Education

2008 – 2013 Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Delft University of Technology

Work Experiences

2018 – Now Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2018 – Now Visiting Professor/Adjunct Ph.D. supervisor, Delft University of Technology

2016 – 2018 Assistant Professor, Delft University of Technology

2013 – 2016 Postdoctoral Fellow, Delft University of Technology

2013 – 2016 Part-time Researcher, Oasen Drinkwater

Dr. Gang Liu joined the Research Center for Eco- Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences as professor and Ph.D. supervisor in 2018. He was awarded National Outstanding Young Scientists Award in 2020, and was appointed as deputy director of the Key Lab for Drinking Water Science and Technology at Chinese Academy of Sciences, and deputy director of Chinese Young Water Association.

Dr. Gang Liu is currently participating as principal investigator in projects funded by Chinese organizations including the National Key R&D Program of China and the National Outstanding Young Scientists Award, and is collaborating with enterprises in China and abroad. Meanwhile, he is also working as visiting professor and adjunct Ph.D. supervisor at Delft University of Technology.

Additionally, Dr. Gang Liu is editorial board member of Engineering, Journal of Chinese Academy of Engineering; co-editor-in-chief of IWA Water Science and Technology; managing editor of IWA Blue-Green Systems; and editorial board member of Environmental Research. He has been invited as an external reviewer for Microbiological Drinking Water Quality, Canadian Ministry of Health and Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, and to visit and lecture in well-known international universities and research institutes, e.g. the University of Michigan in the United States and Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) in Switzerland.

Moreover, Dr. Gang Liu has participated in various international conferences as an academic or programme committee member, and has been invited to deliver more than 20 keynote presentations at international conferences. He has published more than 30 papers, of which over 20 papers as first/corresponding author in highly-reputed SCI journals including Engineering, Environmental Science and Technology and Water Research.

As the team leader of Green Water Processes Group, Dr. Gang Liu is interested in researches focusing on green water processes in three aspects: 1) Safety: investigating microbial ecology and biological processes in water environment, drinking water bio-stability, and biological safety in water environment etc.; 2) Green: developing new methodology and technology for water purification based on natural processes, water purification technology using natural and artificial aquifer, and water-centered, carbon-neutral complex etc.; 3) Digitalization: developing online monitoring device in water systems, digital device, and informatics platform etc.

Biological safety/pathogenic microorganisms; Water purification via natural processes/low-energy-consuming, carbon-neutral processes; monitoring and diagnosis/digitalization of operation and maintenance

