Minmin Pan

Dr. Minmin Pan is a Scientist in the Department of Solar Materials at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, Germany, working within the Systems Biotechnology group. She has been in this role since August 2021.

Education:

• PhD, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 2017–2021
• MSc in Geo-ecology, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Germany, 2012–2015
• BSc in Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), China, 2008–2012

Her research focuses on environmental and microbial biotechnology, particularly in the areas of biohydrogen production, wastewater valorization, microalgae biotechnology, and sustainable bioprocesses. She employs systems biotechnology approaches to engineer microbial cocultures and optimize metabolic pathways for enhanced biofuel and biomaterial production. Her work bridges synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and environmental technology to develop circular bioeconomy solutions.

Dr. Pan’s recent publications demonstrate a strong trend in utilizing photoautotrophic and heterotrophic microbial systems for resource recovery from waste streams, including kitchen waste, industrial wastewater, and microalgae residues. Her research spans from fundamental metabolic engineering in cyanobacteria like Synechocystis to applied processes such as pyrolysis and membrane filtration for bioenergy and nutrient recovery.

She has contributed to high-impact journals such as Environmental Science & Technology, Metabolic Engineering, Water Research, and Journal of Cleaner Production, reflecting the interdisciplinary and applied nature of her work.

Dr. Pan collaborates with leading researchers in the field, including Prof. Jens Krömer and Dr. Peter Lindblad, and has been involved in projects related to sustainable wastewater treatment, antibiotic pollution mitigation, and integrated biorefineries. Her research has been supported by international collaborations between Denmark, Germany, and China.

She is actively involved in the scientific community through her publications and research collaborations, contributing to advancements in sustainable environmental biotechnology and the development of innovative solutions for global environmental challenges.