STAFF PROFILE
Dr Babu Iyer
Position:
Technical Officer
College / Portfolio:
College of Science, Engineering and Health
School / Department:
Office of the PVC SEH
Phone:
+61 3 9925 0180
Email:
babu.iyer@rmit.edu.au
Campus:
Melbourne City campus
Dr Babu Iyer is a Technical officer within the College, providing technical support for the teaching and research activities in environmental and chemical engineering areas.
He has specific technical support skills in the wastewater/biosolids remediation and alternative fuels research laboratory and in the contaminated water and soil remediation laboratory.
His role is to:
- oversee the development and maintenance of the college laboratory facilities and equipment to high standards
- provide Expert technical advice and assistance to the staff and students of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering discipline within the School of Engineering
- manage the environmental engineering laboratory facilities and equipment (wastewater treatment, soil and water remediation)
- deliver practical laboratory sessions, supporting laboratory and field based projects in the environmental engineering area
- ensure the laboratory facilities, projects, students and the researchers fulfilled the health and safety requirements
- Providing Technical support to UG and PG laboratory and field based projects in the area of water and wastewater remediation, contaminated soil remediation and sludge rheology investigations
- Organising pollution control lab (OENG1036)
- Organising hydraulics lab (CIVE1181)
- Providing training on the laboratory equipment, lab safety and biosafety
- Coordinating on the development of new laboratory facility and procurement of new equipment as required
- Managing laboratory and equipment in the wastewater/biosolids and the soil remediation labs (key equipment profiled below)
- PC2 facility for wastewater, sludge and bio solids handling
- Safemate Vision Class II biosafety cabinets,
- LabSystems ducted fume hoods
- Convective wastes drying ovens
- Armfield W8 anaerobic digester
- Bluesens dynamic biogas anlaysers
- VELP OV5 hand-held homogenising mixer
- Dionex ASE350 accelerated solvent extractor
- LABCONCO Centrivap LBCP 7970037 heated vacuum centrifugal evaporator
- Parr 5500 High temperature high pressure compact reactor,
- Refrigerated shaking incubators
- Oxitop IS12 respirometric BOD measurement system
- Eppendorf 5810 high-speed mini centrifuge
- HACH DR6000/DRB200 spectrophotometric water quality analyser
- HACH HQ40D field water quality multi-parameter analysers (pH, DO, EC, Fluoride probes)
- Conviron Adaptis A1000 programmable environmental growth chambers
- Seal Analytical BD50 programmable heat/acid digestion block
- Spectrum Lightscout portable PAR light sensor reader
- HACH Sigma SD900 field auto samplers for environmental water sampling
- Unidata Starflow 6526 ultrasonic doppler water flow meters
- Infiltrometer for water infiltration measurement in soils
- Glass columns for water remediation trials
- Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical Engineering), The University of Queensland, Australia (2003)
- Master of Technology (Biotechnology), Anna University, India (1995)
- Bachelor of Technology (Chemical Engineering), Anna University, India (1993)
- 2011-2013 Environmental Engineer, Soil and Groundwater Consulting Pty Ltd., Adelaide, SA. Investigation of Site contaminations, Implementation of remediation projects on site, Treatment plant monitoring and maintenance, Preparation of plant performance reports, Conducting laboratory R&D and remediation field trials
- 2010-2011 Process Engineer, Sustainable Solutions International Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Qld. Storm water treatment system plant design, development of control philosophy for plant operation, incorporation of plant safety measures through risk analysis and Hazop studies, Conducting site audits and preparation of plant performance reports.
- 2004-2010 Bioprocess Engineer, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide, SA. Demonstration of sustainability path for primary industries in SA using piggery as a model and converting organic waste to biomass. Establishment of research scale anaerobic digesters, plankton production facility and laboratory.
- 2000-2003 Research Assistant, Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld.
- 1999-2003 Phd (Bioaugmentation In Remediation of Aquaculture wastewater), Dept of Chemical engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld
- 1996-1998 Scientist, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Research Centre Ltd., Ahmedabad, India. Commercial Production of Penicillin G from Penicillium chrysogenum; Pilot production of Cytokine γ - Interferon from Recombinant Escherichia coli
- Practical evaluation of cleaning methods that could be implemented in livestock buildings – T Banhazi, T and Iyer Santhanam, B. (2013) Book chapter in Livestock housing, 'Modern management to ensure optimal health and welfare of farm animals'. Ed Andres Aland and Thomas Banhazi, Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands
- Skillman, L.C., Bajsa, O., Ho, L., Iyer Santhanam, B., Kumar, M., Ho, G. (2009) Influence of high gas production during thermophilic anaerobic digestion in pilot-scale and lab-scale reactors on survival of the thermo tolerant pathogens Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni in piggery wastewater. Water Research, 43, 3281-3291