Ph.D., Assistant Professor

E-mail: yantao@umces.edu

Address: Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, the University System of Maryland, 701 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202, USA

WEBSITE：http://imet.umces.edu/yli/

EDUCATION:

2002-2007 Ph. D. (Microbial Biotechnology), the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong, China

1998-2002 B. S. (Plant Biology), Nanjing University, P.R. China

WORKING EXPERIENCE:

2018-present Assistant Professor(tenured), Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), the University System of Maryland

2012-2017 Assistant Professor, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), the University System of Maryland

2009-2012 Assistant Research Professor, Department of Applied Sciences and Mathematics, Arizona State University (ASU)

2008-2009 Post-doc Researcher, Department of Applied Biological Sciences at ASU

2007-2008 Post-doc Researcher, School of Biological Sciences at HKU

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Microalgal biology and lipid biochemistry; metabolic engineering; systems biology; microalgae for biofuels and bioproducts.

SELECTED CONFERENCES PROCEEDINGS:

Li Y. (2017) A Prokaryotic Pathway for Triacylglycerol Biosynthesis in Microalgae. Invited speaker, The Mid-Atlantic Section Fall Meeting, American Society of Plant Biologists, 10/7/2017, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Li Y. (2016) Fit or Fat: The Molecular Mechanism and Bioenergy Implications of Triacylglycerol (TAG) Biosynthesis in Microalgae. Keynote speaker and Chair for Marine Bioenergy and Environmental Marine Biotechnology session, the International Marine Biotechnology Conference, 8/29/2016 to 9/2/2016, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Li Y. (2016) Glycerolipid Metabolism in Microalgae: Molecular Mechanism and Bioenergy Implications. Invited speaker, The 3rd SDIC Microalgae Biotechnology Symposium, 9/22/2016, Beijing, China.

Li Y. (2016) Fit or Fat: The Molecular Mechanism and Bioenergy Implications of Triacylglycerol (TAG) Biosynthesis in Microalgae. Invited speaker, From Bioprospecting to Lipid Biology and Photosynthesis session, the 4th Asia-Oceania Algae Innovation Summit, 9/18/2016 to 9/21/2016, Wuhan, China.

PUBLICATIONS：

1Xin, Y., 1Lu, Y., 1Lee, Y.-Y., Wei, L., Jia, J., Wang, Q., Wang, D., Bai, F., Hu, H., Hu, Q., 2Liu, J., 2Li, Y. and 2Xu, J. (2017) Producing designer oils in industrial microalgae by rational modulation of co-evolving type-2 diacylglycerol acyltransferases. Molecular Plant, 10, 1523-1539. (1co-first authors; 2co-corresponding authors)

Wei HH, Shi Y, Ma XN, Pan Y, Hu HH, Li YT, Luo M, Gerken H, Liu J (2017) A type I diacylglycerol acyltransferase modulates triacylglycerol biosynthesis and fatty acid composition in the oleaginous microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 10: 174

Wang Y, Lee Y-Y, Santaus TM, Newcomb CE, Liu J, Geddes CD, *Zhang C, Hu Q, *Li Y (2017) In situ enzymatic conversion of Nannochloropsis oceanica IMET1 biomass into fatty acid methyl esters. BioEnergy Research. 10:438-448

*Liu J, Lee YY, Mao X, and *Li YT (2017) A simple and reproducible non-radiolabeled in vitro assay for recombinant acyltransferases involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis. J. Appl. Phycol. 29:323-333

Lenka SK, Carbonaro N, Park R, Miller SK, Thorpe I, Li YT. (2016) Current advances in molecular, biochemical, and computational modeling analysis of microalgal triacylglycerol biosynthesis. Biotechnology Advance. 34: 1046-1063.

Liu J, Han D, Yoon K, *Hu Q, *Li YT (2016) Characterization of type 2 diacylglycerol acyltransferases in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reveals their distinct substrate specificities and functions in triacylglycerol biosynthesis. Plant Journal 86, 3-19. (Cover story and featured article)

Jia J, Han DX, Gerken H, Li YT, Sommerfeld M, Hu Q, Xu J (2015) Molecular mechanisms for photosynthetic carbon partitioning into storage neutral lipids in Nannochloropsis oceanica under nitrogen-depletion conditions. Algal Research 7, 66-77.

