Joshua Yuan

Joshua Yuan is the Department Chair and Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. His work focuses on renewable biomaterials, carbon capture, integrated biorefining, and synthetic biology. He joined WashU in 2022, previously serving at Texas A&M University as a faculty member and Chair for Synthetic Biology and Renewable Products since 2008. Dr. Yuan holds a PhD from the University of Tennessee (2007), MS from the University of Arizona (2001), and BS from Fudan University (1997).

His research addresses global challenges through mechanism-based engineering. Key areas include lignin conversion into bioplastics and carbon fibers, AI-driven algal carbon capture, and sustainable biorefinery processes. He has pioneered electro-microbial platforms for CO2 utilization and developed squalene manufacturing for vaccines and cosmetics. Dr. Yuan has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in top journals like Nature Communications and holds three U.S. patents with two pending.

Recent projects include space biomanufacturing for astronaut sustainability and novel electro-biodiesel technologies. He has received multiple awards, including the Excellence in Innovation Award (2017) and Regional Solid Waste Planning Award (2018). His leadership spans academic and industrial roles, including at BASF and the National Renewable Energy Lab.