James C. Liao
{{Short description|Taiwanese scientist (born 1958)}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = James C. Liao
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name = {{nobold|廖俊智}}
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| image = 廖俊智院長.jpg
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| caption = Official portrait, 2016
| office1 = 9th President of the Academia Sinica
| term_start1 = 21 June 2016
| term_end1 =
| appointer1 = Tsai Ing-wen
| vicepresident1 = Wang Fan-sen
Andrew H. J. Wang
Wang Yu
Chin-Shing Huang
Mei-Yin Chou
Fu-Tong Liu
Tang K. Tang
| predecessor1 = Wang Fan-sen (acting)
| successor1 =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}
| module = {{Infobox scientist
| embed = yes
| other_names =
| fields = Chemical engineering
| workplaces = Eastman Kodak
Texas A&M University
University of California, Los Angeles
Academia Sinica
| patrons =
| education = National Taiwan University (BS)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (PhD)
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| spouse = Fu Chen
}}
| birth_place = Taiwan
}}
James C. Liao ({{zh|t=廖俊智}}; born 1958) is a Taiwanese-American chemist. He is the Parsons Foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles,{{Cite web |url=http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/people/faculty/james-c-liao |title=James C. Liao — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022132348/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/people/faculty/james-c-liao |archive-date=2014-10-22 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web | url=http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~liaoj/team.html |title = James C. Liao, Metabolic Engineering and Synthetic Biology Laboratory}} and is the co-founder and lead scientific advisor of Easel Biotechnologies, LLC.{{Cite web | url=http://www.easelbio.com/about/ | title=About | Easel Biotechnologies, LLC}}
He is best known for his work in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and bioenergy. Liao has been recognized for the biosynthesis and production of higher alcohols such as isobutanol from sugars, cellulose, waste protein, or carbon dioxide.
He was named the president of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, in June 2016.{{cite news|last1=Chung|first1=Jake|title=Liao named Academia Sinica head|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/06/04/2003647855|access-date=4 June 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=4 June 2016}}
Education and career
Liao holds both Taiwanese and American citizenship.{{cite news|last1=Tsao|first1=Edward|last2=Wu|first2=Lilian|title=New Academia Sinica head ready to deal with problems|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201606070011.aspx|access-date=7 June 2016|agency=Central News Agency|date=7 June 2016}} After graduating from National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in 1980, Liao earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1987 under the guidance of chemical engineer Edwin N. Lightfoot, co-author of Transport Phenomena. Liao then worked as a research scientist for Eastman Kodak from 1987 to 1989. In 1990, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University as an assistant professor and three years later he became an associate professor. In 1997, Liao became a professor for the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles.
Research
Liao's research{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Qi06GzQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao|title=James C. Liao|access-date=2016-04-25|archive-date=2017-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307141344/https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Qi06GzQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao|url-status=dead}} interests include biological synthesis of fuels and chemicals, carbon and nitrogen assimilation, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, transcriptional and metabolic networks analysis, fatty acid metabolism.
= Protein based biofuels =
Liao and his team are researching protein based biofuels which use proteins, rather than fats or carbohydrates, as a significant raw material for biorefining and biofuel production. The benefit of using protein is that the protein metabolism is much faster than fatty acid metabolism such as algae biofuels, which leads to higher production.{{Cite web | url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-engineers-demonstrate-the-193090 |title = Newsroom}}
= Electrofuels =
Liao's lab recently participated in the US Department of Energy's Electrofuels program. They proposed converting solar energy into liquid fuels such as isobutanol.{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1126/science.1217643|title = Integrated Electromicrobial Conversion of {{CO2}} to Higher Alcohols|journal = Science|volume = 335|issue = 6076|pages = 1596|year = 2012|last1 = Li|first1 = H.|last2 = Opgenorth|first2 = P. H.|last3 = Wernick|first3 = D. G.|last4 = Rogers|first4 = S.|last5 = Wu|first5 = T.-Y.|last6 = Higashide|first6 = W.|last7 = Malati|first7 = P.|last8 = Huo|first8 = Y.-X.|last9 = Cho|first9 = K. M.|last10 = Liao|first10 = J. C.|pmid = 22461604|bibcode = 2012Sci...335.1596L|s2cid = 24328552}} A new bioreactor could store electricity as liquid fuel with the help of a genetically engineered microbes and carbon dioxide. The isobutanol produced would have an energy density close to gasoline.{{Cite web | url=http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8958/report/F | title=Final Report | Second-Generation Isobutanol Producing Biocatalyst | Research Project Database | Grantee Research Project | ORD | US EPA}}
= Non-oxidative glycolysis =
Liao has also worked on the creation of a non-oxidative glycolysis pathway.{{Cite journal | doi=10.1038/nature12575| title=Synthetic non-oxidative glycolysis enables complete carbon conservation| journal=Nature| volume=502| issue=7473| pages=693–697| year=2013| last1=Bogorad| first1=Igor W.| last2=Lin| first2=Tzu-Shyang| last3=Liao| first3=James C.| pmid=24077099| bibcode=2013Natur.502..693B| s2cid=4465336}} Natural metabolic pathways degrade sugars in an oxidative way that loses 1/3 of the carbon to {{CO2}} in fermentation. The Liao laboratory has developed a pathway, called Non-oxidative glycolysis (NOG), that allows 100% carbon conservation in various fermentation processes.
