MIWATCH welcomes new research student

MIWATCH are pleased to welcome Sicheng Cai to the team. Sicheng, a master student majoring in Environmental Management, will work with MIWATCH for his research project this year. He will participate in the NT mining waste characterization for the critical elements recovery project.

Sicheng was awarded two bachelor's degrees in 2021 after 4-year Sino-foreign cooperative education program, one in Agricultural Resources and Environment from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China and one in Plant Science from Dalhousie University, Canada. After that, he worked in the solid waste treatment centre of the Fujian Academy of Environmental Science (China).

During this time, Sicheng focused on Pb-Zn legacy mine remediation and rehabilitation projects. He used the multivariate factor analysis model to evaluate multi heavy metal pollution sources. Since then, Sicheng has undertaken research using bacterial indigenous to mine waste environments (including Thiobacillus thiooxidans) to bioleach Au and Cu from AMD impacted-sediments.

We look forward to seeing Sicheng apply his skills and experience to better understand the role of bacteria in sulphide-dominated mine wastes in the NT and the implications for critical metal recovery.