معرفی
Dr. Yang Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph. He holds a PhD in Plant Science from the University of Alberta, where he conducted postdoctoral research on plant lipid metabolism. Previously, he worked at Michigan State University and the University of Alberta, focusing on chloroplast lipid assembly and microalgal oil production. His research integrates synthetic biology and biotechnology to engineer lipid biosynthesis pathways in plants and microorganisms for applications in food, fuel, and materials. Dr. Xu’s work has been recognized with the 2021 Carl Douglas Prize from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists.
His research group investigates acyl lipid assembly, lipid trafficking, and synthetic biology approaches to enhance oil production. Key areas include understanding membrane lipid dynamics in photosynthetic organisms and designing pathways for value-added lipids. The lab employs genetics, biochemistry, and omics tools to address both fundamental and applied questions in lipid metabolism.
Dr. Xu has mentored graduate students including Alyssa Clews, Brandon Ulch, and Monika Jesionowska, and his team collaborates on projects related to microalgal EPA/DHA synthesis and rice lipid genetics. Current and former lab members include researchers in biotechnology, plant genetics, and lipid biochemistry.
