Research
Fungal Platform
The goal for this part of research is to develop a pelletized fungal
fermentation platform for high value bioproducts and second generation
of biofuel hydrocarbon production. Fungal pelletization allows high
density cultivation which has advantages of faster production rate, high
concentration of final products, and less contamination problem.
Applying systems biology approaches to investigate the mechanism of
fungal metabolism and developing kinetic models and reactor design will
be the main components to conclude optimized systems for value-added
products.
Algal Platform
The goal for this part of research includes algal strain development for
fuel and chemical production in closed bioreactor system and open pond
system for nutrient removal and biomass accumulation. Some algal species
such as unicellular green alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are able to accumulate significant amounts
of carbohydrates (mainly starch) and lipid that could be used as
feedstock for biofuels and chemical production. My research group is
currently working on genetic modified algae for recombinant proteins
production such as enzymes, therapeutic proteins, and antibodies.
Another part of algal cultivation research my research group have been
involved in is selection of algal assemblages for open-pond algal
culture to improve the efficiency of nutrient (N, P) removal, and
utilize the algal biomass to produce fuels and chemicals.
Mixed Cutlure Platform
The goad for this part of research is to utilize the symbiotic
characters of mix culture for value added chemicals and enzymes
production. Mixed
culture systems include fungi and bacteria culturing under
both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.