Dario Shaw, Ph.D.

Research Scientists

Research Scientist

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Biography

Dr. Dario Shaw is an environmental scientist and engineer recognized for pioneering the Electro-anammox process, a breakthrough in energy-efficient wastewater treatment. His doctoral research, conducted at KAUST under Prof. Pascal Saikaly, demonstrated how anammox bacteria can remove ammonium from wastewater while generating electrical current or hydrogen gas, significantly contributing to KAUST’s mission and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to accelerate breakthroughs in water security, energy transition, and the circular economy.

As Research Scientist, Dr. Shaw played a key role in establishing pilot-scale infrastructures for next-generation wastewater treatment, facilitating the translation of novel research prototypes into industrial applications.

Dr. Shaw's work has been recognized globally, earning him the ISMET Discovery Award for Best Scientific Paper (2020) and multiple research innovation awards. His work embodies KAUST’s vision of transforming wastewater treatment plants from energy-intensive to energy-positive systems, fostering technological advancements that position Saudi Arabia as a leader in water innovation.

Selected Publications

  • Shaw, D. R., Katuri, K. P., Sapireddy, V., Douvropoulou, O., Gralnick, J. A., & Saikaly, P. E. (2025). Independently evolved extracellular electron transfer pathways in ecologically diverse Desulfobacterota. The ISME Journal. DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wraf097
  • Ruiz-Haddad, L., Shaw, D. R., Ali, M., Pronk, M., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., & Saikaly, P. E. (2025). Characterization of the core microbial community across different aggregate sizes in full-scale aerobic granular sludge plants and their relevance to wastewater treatment. Water Research, 274, 123036.
  • Shaw, D. R., Terada, A., & Saikaly, P. E. (2024). Future directions in microbial nitrogen cycling in wastewater treatment. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 88, 103163. DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103163
  • Shaw, D. R., Gonzalez, J. T., Guadarrama, C. B., & Saikaly, P. E. (2024). Emerging biotechnological applications of anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Trends in Biotechnology.
  • Ali, M., Shaw, D. R., Albertsen, M., & Saikaly, P. E. (2020). Comparative genome-centric analysis of freshwater and marine anammox cultures suggests functional redundancy in nitrogen removal processes. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1637. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01637
  • Shaw, D. R., Ali, M., Katuri, K. P., Gralnick, J. A., Reimann, J., Mesman, R., & Saikaly, P. E. (2020). Extracellular electron transfer-dependent anaerobic oxidation of ammonium by anammox bacteria. Nature Communications, 11, 2058. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16016-y
  • Ali, M., Shaw, D. R., & Saikaly, P. E. (2020). Application of an enrichment culture of the marine anammox bacterium “Ca. Scalindua sp. AMX11” for nitrogen removal under moderate salinity and in the presence of organic carbon. Water Research, 170, 115345. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115345
  • Ragab, A., Shaw, D. R., Katuri, K. P., & Saikaly, P. E. (2020). Effects of set cathode potentials on microbial electrosynthesis system performance and biocathode methanogen function at a metatranscriptional level. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 19824. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76636-5
  • Ragab, A., Shaw, D. R., Katuri, K. P., & Saikaly, P. E. (2019). Draft Genome Sequence of Methanobacterium sp. Strain 34x, Reconstructed from an Enriched Electromethanogenic Biocathode. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 8(45), e01138-19. DOI: 10.1128/mra.01138-19
  • Ali, M., Shaw, D. R., & Saikaly, P. E. (2019). Draft genome sequence of a novel marine anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacterium, “Candidatus Scalindua sp.” Microbiology Resource Announcements, 8(20), e00297-19. DOI: 10.1128/mra.00297-19
  • Garcias-Bonet, N., Fusi, M., Ali, M., Shaw, D. R., Saikaly, P. E., & Daffonchio, D. (2018). High denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation contribute to net nitrogen loss in a seagrass ecosystem in the central Red Sea. Biogeosciences, 15(23), 7333-7346. DOI: 10.5194/bg-15-7333-2018
  • Ali, M., Shaw, D. R., Zhang, L., Haroon, M. F., Narita, Y., Emwas, A. H., & Saikaly, P. E. (2018). Aggregation ability of three phylogenetically distant anammox bacterial species. Water Research, 143, 10-18. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.054
  • Shaw, D. R., & Dussan, J. (2015). Mathematical Modelling of Toxic Metal Uptake and Efflux Pump in Metal-Resistant Bacterium Bacillus cereus Isolated From Heavy Crude Oil. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 226(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s11270-015-2356-2

Education

  • Ph.D., Environmental Science and Engineering, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), 2020
  • M.S., Biological Sciences (Molecular Microbiology), Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2014
  • B.S., Microbiology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2013

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • ​International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology (ISMET)
  • International Water ​Association (IWA)

Awards

  • American Chemical Society Peer Reviewer Recognition, awarded by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for contributions as a peer reviewer, March 2023.
  • Impact Acceleration Fund, awarded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for research commercialization support, January 2022.
  • Young Talents Highlight, awarded by the International Water Association (IWA), Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering (MEWE), January 2022.
  • 3rd Place Scientific Talk, awarded by KAUST Research Open Week – Sustainability, Science for the Future, January 2021.
  • Discovery Award for Best Scientific Paper, awarded by the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology (ISMET), January 2020.
  • Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology Talent Grant, awarded by the Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, January 2018.
  • 3rd Place Research Poster Competition, awarded at the KAUST Conference: Changing Paradigms of Wastewater Treatment, January 2017.
  • Graduate and Teaching Assistants Scholarship, awarded by the Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Los Andes, January 2014.
  • Graduate and Teaching Assistants Scholarship, awarded by the Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Los Andes, January 2013.
  • Seed Project Research Fund Grant, awarded by the Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Los Andes, January 2013.

Research Interests Keywords

Microbial ecology of wastewater Environmental microbiology Bioremediation Molecular biology techniques