our group is interested in understanding the relationships between metabolic activities, biotransformation pathways, and microbial community composition using advance research methods such as high-resolution mass spectrometry and multi-omics tools, coupled with machine learning approaches. These information will be used to optimize biological treatment performance and provide fundamental insights into microbial ecology in engineering settings.