Joshua S. Yuan

Professor and Chair for Synthetic Biology and Renewable Products

Director, Synthetic and Systems Biology Innovation Hub

Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology

Department of Chemical Engineering (Affiliated)

Faculty of Texas A&M Energy Institute

Professional Program in Biotechnology

Address: 2132 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843; Office Phone: 979 845 3016

Email: syuan@tamu.edu

Lab Website

Synthetic & Systems Biology Innovation Hub

EDUCATION

Ph.D.   Major: Functional Genomics (Plants, Soils, Insects) University of Tennessee            2007

Minor: Statistics

M.S.     Plant Sciences                                                            University of Arizona               2001

B.S.     Major: Biology                                                             Fudan University                     1997

Minor: International Economics

 

EXPERIENCE

2018 –             Professor and Chair for Synthetic Biology and Renewable Products,

Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology

Department of Chemical Engineering (Affiliated)

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2015 –             Director, Synthetic and Systems Biology Innovation Hub (SSBiH)

Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, TX

2017 – 2018    Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2013 – 2017    Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2008 – 2013    Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2004 – 2008    Genomics Scientist, Department of Plant Sciences, Director, Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) Genomics Hub, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Qiang Li, Cheng Hu, Mengjie Li, Phuc Truong, Mandar T Naik, Dwarkanath Prabhu, Leo Hoffmann Jr, William L Rooney, Joshua S. Yuan*, Discovering biomass structural determinants defining the properties of plant-derived renewable carbon fiber, iScience, In Press
  2. Zhi-Min Zhao, Zhi-Hua Liu, Yunqiao Pu, Xianzhi Meng, Jifei Xu, Joshua S. Yuan, and Arthur J. Ragauskas, Tailoring lignin chemistry and developing fermentation process intensification to enhance biological lignin valorization, ChemSusChem, In press.
  3. Man Li, Zhi-Hua Liu, Naijia Hao, Michelle L. Olson, Qiang Li, Samarthya Bhagia, Katy Kao, Arthur Jonas Ragauskas, Shangxian Xie and Joshua S Yuan*, Co-optimization of carbohydrate and lignin processability by biomimicking biomass processing, Frontiers in Energy, In Press.
  4. Isha Kalra, Xin Wang, Marina Cvetkovska, Jooyeon Jeong, William McHargue, Ru Zhang, Norman PA Hüner, Joshua S Yuan, and Rachael M Morgan-Kiss, Chlamydomonas sp. UWO 241 exhibits high cyclic electron flow and rewired metabolism under high salinity, Plant Physiology, 2020, 183 (2), 588-601   .
  5. Shangxian Xie, Su Sun, Furong Lin, Muzi Li, Yunqiao Pu, Yanbing Cheng, Bing Xu, Zhihua Liu, Leonardo da Costa Sousa, Bruce E Dale, Arthur J Ragauskas, Susie Y Dai, Joshua S Yuan*, Mechanism‐guided design of highly efficient protein secretion and lipid conversion for biomanufacturing and biorefining, Advanced Science, 2019, 6(13), 1801980.
  6. Q Li, M Li, HS Lin, C Hu, P Truong, T Zhang, HJ Sue, Y Pu, AJ Ragauskas, and Joshua S. Yuan* Non-solvent fractionation of lignin enhances carbon fiber performance. ChemSusChem, 2019, 12 (14), 3249-3256.
  7. Zhihua Liu, N Hao, Somnath Shinde, Yuqiao Pu, Xiaofeng Kang, Arthur J Ragauskas, Joshua S Yuan*, Defining lignin nanoparticle properties through tailored lignin reactivity by sequential organosolv fragmentation approach (SOFA), Green Chemistry, 2019, 21 (2), 245-260
  8. Qiang Li, Cheng Hu, Heidi Clarke, Mengjie Li, Patrick Shamberger, Wenhao Wu, Joshua S. Yuan*, Microstructure defines the electroconductive and mechanical performance of plant-derived renewable carbon fiber, Chemical Communications, 2019, 55 (84), 12655-12658.
  9. Zhi-Hua Liu, Rosemary K Le, Matyas Kosa, Bin Yang, Joshua S. Yuan*, Arthur J Ragauskas, Identifying and creating pathways to improve biological lignin valorization, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2019, 105, 349-362.
