He Li

I presently serve as a Food Science and Technology researcher, actively involved in various aspects of our research endeavors. My responsibilities include aiding in the setup of the Laboratory for Food Chemistry and Foodomics, actively contributing to KTH FOOD organization efforts, and providing crucial support to research projects focused on the "Biotechnology of Carbohydrates from biomass".

Background

I hold a Ph.D. in biotechnology from Aalto University, Finland. I have extensive scientific research experience in the fields of Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, and Analytical Chemistry. My passion lies in the field of sustainability, and I am committed to utilizing my expertise to promote sustainable practices and contribute to a greener future. This involves researching and developing biotechnological solutions for sustainable food, agriculture, renewable materials, and energy production.

Research

My research interests are mainly focusing on enzyme development and enzymatic processes for industrial sustainability, i.e. enzyme designing and engineering, enzymatic degradation, and modification of the major carbohydrate polymer present in nature.

Over the past two years, I have been dedicated to the "Discovery and Enhancement of Thermostable Biomass-Degrading Enzymes" project, generously supported by the Swedish Research Council, Vetenskapsrådet (VR), at the Stockholm CAZyme group, KTH. My primary objectives encompass uncovering new enzymes, investigating their functionalities and stability, enhancing enzyme thermostability through protein engineering, and designing enzyme combinations to optimize hydrolytic efficiency while minimizing enzyme quantities needed for reactions. This research endeavor is poised to yield a more environmentally friendly and economically viable approach to breaking down intricate biomass structures while achieving a high degree of saccharification. The newly identified and engineered thermostable enzymes will play a crucial role in the biofuel production process.

Supervised students in KTH

• Pakinee Thianheng - PhD student, KTH Glycoscience and WWSC, since June 2023. Main supervisor Docent Lauren McKee. Co-supervisor.
• Rasmus Gustafsson - Research intern, summer 2023. Master's thesis student, spring 2023. Co-supervisor.
• Ida Ristola - Master's thesis student, spring 2023. Co-supervisor.
• Lova Sandin - Master's thesis student, spring 2022. Research intern, summer 2022. Co-supervisor.
• Vasiliki Makrygianni - Master's thesis student, spring 2022. Research intern, summer 2022. Co-supervisor.
• Kasane Suzuki - Master's thesis student, autumn 2021-spring 2022. Exchange from Tokyo Tech, Japan. Co-supervisor
• Elin Wedin Kvick - Summer intern 2021, Supervisor