Jikai Zhao

Jikai Zhao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University, affiliated with the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering.

Education:

• Ph.D., Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, 2022
• M.S., Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, 2017
• B.S., Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, 2014

Research Interests:
His work focuses on Biomanufacturing, Synthetic Biology, and Bioprocessing, leveraging Fermentation, Catalysis, and systems-level approaches like Techno-Economic Analysis and Life-Cycle Assessment to convert agricultural, food, and plastic waste into biofuels, platform chemicals, and biomaterials. A key emphasis is engineering microbial consortia for sustainable biorefinery processes.

Scientific Awards:

• Biological and Agricultural Engineering Graduate Student of the Year
• Graduate Student of the Month
• Robert I-Jen and Sophia Shui-Kan Jung Graduate Scholarship

Grants and Publications:
Zhao has secured over $10 million in funding from the USDA and NSF and authored/co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and two book chapters. His research aligns with sustainability goals, integrating economic and environmental assessments.

STEM Education Contributions:
He actively promotes experiential learning, hands-on research, and career development workshops for undergraduate and graduate students.