News

Nov, 2024

  • Kia successfully defends her Ph.D. thesis. Congratulations, Dr. Ramarui!
  • We thank IMET Angel Investors for funding our project titled “Evolving Microalgae to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emission and Nutrient Runoff into the Chesapeake Bay”. The IMET Angel Investors provide funding for early- stage scientific research that would likely not otherwise occur and encourage innovative solutions and methods that lead to the advancement of marine and environmental research in Maryland with a focus on Chesapeake Bay restoration and sustainability. More here: https://imet.usmd.edu/news/imet-angel-investors-make-largest-commitment-history

Oct, 2024

  • Zhongshi and Jing’s review paper on adaptive lab evolution is accepted by Green Carbon. Congratulations!
  • Kyarii Ramarui is awarded the 1st place winner of the Student Poster Presentation at the 2024 MEES (USM) Annual Colloquium. Congratulations, Kia!
  • Majeed is awarded the 2024 University of Maryland Alumni Association Scholarship and the 2025 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship. Congratulations, Majeed!

Sep, 2024

  • Kia’s methodology paper is accepted in J. Appl. Phycology. Congratulations, Kia, way to go!

Aug, 2024

  • Jing and Majeed are both awarded the 2024 REEF fellowship. Congratulations, Jing and Majeed, way to go!
  • Kia’s first paper on Haematococcus proteomics is accepted in J. Phycology. Congratulations, Kia, way to go! Thanks to Jun for his collaborative work.

June, 2024

May, 2024

  • We have a series of nice presentations at IMET seminar by our graduate students. Thanks to all the participants!
  • We have a very successful IMET Open House, with more than 1200 attendees despite rainy weather. A great way to communicate the impact of our research with microalgae to the community. Thanks to all the participants!

Jan, 2024

Sep, 2023

Aug, 2023

  • We welcome Mr. Zhongshi He as a new Ph.D. student. Welcome aboard!
  • We welcome Dr. Xiyan Ji as a new visiting scientist. Welcome aboard!

Jun, 2023

  • We have a good presence at the Chlamy 2023 meeting with two posters and one oral presentation.

Feb, 2023

Nov, 2022

  • Yantao is invited by Prof. CAO Bin and CHU Jian to present a talk at the Distinguished Seminar Series, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Thank you, Bin and Jian.
  • Yantao is invited to write an “Algae Highlights” in J. Phycology titled “Algal epigenetics: insights from DNA methylation in a symbiotic dinoflagellate”.

Oct, 2022

Sep, 2022

Aug, 2022

  • We welcome Mr. Yuting Lin as a new Ph.D. student. Welcome aboard!

Jun, 2022

  • Yi-Ying’s paper “Genetic compensation of triacylglycerol biosynthesis in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii” is published in Plant Journal as open access. This is a collaborative work with Dr. Stephen Miller and Rudolph Park. Congratulations and thanks to all!

Apr, 2022

  • A collaborative paper led by Dr. H. Hu is accepted by Plant Physiology.  Congratulation to all!

Jan, 2022

Dec, 2021

Nov, 2021

  • Yantao hosts Dr. Zhongchi Liu from Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland College Park for a seminar talk titled “Investigating growth mechanism and development in two distinct branches of photosynthetic life, diatom and strawberry”.
  • Yantao hosts Dr. Senjie Lin from University of Connecticut for a seminar talk titled “CRISPR/Cas9 Studies Reveal Highly Complex Regulations of P Nutrition in Phytoplankton”.

Oct, 2021

  • A collaborative paper is accepted by Current Opinion in Biotechnology. The lead authors are Drs. Hanzhi Lin and Russell Hill. Congratulation to all!

Aug, 2021

  • We welcome Ms. Jing Wang as a new Ph.D. student. Welcome aboard!

Jan, 2021

  • We welcome Ms. Sarah Carpe as a lab tech and Mr. Abdulmajid Alrefaie as a new Ph.D. student. Welcome aboard!