  10. Zhi-Hua Liu, Somnath Dattatray Shinde, Shangxian Xie, Naijia Hao, Furong Lin, Man Li, Chang Geun Yoo, Arthur Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Cooperative valorization of lignin and residual sugar to polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) for enhanced yield and carbon utilization in biorefineries, Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2019, 3 (8), 2024-2037.
  11. Zhi-Hua Liu, Naijia Hao, Somnath Shinde, Michelle L. Olson, Samarthya Bhagia, John R. Dunlap, Katy C. Kao, Xiaofeng Kang, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Co-design of combinatorial organosolv pretreatment (COP) and lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) in biorefineries, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2019, 7 (2), 2634-2647.
  12. Xiaolu Li, Yucai He, Libing Zhang, Zhangyang Xu, Haoxi Ben, Matthew J Gaffrey, Yongfu Yang, Shihui Yang, Joshua S Yuan, Wei-Jun Qian, Bin Yang, Discovery of potential pathways for biological conversion of poplar wood into lipids by co-fermentation of Rhodococci strains, Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2019, 12 (1), 60.
  13. Yuqi Guo, Shangxian Xie, Joshua S. Yuan, Katy Kao, Effects of seawater on carotenoid production and lipid content of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fermentation, 2019, 5 (1), 6.
  14. Zhangyang Xu, Xiaolu Li, Naijia Hao, Chunmei Pan, Aftab Ahamed, John H Miller, Arthur J Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan, Bin Yang, Kinetic understanding of nitrogen supply condition on biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate from benzoate by Pseudomonas putida KT2440, Bioresource Technology, 2019, 273, 538-544.
  15. Fujie Zhou, Pravat Karki, Shangxian Xie, Joshua S. Yuan, Lijun Sun, Robert Lee, Ryan Barborak, Toward the development of performance-related specification for bio-rejuvenators, Construction and Building Materials, 2018,174, 443-455.
  16. Kristina M. Mahan, Rosemary K. Le, Tyrone Wells Jr., Seth Anderson, Joshua S. Yuan, Ryan J. Stoklosa, Aditya Bhalla, David B. Hodge, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Production of single cell protein from agro-waste using Rhodococcus opacus, Journal of industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, 2018,1-7.
  17. Qiang Li, Mandar T. Naik, Hao-Sheng Lin, Cheng Hu, Wilson K. Serem, Li Liu, Pravat Karki, Fujie Zhou, Joshua S. Yuan*, Tuning hydroxyl groups for quality carbon fiber of lignin, Carbon, 2018, 139, 500-511.
  18. Xujun Chen, Hao Chen, Joshua S. Yuan, Tobias G. Köllner, Yuying Chen, Yufen Guo, Xiaofeng Zhuang, Xinlu Chen, Yong‐jun Zhang, Jianyu Fu, Andreas Nebenführ, Zejian Guo, and Feng Chen, Rice terpene synthase gene OsTPS19 functions as (S)-limonene synthase in planta and its overexpression leads to enhanced resistance to the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.  Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2018.
  19. Cheng Zhao, Yong Kyoung Kim, Yining Zeng, Man Li, Xin Wang, Cheng Hu, Connor Gorman, Shiyou Ding, Joshua S. Yuan*, Co-compartmentation of terpene biosynthesis and storage via synthetic droplet, ACS Synthetic Biology, 2018, 7, 774-781.
  20. Zhi-Hua Liu, Shangxian Xie, Furong Lin, Mingjie Jin, Joshua S. Yuan*, Combinatorial pretreatment and fermentation optimization enabled a record yield on lignin bioconversion, Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2018, 11 (1), 21.
  21. Alei Geng, Yanbing Cheng, Yongli Wang, Daochen Zhu, Yilin Le, Jian Wu, Rongrong Xie, Joshua S. Yuan*, Jianzhong Sun, Transcriptome analysis of the digestive system of a wood-feeding termite (Coptotermes formosanus) revealed effective mechanism in biomass degradation, Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2018, 11 (1), 24.
  22. Zhi-Hua Liu, Michelle Olson, Somnath Shinde, Xin Wang, Naijia Hao, Chang Geun Yoo, Samarthya Bhagia, John R. Dunlap, Yunqiao Pu, Katy C. Kao, Arthur J. Ragauskas, h, Mingjie Jin , Joshua S. Yuan*, Synergistic maximization of carbohydrate output and lignin processibility by combinatorial pretreatment, Green Chemistry, 2017, 19, 4939-4955.
