ABC The Science Show - magic crystals enhance biogas production
Australian science communication legend Robyn Williams interviews Mike Manefield on enhancing biogas production with synthetic phenazine.
Science in Public - Stories of Australian Science 2016 - adding colour for 10 times more gas
Neutral red crystal research presented in this document celebrating Australian science and science communication.
UNSW Magazine - Seeing red
Dr Sabrina Beckmann's much celebrated work on neutral red crystals, published in the prestigious Energy and Environmental Science (Impact Factor > 25) is profiled here in the UNSW Magazine (Winter 2016). Includes some great photos from the field trial site.
Sustainability matters - Bacteria break down toxic chemicals in groundwater
Dr Matthew Lee's award winning work published in Environmental Science and Technology was showcased featuring a video describing the approach. Some remediation practitioners prefer reactive zero valent iron barriers. Some prefer bacteria. This work showed that a combination works best.
The Australian Innovation Challenge - Mike Manefield Finalist
Associate Professor Mike Manefield and the dechlorination team were featured in the Australian newspaper as part of being shortlisted as Finalists for the Australian Innovation Challenge. The article very briefly describes the types of pollution the group is facilitating remediation of and the approach we have taken.
ABC Radio National Off Track with Joel Werner - Activated sludge
On the 29th of April 2013 UNSW BABS honours student Ms Liza Kretchmar and Mike Manefield travelled to St Mary's Waste Water Treatment Plant in Sydney's west to sample activated sludge for Liza's honours project on lipid droplet colonisation and degradation. Whilst there we met with ABC Radio's Joel Werner and Jess Minshall to give an interview on the weird and wonderful world of activated sludge ecology. The program aired on the 12th of May.
ABC News in Science - Chloroform-breathing bug could detox sites
Dr Matthew Lee talks to the ABC's Anna Salleh for an ABC News in Science article that went live online on the 30th October 2012. The article describes his discovery of the Dehlaobacter that completely degrades chloroform and its potential for remediation of chloroform contaminated sites.
ABC Radio National Off Track with Joel Werner - Bacteria breathe away industrial toxins
On the 12th of October 2012 Mike Manefield did an interview with ABC Radio's Joel Werner on site at the Botany Industrial Park in Sydney describing the development and deployment of bacterial cultures for remediation of organochlorine contaminated groundwater. The interview took place at the site of the first bioaugmentation trial with organochlorine respiring bacteria (ORB) on the Australian continent carried out by the team in 2010.
UNSW Innovation Awards 2012 video - Probiotics for the polluted plumbing of the planet
On the 6th of September 2012 at the UNSW Innovation Awards evening Drs Joanna Koenig, Adrian Low, Mike Manefield and Matthew Lee received the advanced Innovation Award and the overall UNSW Innovation Award for 2012 for their work on reductive dechlorination and the transfer of their technology into the hands of remediation practitioners who can put it to work cleaing up organochlorine contaminated sites around Australia. This video produced by Steve Brodie gives the low down.
UNSW Science Website Article - Beer-barrel bacteria breathe toxic brew
In August 2011 Bob Beale published an article on our bioremediation research explaining how bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable remediation option available elsewhere in the world, but not in Australia because of the absence of home grown cultures for bioaugmentation. The development of perchloroethene, dichloroethane and chloroform degrading cultures by the team has changed the game.
ABC TV news - Bacteria bred to clean out toxic waste
On the 29th of July 2011 the group hit the headlines with this ABC TV News story with Sarah Clarke reporting. The story which aired prime time and was included in the main headlines at the start of the program describes the development of 'Aussie Super Bugs' for cleaning up polluted sites. Not the most accurate article from a scientific perspective but it did wonders to foster the awareness of the general public to the good things bacteria can do. Starring Dr Matthew Lee, Dr Adrian Low, Dr Olivier Zemb and A/Prof Mike Manefield.
ABC TV Catalyst - Juggling test tubes
In February 2008 the ABC's premier science program Catalyst aired a story produced by Ingrid Arnott profiling Mike Manefield and his research into bioremediation. The story describes Mike's motivation for his research into bioremediation and the scientific process and showcases an appearance in front of the Botany Community Participation Review Committee and some vintage footage of him juggling in pink shorts in Pennant Hills High School's production of the musical Barnum.