About
Youjun Deng is an Associate Professor in Soil & Clay Mineralogy at Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M (2001) and teaches Soil Mineralogy annually. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of soil/clay interactions with contaminants (e.g., aflatoxins), environmental remediation via mineral transformations, and advanced spectroscopic methods. Key areas include agricultural impacts on soil weathering, bauxite residue remediation, and clay-based alternatives to antibiotics.
Research spans diverse environments: agricultural soils, mine tailings, polar regions, and even Mars soil analogs. Recent work explores carbon capture via rock powder and pyocyanin adsorption dynamics. He collaborates on aflatoxin mitigation strategies, including clay-polymer sensors and enterosorbent development.
Education: Ph.D., Texas A&M University (2001). Students include Chia-Wei Lin. Active in AgriLife Research, with grants focused on mineralogical solutions to environmental and agricultural challenges. Laboratory work emphasizes molecular modeling and synchrotron-based analyses.
