He Jianzhong 23 Sep 2021

He Jianzhong

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Director, Centre for Environment Resilience (CER)

Biography

Dr. Jianzhong He is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore. She is also the Director of the Centre for Environment Resilience (CER). She received her Ph.D. degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2003. Before moving to U.S.A., she obtained her Master and Bachelor degrees from Tsinghua University and Harbin Institute of Technology in 1998 and 1995, respectively. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Berkeley for two years before joining the National University of Singapore as an assistant professor in 2005.

Dr He’s lab conducts interdisciplinary research aiming to develop environmental microbiological technologies to clean up environmental pollutants, promote sustainable developments, and protect human health via innovative scientific discoveries.  She has been addressing the challenging research topics, such as bioremediation of ubiquitous flame retardants (e.g., PBDEs, PCBs, TPPBA, and their linkage with microplastics), converting sustainable biomass to value added biochemicals/biofuels, and investigating advanced Anammox coupling Simultaneous Nitrification and Denitrification processes in wastewater treatment for achieving an energy-neutral system.  In the process of tackling these challenges, her lab nicely integrates advanced cultivation and isolation methods, employs biochemical and genetic procedures, applies the state-of-the art analytical instrumentation, and exploits high-throughput genomics and proteomics approaches to advance the understanding of novel microorganisms and corresponding bioprocesses at the nexus of water-energy-waste.

During her tenure at NUS, Dr. He has generated 96 peer-reviewed publications while securing significant amount of external funding from diverse funding agencies. So far, her publications have been cited for more than 6000 times and an H-Index of 35 (based on Google Scholar). Among the publications, the papers published in Science Advances in year 2018, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) in year 2014, and in Nature in year 2003 highlight the impact of her work. She holds several patents and collaborates widely with industrial, governmental and scientific partners. She is also the Associate Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology, and editorial board member of the ISME Journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Scientific Reports, Environmental Science & Ecotechnology, and International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation.

Qualifications

  • Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A., 2003.
  • M.S., Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 1998.
  • B.S., Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, 1995.

Career History

  • Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (2021- present).
  • Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (2011-2021).
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (2005-2011).
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A. (2003-2005).

Honours & Awards

  • Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, 2021
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), UK, 2020
  • Chartered Engineer and Chartered Member of IChemE, UK, 2020
  • Second Prize – Biotechnology Award at IChemE Global Awards 2019
  • Distinguished service award as an editorial board member of Applied & Environmental Microbiology 2019
  • Second Prize – Biotechnology Award at the IChemE Singapore Awards 2017
  • Ten inspiring women in Science and Technology 2016, World Economic Forum
  • BESS Achievement Award 2016 – Bioenergy Society of Singapore
  • Hyflux-SNIC Award in Environmental Chemistry 2011
  • Second prize of the green wave environmental care competition, Singapore, January 2010

Professional Activities

  • Management Committee Global Water of IChemE, Executive Board Member
  • IChemE Water Singapore, Chair
  • International Society of Microbial Ecology (ISME), Ambassador
  • American Society of Microbiology (ASM), member
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), member
  • International Water Association (IWA), member
  • BioEnergy Society of Singapore (BESS), Executive Board member

Teaching Areas

  • Resource management and circular economy
  • Biotechnology for hazardous substances management in subsurface
  • Advanced environmental microbiology

Research Interests

  • Biotransformation and fate of hazardous compounds
  • Biodegradation of contaminants in engineered systems
  • Bioremediation of soil, sediments, and groundwater
  • Anammox process for nutrient removal in wastewater
  • Biomass to bioenergy and value-added biochemicals
  • Environmental genetics and novel metabolism of microbes
  • Environmental application of genomics

