Research

Overall Research

FBRians pursue to produce value-added materials from bioresources such as renewable biomass, and food byproducts as well as plastics using biological approaches such as recombinant enzymes and microorganisms as well as chemical catalysts.

1. Renewable biomass engineering

As part of our efforts to prevent climate change, we handle renewable biomass such as lignocellulose and macroalgae as well as byproducts to produce value-added materials including biosugars, bio-based chemicals (bioplastic monomers and platform chemicals, etc.), and biofuels.

Related papers

Ja Hyun Lee, Doyeon Kim, Yoonjoo Kim, Dong Hyun Kim(Co-corresponding), Yong-Cheol Park, Kyoung Heon Kim. (2025). Enzyme cascades for high-yield conversion of D-xylose into D-ribose by overcoming equilibrium constraints and enhancing selectivity. Bioresource Technology, 428, 132435
Chen Ling, Ryan W. Clarke, Gloria Rosetto, Shu Xu, Robin M. Cywar, Dong Hyun Kim, Levi J.Hamernik, Stefan J. Haugen, William E. Michener, Sean P. Woodworth, Torrey M. Lind, Kelsey J. Ramirez, Meltem Urgun-Demirtas, Davinia Salvachua, Christopher W. Johnson, Nicholas A. Rorrer,* and Gregg T. Beckham*.(2025). Tuna blend Degradable Dynamic Thermosets from Compatibilized Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2025, 13, 9, 3817–3829.

Dong Hyun Kim (Co-first author), Jaehyun Cha, Gwon Woo Park, Im Soo Kang, Eunjin Lee, Young Hoon Jung, Kyoungseon Min*. (2024). Biotechnological valorization of levulinic acid as a non-sugar feedstock: New paradigm in biorefineries. Bioresource Technology, 408, 131178.

Hye Jee Kang, Yeon Ju Lee, Jin Kyoung Lee, Irnia Nurika, Sri Suhartini, Deokyeong Choe, Dong Hyun Kim, Hoon Choi, Natasha P Murphy, Ho Yong Kim, Young Hoon Jung. (2024). Production of chitosan-based composite film reinforced with lignin-rich lignocellulose nanofibers from rice husk. Journal of Bioresource and Bioproducts, 9(2), 174-184.

Allison Z Werner, William T Cordell, Ciaran W Lahive, Bruno C Klein, Christine A Singer, Eric CD Tan, Morgan A Ingraham, Kelsey J Ramirez, Dong Hyun Kim, Jacob Nedergaard Pedersen, Christopher W Johnson, Brian F Pfleger, Gregg T Beckham*, Davinia Salvachúa*. (2023). Lignin conversion to β-ketoadipic acid by Pseudomonas putida via metabolic engineering and bioprocess development. Science Advances, 9, eadj0053.

Kim, D. H. (First author), Liu, J.-J., Lee, J.W., Pelton, J., Yun, E.J., Yu, S, Jin, Y.-S., Kim, K. H. (2020). Biological upgrading of 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose from agarose to a new platform chemical. Green Chemistry, 22, 1776-1785. (JCR 10% 이내)

Kim, D. H. (First author), Park, H. M., Jung, Y. H., Sukyai, P., Kim, K. H. (2019). Pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification of oak at high solids loadings to obtain high titers and high yields of sugars. Bioresource Technology, 284, 391-394. (JCR 5% 이내)

Yun, E. J., Oh, E. J., Liu, J. J., Yu, S., Kim, D. H., Kwak, S., Kim, K. H., Jin, Y. S. (2018). Promiscuous activities of heterologous enzymes lead to unintended metabolic rerouting in Saccharomyces cerevisiae engineered to assimilate various sugars from renewable biomass. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 11, 64.

Jung, Y. H., Park, H. M., Kim, D. H., Yang, J., Kim, K. H. (2017). Fed-Batch Enzymatic Saccharification of High Solids Pretreated Lignocellulose for Obtaining High Titers and High Yields of Glucose. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 1-13.

Jung, Y. H., Park, H. M., Kim, D. H., Park, Y. C., Seo, J. H., Kim, K. H. (2015). Combination of high solids loading pretreatment and ethanol fermentation of whole slurry of pretreated rice straw to obtain high ethanol titers and yields. Bioresource Technology, 198, 861-866.

