Wei Zhang

Wei Zhang has been involved in the seaweed R&D and industry development for over 15 years, starting out with the advanced clean biorefinery processing of red algae for the production of multiple products with minimal wastes. He then extended this to advanced clean processing technology for a range of other seaweed species used in the production of high-value and high quality polysaccharides such as alginates, carrageenans, fucoidans and laminarins. These technologies can result in significant savings of energy, water and chemical uses, therefore making it a clean and sustainable process. He has established a significant collaboration with the second largest seaweed processor from China, and several local companies, with a research and development program worth over $10m. He is interested in doing R&D in seaweed biorefinery and novel products development that can support the growth of an advanced seaweed manufacturing industry in South Australia. Wei also has a significant network of science, government and industry internationally in marine biotechnology as the President of Australia-New Zealand Marine Biotechnology Society.

Publications

Harnessing Marine Macroalgae for Industrial Purposes in an Australian Context: Emerging Research and Opportunities
Harnessing Marine Macroalgae for Industrial Purposes in an Australian Context: Emerging Research and Opportunities
Göran Roos, Anthony Cheshire, Sasi Nayar, Steven M. Clarke, Wei Zhang. © 2019. 291 pages.
In today’s environmental and economic climate, it is important for businesses to drive development towards sustainable and zero-waste industries, responsibly leveraging renewable...
Macroalgal Value Chain: Value-Added Products
Macroalgal Value Chain: Value-Added Products
Sasi Nayar, Wei Zhang, Göran Roos. © 2019. 88 pages.
The economic potentional for the algae industry is seemingly limitless. The range of products that are obtained from macroalgae and that we use in our daily lives suggests that...