Dr Denys Villa Gomez

Denys specialises in the use of Synthetic Biology for critical metals recovery and carbon sequestration from mine waste

​Denys Villa Gomez is an Advance Queensland Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. She obtained her PhD at the world leading institute’s IHE-Delft/Wageningen University, The Netherlands in 2013. She applies advanced methodologies such as omics approaches and micro spectral tools to develop biotechnology processes that reduce pollution and recover resources such as energy and metals. Denys has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers cited more than 400 times, has served as editor and reviewer for leading journals (e.g. Frontiers in Bioengineering & Biotechnology) and advisory roles in industry and scientific committees (e.g. International Mine Water Association). Villa Gomez has multiple research projects as chief investigator with industry, government, and academia, and with international and UQ-based researchers (over AU$2.5M), for example, the 3-year project with the Queensland government and Rio Tinto using synthetic biology to recover critical minerals.

Industry

​Denys has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers cited more than 400 times, has served as editor and reviewer for leading journals (e.g. Frontiers in Bioengineering & Biotechnology) and advisory roles in industry and scientific committees (e.g. International Mine Water Association). Villa Gomez has multiple research projects as chief investigator with industry, government, and academia, and with international and UQ-based researchers (over AU$2.5M), for example, the 3-year project with the Queensland government and Rio Tinto using synthetic biology to recover critical minerals.

Collaborations

Denys Villa Gomez research has attracted national and international collaborations with 82% of her publications in collaboration with international colleagues (well above the average 54% of UQ). 

Theme: Metal recovery from wastewater (Major international collaboration)

• Prof Gijs Du Laing and Dr. Karel Folens (Ghent Universtiy, Belgium) and.Dr Eric Van Hullebusch (Université de Paris France)
• Outcomes: One text-book chapter, one travel assistance scholarship, one online course module, one project proposal (DP210100421).

Theme: Sulphate reducing bioreactors (Major international collaboration)

• Dr Ivan Ñancucheo (Universidad de San Sebastian, Chile) and Dr Alex Schwarz (Universidad de Concepción, Chile)
• Outcomes: Four journal publications, one conference publication, two funded collaboration grants, one funded by UQ global strategic partnership and one funded by the Australian government. 

Theme: Mine waste characterisation for the recovery of critical elements

• Dr Anita Parbhakar-Fox (SMI, UQ)
• Outcomes: 4 industry and government projects (>$1.5 M), two joint publications, one industry report as well as the creation of an online database of critical elements reported in tailings from Mexico, Chile and Australia.

Theme: Synthetic biology applications in environmental engineering 

Theme: Cobalt and nickel recovery from mine impacted waters

• Prof Gordon Southam (SEES, UQ) and Dr James Vaughan (ChemEng, UQ)
• Outcomes: One joint completed PhD from the School of Civil Engineering and one completed Msc student from the SEES, UQ, several oral presentations and more than seven journal publications.

Funding

Villa Gomez has multiple research projects as chief investigator with industry, government, and academia, and with international and UQ-based researchers (over AU$2.5M), for example, the 3-year project with the Queensland government and Rio Tinto using synthetic biology to recover critical minerals.

Key Publications

Villa Gomez, D.K., Serrano, A., Peces, M., Ryan, B., Hofmann, H. and Southam, G. (2021). A sequential bioreactor adaption strategy enhanced the precipitation of metals from tailings’ leachates. Minerals Engineering, 170 107051, 107051. doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107051

Villa Gomez, Denys, Hong, Paul, Berry, Luke, Liu, Di and Edraki, Mansour (2023). Element distribution in electrochemically treated mine wastewater for efficient resource recovery and water treatment: a pilot study. Chemosphere, 339 139536, 139536. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139536

Liu, Yun, Vaughan, James, Southam, Gordon, Serrano, Antonio, Gao, Han, Palfreyman, Robin, Marcellin, Esteban and Villa-Gomez, Denys K. (2022). Role of the substrate on Ni inhibition in biological sulfate reduction. Journal of Environmental Management, 316 115216, 115216. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115216

Liu, Y., Serrano, A., Wyman, V., Marcellin, E., Southam, Vaughan, J. and Villa-Gomez, D. (2021). Nickel complexation as an innovative approach for nickel-cobalt selective recovery using sulfate-reducing bacteria. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 402. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123506

Liu, Y., Vaughan, J., Southam, G., Serrano, A., Marcellin, E., Nancucheo, I. and Villa-Gomez, D. K. (2020). Enhanced metal recovery by efficient agglomeration of precipitates in an up-flow fixed-bed bioreactor. Chemical Engineering Journal, 127662, 127662. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.127662