Qualifications & Memberships

• Bachelor of Science (Pennsylvania State University)

• Master of Science

• Doctor of Philosophy (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

• Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) (Professional Organisation): Fellow (FIChemE)

• IPENZ

Research Interests

My research interests lay in bioprocess engineering, essentially convincing bacteria and fungi to do something interesting including degradation of compounds (biofiltration, wool scour colour) or production of compounds (microbial cellulose, methanol). Many of my projects are interconnected through my interest in unsaturated biofilms. Through control and manipulation of the unsaturated water environment, I am trying understand their metabolism and to enhance their activity.
-Understanding the hydrodynamic and biological fundamentals of three phase, low water content, biological reactor systems. This includes reaction systems such as biofiltration, trickle beds, and vadoze zone, in situ bioremediation.
-Use of novel organisms grown under harsh biological conditions or maintained in non-growth conditions for high volume transformations that are less susceptible to contamination.
-Microbial dynamics with respect to transient responses of pure cultures and dynamics of mixed cultures. Investigation of time-dependent models for control research.
-Applications of advanced control in fermentation. Development of feedback control in distributed parameter and multi-nutrient dependent systems along with novel sensor implementation.

• Air pollution control technology
• Biofiltration, trickling filters
• Bioprocess engineering
• Environmental waste treatment
• Process control

Recent Publications

• Egbadon EO., Wigley K., Nwoba ST., Carere CR., Weaver L., Baronian K., Burbery L. and Gostomski PA. (2024) Microaerobic methane-driven denitrification in a biotrickle bed – Investigating the active microbial biofilm community composition using RNA-stable isotope probing. Chemosphere 346 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140528.
• Wigley K., Egbadon E., Carere CR., Weaver L., Baronian K., Burbery L., Dupont PY., Bury SJ. and Gostomski PA. (2022) RNA stable isotope probing and high-throughput sequencing to identify active microbial community members in a methane-driven denitrifying biofilm. Journal of Applied Microbiology 132(2): 1526-1542. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jam.15264.
• Dang QA. and Gostomski PA. (2021) Development of a feedback control system for a differential biofilter degrading toluene contaminated air. Chemosphere 275 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129822.
• De Vela RJ., Wigley K., Baronian K. and Gostomski PA. (2021) Effect of metabolic uncouplers on the performance of toluene-degrading biotrickling filter. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28(31): 41881-41895. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13708-w.
• De Vela RJL. and Gostomski P. (2020) Design and performance of a toluene-degrading differential biotrickling filter as an alternative research tool to column reactors. Journal of Environmental Engineering.