1. Lihua Chen, Yujia Zhai, Ed van der Mark, Gang Liu*, Walter van der Meer, Gertjan Medema; Journal of Cleaner Production, 2021, Microbial community assembly and metabolic function in top layers of slow sand filters for drinking water production, 126342;
2. Yujia Zhai, Lihua Chen, Gang Liu*, Lan Song, Daniel Arenas-Lago, Lingchao Kong, Willie Peijnenburg, Martina G Vijver; Science of The Total Environment, 2021, Compositional and functional responses of bacterial community to titanium dioxide nanoparticles varied with soil heterogeneity and exposure duration, 144895;
3. Gang Liu, Jiuhui Qu*, Joan Rose, Gertjan Medema; Engineering, 2021, Roadmap for Managing SARS-CoV-2 and other Viruses in the Water Environment for Public Health
4. Mohaned Sousi, Gang Liu*, Sergio G Salinas-Rodriguez, Lihua Chen, Jos Dusseldorp, Peter Wessels, Jan C Schippers, Maria D Kennedy, Walter van der Meer; Water Research, 2020, Multi-parametric assessment of biological stability of drinking water produced from groundwater: Reverse osmosis vs. conventional treatment, 186, 116317;
5. Gang Liu*, Ya Zhang, Xinlei Liu, Frederik Hammes, Wen-Tso Liu, Gertjan Medema, Peter Wessels, Walter van der Meer; Environmental Science and Technology, 2020, 360-Degree Distribution of Biofilm Quantity and Community in an Operational Unchlorinated Drinking Water Distribution Pipe, 54(9), 5619-5628;
6. Lihua Chen, Fangqiong Ling, Geo Bakker, Wen-Tso Liu, Gertjan Medema, Walter van der Meer, Gang Liu*; Water Research, 2020, Assessing the transition effects in a drinking water distribution system caused by changing supply water quality: an indirect approach by characterizing suspended solids,168, 115159;
7. Mohaned Sousi, Sergio G. Salinas-Rodriguez, Gang Liu*, Jan C Schippers, Maria D Kennedy, Walter van der Meer; Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020, Measuring bacterial growth potential of ultra-low nutrient drinking water produced by reverse osmosis: Effect of sample pre-treatment and bacterial inoculum, 11, 791;
8. Jawairia Imtiaz Ahmad, Gang Liu*, Paul van der wielen, Gertjan Medema, Jan Peter van der Hoek; Environmental Research, 2020, Effects of cold recovery technology on the microbial drinking water quality in unchlorinated distribution systems, 183, 109175;
9. Yujia Zhai, Gang Liu*, Thijs Bosker, Elise Baas, Willie JGM Peijnenburg, Martina G Vijver; NanoImpact, 2019, Compositional and predicted functional dynamics of soil bacterial community in response to single pulse and repeated dosing of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, 16, 100187;
10. Yujia Zhai, Ellard R Hunting, Gang Liu*, Elise Baas, Willie JGM Peijnenburg, Martina G Vijver; Environmental research, 2019, Compositional alterations in soil bacterial communities exposed to TiO2 nanoparticles are not reflected in functional impacts, 178, 108713;
11. Mohaned Sousi, Gang Liu*, Sergio G Salinas-Rodriguez, Aleksandra Knezev, Bastiaan Blankert, Jan C Schippers, Walter van der Meer, Maria D Kennedy, Water Research, 2018, Further developing the bacterial growth potential method for ultra-pure drinking water produced by remineralization of reverse osmosis permeate, 145, 687-696;
12. Gang Liu*, Ya Zhang, Ed van der Mark, Aleksandra Magic-Knezev, Ameet Pinto, Tom van den Bogert, Wen-Tso Liu, WGJ van der Meer, Gertjan Medema, Water Research, 2018, Assessing the origin of bacteria in tap water and distribution system in an unchlorinated drinking water system by SourceTracker using microbial community fingerprints, 138, 86-96;
13. Gang Liu*, Ya Zhang, Willem Jan Knibbe, Cuijie Feng, Wen-Tso Liu, Gertjan Medema, Walter G.J. van der Meer, Water Research, 2017, Potential impacts of changing supply-water quality on drinking water distribution: A review, 116, 135-148;
14. Gang Liu*, Yu Tao, Ya Zhang, Maarten Lut, Willem Jan Knibbe, Paul van der Wielen, Wen-Tso Liu, Gertjan Medema, Walter G.J.van der Meer, Water Research, 2017, Hotspots for selected metal elements and microbes accumulation and the corresponding water quality deterioration potential in an unchlorinated drinking water distribution system, 124, 435-445;
15. Feifei Wang, Doris van Halem, Gang Liu*, Karin Lekkerkerker-Teunissen, Jan Peter van der Hoek, Chemosphere, 2017, Effect of residual H2O2 from advanced oxidation processes on subsequent biological water treatment: A laboratory batch study, 185, 637-646;
16. Gang Liu*, Fangqiong Ling, Ed J Van der Mark, Xuedong Zhang, Aleksandra Knezev, Jasper Verberk, Wen-Tso Liu, Gertjan Medema, Walter van der Meer, Hans van Dijk, Scientific Reports, 2016, Comparison of Particle-Associated Bacteria from a Drinking Water Treatment Plant and Distribution Reservoirs with Different Water Sources, 6, 20367;
17. Gang Liu*, Geo Bakker, Sheng Li, Jan HG Vreeburg, Jasper Verberk, Gertjan Medema, Wen-Tso Liu, Hans JC van Dijk, Environmental Science and Technology, 2014, Pyrosequencing reveals bacterial communities in unchlorinated drinking water distribution systems: an integral study of bulk water, suspended solids, loose deposits, and pipe wall biofilm, 48 (10), 5467-5476;
18. Gang Liu*, Maarten Lut, Jasper Verberk, Hans van Dijk; Water Research, 2013, A comparison of additional treatment processes to limit particle accumulation and microbial growth during drinking water distribution, 47 (8), 2719-2728;
19. Gang Liu*, Fangqiong Ling, Aleksandra Magic-Knezev, Wen-Tso Liu, Jasper Verberk, Hans van Dijk, Water Research, 2013, Quantification and Identification of particle associated bacteria in unchlorinated drinking water from three treatment plants by cultivation-independent methods, 47(10), 3523-3533;
20. Gang Liu*, Jasper Verberk, Hans van Dijk, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2013, Bacteriaology of drinking water distribution systems: an integral and multidemensional review, 97 (21), 9265-9276;
21. Gang Liu*, Ed van der Mark, Jasper Verberk, Hans van Dijk, Biomed Research International, 2013, Flow cytometry total cell counts: a field study assessing microbiological water quality and growth in unchlorinated drinking water distribution systems, 595872;

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Outstanding Young Scientists Award, Microbial Ecology of Drinking Water Distribution System and water safety, 52022103, 2021.01-2023.12, On-going, Principal investigator;
2. Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, National Key R&D Program of China, 2018YFE0204100，Sustainable Water Distribution System orienting towards future, 2019.08-2022.07, On-going, Principal investigator;
3. China Water Environment, The Assessment of Biosafety and Carbon Emission in Sunken Reclaimed Water Plants, 2020-2023, On-going, Principal investigator;
4. Oasen drinkwater, Microbial Ecology in Water Distribution System and Water Quality Protection, 2020-2023, On-going, Principal investigator;
5. Alliance of International Science Organizations, ANSO collaborative research, ANSO-CR-KP-2020-05, Collaborative Research on Feasible Technologies and Strategies for Safe Drinking Water in Southeast and South Asian “Belt and Road” countries, 2020.01-2022.12, On-going, Joint investigator;
6. China Top Think Tanks Key R&D Program, Chinese Academy of Engineering, 2019-GDZK-29, “Belt and Road” Provides Global More Green Public Goods, Completed, Joint investigator;
7. National Natural Science Foundation of China, International Cooperation Program, 51820105011, New Technologies and Methodologies of Chemical-free Drinking Water Purification based on River Bank Filtration, 2018-2020, On-going, Joint investigator.