About
Chao Song is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester. He joined Manchester in April 2026 after completing his PhD in Chemical Engineering at Beijing University of Chemical Technology. His work focuses on the development, evaluation and optimisation of a two-stage algae-based carbon capture and utilisation process.
His research spans solid–liquid mixing, biomass conversion and machine learning for bioprocess modelling and optimisation. His doctoral work investigated the drawdown, suspension and mass transfer of low-density biomass particles in non-Newtonian fluids in stirred tanks. By combining experimental measurements, image analysis and computational modelling, he studied how mixing conditions and chemical pretreatments influence particle behaviour and solid–liquid mass transfer. Alongside this work, Chao developed machine learning models to predict methane production from untreated and chemically pretreated lignocellulosic wastes.