Mike Manefield

With the support of the Australian Research Council (ARC), Professor Manefield and his team, in collaboration with international academic and high-profile industry partners, isolated the world’s first chloroform-degrading bacteria. This pioneering work has energized the Australian bioremediation industry. The current suite of organochlorine-degrading bacteria available commercially through Micronovo Technologies, including Dehalococcoides, Desulfitobacterium, and Dehalobacter, are sourced from Australian sites.

In 2012, he was responsible for the first commercial release of organohalide-respiring bacteria in Australia. Professor Manefield has worked collaboratively with State Environmental Protection Agencies, industry, and community groups to promote the application of microbiology and microbial ecology in contaminated site clean-up, benefiting human and environmental health. He has supervised over 20 higher degree (PhD, MSc) research students to completion, ensuring a legacy of high-quality remediation research and application into the future.

Professor Manefield has secured over AUD$19 million in research funding, published over 120 research articles in high-ranking scientific journals, and delivered countless presentations around the world. Micronovo Technologies maintains its position as a world leader in cutting-edge bioremediation applications, thanks to the published discoveries of Professor Manefield and his extensive international network of academic leaders in Europe, Australasia, and the Americas.