Understanding fate of pathogenic viruses in sewers to advance wastewater surveillance

Summary

This project aims to understand the decay, transformation and persistence of pathogenic viruses and their gene materials in sewers, advancing wastewater surveillance for various infectious diseases. This project will combine novel techniques across sewer engineering, environmental microbiology, genomic sequencing, and modelling to understand fate of various viruses under impacts of biofilms and exposure in urban sewer systems. This project will enhance capability of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a more powerful tool to detect, monitor and predict future emerging diseases.

Research Area Keywords: Infectious diseases, genomic sequencing, wastewater-based epidemiology, environmental monitoring

Supervisor

Dr Jiaying Li.

Research location

Civil Engineering

Synopsis

This project covers several topics and areas:

Applying molecular diagnostics and genomic sequencing techniques to detect and quantify various pathogenic viruses and their variants in real sewers;
Determining the fate of viruses in dynamic sewer environments;
Developing a fate model for pathogenic viruses within urban sewer systems to advance wastewater-based epidemiology for infectious diseases.

Additional information

Offering:

A scholarship for 3.5 years at the RTP stipend rate (currently $41,753 in 2025). International applicants will have their tuition fees covered.

Successful candidates must:

Have a Bachelors degree (1st class honours or equivalent) or a Masters degree
Have research experience in research experience in Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Molecular Biology, Biology and Medicine, Biotechnology, Public Health, and relevant disciplines.

How to apply:

To apply, please email jiaying.li@sydney.edu.au the following information

CV showing qualifications and past research experience or publications
Academic transcripts

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3598