Speaker：Yi Zheng，Associate Professor，Department of Grain Science and Industry，Kansas State University
Time：13:30, February 23, 2024 (Beijing Time)
Location：Room 202, Yue-Kong Pao Library's Annex
Abstract：
Biomanufacturing is a type of advanced manufacturing technology that utilizes biological systems (i.e., cell factories) to produce commercially important intermediates and platform chemicals for use in food, feed, fuels, materials, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial applications. Compared to conventional manufacturing processes (CMP), biomanufacturing has less dependence on fossil energy and environmental impact while it could be used under extreme environmental conditions where CMP is difficult and even impossible. Dr. Yi Zheng is interested in the research and development of cost-efficient and environmentally benign biomanufacturing technologies under the umbrella of biosystems engineering to produce fuels, food, feed, and bio-based materials. In his presentation, Dr. Zheng will give a brief overview of his previous and current research and detail several ongoing projects on: (1) Nanolignin-based biomedical sensor for human health monitoring and anticancer drug delivery; (2) Stimuli-responsive polymers to mimic fungal cells for microalgae harvesting and intracellular product recovery; and (3) Bioprocess modeling.
Biography：
Dr. Yi Zheng is an Associate Professor, Graduate Program Chair in the Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University (KSU). Dr. Zheng achieved his PhD degree in Biosystems Engineering in 2007 in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis (UCDavis). After that, he did his postdocs at UCDavis and Ohio State University. He had been working for Novozymes Inc. in Denmark for two years. In 2013, he joined the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Zheng has been working at KSU since 2018. He has dedicated his research effort in “Biomanufacturing and Biosystems Engineering” for biorefinery to promote multi-dimensional sustainability in energy, environment, economy, and society. His research interests include: Renewable energy, Bio-based wearable biomedical sensors and drug delivery carriers for anticancer, organic waste valorization,nutraceuticals and feed additive, and Bioprocess modeling. Dr. Zheng’s research has been funded by USDA, DOE, NASA, NSF, local government, and industry. He has been serving on panels for many funding agencies (e.g., NSF, USDA, ) and editor/editorial board for several journals (e.g., IJABE and Fermentation). He received NSF Career Award in 2019.