Sep, 2020

  • A collaborative paper is accepted by Plant Journal. The lead authors are Drs. Jian Xu and Jeong. Congratulation to all!
  • We are excited to start a new DOE project on Highly Efficient Microalgae-Based Carbon Sequestration System to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Power Plant Flue Gases. More here: https://imet.usmd.edu/news/3m-grant-study-sequestration-potential-algae

Jun, 2020

  • A collaborative paper is accepted by Plant Physiology and the lead author is Dr. Jin Liu from Peking University, our lab alumni. Congratulation to all!
  • A collaborative paper is accepted by Water research and the lead author is Dr. Zhen He from Wash U. Congratulation to all!

Sep., 2019

  • Kia successfully defended her M.S. thesis! Congratulations and thanks to all the committee members.IMG_5586

May, 2019

  • Yantao hosts Dr. Zhen (Jason) He from Virginia Tech. He gives giving a seminar titled “NEW” Resource Recovery from Wastewater through Technological Advancement.
  • The third annual IMET open day on May 4. Take a look at our booth. Over 600 people visited IMET this year!Photo May 04, 1 56 35 PM

Dec, 2018

  • We are funded by the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) to work on algae nutraceuticals.
  • We welcome Dr. Linan Zhang as a visiting scientist.

Sep, 2018

  • We welcome Dr. Yanhong Ji as a visiting scientist.

Aug, 2018

  • Our IMET summer intern Obinna Iwuji presents on LMRCSC research day.
  • Dr. Hill (PI) and our lab are funded by the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) to work on algae polyculture with Manta Biofuels. Photo Aug 03, 1 25 14 PM

July, 2018

  • Yantao joins the editorial board of Journal of Phycology as an Associate Editor. Journal of Phycology is the official journal of the Phycological Society of America.

June, 2018

  • Yantao hosts Dr. Jin Liu from Peking University for a seminar titled “The Oleaginous Astaxanthin-producing Alga Chromochloris zofingiensis: Potential from Production to Model for Studying Lipid Metabolism and Carotenogenesis”. He is our lab alumni and his lab at Peking University is doing very well, welcome back, Jin!
  • Yantao’s tenure party. Many thanks to all previous and current lab members and colleagues. Congratulations to Eric and Sook as well!

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May, 2018

  • Shail and Sam’s probiotic bacteria genome paper is accepted by Genome Announcements. Congratulations, and thanks to Haiyuan, Feng, and Russell!
  • The second annual IMET open day on May 5. Kunpeng, Yi-Ying and Kia are explaining algal biotechnology to the public. We have a great time, again! Over 250 people visited IMET this year.IMG_0679

Apr, 2018

  • A collaborative work leads by Dr. Elizabeth North is funded by Bailey Wildlife Foundation on using microalgae to promote oyster shell formation.

Mar, 2018

  • We welcome Ms. Kyarii Ramarui back as a graduate student.

Dec, 2017

  • Lab holiday gathering.

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Oct, 2017

  • Yantao is invited to give a talk at the Fall Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Section, American Society of Plant Biologists.
  • Yi-Ying and Jin’s paper is published in Molecular Plant. This is a collaborative work with Dr. J. Xu’s group. Y Xin, Y. Lu and Yi-Ying are co-first authors. Congratulations and thanks to all!

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  • Yantao is invited to join the inauguration ceremony of collaboration between LINKSciences and Johns Hopkins, representing IMET and Harbor Lauch. Nice event!

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Sep, 2017

  • Yantao is invited by Dr. Zhongchi Liu to give a seminar at Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland College Park.

June, 2017

  • Yantao is invited by Dr. Michael Betenbaugh to give a seminar at Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University.
  • We are funded by the Biotech industry to work on bioproducts from microalgae.

May, 2017

  • IMET open day on May 6. Shailendra and Yi-Ying are communicating science to the public and explaining how biofuels and bioproducts are made from algae. We have a great time!

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Apr., 2017

  • Yantao is invited by Drs. Gavin Chen and Jillian Detwiler to give a seminar talk at Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada.
  • We start a test run of the XDR50 fermenter with help from GE. Special thanks to Amr, Alisa and Rob.

