Professor Andrew Harris
PhD (Chemical Engineering) University of Cambridge, 2001
Director of the Laboratory for Sustainable Technology
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
J01 - Chemical Engineering Building
The University of Sydney
| Telephone | +61 2 9351 2926 |
| Fax | +61 2 9351 2854 |
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Centre for Sustainable Energy Development School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory for Sustainable Technology |
Biographical details
Andrew is interested in developing cutting edge technologies to assist with the transition to sustainability. He joined the University of Sydney at the start of 2004 from Cambridge University in the UK where he worked for almost six years in the Department of Chemical Engineering. His research typically occurs at the interface between established scientific disciplines, i.e. chemistry, physics, biology, engineering and materials science. Because of this in his work Andrew adopt's a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary approach which enables him and his colleagues to bring a wide range of skills to bear on pressing environmental and sustainable development problems. In 2006 Andrew received the Shedden Uhde Medal and Prize as the leading early career chemical engineer in Australia and New Zealand.
Research interests
In a world of finite resources and an ever-growing population, Professor Andrew Harris is developing technologies that will provide sustainable sources of clean water, renewable energy and environmentally benign food and mineral resources - everything we need to live our lives, but in a way that doesn't compromise the ability of future generations to live their own lives.
"We have a responsibility to future generations to leave them with a planet that is in a better state than the one we inherited from our own parents.
"The major challenges for humankind in the future will be providing sufficient clean energy, water, food and health care. I am working to develop sustainable technologies that will do this, while also offering superior economic and environmental performance.
"For example, my colleagues and I have already developed a process of making paper from straw rather than wood pulp, a low-cost means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from underground coal mines by 90 percent, and a process of 'farming' minerals using plants.
"Among my current research interests are growing gold on trees, reverse-engineering beetles to capture water from the atmosphere, and using butterfly wings as templates to produce hydrogen for use in fuels cells.
"Being an academic at the University of Sydney gives me the intellectual freedom to carry out the research to resolve such problems."
Associations
- Chartered Engineer, CEng (UK), CPEng (Aust)
- Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, FIChemE
- Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, FIEAust
Selected grants
2012
- Simultaneous Measurements of Reaction Kinetics and Particle Distributions for Cutting-Edge Research into CO2 Storage, Catalysis and Novel Materials; Dlugogorski B, Kennedy E, Moghtaderi B, Stockenhuber M, Melchers R, Abbas A, Valix M, Harris A, Kannangara G, Bartlett J, Milev A, Tran N, May E, Rufford T, O'Neill B; Australian Research Council/Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF).
2011
- Carbon nanotube based electrodes for rapid, dry electro-physiological measurements; McEwan A, Harris A; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Projects (LP).
2010
- Hierarchically structured carbon nanotube catalysts for the conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals; Harris A; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Future Fellowships (FT).
- Advanced Focused Ion Beam (FIB) / Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) for Nanometre Scale Characterisation and Fabrication; Cairney J, Munroe P, Ringer S, Ferry M, Mai Y, Liao X, McKenzie D, Wenham S, Dzurak A, Stevens-Kalceff M, Spinks G, Dou S, Valanoor N, Liu Z, Proust G, Young D, Braet F, Chan-Ling T, Maschmeyer T, Chan H, Traini D, Swain M, Harris A, Crawford J, Potts D; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF).
- A Unique Soft Matter High-Performance Scanning Probe Microscopy (HP-SPM) Facility; Thordarson P, Neto C, Warr G, Coster H, Weiss A, Perrier S, Hawkett B, Bilek M, Sunde M, Harris A; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF).
- Establishing the pathways of biomass decomposition in hot compressed water; Montoya Escobar A, Harris A, Haynes B; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP).
- Characterization of an ultra lean combustion system based on porous media; Harris A, Church T, Amos N, Trimis D; Group of Eight/Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme.
2009
- Assessment of novel technology to generate biofuels and chemicals; Harris A; DVC Research/RIRDC Bridging Support Grant.
- Assessment of novel technology to generate biofuels and chemicals; Harris A; Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation/Research Support.
