Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables

加拿大的能源和自然资源工业对加拿大经济至关重要，并在竞争激烈的全球市场上运作。他们面临着应对环境风险的挑战，受到全球运动的极大关注，并承担着减轻环境干扰的责任。我已经制定了我研究的长期愿景，为加拿大创新清洁技术，并考虑到这些行业。我的NSERC DG研究，微生物和矿物在清洁技术中的工程协同作用：整合环境修复和将废物转化为贵重物品，是基于以下核心概念：设计天然污染物降解微生物的自然弹性和矿物反应，将废物转化为贵重物品。

Canadian energy and natural resource industries are essential to Canada's economy and operate in highly competitive global markets. They face the challenge of dealing with environmental risks, receive tremendous attention from global movements, and are being held responsible for mitigating environmental disturbances. I have developed the long-term vision of my research to innovate clean technologies for Canada with these industries in mind. My NSERC DG research, Engineering synergy of microbes and minerals for clean technology: integrating environmental remediation and converting waste to valuables, is based on the following central concept: engineering the natural resilience of native pollutant-degrading microbes and mineralogical reactions for waste-to-valuables conversion. I recently identified external factors that can be controlled to naturally extend the bioremediation of oil-impacted soils in cold climates. Leveraging the seasonal resilience of indigenous stress-tolerant hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities in freezing and frozen contaminated soils is possible, and its effects are reproducible, consistent, and meaningful in terms of meeting national environmental standards. This crucial finding has revealed new opportunities for research into stress-tolerant bioremediation for remote cold-climate sites that have no energy supply and decreased overall remediation times and costs. My research also shows that rapid natural mineralization in the presence of target contaminants is another natural resilience that can be utilized to advance remediation technology. The mayenite-to-hydrocalumite mineral transformation is highly effective at removing excess chloride ions, which cause salinity and corrosion and are a significant concern for soil health, water quality, and subsurface infrastructure. We successfully synthesized mayenite in an economical way, revealing a development opportunity for novel clean technology. The short-term objectives of my DG research program are to (1) further establish the governing mechanisms and optimize our methods of engineering the key factors involved in stress-tolerant bioremediation for petroleum-impacted soils in cold climates and (2) further develop our mineral-based desalination cycles for potash mine waste, integrate them with nutrient recovery, and assess the feasibility of using recovered nutrient-enriched minerals for the bioremediation of waste soils from oil and coal production. Potash mine waste products may ultimately be beneficial to oilfield waste treatment. My NSERC DG research will trigger transformative changes in concepts and practices within environmental remediation and mine waste management. It will produce hybrid remediation and waste management technologies that will become a significantly profitable part of a circular economy, rather than an environmental cost. This research is highly beneficial to sustainable development and environmental protection in Canada.