Wang Y, Liu J, Gerken H, Zhang CW, Hu Q, Li YT (2014) Highly-efficient enzymatic conversion of crude algal oils into biodiesel. Bioresour. Technol. 172, 143-149.

Li J, Han DX, Wang D, Ning K, Jia J, Wei L, Jing X, Huang S, Chen J, Li YT, Hu Q, Xu J (2014) Choreography of transcriptomes and lipidomes in Nannochloropsis reveals the mechanisms of oleaginousness in microalgae. Plant Cell 26: 1645-1665. (ISI Web of Science Highly cited article)

*Liu J, Gerken H, *Li Y (2014) Single-tube colony PCR for DNA amplification and transformant screening of oleaginous microalgae. J. Appl. Phycol. 26: 1719-1726

Han DX1, Li YT1, Hu Q (2013) Astaxanthin in microalgae: pathways, functions and biotechnological implications. Algae 28: 131-147 (1Equal contribution)

Yoon K, Han D, Li Y, Sommerfeld M, Hu Q (2012) Phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase is a multifunctional enzyme involved in membrane lipid turnover and degradation while synthesizing triacylglycerol in the unicellular green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Cell 24: 3708-3724 (Highly cited article)

Li Y, Han D, Sommerfeld M, Hu Q (2011) Photosynthetic carbon partitioning and lipid production in the oleaginous microalga Pseudochlorococcum sp. (Chlorophyceae) under nitrogen-limited conditions. Bioresour. Technol. 102: 123-129

Packer A, Li YT, Andersen T, Hu QA, Kuang Y, Sommerfeld M (2011) Growth and neutral lipid synthesis in green microalgae: A mathematical model. Bioresour. Technol. 102: 111-117

Li Y, Han D, Hu G, Dauvillee D, Sommerfeld M, Ball S, Hu Q (2010) Chlamydomonas starchless mutant defective in ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase hyper-accumulates triacylglycerol. Metabolic Engineering 12: 387-391 (Highly cited article)

Li Y, Han D, Hu G, Sommerfeld M, Hu Q (2010) Inhibition of starch synthesis results in overproduction of lipids in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 107: 258-268 (Highly accessed article)

Li Y, Sommerfeld M, Chen F, Hu Q (2010) Effect of photon flux densities on regulation of carotenogenesis and cell viability of Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae). J. Appl. Phycol. 22: 253-263

Li Y, Huang J, Sandmann G, Chen F (2009) High-light and sodium chloride stress differentially regulate the biosynthesis of astaxanthin in Chlorella zofingiensis (Chlorophyceae). J. Phycol. 45: 635-641

Hu Z, Li Y, Sommerfeld M, Hu Q (2008) Enhanced protection against oxidative stress in an astaxanthin-overproduction Haematococcus mutant (Chlorophyceae). Eur. J. Phycol. 43: 365-376

Huang JC, Liu J, Li YT, Chen F (2008) Isolation and characterization of the phytoene desaturase gene as a potential selective marker for genetic engineering of the astaxanthin-producing green alga Chlorella zofingiensis (Chlorophyta). J. Phycol. 44: 684-690

Li Y, Huang J, Sandmann G, Chen F (2008) Glucose sensing and the mitochondrial alternative pathway are involved in the regulation of astaxanthin biosynthesis in the dark-grown Chlorella zofingiensis (Chlorophyceae). Planta 228: 735-743

Li Y, Sommerfeld M, Chen F, Hu Q (2008) Consumption of oxygen by astaxanthin biosynthesis: A protective mechanism against oxidative stress in Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae). J Plant Physiol 165:1783-97 (Highly accessed article)

Sun N, Wang Y, Li YT, Huang JC, Chen F (2008) Sugar-based growth, astaxanthin accumulation and carotenogenic transcription of heterotrophic Chlorella zofingiensis (Chlorophyta). Process Biochem. 43: 1288-1292