Yinjie Tang, Professor

Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering Department 

Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130

Office: Brauer Hall, Room 1025 

Phone: 314-935-3441 ;  Email: yinjie.tang@ wustl.edu. 

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Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle 

BS and MS in Biochemical Engineering, Tianjin University 

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Research

1. Characterize and engineer microbial species via ¹³C-metabolic analysis and omics (Host Analysis guided Screening and Targeted Engineering HASTE)

2. Develop algae and yeast bioprocesses for waste remediation and bio-production

3. Integrate metabolic models, machine learning, large language models, and process simulations to synthesize knowledge and optimize biomanufacturing  

 4. Space Biomanufacturing and In-Situ Resource Utilization under extreme environments (e.g., zero gravity or low temperature)   

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Teaching

Current Courses: Bioprocess Engineering EECE5060 (2014~present); Generative AI for Bioprocess Engineering EECE5260 (2025~present);  Biology EECE3550 (2023~present)            

Past Courses: International Experience EECE418 (2012); Fluid dynamics EECE306 (2013); Process Dynamics and Control EECE401 (2008~2024); Metabolic Engineering EECE565 (2010~2013)

Otheres: Microbiology (guest lecturer at Air Force Institute of Technology, 2019, under Air Force Summer Faculty Fellow Program); iGEM Mentor (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2017)               

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Service

1. School Services: Graduate Director (2015~2016);  Undergraduate Director (2016~Jan. 2019, prepared 2018 ABET evaluation); University Conflicts of Interest Review Committee (2019~present)

2. Editors: Bioresource Technology; Biotechnology Advance; Process Biochemistry: Chemical Engineering Journal

    Associate Editor or Guest Editors (unpaid): Microbial Cell Factories; Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts; Current Opinion in Biotechnology; Frontier in Microbiology  

3. Grant reviewers: DOE, NSF, EPA, AFORS, NASA, BBSRC of UK, USDA, MacArthur Fellows Program, Israel Science Foundation, Genome Canada, ANR of France

4. Conference session chair (Biochemical and Molecular Engineering 2019; Metabolic Engineering 14 2021; ACS Annual Meeting 2022; SIMB Annual Meeting 2026; ICCDU 2026)

5. Advisory Committee Member: Predictive Phenomics Initiative at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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Awards

NSF CAREER (2010); Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2010); Department Chair's Award for Outstanding Teaching (2013)

U.S. Air Force Research Lab Summer Faculty Fellowship (2019); NSF Transition Award (2023);  AICHE Division 15a Plenary Award (2024)