Xuemei Tang
Doctor of Philosophy, (Food Technology)
Study Completed: 2011
College of Sciences
Citation
Thesis Title
Controlling biofilm development on ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membrances used in dairy plants
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
Ms Tang’s research focused on improving cleaning strategies for removing biofilms from membranes used in the dairy industry. Biofilms on membranes result in membrane blockage and probable contamination of the final products. The species in the biofilm and their characteristics were investigated. The most significant contribution was to develop sanitising methods capable of removing almost all culturable cells from the biofilms formed on membranes. This removal will help extend the operating time of the dairy membrane plants, reducing production costs. Appropriate cleaning methods may also extend the operating life of the membrane modules.
Supervisors
Mr Rod Bennett
Professor John Brooks
Professor Steve Flint