Minglu Zhang | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Research Awards

Prof. Dr. Minglu Zhang | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Beijing University of Technology and Business | China

Dr. Minglu Zhang is currently a professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Beijing Technology and Business University, having previously served as associate professor (2015–2019) and lecturer (2012–2015) in the same discipline. After completing a postdoctoral appointment in the School of Environment at Tsinghua University (2010–2012) and earlier research experience at the University of California, Irvine (2008–2010), he has built a distinguished career in environmental microbiology and water systems research. His primary research interests encompass microbial ecology and molecular microbiology in water and solid waste systems, with a special focus on antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in drinking water systems. Dr. Zhang has led and contributed to several major national research projects. For example, he is the principal investigator on the “Typing and Traceability System for VBNC State Pathogens of Major Digestive Tract at Ports” (2022–2025, National Key R&D Program), as well as on the “Technology and Equipment Development for Monitoring, Early Warning and Purification of Malodorous Gas Emissions under Classified Collection of Domestic Waste” (2020–2024, National Key R&D Program). Earlier, he also led work on the distribution and migration of antibiotic resistance genes at multi-phase interfaces in drinking water distribution systems (2015–2017, National Natural Science Foundation of China). To date, Dr. Zhang has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications. According to his ResearchGate profile, his publication count is 79, with more than 1,300 citations. His academic impact is further reflected by his h-index, which is listed as 5 on the SciSpace author profile. Among his representative works are: “Metagenomics analysis of antibiotic resistance genes, bacterial community and virulence factor genes of fouled filters and effluents from household water purifiers in drinking water” (Science of the Total Environment, 2023); “Global transcriptional analysis for molecular responses of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores in drinking water after low- and medium-pressure UV irradiation” (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024); and “Highly efficient degradation of ethanol, acetaldehyde, and ethyl acetate removal by bio-trickling filter reactors” (Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2024). These works illustrate how he combines high-throughput molecular methods (e.g. metagenomics, transcriptional profiling) with applied engineering systems (e.g. drinking water treatment, gas emission purification) to address critical environmental microbiology challenges. Over the course of his career, Dr. Zhang has established himself as a leading scholar at the intersection of environmental engineering and microbial molecular ecology. His work not only advances fundamental understanding of microbial community dynamics and resistance gene behavior in engineered systems, but also yields practical solutions for water quality protection, public health, and waste management. His contributions are broadly recognized in China’s environmental research community and are increasingly cited in the international literature.

Profiles: Orcid

Featured Publications

Zhang, M., et al. (2025). Adsorption and desorption characteristics of nano-metal-modified zeolite for removal of oxygenated volatile organic compounds. Coatings, 15(10), 1206. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15101206

Jiang, J., Zhang, Y., Cui, R., Ren, L., Zhang, M., & Wang, Y. (2023). Effects of two different proportions of microbial formulations on microbial communities in kitchen waste composting. Microorganisms, 11(10), 2605. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102605

Wang, Y., Cui, R., Jiang, H., Bai, M., Zhang, M., & Ren, L. (2022). Removal of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia using a biotrickling filter packed with modified composite filler. Processes, 10(10), 2016. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10102016

Xu, S., Zhang, L., Lin, K., Bai, M., Wang, Y., Xu, M., Zhang, M., Zhang, C., Shi, Y., & Zhou, H. (2021). Effects of light and water disturbance on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and the release of algal toxins. Water Environment Research, 93, 2958–2970. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.1644

Naseraldeen Asadalla | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

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Naseraldeen Asadalla | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research | Kuwait

Dr. Naseraldeen Asadalla’s research has focused on arid land ecology, invasive alien species, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity assessment in the Arabian Peninsula and the GCC region. He has developed specialized expertise in species distribution modeling (MaxEnt), remote sensing, ecological indicators, and machine learning-based environmental data analysis. His Ph.D. research examined the dynamics of alien bird species, particularly the Common Myna in Bahrain, providing foundational insights into biodiversity trends in urban ecosystems. Building on this work, his recent research has concentrated on ecological modeling of plant and animal species in desert environments, with a focus on the influence of abiotic factors such as precipitation and dust storms on species distribution and habitat suitability. Dr. Asadalla has authored and co-authored over 12 peer-reviewed scientific publications in reputable journals including Restoration Ecology, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, and the Journal of Arid Environments. His work has received over 185 citations (as of September 2025) and he holds an h-index of 7 (Scopus). His research has directly contributed to regional conservation strategies, such as the identification of green water zones using annual plants as ecological indicators and the development of habitat suitability models for native desert flora and vulnerable species like the Asian Houbara Bustard. In addition to his academic contributions, he is an active member of multi-disciplinary research teams at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), playing a key role in nationally funded projects and the formulation of regional environmental policies. Dr. Asadalla continues to pursue applied ecological research by integrating remote sensing tools with conservation science to address environmental challenges associated with climate change, species displacement, and urban expansion across the Arabian Peninsula.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications  

Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M., Gharabi, Y., Mohan, M., Al Naabi, S., Al Ali, Z., Al Hashash, N., Srinivasan, S., Al Awadhi, T., & Abulibdeh, A. (2024). Predictive modeling of green water availability: The role of annual plants as an ecological indicator in dryland ecosystems. Journal of Arid Environments, 223, 105179.

Asadalla, N. B. A., & Marafi, M. (2023). Overlooked Colotis phisadia (Godart, 1819) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) – A new record for the butterfly fauna of Kuwait with remarks on host plant. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, 159(1), 66–72.

Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M. M., Gharabi, Y., Mohan, M., Al Naabi, S., Srinivasan, S., & Al Awadhi, T. (2022). The use of annual plants as ecological indicators to identify locations with high levels of green water in arid ecosystems using remote sensing and MaxEnt modeling. SSRN Electronic Journal.

Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M. M., Al-Ali, Z. M., & Abdullah, M. T. (2021). Vegetation restoration targeting approach to identify the optimum environmental conditions for the restoration of native desert plants using remote sensing and MaxEnt modeling. Restoration Ecology, 29(6), e13425.

Al-Ali, Z., Abdullah, M., Asadalla, N. B. A., & Gholoum, M. (2020). A comparative study of remote sensing classification methods for monitoring and assessing desert vegetation using a UAV-based multispectral sensor. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, Article 370.

Abdullah, M. M., Assi, A. T., & Asadalla, N. B. A. (2019). Integrated ecosystem sustainability approach: Toward a holistic system of thinking of managing arid ecosystems. Open Journal of Ecology, 9(11), 493–508.

Asadalla, N. B. A., Abido, M. S., Abahussain, A., & Shobrak, M. (2015). Assembly of optimum habitats for Asian Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) in the Arabian Peninsula: The vegetation aspects. International Journal of Biodiversity, 2015, Article 925093.