Prof Percival Yi-Heng Zhang

Associate Professor

Department of Biological Systems Engineering

PH: +1 (540) 231-7417
Fax: +1 (540) 231-3199
Email: [email protected]
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Background

Dr. Yi-Heng Percival Zhang is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Also, he is an affiliated investigator of the DOE BioEnergy Science Center (BSEC). Now he is also a cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer of Gate Fuels Co. (USA).

Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he was a research scientist, postdoc associate, Ph.D. student at Dartmouth College, working with a biofuel pioneer - Prof. Lee R. Lynd, for validating feasibility of consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). He received his bachelor and master degrees in Biochemical Engineering Department of East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. His master thesis advisors are Profs. Jian-Jiang Zhong and Jun-Tang Yu.

His research interests include (1) cost-effective release of fermentable sugars from non-food biomass through lignocellulose fractionation and cellulase engineering, (2) highest-efficiency conversion of sugars to 2nd liquid biofuels (e.g., ethanol and hydrocarbons) and 3rd generation biofuels (e.g., hydrogen and electricity) through cell-free synthetic pathway biotransformation (SyPaB), (3) CO2 utilization through artificial photosynthesis for production of food, feed, biofuels, electricity storage compound, and high density hydrogen carrier, and (4) energy efficiency analysis for energy conversion and generation. Furthermore, he has advocated sugar-hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles (Crazy Idea of Year 2006, by Esquire magazine) and the carbon-neutral carbohydrate economy.

He is a pioneer in cell-free synthetic biology. His breakthrough of the highest yield hydrogen production from biomass sugars has been highlighted by the Royal Society of the UK as "the beginning stage of a cheap, green and high-yield hydrogen production". These chemical reactions can generate chemical energy (hydrogen) output 22% more than input by absorbing useless ambient-temperature thermal energy for the first time. Also, he has invented the lowest cost biohydrogenation technology and designed the highest energy efficiency (artificial) photosynthesis for producing sugars from CO2.

He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal papers, 10 book chapters, and filed 15 patents disclosures. Four of the patent disclosures have been licensed to two biofuels/biotechnology companies - Mascoma (USA) and Biomethodes (French); five are on an option-to-license stage. He has received several distinctions, such as Biotechnology and Bioengineering Daniel IC Wang Award (2010), Sunkist Young Designer Award (2009), BP young scientist Award (2008), Dupont Young Faculty Award (2008), Air Force Young Investigator Award (2007), ACS PRF New Faculty Award (2006), Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2005), to name a few.