Associate Professor

Tel: 13915355077

Email: yangtw@jiangnan.edu.cn

Web:

2014 – present           Associate Professor, Jiangnan University

2007 – 2013               M.Sc. and Ph.D., Jiangnan University

2003 – 2007               B.Sc., Jiangnan University

Based on new   methods of systematical metabolic engineering and fermentation control, he   focused on constructing and improving the metabolic pathways of some target   products. During the past several years, some important microorganisms such   as Bacillus subtilis, and E. coli have been systematically and metabolically   engineered to construct an efficient biocatalyst for production of the   important four-carbon platform compounds (e.g. acetoin, 2,3-butanediol) and   amino acids (e.g. GABA, 2-ABA, L-theanine, L-norvaline). The corresponding   results and findings distributed in 20 articles have been published in some   famous biochemical journals such as Metabolic Engineering, Critical Reviews   in Biotechnology, Biotechnology for Biofuels, Microbiology Cell Factories,   and so on. These results and findings have widely been paid attention. I have   presided over and finished more than 4 national projects, including the NNSF   of China, High-Tech Research and Development Programs of China (863 project),   and so on. He has 10 authorized patents and applied 9 international patents.   He won the second prize of the China Light Industry Association rewards of   technological invents.

[1] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Xian Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong Xu, Shang-Tian Yang.   Metabolic engineering strategies for acetoin and 2,3-butanediol production:   Advances and prospects, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 2017, 37(8):   990-1005.

[2] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Guiyuan Hu, Xian Zhang, Mei Liu, Yue Dai, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong   Xu, Shang-Tian Yang. Metabolic engineering of Bacillus subtilis for   redistributing the carbon flux to 2,3-butanediol by manipulating NADH levels.   Biotechnology for Biofuels 2015; 8: 129.

[3] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Guiyuan Hu, Xian Zhang, Mei Liu, Yue Dai, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong   Xu, Shang-Tian Yang. Enhanced 2,3-butanediol production from   biodiesel-derived glycerol by engineering of cofactor regeneration and   manipulating carbon flux in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Microbiol Cell Fact,   2015; 14(1): 122.

[4] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Xian Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong Xu*, Shang-Tian Yang.   Improved production of 2,3-butanediol in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by   over-expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and   2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase. Plos One 2013; 8(10): e76149.

[5] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Xian Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong Xu*, Shang-Tian Yang.   Fermentation of biodiesel-derived glycerol by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens:   effects of co-substrates on 2,3-butanediol production. Applied Microbiology   and Biotechnology 2013; 97(17): 7651-7658.

[6] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Xian Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong Xu*, Shang-Tian Yang. Effects   of corn steep liquor on production of 2, 3-butanediol and acetoin by Bacillus   subtilis. Process Biochemistry 2013; 48: 1610-1617.

[7] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Xian Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong Xu, Shang-Tian Yang. Economic   conversion of spirit-based distillers’ grain to 2,3-butanediol by Bacillus   amyloliquefaciens. Process Biochemistry 2015; 50(1): 20-23.

[8] Taowei Yang,   Zhiming Rao*, Bernard Gitura Kimani, Meijuan Xu, Xian Zhang, Shang-Tian Yang   Two-step production of gamma-aminobutyric acid from cassava powder using   Corynebacterium glutamicum and Lactobacillus plantarum. J Ind Microbiol   Biotechnol 2015;42:1157-1165.

[9] Taowei Yang^#,   Zaiwei Man^#, Zhiming Rao*, Meijuan Xu, Xian Zhang & Zhenghong Xu.   Asymmetric reduction of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone to (R)-1,3-butanediol with   absolute stereochemical selectivity by a newly isolated strain of Pichia   jadinii. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2014;41:1743-1752.

[10] Yunlong Qi, Taowei   Yang∗, Junping Zhou, Junxian Zheng, Meijuan Xu,Xian Zhang, Zhiming   Rao∗, Shang-Tian Yang. Development of a multi-enzymatic   desymmetrization and its application for the biosynthesis of l-norvaline from   dl-norvaline[J]. Process Biochem. 2017, 55: 104-109.

[11] Rongzhen Zhang, Taowei   Yang, Zhiming Rao*, Hongmei Sun, Meijuan Xu, Xian Zhang,  Zhenghong   Xu and Shangtian Yang. Efficient one-step preparation of [gamma]-aminobutyric   acid from glucose without an exogenous cofactor by the designed   Corynebacterium glutamicum. Green Chem 2014;16:4190-4197.

[12] Zaiwei Man, Zhiming   Rao*, Meijuan Xu, Jing Guo, Taowei Yang, Xian Zhang, Zhenghong Xu.   Improvement of the intracellular environment for enhancing L-arginine   production of Corynebacterium glutamicum by inactivation of H2O2-forming Flavin   reductases and optimization of ATP supply. Metabolic Engineering 2016;38:   310–321.

[13] Xian Zhang,   Rongzhen Zhang, Teng Bao, Zhiming Rao*, Taowei Yang, Meijuan Xu, Zhenghong   Xu, Huazhong Li*, Shangtian Yang. The rebalanced pathway significantly enhances   acetoin production by disruption of acetoin reductase gene and   moderate-expression of a new water-forming NADH oxidase in Bacillus subtilis.   Metab Eng. 2014, 23: 34-41.

[14] Zaiwei Man, Meijuan   Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Jing Guo, Taowei Yang, Xian Zhang, Zhenghong Xu.   Systems pathway engineering of Corynebacterium crenatum for improved   L-arginine production. Scientific reports 2016; 6:28629.