Metabolomics Group----Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Introduction

Metabolomics Group focuses on developing highly efficient whole-cell catalysts, processes, and types of equipment for the industrial conversion of low-value lignocellulosic biomass and artificial polymer wastes to high-value-added bioproducts, including biofuels, single-cell proteins, single-cell oil (DHA, EPA, ARA), lignin-based material, cellulose nanomaterials, and biodegradable plastics. Our general research strategy heavily engages in the development of clean pretreatment methods for agro-wastes, genetic engineering of cellulosome-producing microbes (such as Clostridia thermocellum) and oil-producing microbes (such as Aurantiochytrium sp.), structure-function analysis and rational engineering of industrial proteins, metabolite and metabolic flux analysis, and finally, the equipment and fermentation process design and optimization for industrial production.

Website: http://mt.qibebt.ac.cn/English.htm

Director of Center/Group

Prof. CUI Qiu

Professor CUI Qiu received his Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology at the Institute of Biophysics CAS in 2004 and worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2004 to 2008. Since 2009, Dr. Cui received funding from the "Hundred Talents Plan" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and began to work as the group leader of the Metabolomics group of Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess (QIBEBT). The central theme of his research focuses on critical features and bottlenecks in the high-value-added bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks. He has obtained several patent authorizations and published over 70 papers in well-known academic journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, Biotechnology Advances, Nucleic acid Research, and Science Advances. In the past years, he received fundings from NSFC, MOST, CAS, and other institutions. Besides, he pioneered the cooperation with companies in the institute and has constructed large-scale pilot demonstrations via long-term industrial corporations.

Research Interest

1. Genetic engineering of cellulosome-producing microbes (such as Clostridia thermocellum) and oil-producing microbes (such as Aurantiochytrium sp.);

2. Structure/function analysis of cellulosomal and non-cellulosomal enzymes;

3. Rational protein engineering and directed evolution;

4. Metabolic network modeling and metabolic flux control;

5. Green chemistry of lignocellulose;

6. Tailor-made equipment and fermentation process design and optimization.

Research Fields

1. Clean and cost-effective pretreatment/fractionation of lignocellulose

2. Structure/function analysis of industrial enzymes

3. Consolidated bio-saccharification of low-value lignocellulosic biomass

4. Industrial production of microbial terpene lipids

5. Biodegradation of plastic polymer wastes

6. Cellulose nanomaterials

Representative Research

1. Development of genetic engineering tools for non-model microorganisms;

2. Development of the consolidated bio-saccharification technology for cost-effective lignocellulose bioconversion novelly using whole-cell biocatalysts instead of free cellulases;

3. Revealing the functional and regulation mechanism of the cellulosomal proteins and the complex;

4. Construction of microbial cell factories for high-yield polyunsaturated fatty acid (DHA, EPA, ARA);

5. Valorization of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin;

6. Construction of large-scale pilot demonstration for

(1) lignocellulosic agro-waste saccharification;

(2) DHA-rich algal oil production;

(3) lignin-based material production.

Contact

cuiqiu@qibebt.ac.cn

Research Divisions