  23. Su Sun, Shangxian Xie, Yanbing Cheng, Hongbo Yu, Honglu Zhao, Muzi Li, Xiaotong Li, Xiaoyu Zhang, Joshua S. Yuan*, Susie Y. Dai, Enhancement of environmental hazard degradation in the presence of lignin: a proteomics study, Scientific Reports, 2017, 7 (1), 11356.
  24. Qiang Li, Wilson K. Serem, Yuan Yue, Wei Dai, Mandar T. Naik, Shangxian Xie, Pravat Karki, Li Liu, Hung-Jue Sue, Hong Liang, Fujie Zhou, Joshua S. Yuan*, Molecular weight and uniformity define the mechanical performance of lignin-based carbon fiber, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2017, 5 (25), 12740-12746.
  25. Kristina M Mahan, Rosemary K Le, Joshua S. Yuan, Arthur J Ragauskas, A review on the bioconversion of lignin to microbial lipid with oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus, Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials, 2017, 7 (02).
  26. Rosemary K. Le, Parthapratim Das, Kristina M. Mahan, Seth A. Anderson, Tyrone Wells, Joshua S. Yuan, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Utilization of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation residues as feedstock for lipid accumulation in Rhodococcus opacus, AMB Express, 2017, 7 (1) 185.
  27. Narangerel Altangerel, Gombojav O. Ariunbold, Connor Gorman, Masfer H. Alkahtani, Eli Borrego ,Dwight Bohlmeyer, Philip Hemmer, Michael Kolomiets, Joshua S. Yuan, and Marlan O. Scully, In vivo diagnostics of early abiotic plant stress response via Raman spectroscopy, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2017, 114(13), 3393–3396.
  28. Qiang Li, Shangxian Xie, Wilson Serem, Mandar Naik, Li Liu and Joshua S. Yuan*, Quality carbon fiber from fractionated lignin, Green Chemistry, 2017, 19, 1628–1634.
  29. Shangxian Xie, Qiang Li, Pravat Karki, Fujie Zhou, Joshua S. Yuan*, Lignin as renewable and superior asphalt binder modifier, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017, 5 (4), 2817–2823.
  30. Qiang Li, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Lignin carbon fiber: the path for quality, TAPPI Journal, 2017, 16(03), 107-108.
  31. Shangxian Xie; Qining Sun, Yunqiao Pu, Furong Lin, Su Sun, Xin Wang, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Advanced chemical design for efficient lignin bioconversion, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017, 5 (3), pp 2215–2223.
  32. Hasan Sadeghifar, Tyrone Wells, Rosemary K. Le, Fatemeh Sadeghifar, Joshua S. Yuan, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Fractionation of organosolv lignin using acetone: water and properties of the obtained fractions, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017, 5, 580−587.
  33. Clifford J Unkefer, Richard T Sayre, Jon K Magnuson, Daniel B Anderson, Ivan Baxter, Ian K Blaby, Judith K Brown, Michael Carleton, Rose Ann Cattolico, Taraka Dale, Timothy P Devarenne, C Meghan Downes, Susan K Dutcher, David T Fox, Ursula Goodenough, Jan Jaworski, Jonathan E Holladay, David M Kramer, Andrew T Koppisch, Mary S Lipton, Babetta L Marrone, Margaret McCormick, István Molnár, John B Mott, Kimberly L Ogden, Ellen A Panisko, Matteo Pellegrini, Juergen Polle, James W Richardson, Martin Sabarsky, Shawn R Starkenburg, Gary D Stormo, Munehiro Teshima, Scott N Twary, Pat J Unkefer, Joshua S Yuan, José A Olivares, Review of the algal biology program within the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts, Algal Research, 2017, 22, 187–215.
  34. Yan Shi, Qiang Li, Xin Wang, Shangxian Xie, Liyuan Cai, Joshua S. Yuan*, Directed bioconversion of Kraft lignin to polyhydroxyalkanoate by Cupriavidus basilensis B-8 without any pretreatment, Process Biochemistry, 2017, 52, 238–242.
  35. Rosemary K. Le, Tyron Wells Jr., Parthapratim Das, Xianzhi Meng, Ryan Stocklosa, Adita Bhalla, David B. Hodge, Joshua S. Yuan and Arthur J. Raguaskas, Conversion of corn stover alkaline pre-treatment waste streams into biodiesel via rhodococci, RSC Advances, 2017, 7, 4108-4115.
  36. Xin Wang, Changpeng Xin, Wei Liu, Yi Zheng, Runzhe Li, Susie Y. Dai, Xinguang Zhu, Peter Rentzepis, Joshua S. Yuan*, Enhanced limonene production in cyanobacteria reveals photosynthesis limitations, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2016, 113, 14225-14230.