- High-performance nano-structured CO2 sorbents to improve the selective generaton of hydrogen from bi; Harris A, Schwarzenberg M; E.ON AG/Research Support.
- Nanostructured carbon electrodes; Harris A, Wallace G, Aitchison P, Clarke S; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Projects (LP).
- Carbon nanotube functionalisation; Harris A, Kraft M; DVC Research/Bridging Support Grant.
- Assessment of novel technology to generate value-added biofuels and chemicals from Australian grain crops; Harris A, Abbas A, Montoya Escobar A; Grains Research & Development Corporation/R&D Open Tender - New Products - New Farm Products and Services.
2008
- Biological factories for precious metal nanoparticles; Harris A; Grains Research & Development Corporation/R&D Open Tender - New Products - New Farm Products and Services.
- High Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) Platform for Characterisation at; Ringer S, Barton G, Ramzan I, Copeland L, Potts D, Braet F, Grillet C, Lay P, Murphy C, Cairney J, Ferry M, Eggleton B, McKenzie D, Masters A, Parker A, Overall R, Weiss A, Ruys A, Sorrell C, Ye L, Harris A, Ranzi G; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF).
- High-Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) Platform for Characterisation at the Nanometre-Level; Cairney J, Ringer S, Braet F, Ferry M, Sorrell C, Ye L, Ruys A, Barton G, Harris A, Ranzi G, Eggleton B, Grillet C, Mckenzie D, Lay P, Masters A, Parker A, Overall R, Weiss A, Murphy C, Ramzan I, Copeland L, Potts D; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF).
- The localisation and speciation of metallic nanoparticles in live plants; Harris A; Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering/Awards.
2007
- (POUL-CRC) -Core Agreements for Poultry CTC LTD - USYD collaboration on the terms of the Agreement; Evans G, Groves P, Harris A, Crossley P, Emery D.
- Climate Action Grants Program - Technology Action Grant - Greenhouse gas mitigation from coalmine ventilation systems; Harris A; Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW)/Research Grants.
- A scoping study of egg and litter disposal options; Harris A; Australian Egg Corporation Ltd/Research Grant.
- Precommercial demonstration of sustainable hydrogen technology; Harris A; DVC Research/Sustainable Energy Research Grant (SERG).
2006
- To determine whether phytomining is a scientifically feasible and commercially valuable activity in rural and regional Australia; Harris A; DAFF/Bureau of Rural Sciences - Science and Innovation Award for Young People in Agriculture, Fisher/Research Grant.
- University of Sydney - Bridging Support Grant; Harris A; University of Sydney/Bridging Support.
- Determining The Feasibility Of Phytomining In Rural Australia; Harris A; Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)/Research and Development Grant.
- Selective generation of hydrogen from biomass and waster fuels; Harris A; Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Project.
- 2724 - The Localisation And Speciation Of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesised Using Medicago Sativa And Brassica Juncea; Harris A; Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering/Awards.
- Phytosynthesis of gold nanoparticles; Harris A; University of Sydney/Early Career Researcher.
2005
- Oxidation Of Methane In Mva Using Porous Burner Technology; Harris A; Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP)/Research Grant.
- Selective Generation of Hydrogen from Biomass and Wastes; Harris A; University of Sydney/Early Career Researcher.
- Purchase of a TGA-Mass spectrometer; Harris A; University of Sydney/Major Equipment.
Selected publications
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PhD and master's project opportunities
- Fuels and chemicals from biomass
- In situ functionalisation of carbon nanotubes
- Synthesis of single walled nanotubes in fluidised beds
- Spiral CNT synthesis in fluidised beds
- Nanotube purification
- Development of tailored catalysts for CNT synthesis
- Process intensification of fluidised bed reactors
- Biological factories for nanoparticle synthesis
- Assessing the feasibility of phytomining in Australia
- Hydrogen production from biomass and waste fuels
- Development of porous burner reactors
- Development of advanced materials for porous burner reactors
- Designing tailored nanomaterials for CO2 capture
- Novel, nanoporous silicon carbide nanomaterials
- Biologically templated nanomaterials
- Mimicking the Stenocara beetle hydrophilic/hydrophobic surfaces


