Academic staff
Dr Meredith Barr
meredith.barr@lsbu.ac.uk
Chemical and Energy Engineering
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4671-4151
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I am a lecturer in the Division of Chemical & Energy Engineering. I joined LSBU in 2023, having previously worked at Imperial College London. I received my PhD in Chemical Engineering from Queen Mary University of London, and my first degree in Chemical-Biological Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I am passionate about sustainable materials because I believe that human and environmental health are not mutually exclusive. To survive as a species, we need to manufacture vital materials without causing irreparable damage to our environment. My research focuses on converting waste biomass to sustainable materials using a technique I call 'waste-negative parallel manufacturing': the co-production of diverse materials from complimentary fractions of biomass, with an emphasis on using more waste than is produced. Cradle-to-grave waste negativity necessitates (1) valorising waste feedstocks, (2) avoiding process waste by recycling reagents and utilising by-products, and (3) ensuring circularity of products.
My research projects include (1) manufacturing petrochemical-free structural biocomposites from sawdust with ionic liquids, (2) developing biochar wastewater filters to combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment, (3) regulating agricultural nutrient concentrations in soil using plant and animal waste biochars, (4) developing a data pipeline to automatically improve the surface accessibility of biochars using X-Ray Computed Tomography, and (5) manufacturing lignin-based photoprotective materials.
I also coordinate the Environmental Biotechnology Network Biochars for Pollution Prevention Working Group, which aims to foster knowledge exchange and pathways to impact for academics working on state-of-the-art technologies related to the use of biochar for pollution prevention and environmental remediation – particularly as applied to microorganisms. Find out more about the group's activities and how to join: https://ebnet.ac.uk/wg-details/wg-biochar/
Courses taught
Chemical and Energy Engineering - MEng (Hons)
Chemical and Energy Engineering - BEng (Hons)
Chemical and Energy Engineering (with foundation year)
Chemical Engineering - MEng (Hons)
Chemical Engineering - BEng (Hons)
Chemical Engineering (with foundation year)
Advanced Chemical Engineering - MSc
Queen Mary University of London
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| Funder | Year won | Project | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) | 2024 | Elucidating mechanisms of bacterial adsorption to biochar by 3D X-ray image analysis | Principal Investigator |
Founder and coordinator of the Biochars for Pollution Prevention Working Group (https://ebnet.ac.uk/wg-details/wg-biochar/), currently comprising over 40 members across academia, industry, policy, and the third sector.
The group aims to foster knowledge exchange and pathways to impact for academics working on state-of-the-art technologies related to the use of biochar for pollution prevention and environmental remediation – particularly as applied to microorganisms. This can be either in terms of removing, killing or preventing release of harmful microorganisms, or in terms of seeding bioremediative microorganisms for the purpose of pollutant degradation.
As coordinator, I organise all of the group's activities. Recent activities include:
- A webinar on "Biochar in Environmental Biotechnology" featuring talks from Prof Fred Coulon (Cranfield University) and Dist. Prof Andy Ball (RMIT) with over 100 attendees.
- A visit to Herriot-Watt University featuring a tour of Dr Tony Gutierrez's labs, a symposium including 4 research talks and an interactive consensus activity, and a networking reception.
Prizes, awards, and accolades
New Opportunities Fund (Jan 2022)
Imperial College London Department of Aeronautics
PI on a research grant entitled 'Biochar filtration of antiseptics from wastewater – pilot study'
Branchline I13-2: X-ray Imaging Beamtime (AP27) (Jan 2020)
Diamond Light Source
72 hours of national facilities access awarded as Co-I for proposal MG25254 entitled 'In-situ micro computed tomography of thermally decomposing biomass'
Branchline I13-2: X-ray Imaging Beamtime (AP25) (Jan 2019)
Diamond Light Source
72 hours of national facilities access awarded as Co-I for proposal MG21587 entitled 'Resolving evolution of biomass char morphology during thermochemical breakdown'
HEIF Proof of Concept Award (Jan 2024)
South Bank Innovation
PI on a research grant entitled 'AIBSA: Automated Improvement of Biochar Surface Accessibility'
Springboard Fund (Jan 2024)
LSBU Research Awards & Development
PI on a research grant entitled 'Lignocellulosic and Poultry Litter Biochars as a Two-Pronged Approach to Plant Nutrient Regulation'
University College London: Zeiss Versa 620 Beamtime (Jul 2024)
National X-ray Computed Tomography
3 days of national facilities access awarded as PI for proposal NXCT-1072 entitled 'AIBSA: Automated Improvement of Biochar Surface Accessibility'
Reach and Impact
SciStudio Animation (won in a science communication competition): When it comes to using biochar for environmental applications, morphology matters (Mar 2021)
Diamond Light Source Annual Review 2020/21: Tracking the shape of nutshells during biochar production (Jun 2021)
Jun 2022
Gave an invited talk entitled 'Ionic liquid processing of wood powder into additive-free wood composites' as the ECR speaker at Arthur Ragauskas's RSC Environment Prize Lecture hosted by the Imperial College London Department of Chemistry.
