Zhigang Zhang, Biochemical Engineering Ph.D, University of Minnesota
As an intern in the fermentation department of Huabei Pharmaceuticals Company at Shijiazhuang, China in the summer of 1995, I was impressed by how the pennicillium could produce antibiotic penicillin and therefore, I wanted to learn more about the "cell factory," which is mighty, renewable and environmentally benign.
During my undergraduate study at Tianjin University, China, I focused my efforts on the fundamentals and methodologies of industrial chemistry and chemical engineering, especially in analysis as well as synthesis of chemical processes using mathematics and computers. Also, I studied a minor in Biochemical Engineering to enhance my understanding on how to most effectively use the remarkable microbes in finding novel and efficient biological alternatives to old chemical engineering problems, when I came back from Huabei Pharmaceuticals Company. The independent and productive research in immobilized Aspergillus Oryzae cells convinced me to seriously consider biochemical engineering as my career goal.
Inspired by seminars in applied and environmental microbiology, biotechnology and bioengineering, I was compelled to further my academic adventures in biochemical engineering. My graduate thesis research focused on the batch fermentation of beta-mannanase and manno-oligosaccharides preparation in the laboratory and pilot plant scale, collaborating with Professor Wenbo Yang from Nankai University and the Bohai Chemical Industrial Group. Taking part in this project from conception to market, I concentrated my efforts on the design, control and scale-up of the fermentor and bioprocessing from the industrial perspective. I designed a set of tailor-made impellers, which was applicable and efficient for the distinctive rheology of the fermentation media with 3.0% konjac powder. I am proud of the kinetic model I set up to simulate and predict beta-mannanase batch fermentation. By means of Genetic Algorithms, the simulation results gave me valuable insight to further explore and exploit the potentials from Bacillus licheniforms NK-27. Through collaborating with people coming from academia and industry, my teamwork ability and the efficiency in real problem solving with critical thinking was greatly enhanced. But I also found that I needed advanced training in upstream bioproccssing, such as isolation, selection and bioengineering bacteria with industrial and/or environment importance to tackle big problems by recombinant DNA technology.
Upon earning my Master's degree last year, I went to the Division of Extremophiles and Extremozmes Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and started working on two national key projects. By extending the chemical engineering paradigm of transport, kinetics and modeling to microbiology systems, I successfully employed the engineering concepts and approaches of integration, quantitafion and relevance in the optimization and scale-up of Alginate lyase fermentation by Alkaliphilic Bacillus N19-2. The fermentation enzyme activity increased 5-fold compared with it under initial conditions and the enzyme activity in a 2L fermentor kept as high as, and even higher than, the one in the shaken flask. Also, I learned a lot of experimental skills in molecular cellular biology by participating in cu~ing-edge research in the physiology and enzymology of extreme thermophiles and helping younger graduate students with my boundless energy. Through reading scholarly books and up-to-date journals, running scientific experiments, analyzing data, writing research papers, participating in making academic decisions, my ability to innovate and conduct scientific research has improved significantly. I have published an original paper, co-authored two book chapters and applied for the patent (refer to my Resume) within two years.
With my prior enthusiasm and strong commitment to research, multifold research experience and interdisciplinary background in chemistry, bio/chemical engineering and microbiology, I am confident that I have prepared myself well for my upcoming PhD study and research in NC State University. I am very much attracted to your graduate program because:
1) Biochemical Engineering and Technology with emphasis in metabolic analysis and molecular characterization is highlighted in your Chemical Engineering graduate program, which is very compatible with my background and research interest. I can get started as soon as possible on my career path while I am working on my degree.
2) Rarely does any other graduate program so stress creativity, leadership and excellence, which fit my innovative and ambitious nature, and career goal extremely well.
3) Pursuing the PhD in such a large, diverse institution as NC State University would offer me valuable opportunities to do collaboration work and improve my communication skills, which suits my multidisciplinary and diverse orientation well.
4) The concentration of industrial and R&D opportunities in the Research Triangle Park could provide me opportunities for summer internship, co-op position or collaboration project and therefore, put what I learn in the classroom to practical use in the workplace immediately.
If admitted, I would like to concentrate my PhD studies in the areas of Biochemical and Process Engineering, Hyperthermophiles Biotechnology and Enzyme Characterization, Metabolic and Protein Engineering, Bioseparations, and Environmental Biotechnology. The common thread through my diverse research interests is to quantitatively re-understand and re-construct chemical processing and production via inspirations from the analogs of chemical industrial and engineering practices with biological systems.
A cell could be simple, but it has a huge variety of biochemical talents. By manipulating and controlling the cell itself, as well as the environment in which it functions with my unlimited curiosity and innovation, I could be rewarded with discoveries of new products and processes, even breakthroughs, in these promising areas. Since Biochemical Engineering research in China is still in its initial stage, I plan to lead my own work team at my own "cell factory" research center later and undoubtedly, contribute to the emerging bioeconomy boom in the new century.