Awards and honors
- Samson-Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation in Alternative Energy and Smart Mobility for Transportation, Israel, 2020
- Elected to The World Academy of Sciences 2019{{cite news |last1=Lin |first1=Chia-nan |title=World science academy elects three Taiwanese |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2019/12/18/2003727741 |access-date=18 December 2019 |work=Taipei Times |date=18 December 2019}}
- Elected to National Academy of Sciences 2015{{Cite web | url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/20023218.html | title=James Liao}}
- Elected Academician of Academia Sinica
- Industrial Application of Science from National Academy of Sciences 2014{{Cite web |url=http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2014/ucla-engineer-to-receive-nas-award-for-the-industrial-application-of-science |title=James C Liao receives NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016211522/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2014/ucla-engineer-to-receive-nas-award-for-the-industrial-application-of-science |archive-date=2014-10-16 |url-status=dead }}
- Elected to National Academy of Engineering 2013{{Cite web | url=http://www.nae.edu/69250.aspx |title = Professor James C. Liao}}
- ENI award for Renewable Energy 2013{{Cite web |url=http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2013/liano-eni-award |title=Liao Wins ENI Award for Renewable Energy Research — UCLA Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016085602/http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2013/liano-eni-award |archive-date=2014-10-16 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url = http://www.eni.com/eni-award/eng/vincitore_2013_james_liao.shtml|title = Eni: Impresa dell'energia|date = 2017-01-12|access-date = 2014-09-23|archive-date = 2016-03-03|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231312/http://www.eni.com/eni-award/eng/vincitore_2013_james_liao.shtml|url-status = dead}}
- White House Champion of Change in Renewable Energy, 2012[https://web.archive.org/web/20120423035529/http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions/innovators-in-renewable-energy/james-liao www.whitehouse.gov]
- Presidential Green Chemistry Award from EPA 2010{{Cite web |url=http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2010/uclas-james-liao-receives-presidential-green-chemistry-challenge-award-from-epa |title=UCLA's James Liao receives Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from EPA — UCLA Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016085556/http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/featured-news/archive/2010/uclas-james-liao-receives-presidential-green-chemistry-challenge-award-from-epa |archive-date=2014-10-16 |url-status=dead }}
- James E. Bailey Award, Society for Biological Engineering, 2009{{Cite web | url=http://www.aiche.org/sbe/community/awards/james-e-bailey-award |title = James E. Bailey Award|date = 2012-06-07}}
- Alpha Chi Sigma Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2009{{Cite web | url=http://www.aiche.org/community/awards/alpha-chi-sigma-award-chemical-engineering-research |title = Alpha Chi Sigma Award for Chemical Engineering Research|date = 2012-03-28}}
- Marvin J. Johnson Award, Biochemical Technology Division, American Chemical Society, 2009{{Cite web |url=http://acsbiotn.a1whs.com/BIOT/awards.php |title=BIOT Awards |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312104821/http://acsbiotn.a1whs.com/BIOT/awards.php |archive-date=2015-03-12 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2009/professor-james-liao-receives-2009-marvin-j.-johnson-award |title=Professor James Liao receives 2009 Marvin J. Johnson Award — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711174107/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2009/professor-james-liao-receives-2009-marvin-j.-johnson-award |archive-date=2010-07-11 |url-status=dead }}
- Charles Thom Award, Society for Industrial Microbiology, 2008http://www.simbhq.org/docs/PastAwardees2013.pdf{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
- Merck Award for Metabolic Engineering, 2006{{Cite web |url=http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2006/professor-james-liao-receives-merck-award |title=Professor James Liao receives Merck Award — UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714141511/http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu/news/news-archive/2006/professor-james-liao-receives-merck-award |archive-date=2010-07-14 |url-status=dead }}
- FPBE Division Award of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2006{{Cite web | url=http://www.aiche.org/community/awards/food-pharmaceutical-and-bioengineering-division-award-chemical-engineering |title = Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award in Chemical Engineering|date = 2012-03-28}}
- Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2002{{Cite web | url=http://aimbe.org/college-of-fellows/COF-0579/ | title=James C. Liao, Ph.D. COF-0579 - AIMBE}}
- National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1992{{Cite web |url=http://www.kncv.nl/chemistry-of-life-engineering-biology/james-liao.126651.lynkx |title=James Liao - KNCV |access-date=2014-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141127064327/http://www.kncv.nl/chemistry-of-life-engineering-biology/james-liao.126651.lynkx |archive-date=2014-11-27 |url-status=dead }}
Personal
Liao is originally from Taiwan. He is married to Kelly Liao and has two daughters, Carol and Clara Liao.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sinica.edu.tw/en/president James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica ]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcHvKZgt_s8 White House Champion of Change for Renewable Energy - James Liao]
- [http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~liaoj/ James C. Liao, Metabolic Engineering and Synthetic Biology Laboratory Homepage]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liao, James C.}}
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Category:National Taiwan University alumni
Category:UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty
Category:Taiwanese chemical engineers
Category:Members of Academia Sinica
Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Category:Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)