Mengyan Li

Mengyan Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Her research focuses on environmental biotechnology, bioremediation of emerging contaminants, microbial ecology, and water treatment technologies. She holds grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), including projects addressing 1,4-Dioxane biodegradation, biochar-enabled filtration systems, and antibiotic resistance mitigation. Li has authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles and is actively involved in media outreach, discussing topics like microplastics and antibiotic resistance.

Her research employs cutting-edge techniques such as machine learning for enzyme evolution and genomic analysis of microbial communities. Key projects include:

• CAREER: Tackling Solvent-Stabilizer Co-contamination (NSF, 2019–2026)
• INFEWS: US-China Biochar Filtration for Sustainable Rice Agriculture (NSF, 2019–2025)

Li’s work bridges environmental chemistry and engineering, with a focus on practical solutions for water contamination challenges. She collaborates internationally and has developed innovative methods for detecting and remediating pollutants like PFAS and fluorotelomer carboxylic acids.