Sep 2022
Wrote copy for a Written Question to Government Tabled by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (UIN HL2326) on 26 September 2022: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-09-26/hl2326
Producing cellulose-reinforced biocomposite films from biomass using ionic liquids
Barr, M. and Lee, K.-Y. (2022). Producing cellulose-reinforced biocomposite films from biomass using ionic liquids. XII Iberoamerican Congress on Pulp and Paper Research. Girona, Spain 28 Jun - 01 Jul 2022 University of Girona. https://doi.org//10256/21215
Biochar-based wastewater treatment to combat antimicrobial resistance
Fady, P.-E., Richardson, A. K., Barron, L. P., Mason, A. J., Volpe, R. and Barr, M. R. (2022). Biochar-based wastewater treatment to combat antimicrobial resistance. XII Iberoamerican Congress on Pulp and Paper Research. Girona, Spain 28 Jun - 01 Jul 2022 https://doi.org/10256/21215
Alkaline pretreatment of walnut shells increases pore surface hydrophilicity of derived biochars
Barr, M. R., Forster, L., D’Agostino, C. and Volpe, R. (2022). Alkaline pretreatment of walnut shells increases pore surface hydrophilicity of derived biochars. Applied Surface Science. 571, p. 151253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.151253
Liquid biofuels from food crops in transportation – A balance sheet of outcomes
Barr, M. R., Volpe, R. and Kandiyoti, R. (2021). Liquid biofuels from food crops in transportation – A balance sheet of outcomes. Chemical Engineering Science: X. 10, p. 100090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesx.2021.100090
Identifying Synergistic Effects between Biomass Components during Pyrolysis and Pointers Concerning Experiment Design
Barr, M. R., Volpe, R. and Kandiyoti, R. (2021). Identifying Synergistic Effects between Biomass Components during Pyrolysis and Pointers Concerning Experiment Design. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 9 (16), p. 5603–5612. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c00051
Towards a mechanistic understanding of particle shrinkage during biomass pyrolysis via synchrotron X-ray microtomography and in-situ radiography
Barr, M. R., Jervis, R., Zhang, Y., Bodey, A. J., Rau, C., Shearing, P. R., Brett, D. J. L., Titirici, M.-M. and Volpe, R. (2021). Towards a mechanistic understanding of particle shrinkage during biomass pyrolysis via synchrotron X-ray microtomography and in-situ radiography. Scientific Reports. 11, p. 2656. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80228-x
On the suitability of thermogravimetric balances for the study of biomass pyrolysis
Barr, M., Volpe, M., Messineo, A. and Volpe, R. (2020). On the suitability of thermogravimetric balances for the study of biomass pyrolysis. Fuel. 276, p. 118069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.118069
Reactivity of cellulose during hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass.
Volpe, M., Messineo, A., Makela, M., Barr, M. R., Volpe, R., Corrado, C. and Fiori, L. (2020). Reactivity of cellulose during hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass. Fuel Processing Technology. 206, p. 106456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2020.106456
Characterization of aggregate behaviors of torrefied biomass as a function of reaction severity
Barr, M., Kung, K. S., Thengane, S. K., Mohan, V., Sweeney, D. and Ghoniem, A. F. (2020). Characterization of aggregate behaviors of torrefied biomass as a function of reaction severity. Fuel. 266, p. 117152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117152
X-Ray Image Analysis Code
Barr, M. R. (2020). X-Ray Image Analysis Code. OpenAIRE. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3742013
Towards resolving mechanisms of particle shrinking during biomass pyrolysis via micro-computed tomography and in-situ radiography
Barr, M. R., Zhang Y., Jervis R., Bodey A., Rau C. and Volpe R. (2019). Towards resolving mechanisms of particle shrinking during biomass pyrolysis via micro-computed tomography and in-situ radiography. Centre of Advanced Materials for Integrated Energy Systems Workshop: Multi-Modal Characterisation of Energy Materials . Cambridge, UK 06 Nov 2019
Study of char morphology during biomass pyrolysis and gasification via micro-computed tomography
Barr, M. R., Zhang, Y., Jervis, R. and Volpe, R. (2019). Study of char morphology during biomass pyrolysis and gasification via micro-computed tomography. American Chemical Society Fall 2019 National Meeting & Exposition. San Diego, CA, USA 25 - 29 Aug 2019
Influence of Reactor Design on Product Distributions from Biomass Pyrolysis
Barr, M., Volpe, R. and Kandiyoti, R. (2019). Influence of Reactor Design on Product Distributions from Biomass Pyrolysis. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 7 (16), p. 13734–13745. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b01368
A Simple Standardization Method for the Biodiesel Cold Soak Filtration Apparatus
Haas, M. J., Barr, M. R., Phillips, J. and Wagner, K. M. (2015). A Simple Standardization Method for the Biodiesel Cold Soak Filtration Apparatus. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 92 (9), pp. 1357-1363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-015-2695-3
Ionic Liquid Processing of Residual Wood Powder into Additive-Free Wood Composites
Barr, M.R. and Lee, K.Y. (2024). Ionic Liquid Processing of Residual Wood Powder into Additive-Free Wood Composites. Waste and Biomass Valorization. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-024-02586-1