Dr Davide Dionisi

Research Overview

My research interests are focused on the application of chemical engineering principles to the development of improved, more sustainable and environmentally-friendly processes, with particular focus on biological processes with open mixed cultures.

My current areas of research are the following:

- innovative processes for chemicals (ethanol, organic acids, hydrogen, methane) and energy production from lignocellulosic biomass and organic waste;

- biological wastewater treatment: process optimisation aimed at minimisation of reactor volume and energy consumption and maximisation of energy recovery through combination of aerobic and anaerobic processes; biodegradation of xenobiotics;

I have published 57 papers on international peer-reviewed journals which have received over 2,400 citations and my h-index is 25. I have published 1 book, 2 book chapters and 2 patents. I have over 60 papers or abstracts published as conference proceedings. I have reviewed papers for over 50 international scientific journals, for various conferences and research proposals for several organisations. I am in the Editorial Board of the journal "Process Safety and Environmental Protection". I have written over 100 internal industrial documents on various chemical engineering topics.

I am currently supervising 3 PhD students. The full list of my papers and citations is available here.

Supervision

Graduated PhD students:

Chukwuemeka Chinaka Uzukwu (graduated 2017) "The biodegradation of hydrocarbons using open mixed culture for microbial enhanced oil recovery and bioremediation"

Adamu Abukabar Rasheed (graduated 2017) "Advances in the use of aerobic sequencing batch reactors for biological wastewater treatment"

Igor Maciel de Oliveira e Silva (graduated 2018) "Anaerobic mixed culture fermentation of organic waste for the production of carboxylates, molecular hydrogen and ethanol"

Ifeoluwa Bolaji (graduated 2018) "Anaerobic fermentation of organic waste for chemicals production: effect of operating process conditions"

Chinedu Casmir Etteh (graduated 2021) "Biological processes for removal of organic xenobiotics from wastewaters"

Research Funding and Grants

• European Commission, “Add your Value” (co-I, with Alfonso Martinez-Felipe (PI), Claudia Fernandez-Martin, John Paterson, Waheed Afzal and David Vega-Maza), £46,406, 2019;
• Scottish Funding Council, “Conversion of wastewaters and organic waste into chemicals, energy and organic fertiliser.”  Studentship for Rita Noelle Moussa. (PI, with Graeme Paton), £159,816, 2019;
• FoodWasteNet “Assessment of waste allium biorefinery comparing three extraction methods prior to anaerobic digestion”, (lead for University of Aberdeen, co-I with Sheffield Hallam University, Bangor University and two industrial partners), £10,000 for University of Aberdeen (£62,609 total value), 2018
• The Leverhulme Trust, Centre for Doctoral Training in "Sustainable Production of Chemicals and Materials" (Scientific Lead, with 23 other academics), £1,050,000, 2018 
• Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), Research and Development Project "Water and the circular economy-where is the greatest sustainable economic benefit for resource recovery in the water cycle?" (PI, with Josie Geris), £37,409, 2018 
• University of Aberdeen, Global Challenges Internal Fund "Production of bioenergy and smart materials from palm tree waste in Malaysia" (co-I, with Alfonso Martinez-Felipe (PI), Claudia Fernandez-Martin and David Vega-Maza), £9,850, 2018
• Scottish Funding Council, Business Interaction Voucher "Anaerobic digestion of crab waste" (PI), £5,000, 2017
• Scottish Funding Council, Business Interaction Voucher "Experimental investigation of an innovative process for the valorisation of raw cheese whey" (PI), £5,000, 2016
• Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Research Incentive Grant "Feasibility of anaerobic digestion of garden waste to produce ethanol, hydrogen and volatile fatty acids" (PI), £7,500, 2015
• Anaerobic Digestion Network (a BBSRC Network), Business Interaction Voucher "Anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste from the food industry" (PI), £5,000, 2015
• Interface Food and Drink Competition "An innovative process for the conversion of wastewaters from the food and drink industry into biofuels and chemicals" (PI), £40,000, 2015
• Brathdair Ltd "An enhanced treatment process for pot ale" (PI), £5,500, 2015
• University of Aberdeen, Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Award "An innovative process for the conversion of wastewaters from the whisky industry into biofuels and chemicals" (PI), £10,000, 2015
• Interface Food and Drink Proof of Principle "An Enhanced Treatment Process for Pot Ale" (PI), £25,000, 2014
• Encompass Kick Start Award "Sequencing Batch Reactor to assess water treatment performance: laboratory translation to field deployment" (PI), £5,000, 2014
• Encompass Kick Start Award "Feasibility of solid separation and evaporation for pot ale treatment" (PI), £10,000, 2014
• Interface Food and Drink "Experimental study on the biotreatability of food industry effluents" (PI), £10,000, 2014
• Energy Technology Partnership (ETP), "Experimental investigation of an innovative process for the treatment of wastewaters from the food and drink industry" (PI),£ 5,000, 2013
• Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), “Olive oil mill effluents as a renewable feedstock for biodegradable polymers production through a sequential anaerobic-aerobic process” 2006-2007
• Advanced Institute for Prevention and Safety in Workplaces (ISPESL), “Preparation of technical sheets on the most frequently used unit operations in Italian short-medium enterprises, with information on principles, vessels and equipment, control systems, graphical schemes and technical regulations”, 2003-2004
•  ISPESL, “Use of olive oil mill effluents as secondary feedstock for agro-chemical industry and as soil amendments” 2003-2004
•  MIUR, “Production of biodegradable polymers from wastes through activated sludge enriched under periodic conditions” 2001-2002
•  ISPESL, “Influence of activated sludge operating parameters on microbial population dynamics for bulking and foaming control” 2000-2002
•  National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPA), “Development of mathematical dynamic and structured models for design and management of activated sludge plants”, 2000-2001
• ISPESL, “Development of biological tests for toxicity monitoring in aquatic ecosystems, natural and/or artificial, subject to industrial and/or municipal contamination” 2000-2001

Also, I have been PI or Co-I in 5 research grants funded by industry