Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Deshusses' research interests are related to the design, analysis and application of remediation, waste to energy and decentralized sanitation processes. A current focus is on novel reactors and processes for air, water and solid wastes treatment. Applications include treatment of odors and air toxics, biogas production, and novel sanitation and treatment technologies. Research interests include bioenergy and waste to energy processes, biofilms, biomolecular techniques for monitoring microorganisms in complex environments, indoor air quality, advanced oxidation processes, nanosensors, and mathematical modeling of environmental processes.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke Kunshan University
Contact Information
- Office Location: 127C Hudson Hall, Durham, NC 27708
- Email Address: marc.deshusses@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- Ph.D. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Switzerland), 1994
Research Interests
Design, analysis and application of remediation, waste-to-energy and decentralized sanitation processes, including novel reactors and processes for air, water and solid wastes treatment.
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- AAAS Fellow. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2006
Courses Taught
- CEE 691: Independent Study: Advanced Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- CEE 690: Advanced Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- CEE 562L: Applied Biological Principles and Processes in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 462L: Applied Biological Principles and Processes in Environmental Engineering
In the News
- A Duke Start-Up Has Novel Plans for Treating Lung Injuries (Mar 28, 2025 | Duke…
- Earth Is Awash With Plastic Pollution. Here’s What Duke Is Doing to Change That…
- Engineering the End of ‘Forever Chemicals’ (Nov 30, 2022 | Duke Engineering Mag…
- Duke Technology Launches PFAS-Destroying Waste Treatment Company to Nasdaq (Jul…
- Reinventing the Toilet (Nov 5, 2018 | Duke Stories)
- Duke, RTI International Partner on Improved Global Sanitation (Aug 28, 2017)
- Energy Initiative Provides First Round of Research Seed Funding (Apr 16, 2014)
- Adventures in Synthetic Poop (Feb 5, 2014 | Duke Research Blog)
- Duke researchers design toilet that turns waste into drinking water (Jul 18, 20…
Representative Publications
- Chen, L., and M. A. Deshusses. “Supercritical water oxidation for the destruction of recalcitrant chlorinated organic solvents: Kinetics and chlorine balances (Accepted).” Journal of Supercritical Fluids 228 (February 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2025.106795.
- Fachal-Suárez, M., À. Gaona, P. Benavides, J. Lafuente, M. A. Deshusses, D. Gonzalez, and D. Gabriel. “Assessing the temperature effect on the kinetics of a hydrogenotrophic methanogenic culture using a novel headspace-free methodology.” Chemical Engineering Journal Advances 24 (November 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100951.
- Wang, Q., A. Fallahi, M. Boersma, E. T. Drabold, M. Otto, M. A. Deshusses, and B. T. Higgins. “Pretreatment Removes Organic Molecules in Anaerobic Digestates That Inhibit Algal Productivity.” ACS Es and T Water 5, no. 9 (September 12, 2025): 5327–38. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.5c00418.
- Hunter, Brandon, Catherine Coleman Flowers, Rojelio Mejia, and Marc Arnold Deshusses. “Impact of sanitation system types on residential and environmental presence of human waste and parasites in Alabama.” Infectious Diseases of Poverty 14, no. 1 (July 2025): 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-025-01334-4.
- Deaton, K. E., L. R. López de León, and M. A. Deshusses. “Evaluation of 3D-printed microchannel bioreactor design: Mass transfer and continuous operation for VOC biodegradation.” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 13, no. 2 (April 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.115859.