Yong-Su Jin

Yong-Su Jin is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding joint appointments in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. He specializes in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and microbial systems biology with a focus on developing sustainable bioprocesses for biofuel and high-value bioproduct production. His research integrates genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches to engineer microorganisms such as yeast, bacteria, and algae for industrial applications.

Key areas of research include CO2 bioconversion using engineered microbial consortia, lignocellulosic biomass utilization by oleaginous yeasts like Yarrowia lipolytica, and development of genetic tools for Rhodotorula toruloides. He has pioneered methods for enhancing xylose fermentation pathways and optimizing fermentation media using alternative feedstocks like transgenic oilcane. His work also addresses challenges in strain stability, acid tolerance, and industrial scalability.

Dr. Jin collaborates internationally on projects involving microbial division of labor in biofuel production, probiotic yeast engineering for gut microbiome modulation, and CRISPR-based detection systems for antimicrobial resistance. He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and holds patents related to bioconversion processes and microbial strain development.