Selected Publications

  1. Zhao, S., M.J. Rogers, L. Cao, C. Ding, and J. He. 2021. Identification of reductive dehalogenases that mediate complete debromination of penta- and tetra-brominated diphenyl ethers in Dehalococcoides. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 87: e0060221
  2. Xu, G., X. Zhao, S. Zhao, C. Chen, M. J. Rogers, R. Ramaswamy, and J. He. 2021. Insights into the occurrence, fate, and impacts of halogenated flame retardants in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Environ. Sci. Technol., 55: 4205-4226
  3. Wang, Q., M. J. Rogers, S. S. Ng, and J. He.  2021. Fixed nitrogen removal mechanisms associated with sulfur cycling in tropical wetlands. Water Res., 189: 116619
  4. Xu G., X. Zhao, S. Zhao, J. He. 2021. Acceleration of polychlorinated biphenyls remediation in soild via sewage sludge amendment. J. Hazard. Mater., 420: 126630
  5. Ramaswamy, R., S. Zhao, S. Bae, and J. He. 2021. Debromination of TetraBromoBisphenol-A (TBBPA) depicting the metabolic versatility of Dehalococcoides. J. Hazard. Mater., 126408
  6. Wang, and J. He. 2020. Complete nitrogen removal via simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by a novel phosphate accumulating Thauera sp. strain SND5. Water Res., 185:116300
  7. Zhao, S., M. J. Rogers, and J. He. 2020. Abundance of organohalide respiring bacteria and their role in dehalogenating antimicrobials in wastewater treatment plants. Water Res., 181: 115893
  8. Ding, C., M. J. Rogers, and J. He. 2020. Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain GEO12 has a natural tolerance to chloroform inhibition. Environ. Sci. Technol., 54: 8750-8759
  9. Zhang, C., G. Su, and J. He. 2020.  Enhanced direct fermentation from food waste to butanol and hydrogen by an amylolytic Clostridium.  Renew. Energy, 153: 522-529.
  10. Ding, C., L Adrian, Y Peng, and J. He. 2020. 16S rRNA gene-based primer pair showed high specificity and quantification accuracy in detecting freshwater Brocadiales anammox bacteria.  FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 96: fiaa013
  11. Wang, Q., and J. He. 2020. Newly designed high-coverage degenerate primers for nitrogen removal mechanism analysis in a partial nitrification-anammox (PN/A) process. FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 96: fiz202
  12. Wang, S., C. Chen, and J. He. 2019. Microbial synergistic interactions for reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls. Sci. Total. Environ. 666: 368-376
  13. Zhao S., and J. He. 2019. Reductive dechlorination of high concentrations of chloroethenes by a Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 11G.  FEMS Microbiol. Ecol., 95: fiy209
  14. Wang, Q., C. Ding, G. Tao, and J. He. 2019. Analysis of enhanced nitrogen removal mechanisms in a validation wastewater treatment plant containing anammox bacteria.  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 103:1255-1265
  15. Chen, C., and J. He. 2018. Strategy for the rapid dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains.  Environ. Sci. Technol., 52: 13854-13862
  16. Zhang, C., T. Li, and J. He. 2018. Characterization and genome analysis of a butanol–isopropanol-producing Clostridium beijerinckii strain BGS1. Biotechnol. Biofuels. 11: 280
  17. Ding, C., L. Alvarez-Cohen, and J. He. 2018. Growth of Dehalococcoides mccartyi species in an autotrophic consortium producing limited acetate. Biodegradation. 29: 487-498
  18. Zhao, S., M. J. Rogers, C. Ding, and J. He. 2018. Reductive debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers – microbes, processes and dehalogenases. Front. Microbiol., 9: 1292 (12 pages)
  19. Li, T., C. Zhang, K. -L. Yang, and J. He. 2018. Unique genetic cassettes in a Thermoanaerobacterium contribute to simultaneous conversion of cellulose and monosugars into butanol. Science Advances, 4: e1701475
  20. Ding, C., M. J. Rogers, K-L. Yang, and J. He. 2017. Loss of the ssrA genome island led to partial debromination in the PBDE respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain GY50.  Environ. Microbiol., 19: 2906-2915
