Photo of Jianping Yu

Jianping Yu

Researcher VI-Molecular Biology


303-384-6252
Google Scholar

Research Interests

  • Production of fuels and chemicals from cyanobacteria

  • Regulation of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism

  • Ethylene-forming enzyme

Affiliated Research Programs

  • Cyanobacterial ethylene production (PI)

  • Regulation of photosynthetic carbon metabolism (contributor)

  • Genome-scale engineering in E. coli (contributor)

  • Cyanobacterial hydrogen production (contributor)


Photo of four men in and outdoor setting.

Cyanobacterial ethylene researchers, from left to right: Wei Xiong, Phil Pienkos, Jianping, and Bo Wang.

Areas of Expertise

  • Cyanobacterial genetics

  • Photosynthesis and carbon metabolism

  • Systems biology

  • Synthetic biology

  • Ethylene and hydrogen production

  • Metabolic engineering

Education

  • Ph.D., Plant Biology, Michigan State University, 1996

  • B.S., Biology, Sichuan University, 1985

Professional Experience

  • Section Supervisor, Photobiology Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Biosciences Center, 2015–present

  • Scientist, Photobiology Group, NREL, Biosciences Center, 2008–present

  • Research Associate, Photobiology Group, NREL, Biosciences Center, 2005–2008

  • Postdoctoral Researcher/Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, Plant Research Laboratory, 1996–2005

Patents

  1. "Biological production of organic compounds," U.S. Patent 2013-0203136 (pending)

Featured Publications

  1. "Engineered xylose utilization enhances bio-products productivity in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803," Metabolic Engineering (2015)

Bar graph with an x-axis of Days in N medium and a y-axis of 20G and pyruvate production versus xylose consumption in percent. The chart shows over time the y-axis percentages go down. There are two percent levels called out. The first is 100%, shown with a red-dotted line, and it represents the theoretical maximum of xylose-to-Pyr heterotrophic conversion. The second is 8$, shown with a green-dotted line, and it represents the theoretical maximum of xylose-to-20G heterotrophic conversion.

  1. "The plasticity of cyanobacterial metabolism supports direct CO2 conversion to ethylene," Nature Plants (2015)

  1. "Enhancing photo-catalytic production of organic acids in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Δglg C, a strain incapable of glycogen storage," Microbial Biotechnology (2015)

Additional Publications

  1. "The Plasticity of Cyanobacterial Carbon Metabolism," Current Opinion in Chemical Biology (2017)

  2. "Ethylene-forming enzyme and bioethylene production," Biotechnology for Biofuels (2014)

  3. "Genome annotation provides insight into carbon monoxide and hydrogen metabolism in Rubrivivax geletinosus," PLoS ONE (2014)

  4. "Chapter 5: Hydrogen production by water biophotolysis," in Microbial BioEnergy: Hydrogen Production (2014)

  5. "Sustained photosynthetic conversion of CO2 to ethylene in recombinant cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803," Energy and Environmental Science (2012)

  6. "Photo-catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to organic acids by a recombinant cyanobacterium incapable of glycogen storage," Energy and Environmental Science (2012)

  7. "Genetic analysis of the Hox hydrogenase in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 reveals subunit roles in association, assembly, maturation, and function," Journal of Biological Chemistry (2012)

  8. "Comparison of intact Arabidopsis thaliana leaf transcript profiles during treatment with inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport and TCA cycle," PLoS ONE (2012)

  9. "Heterologous Expression of Alteromonas macleodii and Thiocapsa roseopersicina [NiFe] Hydrogenases in Synechococcus elongates," PLoS ONE (2011)

  10. "Characterization of genes responsible for the CO-linked hydrogen production pathway in Rubrivivax gelatinosus," Appl. Environ. Microbiol. (2010)

View all NREL Publications for Jianping Yu.

Share