Education

• PhD: Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University (E. Terry Papoutsakis), U.S.A.
• MSc: Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, U.S.A.
• BSc: Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Professional Experience

• 1994-present Distinguished Professor, Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Eng., KAIST, Republic of Korea
• 2026-present President, Korea Synthetic Biology Association
• 2024-2025 Vice Chair, National Bio Commitee
• 2021-2026 Senior Vice President for Research, KAIST, Republic of Korea
• 2023 President, Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Republic of Korea

Honors and Awards

• 2005 Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, USA
• 2007 Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, Korea
• 2007 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, USA
• 2010 International Member of the National Academy of Engineering, USA
• 2011 Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, Korea
• 2013 Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, USA
• 2017 International Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2017 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, USA
• 2021 Foreign Member of the Royal Society, UK
• 2023 Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China
• 2026 Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology, Europe
• Recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Order of Science and Technology Changjo Medal, Ho-Am Prize, POSCO TJ Park Prize, Korea Best Scientist Award, Eni Award from Italian President, Samson Prize from Prime Minister of Israel

Research Interests

• Metabolic engineering, Synthetic biology, Systems biology, Industrial biotechnology

Publications (Max 5)

• Choi, Y.J., Lee, S.Y., "Microbial production of short-chain alkanes", Nature, 502: 571-574 (2013) -Journal cover paper
• Park, S.Y., Eun, H., Lee, M.H., and Lee, S.Y. "Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli with electron channelling for the production of natural products", Nature Catalysis, 5, 726-737 (2022)
• Choi, K.R., Luo, Z.W., Kim, G.B., Xu, H., Lee, S.Y. "A microbial process for the production of benzyl acetate" Nature Chemical Engineering, 1: 216-228 (2024) Journal cover paper
• Chae, T.U. et al. “Biosynthesis of poly(ester amide) in engineered Escherichia coli”, Nature Chem. Biol., 21: 1171-1181 (2025)
• Cho, J.S. et al. "High-titer, antibiotic-free, pilot-scale production of 1,3-propanediol by engineered Corynebacterium", Nature Chemical Engineering, 3(5): 272-285 (2026) - Journal cover paper