2. Carbohydrate engineering

We try to produce value-added biosugars as well as their derivatives from common natural sugars. They include 1. rare sugars that have various health benefits, 2. functional oligosaccharides, and 3. polysaccharides that have the potential as dietary fiber or unique physical properties.

1. Production of rare sugars by biological conversion through a muti-enzymatic cascade system

2. Production of biosugars and oligosaccharides by efficient hydrolysis through enzymes or chemical catalysts

3. Synthesis of oligosaccharides through enzymatic transglycosylation

4. Production of polysaccharides by efficient extraction and modification from raw materials and by microbial fermentation

Related papers

Ja Hyun Lee, Doyeon Kim, Yoonjoo Kim, Dong Hyun Kim(Co-corresponding), Yong-Cheol Park, Kyoung Heon Kim. (2025). Enzyme cascades for high-yield conversion of D-xylose into D-ribose by overcoming equilibrium constraints and enhancing selectivity. Bioresource Technology, 428, 132435
Eun Ju Yun, Sora Yu, Dong Hyun Kim, Na Jung Park, Jing-Jing Liu, Yong-Su Jin, Kyoung Heon Kim. (2023). Identification of the enantiomeric nature of 2-keto-3-deoxy-galactonate in the catabolic pathway of 3, 6-anhydro-l-galactose. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 107(24), 7427-7438.
Dong Hyun Kim (First author), Young Nam Park, Young Son Cho*. (2023). Sweet Potato, a Crop to Respond to Climate Change: Domestic Production Trend and its Industrial Application. Korean Society for Food Engineering, 27(3), 173-179.
Jang, J.H., Kang, H.J., Adedeji, O.E., Kim, G.Y., Lee, K.J., Kim, D.H., Jung, Y.H*. (2023). Development of a pH indicator for monitoring the freshness of minced pork using a cellulose nanofiber. Food Chemistry, 403, 134366
Kim, D. H. (Co-first author), Park, S. Y., Kim, K. H.* (2022). Optimal β-galactosidases for producing high-titer 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose from red-algal agarobiose. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 106(24), 8111-8120.
Yu, S., Park, S.Y., Kim, D.H., Yun, E.J., Kim, K.H.* (2022). Multi-step enzymatic production and purification of 2-keto-3-deoxy-galactonate from red-macroalgae-derived agarose. Marine Drugs, 20(5), 288.
Yeo, H. J., Adedeji, O. E., Kang, M. D., Park, H. -S., Shin, M., Kim, D. H., Jung, Y. H.* (2022). Tracing characteristic variations of cellulose nanocrystals during the post-synthesis purification process. Polymer Bulletin, 80, 1531-1544
Bang, W. Y., Kim, D. H. (Co-first author), Kang, M. D., Yang, J., Huh, T., Lim, Y. W., Jung, Y. H. (2021). Addition of various cellulosic components to bacterial nanocellulose: a comparison of surface qualities and crystalline properties. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 31, 1-8.
Jin, Y., Yu, S., Kim, D. H., Yun, E. J., Kim, K. H. (2021). Characterization of neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase BpGH117 from a human gut bacterium Bacteroides plebeius. Marine Drugs, 19, 271.
Park, N. J., Yu, S., Kim, D. H., Yun, E. J., Kim, K. H. (2021). Characterization of BpGH16A of Bacteroides plebeius, a key enzyme initiating the depolymerization of agarose in the human gut. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 105, 617-625.
Yu, S., Yun, E. J., Kim, D. H., Park, S. Y., Kim, K. H. (2020). Dual agarolytic pathways in a marine bacterium, Vibrio sp. strain EJY3: Molecular and enzymatic verification. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 86, e02724-19.
Yu, S., Yun, E. J., Kim, D. H., Park, S. Y., Kim, K. H. (2019). Anticariogenic activity of agarobiose and agarooligosaccharides derived from red macroalgae. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 67, 7297-7303. (JCR 10% 이내)
Kim, D. H. (First author), Yun, E. J., Lee, S. H., Kim, K. H. (2018). Novel two-step process utilizing a single enzyme for the production of high-titer 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose from agarose derived from red macroalgae. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66, 12249-12256. (JCR 10% 이내)
Kim, D. H. (First author), Kim, D. H., Lee, S. H., Kim, K. H. (2018). A novel β-glucosidase from Saccharophagus degradans 2-40T for the efficient hydrolysis of laminarin from brown macroalgae. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 11:64.
Kim, J. H., Kim, D. H., Cho, K. M., Kim, K. H., Kang, N. J. (2018). Effect of 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose on α-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced melanogenesis in human melanocytes and a skin-equivalent model. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 119, 7643-7656.
Kim, J. H., Yun, E. J., Seo, N., Yu, S., Kim, D. H., Cho, K. M., An, H. J., Kim, J. H., Choi, I. G., Kim, K. H. (2017). Enzymatic liquefaction of agarose above the sol–gel transition temperature using a thermostable endo-type β-agarase, Aga16B. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 101(3), 1111-1120.

