Tong Liu

I’m a researcher at SLU working at the crossroads of microbial ecology, environmental biotechnology, and climate-smart solutions. My work reveals how microbial communities adapt, interact, and transform their environments—from peat bogs and rice fields to biogas reactors and contaminated sediments. Through international collaborations and multidisciplinary approaches, I aim to connect fundamental microbiology with real-world impact.

My research dives into the invisible microbial world that powers major environmental processes. I focus on three main fronts:

• Bioenergy & Biorefinery: Enhancing anaerobic digestion by unraveling how microbes break down complex plant materials into methane.
• Ecosystem Functioning: Understanding microbial control of methane emissions and carbon cycling in wetlands, rice paddies, and peatlands.
• Pollution and Remediation: Exploring how microbes respond to legacy contaminants like mercury and fiberbank deposits, and how they can help clean up.

I use advanced meta-omics, isotope tracing, and AI-powered analytics to uncover patterns, functions, and potential applications of microbial communities.

Microbes are sensitive sentinels of environmental change. I use them as bioindicators and bioengineers to study and improve environmental quality. My work supports restoration of disturbed ecosystems, evaluates microbial risks in contaminated sites, and provides insight into microbial resilience under stress.

My teaching spans undergraduate lab courses, guest lectures, and course planning across Sweden and abroad.

Courses taught or contributed to:

• Molecular and Microbial Ecology (BI1438) – Course planning and technical advisor, SLU (2023–2024)
• Biology of Microorganisms (BI1337) – Guest lecturer (2 x 45 min lectures), SLU (2020–2022)
• Module in Microbiology (BI0856) – Lab teacher, SLU (2014–2019)
• Microbiology (BI1031) – Lab teacher, SLU (2014–2019)
• Anaerobic Digestion Innovation (10020734) – Guest lecturer (4 x 45 min lectures), College of Engineering, China Agricultural University (2020–2022)

• PhD in Microbiology, SLU, 2019
• MSc in Environmental Microbiology, SLU, 2014
• BSc in Biological Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, 2009

• 2025 - Current: Researcher at Dept. of Molecular Sciences, SLU, Sweden (permanent position).
• 2024 - 2025: Researcher at Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, SLU, Sweden (permanent position).
• 2021 - 2023: Postdoc at Dept. Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, Sweden
• 2019 - 2021: Postdoc at Dept. Molecular Sciences, SLU, Sweden

2019 - Current, Postdoc and researcher period, co-supervised:

• Master students: Helena Andersson, Nina Clausen, Klara Yngve, Noe Sol, Maja Bajic.
• PhD student: Ebba Perman, Jaboc Smeds, Aswin Thirunavukkarasu, Zehui Kong, Charlotta Hagström, Muhammad Adnan Aslam.
• Postdoc: Ineta Kacergyté,
• Guest PhD student: Xiaoxiao Li
• Guest Postdoc: Magalí Martí Generó

2014 - 2019, PhD period, co-supervised:

• Master students: Caroline Sjöberg, Luka Šafarič, Karin Ahlberg-Eliasson, Nitiya Thongbunrod
• Guest Postdoc: Sepehr Shakeri Yekta

• Invited keynote speaker of Watershed Water Environment Protection Technology Conference 2025 (WWEPTC), [8th of Feb, Wuhan, China]
• Selected speaker of Swedish Wetland Biogeochemistry Workshop 2023 (SWBW2023) [Vindeln, Sverige, 17-18 May]
• Selected speaker of 18th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME18) [Lausanne, Switzerland, 14 – 19/08/2022]
• Selected speaker of Biogas-science 2018 [Torino, Italy, 16 – 18/09/2018]
• Selected speaker of the 15th IWA World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion [Beijing, China, 17 – 21/10/2017]
• Selected speaker of ATBEST Conference [Linköping, Sweden, 07/09/2016 – 08/09/2016]
• Selected speaker of 2nd International Conference on Biogas Microbiology (ICBM2) [Uppsala, Sweden, 10 – 12/06/2014]
• From 2020 to 2022, member of Biogas Solution Research Center (BSRC), Sweden

• 2025, National Science Center, Poland (NCN)

Bioresource Technology (ISSN 0960-8524); Communications Biology (ISSN 2399-3642); Materials (ISSN 1996-1944); Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607); Processes (ISSN 2227-9717); Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220); Microbial Ecology (ISSN 0095-3628); Freshwater Biology (ISSN 1365-2427); Energy Conversion and Management (ISSN 0196-8904); Water (ISSN 2073-4441); Scientific Reports (ISSN 2045-2322); International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (ISSN 0360-3199)