CURRICULUM VITAE OF YANTAO LI
Contact Information
The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
The University of Maryland
701 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Fax: (410) 234-8896
Telephone: (410) 234-8833
E-mail: yantao@umces.edu
Education Background
2002-2007
Ph. D. (Microbial Biotechnology), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
(part of my Ph.D. work was done at Arizona State University from 2004 to 2006)
1998-2002
B. S. (Plant Biology), Nanjing University, P.R. China
Research Interests
My research interest is in the area of algal biology and biotechnology. The goal is to understand
lipid synthesis, turnover, and lipid body biogenesis in microalgae, to rationally engineer algae for
biofuel production and bioremediation, and to biochemically convert algal feedstock into biofuels.
Lipid synthesis, turnover, and lipid body biogenesis: Molecular and cellular mechanisms
regulating lipid metabolism in microalgae are poorly understood. We address these mechanisms
by using systems biology and molecular biology approaches. We use the green alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the marine oleaginous microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica as
model systems. Transcriptome, proteome and lipidome profiling of Nannochloropsis and
Chlamydomonas has been employed to identify putative regulatory factors and rate-limiting steps
for triacylglycerol synthesis and storage. Our goal is to advance basic knowledge on
photosynthetic carbon allocation and lipid metabolism in microalgae, particularly the molecular
mechanisms regulating triacylglycerol synthesis and lipid body biogenesis.
Genetic engineering for biofuel production and bioremediation: Microalgal biomass is a
promising feedstock for fuels and chemicals. The low biomass and lipid productivity obtained
from native strains is a major challenge for algae-based biofuel production. To overcome this
problem, we have developed tools and strategies to generate algal mutant strains with improved
phenotype. Promising algal strains are tested in advanced photobioreactors using an integrated
approach for carbon capture, wastewater remediation, and biofuel production.
Biochemical conversion of algal feedstock into biofuels: Chemical extraction and conversion of
algal biomass into biofuels is energy and cost intensive. We propose biochemical conversion of
algae biomass to generate lipid-based fuels and fermentation-based fuels through lipase and
lyase-based processes. Biochemical conversion will bring the ability to eliminate the multiplestep, energy-intensive chemical extraction and transesterification processes, provide easy product
separation, and produce minimum amounts of side products.
Publications
Jin Li, Danxiang Han, Dongmei Wang, Kang Ning, Jing Jia, Li Wei, Xiaoyan Jing, Ranran
Huang, Jie Chen, Yantao Li, Qiang Hu, and Jian Xu. (2014) Choreography of transcriptomes and
lipidomes in Nannochloropsis reveals the mechanisms of oleaginousness in microalgae. Plant
Cell In Press
Jin Liu, Henri Gerken and Yantao Li (2014) Single-tube colony PCR of microalgae for DNA
amplification and transformant screening. Journal of Applied Phycology In press, DOI
10.1007/s10811-013-0220-3
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Danxiang Han*, Yantao Li*, and Qiang Hu (2013) Astaxanthin in microalgae: pathways,
functions and biotechnological implications. Algae 28, 131-147. (*Equal contribution)
Yantao Li, Danxiang Han, Kang-Sup Yoon, Shunni Zhu, Milton Sommerfeld and Qiang Hu.
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms for Lipid Synthesis and Accumulation in Microalgae:
Biotechnological Implications. In Handbook of Microalgal Culture, 2nd Edition; Amos
Richmond and Qiang Hu, editors. In press, Chapter 28, pp. 545-565
Danxiang Han, Yantao Li, and Qiang Hu. Biology and Commercial Aspects
of Haematococcus pluvialis. In Handbook of Microalgal Culture, 2nd Edition; Amos Richmond
and Qiang Hu, editors. In press, Chapter 20, pp. 388-405
Yuan-Kun Lee, Wei Chen, Hui Shen, Danxiang Han, Yantao Li, Howland Jones, Jerilyn A.
Timlin, and Qiang Hu Basic Culturing and Analytical Measurement Techniques. In Handbook of
Microalgal Culture, 2nd Edition; Amos Richmond and Qiang Hu, editors. In press, Chapter 3,
pp. 37-68
Kang-Sup Yoon, Danxiang Han, Yantao Li, Milton Sommerfeld and Qiang Hu. (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. 24:1-18.
Aaron Packer, Yantao Li, Tom Andersen, Qiang Hu, Yang Kuang, Milton Sommerfeld. (2011)
Growth and neutral lipid synthesis in green microalgae: a mathematical model. Bioresource
Technology. 102: 111-117
Yantao Li, Danxiang Han, Milton Sommerfeld, and Qiang Hu. (2011) Photosynthetic carbon
partitioning in the oleaginous microalga Pseudochlorococcum sp. (Chlorophyceae) under
nitrogen-limited conditions. Bioresource Technology. 102: 123-129
Yantao Li, Danxiang Han, Guangrong Hu, Milton Sommerfeld, and Qiang Hu. (2010) Inhibition
of starch synthesis responsible for overproduction of lipids in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 107: 258-268
Yantao Li, Danxiang Han, Guangrong Hu, David Dauvillee, Milton Sommerfeld, Steven Ball,
and Qiang Hu. (2010) Chlamydomonas starchless mutant defective in ADP-glucose
pyrophosphorylase hyper-accumulates triacylglycerol. Metabolic Engineering 12: 387-391
Yantao Li, Milton Sommerfeld, Feng Chen and Qiang Hu. (2010) Effect of photon flux density
on carotenoid biosynthesis in Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae): A comparative study
between wild type and an astaxanthin-overproduction mutant. Journal of Applied Phycology 22:
253-263
Yantao Li, Junchao Huang, Gerhard Sandmann, and Feng Chen. (2009) High-light and salt stress
differently regulate the biosynthesis of astaxanthin in Chlorella zofingiensis (Chlorophyceae).
Journal of Phycology 45(3): 635-641
Yantao Li, Junchao Huang, Gerhard Sandmann, and Feng Chen. (2008) Glucose-induced
expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes in the dark is differentially regulated by glucose
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sensing and the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the astaxanthin-producing green alga Chlorella
zofingiensis. Planta 228:735-743
Yantao Li, Milton Sommerfeld, Feng Chen and Qiang Hu. (2008) Consumption of oxygen by
astaxanthin biosynthesis: a protective mechanism against oxidative stress in Haematococcus
pluvialis (Chlorophyceae). Journal of Plant Physiology 165:1783-1797 (Highly accessed article)
Zhengyu Hu, Yantao Li, Milton Sommerfeld, Feng Chen and Qiang Hu. (2008) Enhanced
protection against oxidative stress in an astaxanthin-overproduction Haematococcus mutant.
European Journal of Phycology 43:365-376
Junchao Huang, Jin Liu, Yantao Li, and Feng Chen. (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. Journal of Phycology 44(3): 684-690.
Ni Sun, Yan Wang, Yantao Li, Junchao Huang and Feng Chen. (2008) Sugar-based growth,
astaxanthin accumulation and carotenogenic transcription of heterotrophic Chlorella zofingiensis
(Chlorophyta). Process Biochemistry 43:1288-1292
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