Shulin Chen

Dr. Shulin Chen

Dr. Shulin Chen is a Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). His research focuses on bioenergy and bioproducts engineering, particularly in anaerobic digestion systems for dairy waste conversion, sustainable biorefinery processes, and microbial metabolic engineering.

Research Interests:

• Biodegradable plastics and anaerobic digestion
• Industrial biotechnology for biofuel production
• Wastewater nutrient recovery
• Algal-bacterial synergies in bioremediation
• Thermophilic microbial systems

His team has developed six anaerobic digestion systems in Washington State, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating water pollution. In 2022, he received the WSU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award for advancing sustainable industrial processes. Dr. Chen leads a multidisciplinary research group of over 20 scientists, graduate students, and visiting scholars.

Awards:

• 2022 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award, Washington State University

Key Projects:

• Conversion of dairy manure to bioenergy
• Bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass
• Biopolymer production via engineered microbes