Dr Ryo Sekine is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at UniSC Moreton Bay, a physical chemist and an environmental spectroscopist. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Monash University (2012) and has broad interests in the application of analytical and spectroscopic methods to investigate and address environmental challenges.
Prior to commencing at UniSC, Dr Sekine was a Research Fellow at Griffith University where he examined the geochemistry of vanadium in the marine environment using chemical and spectroscopic (XAS) methods. He also developed expertise in physical, chemical, analytical and toxicological aspects of environmental nanoscience in Australia (Research Associate, UniSA) and in the United Kingdom (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, NERC-CEH, now UKCEH), and he maintains valuable networks in both areas of research.
More recently, he has expanded his interests into understanding the impact of climate change on soil nutrients and chemistry through collaborations with colleagues in the UK and Germany.
Dr Sekine has strong interests in the application of synchrotron-based infrared and X-ray techniques in the areas of nanoscience, soil science and geochemistry. He has a unique combination of experiences that span multiple spectroscopic regimes, and his goals are to utilise these strengths to develop an advanced spectroscopy program, including synchrotron-based methods, that becomes a focal point for analytical solutions to the university and the region’s environmental and industrial challenges.
Professional Memberships
- Member, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, 2008 – current
- Member, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016 – current
- Member, Australian Soil Science Society Inc., 2012 – current
Awards/Fellowships
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship, 2015-201
- Best Presentation by an Early Career Researcher, ICOBTE Zurich, 2017
- Australian Nanotechnology Network Overseas Travel Award, 2014
- >20 synchrotron-based experiments, >$1m in estimated value, 2012-2019
Professional Social Media
Research Grants
| Project Name | Investigators | Funding body / $ | Years | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Applications of advanced spectroscopic methods towards unravelling the micro and nanoscale chemistry during enhanced weathering |
Dr R Sekine (Lead), Dr B Sarkar (CI, Lancaster), Prof DJ Beerling (CI, Sheffield) |
Royal Society of Chemistry, £5,000 ≈ A$9,200 |
2019-2020 |
Enhanced weathering (EW) is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy where soils of managed croplands are amended with crushed fast-reacting silicate rocks. There are several nanoscale mechanisms that are hypothesized to facilitate CDR ad stabilise carbon. This project investigates these mechanisms during EW with a combination of advanced spectroscopic methods. |
|
Nanomaterial surface interactions at the molecular level and their impact on ecotoxicity |
Dr R Sekine |
European Commission, €183,455 ≈ A$296,800 |
2015-2018 |
As a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, I investigated the molecular interactions occurring at the surface of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in environmental matrices. In addition to a spectroscopic method, a multimodal imaging method was developed multiple partners in the UK. |
Potential Research Projects for HDR & Honours Students
|
Chemistry of enhanced weathering |
|
Soils and climate change |
|
Vanadium geochemistry in the marine environment |
|
Environmental nanoscience |
Research areas
- chemistry
- spectroscopy (Synchrotron-based; Vibrational; Electronic)
- environmental nanoscience
- soil chemistry
- trace element geochemistry
Teaching areas
- SCI105 Chemistry
Research Publications
|
Sekine, R., Moore, K.L., Matzke, M., Vallotton, P., Kirby, J.P., Donner, E., Grovenor, C.R.M., Svendsen, C., Lombi, E. 2017. “Bio-Nano Interactions of Silver Nanoparticles with Green Algae Raphidocelis subcapitata: A Complementary Instrumental Approach using Dark-field Microscopy, Electron Microscopy and Nanoscale Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry”. ACS Nano, 11 (11), 10894–10902. |
| Sekine, R., Marzouk, E., Khaksar, M., Scheckel, K.G., Stegemeier, J.P., Lowry, G.V., Donner E., Lombi, E. 2017. “Ageing of dissolved copper and copper-based nanoparticles in five different soils: short term kinetics vs long term fate” Journal of Environmental Quality, 46 (6), 1198-1205. |
| Chekli, L., Bayatsarmadi, B., Sekine, R., Maoz Shen, A., Scheckel, K.G., Skinner, W., Naidu, R., Shon, H.K., Donner, E., Lombi, E. 2016. “Analytical characterisation of nanoscale zero-valent iron: An illustrated methodological review”, Analytica Chimica Acta, 903, 13-35. |
| Lipiec, E., Sekine, R., Bielecki, J., Kwiatek W.M., Wood, B.R. 2014. “Molecular characterization of DNA double strand breaks using Tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 53 (1), 169-172. |
Dr Ryo Sekine's specialist areas of knowledge include chemical, physical, analytical and toxicological aspects of environmental nanoscience, and the application of advanced micro/spectroscopic methods including synchrotron-based techniques (X-ray, Infrared, Raman) to investigate environmental, soil and geochemical challenges.