Process Engineering

XIAOYAN ZHANG

US Permanent Residence

Pacifica, CA 94044

• Phone: 347-***-**** • *******@*****.***

Experience Summary

Experienced biochemical engineer with 8+ years’ research experience in microbial

fermentations, protein biochemistry and downstream recovery.

Proficient in cell culture (bacteria, yeast and algae), high throughput screening, recombinant

protein over-expression and purification, and fermentation process development for bio-

based products and small molecule.

Skills

Strong skills in Design of Experiment (DOE) and statistical analysis of data. Experience in

MATLAB and Design Expert software.

Assemble, operate and troubleshoot stirred fermentors (0.4/1.5 L multi-unit system, 3/7.5 L

lab-scale fermentors) and air-lift photobioreactors (3L and 20 L).

Cell culture, protein purification and micro-titer plate handling.

Well hands-on experience with FPLC, Chromatography (IEX, MCAC and SEC), Bradford,

SDS-PAGE, Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-Vis spectrometer, tangential flow

filtration (TFF) system, Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF) and Electrodialysis (ED).

MS-Word, Exel and PowerPoint expert.

Working Experience

Visiting Researcher

Polytechnic Institute of New York University 2007-2009

Improved the expression of recombinant proteins (CalB and cutinase expressed by Pichia

pastoris) using high-cell density culture process in fermentors and established an efficient

recombinant proteins purification method using FPLC with high recovery yield and purity.

Optimized the fermentation process using engineered Candida tropicalis to make ω-

hydroxyfatty acids that improved productivity up to 4 times; Developed the purification

method using Flash Chromatography system with silica gel column and analysis of ω-

hydroxyfatty acids by TLC and LC-MS.

Improved the fermentation process and purification process for poly-glutamic acid (PGA)

production with Bacillus licheniformis.

Research Assistant

Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2002-2007

Optimized the medium composition and fermentation process of L-glutamic acid by

Corynebacterium glutamacium.

Created a new wastewater treatment process combined with membrane separation

technology (ED, BMED, MF and UF) and biological method to re-utilize resource in

industrial glutamate production wastewater.

Improved the electric efficiency by optimizing the ED process parameters using Response

Surface Methodology (RSM).

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Scaled up the coupled membrane separation process to regenerate ammonium/sulfuric acid

and recover L-glutamic acid and lactic acid from industrial glutamate production wastewater.

Conducted synergic biological treatment method using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and

Coriolus versicolor to decrease chemical oxygen demand (COD) and remove color in

glutamate production wastewater.

Lab Technician

Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2001-2002

Improved growth rate of macroalgae (Undaria pinnatifida) using photic air-lift bioreactors

(3L and 20L).

Assisted to improve the Nisin production (by Lactococcus lactis) using pH feed-back

controlled method.

Ruidebao bio-decomposed production Co., China 2000-2001

Quality control for the bio-decomposed production.

Education

Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering, 2007, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese

Academy of Sciences, China

B.S. in Biochemical Engineering, 2000, Beijing Technology and Business University,

China

Patents

Wenhua Lu, Cuiying Jia, Xiaoyan Zhang, Wei Cong, Zhaoling Cai. Nisin production by

feed-back controlled method. Chinese Patent No. 200410046394.0.

Selected Publications

Yixin Yang, Wenhua Lu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Wenchun Xie, Minmin Cai and Richard A.

Gross. Two-step Biocatalytic Route to Biobased Functional Polyesters from Omega-

carboxyfatty Acids and Diols. Biomacromolecules, 11: 259-268, 2010.

Wenhua Lu, Jon E. Ness, Wenchun Xie, Xiaoyan Zhang, Jeremy Minshull, and Richard A.

Gross. Biosynthesis of Monomers for Plastics from Renewable Oils. Journal of the

American Chemical Society, 132(43): p15451-15455, 2010.

Xiaoyan Zhang, Wenhua Lu, Pengbo Yang, Wei Cong. Application of Response Surface

Methodology to Optimize the Operation Process for Acid and Base Regeneration Using

Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology,

83(1): 12-19, 2008.

Xiaoyan Zhang, Wenhua Lu, Hongyan Ren, Wei Cong. Recovery of Glutamic Acid from

Isoelectric Supernatant Using Electrodialysis. Separation & Purification Technology, 55:

274-280, 2007.

Xiaoyan Zhang, Wenhua Lu, Hongyan Ren, Wei Cong. Sulfuric Acid and Ammonia

Generation by Bipolar Membranes Electrodialysis: Transport Rate Model for Ion and Water

through Anion Exchange Membrane. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly,

22(1): 1-8, 2008.

Wenhua Lu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Wei Cong. Modelling the Production of Nisin by Lactococcus

lactis in Fed-batch Culture. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 68(33): 322-326,

2005.

Xu Zhang, Dapeng Li, Yiping Zhang, Xiaoyan Zhang, Zhaoling Cai, Wei Cong, Fan

Ouyang. Comparison of photobioreactors for cultivation of Undaria pinnatifida

gametophyte. Biotechnology letters, 24 (18): 1499-1503, 2002

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