Riqing Yu

Dr. Riqing Yu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler. His research focuses on environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, and ecotoxicology, with particular emphasis on mercury biotransformation, microbial metagenomics, and bioremediation. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology from Rutgers University (2011), an M.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University (2004), and an M.Phil. in Biology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2002). Postdoctoral training was conducted at Georgia Institute of Technology (2013).

Dr. Yu’s research interests include microbial mercury methylation mechanisms, microbial syntrophy in contaminated ecosystems, stilbene degradation pathways, and the ecotoxicological impacts of metals and microplastics. His lab employs advanced molecular biology and bioinformatics tools to study microbial communities in contaminated environments. He has advised over 30 undergraduate and 15 graduate students in molecular microbial ecology studies since 2005.

• Teaching: Microbiology (BIOL 4300/4101), Environmental Microbiology (BIOL 5336), Ecotoxicology (BIOL 5334)
• Lab Website: Environmental Microbiology and Ecotoxicology Lab

His work bridges environmental science and microbiology, addressing critical issues in bioremediation, microbial interactions, and aquatic ecosystem health. Recent studies include the role of syntrophic microbial associations in mercury methylation and the degradation of stilbenoids like resveratrol.