Abstract:
A sustainable global economy necessitates the hyper-efficient utilization of limited resources (water, food, and energy), while minimizing environmental footprints. Dr. Tong’s research program advances the frontiers of sustainable chemistry and bioresource engineering by integrating novel self-assembly methodologies, fundamental reaction mechanistic exploration, and transformative artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks. Her research focuses on resolving the interconnected systems in the FEW nexuses through 1) developing advanced sensors/devices for in-line, highly accurate, and abundant data collection for water reclaiming, food quality surveillance, and nutrient tracing. 2) integrating unified physics-machine learning (ML) hybrid models for prediction; 3) applying efficient RL algorithms to train optimal policies for system control and operations for sustainable processes. By bridging molecular-level discovery with system-level optimization, these technologies provide scalable solutions to enhance the circular bioeconomy and ensure long-term resource resilience.