  21. Basu A., F. Xin, T. K. Lim, Q. Lin, K-L. Yang, and J. He. 2017. Quantitative proteome profiles help reveal efficient xylose utilization mechanisms in solventogenic Clostridium sp. strain BOH3. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 114: 1959-1969
  22. Li T., and J. He. 2016. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of hemicellulose to butanol by a non-sporulating Clostridium species.  Bioresource Technol., 217: 430-438
  23. Low, A., C. Ng, and J. He. 2016. Identification of antibiotic resistant bacteria community and a GeoChip based study of resistome in urban watersheds.  Water Res., 106: 330-338
  24. Wang S., K. R. Chng, C. Wu, D. L. Bedard, J. He. 2015. Genomic characterization of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain JNA that reductively dechlorinates tetrachloroethene and polychlorinated biphenyls. Environ. Sci. Technol., 49: 14319-14325
  25. Li, T., Y. Yan, and J. He. 2015. Enhanced direct fermentation of cassava to butanol by Clostridium species strain BOH3 in cofactors-mediated medium.  Biotechnol. Biofuels.  8: 16
  26. Wang S., K. R. Chng, A. Wilm, S. Zhao, K.-L. Yang, N. Nagarajan, and J He. 2014. Genomic characterization of three unique Dehalococcoides that respire on persistent polychlorinated biphenyls.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PANS), 111:12103-12108
  27. Ding, C., S. Zhao, and J. He. 2014. A Desulfitobacterium sp. strain PR reductively dechlorinates both 1,1,1-trichloroethane and chloroform.  Environ. Microbiol., 16: 3387-3397
  28. Xin, F., Y. R. Wu, and J. He. 2014. Simultaneous fermentation of glucose and xylose to butanol by Clostridium sp. strain BOH3. Appl Environ Microbiol., 80: 4771-4778
  29. Wang, S., and J. He. 2013. Dechlorination of commercial PCBs and other multiple halogenated compounds by a sediment-free culture containing Dehalococcoides and Dehalobacter. Environ. Sci. Technol., 47: 10526-10534
  30. Lee, P. K. H., D. Cheng, K. A. West, L. Alvarez-Cohen*, and J. He*. 2013. Isolation of two new Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains with dissimilar dechlorination functions and their characterization by comparative genomics via microarray analysis.  Environ. Microbiol., 15: 2293-2305.  (Note: *co-corresponding authors)
  31. Wu, Y-R, Y. Li, K-L. Yang, and J. He. 2012. Draft Genome Sequence of a Butanol-Acetone Producing Clostridium beijerinckii strain G117.  J. Bacteriol., 194: 5470-5471
  32. Bramono S., Lam, Y. S., Ong, S. L., and J. He. 2011. A mesophilic Clostridium species that produces butanol from monosaccharides and hydrogen from polysaccharides. Bioresource Technol., 102: 9558-9563
  33. Lee L. K., C. Ding, K. L. Yang, and J. He. 2011. Complete debromination of tetra- and penta- brominated diphenyl ethers by a coculture consisting of Dehalococcoides and Desulfovibrio species.  Environ. Sci. Technol., 45: 8475-8482
  34. Wang, S., and J. He. 2011. Separation of fluorescence-labelled terminal restriction fragment DNA on a two-dimensional gel (T-RFs-2D) – an efficient approach for microbial consortium characterization.  Environ. Microbiol., 13: 2565-2575
  35. Chow, W. L., D. Cheng, S. Wang, and J. He. 2010. Identification and transcriptional analysis of trans-DCE-producing reductive dehalogenases in Dehalococcoides species, The ISME Journal, 4: 1020-1030
  36. Lee, L. K., and J. He.  2010. Reductive debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by anaerobic bacteria from soils and sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 76: 794-802
  37. Cheng D., W. L. Chow, and J. He. 2010. A Dehalococcoides-containing coculture that dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to trans-1,2-dichloroethene. The ISME Journal, 4: 88-97
  38. Cheng, D., and J. He.  2009.  Isolation and characterization of Dehalococcoides sp. strain MB that dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to trans-1, 2-dichloroethene.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 75: 5910-5918
  39. He J., K. M. Ritalahti, K-L. Yang, S. S. Koenigsberg, and F. E. Löffler. 2003. Detoxification of vinyl chloride to ethene coupled to growth of an anaerobic bacterium. Nature. 424: 62-65

Staff Details

Contact Number

6516 3385

Email Address

ceehj@nus.edu.sg

Location

E2-02-13