Dr Omid Mazaheri
Post doctoral researcher - Theme 1
As part of Theme 1, Omid’s current research is focused on developing controlled-release fertilisers that will minimise the rapid loss of nutrients into water systems when applied in agricultural settings. Due to the growing global population, nitrogen-based fertilisers, such as urea, are in high demand due to their ability to increase soil fertility, crop yields, and ensure an adequate food supply. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of urea supplements is substandard. This leads to negative environmental impacts including ammonia volatilisation, nitrification, and nitrate leaching and runoff. These problems contribute to ecological and environmental issues such as water pollution, climate change, eutrophication, ozone depletion, and public health problems. Using fundamental and applied research approaches, Omid aims to analyse sustainable materials to determine their use as urea coatings to mitigate the negative environmental effects of urea fertilisers. To achieve this, he is working closely with industry partners to develop technical strategies for producing smart fertilisers on a large scale with high reproducibility and flexibility.
Omid’s research background is multi-disciplinary in range, including chemistry, agricultural science, and material science. He has worked on numerous projects developing small organic molecules, supramolecules, advanced coatings, nanocatalysts, tissue engineering, and CO2 capture. Omid completed his PhD in the School of Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne, under the supervision of A/Prof. Helen Suter, Prof. Kathryn Mumford, and Prof. Deli Chen. His PhD aimed to develop novel biocompatible coating technologies for the fabrication of large-scale controlled-release fertilisers. He is currently working on the engineering of advanced coatings for controlled-release fertilisers under the supervision of Prof. Frank Caruso in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Melbourne.