  37. Gaia Pigna, Taniya Dhillon, Elizabeth M Dlugosz, Joshua S Yuan, Connor Gorman, Piero Morandini, Scott C Lenaghan, C Neal Stewart, Methods for suspension culture, protoplast extraction, and transformation of high biomass yielding perennial grass Arundo donax, Biotechnology Journal, 2016, 11, 1657-1666.
  38. Runze Li, Jie Chen, Tom C. Cesario, Xin Wang, Joshua S. Yuan, Peter M. Rentzepis Synergistic reaction of silver nitrate, silver nanoparticles, and methylene blue against bacteria, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2016, 113, 13612–13617.
  39. Lu Lin, Yanbing Cheng, Yunqiao Pu, Su Sun, Xiao Li, Mingjie Jin, Elizabeth A. Pierson, Dennis Gross, Bruce E. Dale, Susie Y. Dai, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Systems biology-guided biodesign of consolidated lignin conversion, Green Chemistry, 2016, 18, 5536-5547.
  40. Elise van Buskirk, Jin Su, Ian Silverman, Sager Gosai, Brian Gregory, Joshua S. Yuan, Henry Daniell, Terpene metabolic engineering via nuclear or chloroplast genomes profoundly and globally impacts off-target pathways through metabolite signaling, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2016, 14, 1862–1875.
  41. Xueyan Chen, Ugur Uzuner, Man Li, Weibing Shi, Joshua S. Yuan, Susie Y. Dai, Phytoestrogens and Mycoestrogens Induce Signature Structure Dynamics Changes on Estrogen Receptor α, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2016, 13, 869.
  42. Shangxian Xie, Authur J. Ragauskas, Joshua S. Yuan*, Lignin conversion: opportunities and challenges for the integrated biorefinery, Industrial Biotechnology, 2016, 12, 161-167.
  43. Cheng Zhao, Shangxian Xie, Yunqiao Pu, Rui Zhang, Fang Huang, Arthur J. Ragausaks, Joshua S. Yuan*, Synergistic enzymatic and microbial conversion of lignin for lipid, Green Chemistry, 2016, 18, 1306-1312.
  44. Juan Yu, Yixiang Zhang, Chao Di, Qunlian Zhang, Kang Zhang, Chunchao Wang, Qi You, Hong Yan, Susie Y. Dai, Joshua S. Yuan*, Wenying Xu and Zhen Su, JAZ7 negatively regulates dark-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis, Journal of Experimental Botany, 2016, 67: 751-762.
  45. Su Sun, Shangxian Xie, Hu Chen, Xin Qin, Yanbing Cheng, Yan Shi, Susie Y. Dai, Xiaoyu Zhang, Joshua S. Yuan*, Genomic and molecular mechanisms for efficient biodegradation of aromatic dye, Journal of Hazardous Material, 2016, 9, 302:286-295.
  46. Donald R. Ort, Sabeeha S. Merchant, Jean Alric, Alice Barkan, Robert E. Blankenship, Ralph Bock, Roberta Croce, Maureen R. Hanson, Julian M. Hibberd, Stephen P. Long, Thomas A. Mooreo, James Moroney, Krishna K. Niyogi, Martin A. J. Parry, Pamela P. Peralta-Yahya, Roger C. Prince, Kevin E. Redding, Martin H. Spalding, Klaas J. van Wijk, Wim F. J. Vermaas, Susanne von Caemmerer, Andreas P. M. Weber, Todd O. Yeates,  Joshua S. Yuan, and Xin Guang Zhu, Redesigning photosynthesis to sustainably meet global food and bioenergy demand, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2015, 112(28), 8529–8536.
  47. Bo Li, Shan Jianga, Xiao Yua, Cheng Cheng, Sixue Chen, Yanbing Cheng, Joshua S. Yuan, Daohong Jiang, Ping He, Libo Shan, Phosphorylation of trihelix transcriptional repressor ASR3 by MAP KINASE4 negatively regulates Arabidopsis immunity, Plant Cell, 2015, 27(3):839-856.
  48. Shangxian Xie, Xing Qin, Yanbing Cheng, Weichuan Qiao, Su Sun, Scott Sattler, Zhanguo Xin, Susie Y. Dai, Katy Gao, Bin Yang, Xiaoyu Zhang, and Joshua S. Yuan*, Simultaneous conversion of all cell wall components with oleaginous fungi without chemical pretreatment, Green Chemistry, 2015,17: 1657-1667.
  49. Xin Wang, Don Ort, and Joshua S. Yuan*, Photosynthetic terpene hydrocarbon production for fuels and chemicals, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2015, 13: 137-46.
  50. Aravind Ravindran, Neha Jalan, Joshua S. Yuan, Nian Wang and Dennis C. Gross, Comparative genomics of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strains B301D and HS191 and insights into intrapathovar traits associated with plant pathogenesis, MicrobiologyOpen, 2015, 4(4): 553-573.

 

Book Chapters

  1. Zhihua Liu, Joshua S. Yuan*, Systems Biology Analyses of Lignin Conversion, Lignin Valorization, 2018,314-332