Biography and expertise
Biography
Dr Lachlan Yee focuses on utilising the sustainable technology of polymer science and applies this to the challenges of the soil and marine environments with emphasis on reducing waste and remediating pollution. His research strengths include the areas of: antibacterial catalysts delivered to the surface of polyvinyl chloride thin-film polymers, biodegradable polymer applications such as chitin, chitosan, polyhydroxyalkanoates, alginate and carrageenan in soil and marine environments, plastic waste recycling into concrete manufacturing. Recently he is utilising Hermetia illucens to convert organic waste into valuable products including insect protein and chitosan. Additionally, he loves teaching chemistry and waste as a resource.
Dr Yee is a member of SCU's Research Clusters:
- ZeroWaste
Dr Yee's work contributes to the followingUN Sustainable Development Goals
Research
- Antibacterial catalysts delivered to the surface of polyvinyl chloride thin-film polymers
- Applications, utilization and product development from black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)
- Biodegradable polymer applications such as chitin, chitosan, polyhydroxyalkanoates, alginate and carrageenan in soil and marine environments
- Plastic waste recycling at small scale and upcycling into products supporting a circular economy.
Supervision
Dr Yee supervises, as both principal and co-supervisor, PhD students, Masters, Honours and research students.
PhD, Masters and honours applicants can choose from the following areas:
- Organic food waste reduction with black soldier flies to upcycle nutrients into a biodegradable polymer
- Biodegradable polymer characterization on chitin and chitosan as well as applications in the marine environment, such as biodegradable fishing lures
- Antibacterial through nitric oxide delivery of polymers both in environmental and human implants
- Recycling polymers as a waste resource to replace aggregate and sand in concrete manufacturing to create lighter weight building materials.