James C. Liao Explained

James C. Liao
Office1:9th President of the Academia Sinica
Term Start1:21 June 2016
Appointer1:Tsai Ing-wen
Vicepresident1:Wang Fan-sen
Andrew H. J. Wang
Wang Yu
Chin-Shing Huang
Mei-Yin Chou
Fu-Tong Liu
Tang K. Tang
Predecessor1:Wang Fan-sen (acting)
Party:Independent
Birth Date:
Embed:yes
Citizenship:American
Nationality:Taiwanese
Fields:Synthetic Biology,
Metabolic Engineering,
Bioenergy,
Bioengineering
Workplaces:Eastman Kodak,
Texas A&M University,
University of California, Los Angeles,
Academia Sinica
Alma Mater:National Taiwan University,
University of Wisconsin - Madison
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Spouse:Fu Chen

James C. Liao is the Parsons Foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles[1] [2] and is the co-founder and lead scientific advisor of Easel Biotechnologies, LLC.[3]

He is best known for his work in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and bioenergy. Liao has been recognized for the biosynthesis and production of higher alcohols such as isobutanol from sugars, cellulose, waste protein, or carbon dioxide.

He was named the president of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, in June 2016.[4]

Education and training

Liao holds both Taiwanese and American citizenship.[5] After receiving his bachelor's degree from National Taiwan University in 1980, Liao earned his doctor of philosophy from University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1987 under the guidance of Edwin N. Lightfoot, co-author of Transport Phenomena. He worked as a research scientist for Eastman Kodak from 1987 to 1989. In 1990, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University as an assistant professor and three years later he became an associate professor. In 1997, Liao became a professor for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles.

Research

Liao's research[6] interests include biological synthesis of fuels and chemicals, carbon and nitrogen assimilation, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, transcriptional and metabolic networks analysis, fatty acid metabolism.

Protein based biofuels

Liao and his team are researching protein based biofuels which use proteins, rather than fats or carbohydrates, as a significant raw material for biorefining and biofuel production. The benefit of using protein is that the protein metabolism is much faster than fatty acid metabolism such as algae biofuels, which leads to higher production.[7]

Electrofuels

Liao's lab recently participated in the US Department of Energy's Electrofuels program. They proposed converting solar energy into liquid fuels such as isobutanol.[8] A new bioreactor could store electricity as liquid fuel with the help of a genetically engineered microbes and carbon dioxide. The isobutanol produced would have an energy density close to gasoline.[9]

Non-oxidative glycolysis

Liao has also worked on the creation of a non-oxidative glycolysis pathway.[10] Natural metabolic pathways degrade sugars in an oxidative way that loses 1/3 of the carbon to in fermentation. The Liao laboratory has developed a pathway, called Non-oxidative glycolysis (NOG), that allows 100% carbon conservation in various fermentation processes.

Awards and honors

Personal

Liao is originally from Taiwan. He is married to Kelly Liao and has two daughters, Carol and Clara Liao.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: James C. Liao — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141022132348/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/people/faculty/james-c-liao . 2014-10-22 . dead .
  2. Web site: James C. Liao, Metabolic Engineering and Synthetic Biology Laboratory.
  3. Web site: About | Easel Biotechnologies, LLC.
  4. News: Chung. Jake. Liao named Academia Sinica head. 4 June 2016. Taipei Times. 4 June 2016.
  5. News: Tsao. Edward. Wu. Lilian. New Academia Sinica head ready to deal with problems. 7 June 2016. Central News Agency. 7 June 2016.
  6. Web site: James C. Liao.
  7. Web site: Newsroom.
  8. 10.1126/science.1217643. Integrated Electromicrobial Conversion of to Higher Alcohols. Science. 335. 6076. 1596. 2012. Li. H.. Opgenorth. P. H.. Wernick. D. G.. Rogers. S.. Wu. T.-Y.. Higashide. W.. Malati. P.. Huo. Y.-X.. Cho. K. M.. Liao. J. C.. 22461604. 2012Sci...335.1596L. 24328552.
  9. Web site: Final Report | Second-Generation Isobutanol Producing Biocatalyst | Research Project Database | Grantee Research Project | ORD | US EPA.
  10. 10.1038/nature12575. Synthetic non-oxidative glycolysis enables complete carbon conservation. Nature. 502. 7473. 693–697. 2013. Bogorad. Igor W.. Lin. Tzu-Shyang. Liao. James C.. 24077099. 2013Natur.502..693B. 4465336.
  11. News: Lin . Chia-nan . World science academy elects three Taiwanese . 18 December 2019 . Taipei Times . 18 December 2019.
  12. Web site: James Liao.
  13. Web site: James C Liao receives NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141016211522/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2014/ucla-engineer-to-receive-nas-award-for-the-industrial-application-of-science . 2014-10-16 . dead .
  14. Web site: Professor James C. Liao.
  15. Web site: Liao Wins ENI Award for Renewable Energy Research — UCLA Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141016085602/http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2013/liano-eni-award . 2014-10-16 . dead .
  16. Web site: Eni: Impresa dell'energia. 2017-01-12. 2014-09-23. 2016-03-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231312/http://www.eni.com/eni-award/eng/vincitore_2013_james_liao.shtml. dead.
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20120423035529/http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions/innovators-in-renewable-energy/james-liao www.whitehouse.gov
  18. Web site: UCLA's James Liao receives Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from EPA — UCLA Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141016085556/http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2010/uclas-james-liao-receives-presidential-green-chemistry-challenge-award-from-epa . 2014-10-16 . dead .
  19. Web site: James E. Bailey Award. 2012-06-07.
  20. Web site: Alpha Chi Sigma Award for Chemical Engineering Research. 2012-03-28.
  21. Web site: BIOT Awards . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150312104821/http://acsbiotn.a1whs.com/BIOT/awards.php . 2015-03-12 . dead .
  22. Web site: Professor James Liao receives 2009 Marvin J. Johnson Award — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100711174107/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2009/professor-james-liao-receives-2009-marvin-j.-johnson-award . 2010-07-11 . dead .
  23. http://www.simbhq.org/docs/PastAwardees2013.pdf
  24. Web site: Professor James Liao receives Merck Award — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100714141511/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2006/professor-james-liao-receives-merck-award . 2010-07-14 . dead .
  25. Web site: Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award in Chemical Engineering. 2012-03-28.
  26. Web site: James C. Liao, Ph.D. COF-0579 - AIMBE.
  27. Web site: James Liao - KNCV . 2014-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141127064327/http://www.kncv.nl/chemistry-of-life-engineering-biology/james-liao.126651.lynkx . 2014-11-27 . dead .

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