3. Plastic engineering

As part of our efforts to respond to the global plastic issue,

1. Development of an efficient integrated chemo-bioprocess for plastic upcycling to achieve resource circular

2. Production of advanced plastics through efficient plastic recycling and modification processes

3. Development of fermentation and bioconversion process to utilize plastic monomers to produce value-added materials

4. Production of bioplastic building blocks from renewable biomass

Related papers

Robin M Cywar, Chen Ling, Ryan W Clarke, Dong Hyun Kim, Colin M Kneucker, Davinia Salvachúa, Bennett Addison, Sarah A Hesse, Christopher J Takacs, Shu Xu, Meltem Urgun Demirtas, Sean P Woodworth, Nicholas A Rorrer, Christopher W Johnson, Christopher J Tassone, Robert D Allen, Eugene Y-X Chen*, Gregg T Beckham*. (2023). Elastomeric vitrimers from designer polyhydroxyalkanoates with recyclability and biodegradability. Science Advances, 9, eadi173.
Allison Z Werner, William T Cordell, Ciaran W Lahive, Bruno C Klein, Christine A Singer, Eric CD Tan, Morgan A Ingraham, Kelsey J Ramirez, Dong Hyun Kim, Jacob Nedergaard Pedersen, Christopher W Johnson, Brian F Pfleger, Gregg T Beckham*, Davinia Salvachúa*. (2023). Lignin conversion to β-ketoadipic acid by Pseudomonas putida via metabolic engineering and bioprocess development. Science Advances, 9, eadj0053.
Kim, D. H. (Co-first author), Han, D. O., Shim, K. I., Kim, J. K., Pelton, J. G., Ryu, M. H., Joo, J. C., Han, J. W., Kim, H. T., Kim, K. H. (2021). One-pot chemo-bioprocess of PET depolymerization and recycling enabled by a biocompatible catalyst, betaine. ACS Catalysis, 11, 3996-4008. (JCR 10% 이내)

4. Microbiome engineering

1. Isolation and characterization of a new indigenous probiotic strain and development of the efficient isolation system

2. Engineering probiotic yeast to improbe its functional properties

3. Production of unique prebiotics through biological approaches

Related papers

Ban, O-H., Bang, W. Y., Jeon, H. J., Jung, Y. H., Yang, J.*, Kim, D. H.* (Co-corresponding author). (2023). Potential of Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301 isolated from breast milk-fed infant feces as a probiotic and functional ingredient. Food Science and Nutrition, 11(4), 1952-1964.

5. Future food engineering

We try to produce alternative protein materials for future food engineering. Alternative protein materials require fewer resources and produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional animal proteins. These innovative biomaterials serve as key ingredients in next-generation food products including plant-based meats, dairy alternatives, and nutritional supplements. Through our research, we aim to address global food security challenges while meeting consumer preferences and nutritional requirements in an environmentally responsible manner.

Related papers

Suh Hyuk Kim, Hee Joo Hwang, Deokyeong Choe, Yeong Min Kim, and Dong Hyun Kim (2025). Optimization of Hemp Seed-Derived Protein Extraction Conditions as a Future Alternative Protein Source Using Response Surface Methodology and Its Utilization. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Lett., 53(2), 261-269
Park, S. J., Kim, D. H. (Co-first author), Kang, H. J., Shin, M. H., Yang, J., Jung, Y. H. (2021). Enhanced production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using Lactobacillus plantarum EJ2014 with simple medium composition. LWT-Food Science and Technology, 137, 110443.
Lee, J. W., Kwak, S., Liu, J.-J., Yu, S., Yun, E. J., Kim, D. H., Liu, C., Kim, K. H., Jin, Y.-S. (2020). Enhanced 2′-Fucosyllactose production by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae using xylose as a co-substrate. Metabolic Engineering, 62, 322-329. (JCR 10% 이내)

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