Prof.T. Zhong

Chair Professor (Environmental Engineering)
Ir Professor Tong ZHANG

BSc, Nanjing University, China
MPhil, Nanjing University, China
PhD, The University of Hong Kong, China

 

 

Office: HW 6-31
Phone: +852 3917 8551
Fax: +852 2559 5337
E-mail: zhangt@hku.hk
Homepage: https://smile.hku.hk/

 

Teaching Activities
  • CCCH9036 Environmental Pollution in China
  • CIME2101 Water and Air Quality: Concepts and Measurements
  • CIVL3107 Environmental Impact Assessment of Civil Engineering Projects
  • CIVL6006 Advanced Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • CIVL6023 Environmental Chemistry
  • CIVL6025 Environmental Impact Assessment of Engineering Projects
  • ENVM7014 Environmental Quality Management

 

Research Interests
  • Wastewater engineering and biological treatment
  • Anaerobic digestion
  • Environmental microbiology and biotechnology
  • Environmental bioinformatics
  • Environmental toxicology related to wastewater treatment

 

Representative Research / Consultancy Projects
    GRF (General Research Fund)
  • Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms in enhanced biological phosphorus removal process: new insights from metagenomics and metatranscriptomics approaches. 2016-2018. 172057/15E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$695,788. (ongoing)
  • Exploring core keystone populations in activated sludge using network analysis based on next generation sequencing. 2015-2017. 172099/14E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 500, 000. (ongoing)
  • Exploring biodegradation pathway and associated genes for emerging pollutants using high-resolution LC-QToF-MS and high-throughput sequencing. 2013-2015. 7190/12E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 700,000. (ongoing)
  • Fates of antibiotics resistant bacteria and genes in sewage treatment plants. 2012-2014. 7201/11E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 1,095,720. (Completed)
  • Removal mechanisms of personal care products in activated sludge and anaerobic digestion processes. 2011-2013. 7198/10E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$1,028, 213. (Completed)
  • Biodegradation/biotransformation and adsorption of antibiotics in sewage and sludge treatment processes. 2010-2012. 7202/09E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 1,111,200. (Completed)
  • Partial nitrification from ammonia to nitrite by enriched ammonia-oxidizing Archaea in sewage. 2009-2011. 7197/08E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 861,203. (Completed)
  • Microbial diversity and characteristics of activated sludge treating Hong Kong's saline sewage. 2007-2009. HKU 7195/06E. Supported by Hong Kong GRF (RGC). HK$ 864,300. (Completed)
    • ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund)
  • The study of anaerobic biohydrogen production technology from cellulose-containing biomass material and application. 2013-2015. GHP/015/11SZ. Supported by ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund). HK$ 880,720. (ongoing)
  • Develop diagnostic platform for important microbial groups in biological municipal wastewater treatment using next generation sequencing. 2013-2015. ITS/304/12. Supported by ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund). HK$ 959,900. (Completed)
    • ECF (Environment and Conservation Fund)
  • Exploring microbial diversity and antibiotic resistant genes of Hong Kong marine sediment using advanced molecular techniques. 2014-2015. ECF Project 30/2012. Supported by ECF (Environment and Conservation Fund). HK$ 494,760. (Completed)
  • Quantification of antibiotic residues and microbial antibiotic-resistant genes in fishponds and marine culture zones of Hong Kong. 2010-2011. ECF Project 35/2009. Supported by ECF (Environment and Conservation Fund). HK$ 499, 880. (Completed)

 

10 Selected Representative Publications
  • Xu, X., Deng, Y., Ding, J, Tang QL, Lin YQ, Zheng XW, and Zhang, T*. 2024. High-resolution and real-time wastewater viral surveillance by Nanopore sequencing. Water Research. 244, 120444.
  • Yang Y, Deng Y, Shi X, Liu L, Yin X, Zhao W, Li S, Yang C*, Zhang T*. 2023. QMRA of beach water by Nanopore sequencing-based viability-metagenomics absolute quantification. Water Research. 235, 119858.
  • Zheng X, Zhao K, Xu X, Deng Y, Leung K, Wu JT, Leung GM, Peiris M, Poon LLM, Zhang T*. 2023. Development and application of influenza virus wastewater surveillance in Hong Kong. Water Research. 120594.
  • Yin X, Zheng X, Li L, Zhang A, Jiang X, Zhang T*. 2022. ARGs-OAP v3.0: Antibiotic-Resistance Gene database curation and analysis pipeline optimization. Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2022.10.011.
  • Wang C, Yang Y, Wang Y, Wang D, Xu X, Wang Y, Li L, Yang C, Zhang T*. 2022. Absolute quantification and genome-centric analyses elucidate the dynamics of microbial populations in anaerobic digesters. Water Research. 224, 119049.
  • Deng Y, Zheng X, Xu X, Chui HK, Lai WK, Li S, Tun HM, Poon LL, Ding J, Peiris M, Leung GM*, Zhang T*. 2022. Use of sewage surveillance for COVID-19: a large-scale evidence-based program in Hong Kong. Environmental Health Perspectives. 130(5), 057008.
  • Zhang AN, Gaston JM, Dai CZL, Zhao SJ, Poyet M, Groussin M, Yin XL, Li LG, van Loosdrecht M, Topp E, Gilling M, Hanage WP, Tiedje JM, Katya M, Eric JA, Zhang T*. 2021. An omics-based framework for assessing the health risk of antimicrobial resistance genes. Nature Communications. 12, 4765. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25096-3.
  • Che Y, Yang Y, Xu XQ, BÅ™inda K, Polz MF, Hanage WP, Zhang T*. 2021. Conjugative plasmids interact with insertion sequences to shape the horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118(6) e2008731118;
  • Wang YL, Jiang XT, Liu L, Li B, Zhang T*. 2018. High-resolution temporal and spatial patterns of virome in wastewater treatment systems. Environmental Science & Technology. 52(18), 10337-10346.
  • Li LG, Yin XL, Zhang T*. 2018. Tracking antibiotic resistance gene pollution from different sources using machine-learning classification. Microbiome 6, 93.

 

For more information of Professor T. Zhang, please visit https://smile.hku.hk/ and HKU Scholars Hub.