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Nannan Jiang

Bioenergy and Biofuels

Biography

Supervising Faculty: Frank E. Löffler

Nannan initially developed an interest in global sustainability at the undergraduate level while working with Clifford F. Weil at Purdue University. In pursuing this interest, he was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) internship to work in the laboratory of Louis A. Sherman with mentor Vilas B. Shukla to investigate polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis in the photosynthetic cyanobacteria. During this time, Nannan realized the power of harnessing microbes to produce compounds such as PHAs, which can be processed into biodegradable plastics.  Following his B.S. in Biological Sciences, Nannan pursued his M.S. in Microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Here, he worked under the direction of William W. Metcalf to study gene regulation in the strictly anaerobic, methanogenic archaea, which produce the clean and renewable energy source methane. With an interest in bioenergy, Nannan then took a post-masters metabolic engineering position at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  Here, he applied molecular genetics to develop microbial strains as candidates for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) in the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC).  Currently, Nannan is advised by Frank E. Löffler in his studies to enhance the ability of microbes such as Geobacter to perform bioremediation.


Research

Research interests:

  • Bioremediation
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology
  • Outreach

 

Other Links:


Education

Master of Science in Microbiology - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bachelor of Science in General Biology – Purdue University


Professional Service


Awards and Recognitions


Publications

Google Scholar Profile: Nannan Jiang


Contact Information