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Dec., 2016

  • Yao, Yi-Ying, Charles, and Jin’s whole algae biomass conversion paper is published  in Bioenergy research. Congratulations and thanks to all coauthors and collaborators!

Nov., 2016

  • A new Biotech startup AlgaBT LLC is formed based on technologies developed in our lab.

Oct., 2016

  • We are glad to host Dr. Arthur Grossman from Carnegie institute for science for a seminar titled “From the Evolution of an Organelle to Photosynthetic Function”.

Sep., 2016

  • Jin and Yi-Ying’s methodology paper is published  in J. Appl. Phycol. Congratulations and thanks to all coauthors.
  • Yantao presents a keynote speech at the 2016 International Marine Biotechnology Conference in Baltimore. He is also invited to speak at the 4th Asia-Oceania Algae Innovation Summit in Wuhan, China and at the third SDIC Microalgae Biotechnology Symposium in Beijing.

June, 2016

  • Sangram’s triacylglycerol biosynthesis review is published  in Biotechnology Advance. Congratulations, Sangram! Thanks to coauthors Nicole, Rudy, Steve, and Ian from UMBC.

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May, 2016

  • Yantao is invited by the Chemistry Graduate Student Association of University of Maryland Baltimore County to speak at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry seminar.

Apr., 2016

  • Jin’s DGAT work is published as the cover story and featured article in The Plant Journal. Congratulations, Jin! Thanks to Danxiang, Kangsup, Qiang, and Shunni.

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Feb., 2016

  • We are glad to host Dr. Christoph Benning from Michigan State University for a seminar titled “Regulation of Cellular Quiescence and Lipid Droplet Formation in Microalgae”.

Jan., 2016

  • Drs. Feng Chen, Russell Hill, and Yantao Li are interviewed by Cultures Magazine, the American Society for Microbiology for their algae biofuel and bioremediation work.

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August, 2015

  • Our first postdoc, Dr. Jin Liu, is awarded the ” Thousand Talents Program for Distinguished Young Scholars” of China and will start his independent lab at Peking University this Fall. Congratulations, Jin, and farewell!

July, 2015

  • We are awarded a ONR fund with Dr. Harold May (PI) at Medical University of South Carolina to work on lipid production from microalgae.

June, 2015

  • We are awarded a NSF fund to work on lipid synthesis in microalgae.

March 15, 2015 

  • Shamrock Shindig Outreach at the Columbus Center

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IMET joined the Waterfront Partnership to help sponsor the 4th Annual Shamrock Shindig, held in Pierce’s Park, just behind the Columbus Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Despite some blustery weather, IMET was able to set up a booth displaying a bit of the interesting research going on there. Participants were able to see live blue crabs, examine blue crab molting, and see the process to generate algal biofuel. In addition, several IMET scientists and students were on hand to answer questions and describe their work. IMET is looking forward to participating in this great event again next year – From IMET website.

March, 2015 

  • IMET-Partner Institutions Seed Grant Program

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The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) initiated their IMET-Partner Institutions Seed Grant Program last spring, with the selection committee choosing to fund four projects in the first cycle for $100,000 each. The program stipulates that projects must include members from IMET and at least one of their partner institutions, which include University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). “Our seed grant program is an excellent example of the way that IMET can serve as a catalyst for collaboration among our partner institutions,” said IMET Director Russell Hill.

To read more about this program, click here.

February, 2015

  • Environmental entrepreneurs complete first semester of program that brings students and business leaders together at IMET.

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Graduate students at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor recently completed the first semester of an entrepreneurial boot camp focusing on basic business principles, venture capital and entrepreneurism. The Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program was established in June 2014 with funding from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to help young scientists cultivate the leadership and business skills necessary to bring their bench research into commercial markets. -From IMET website

Dr. Li has been involved in this program, meeting with students and business leaders, and visited DSM (formerly Martek) MD site with students involved in Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program. To read more about this program, click here.

September, 2014

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 Aug 2014

  • Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) intern Manuel F. Olmeda-Saldaña presents on LMRCSC research day.

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April, 2014

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Aug 2013

  • Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) intern Ms. Stephanie Stookey’s  presentation on LMRCSC research day.

NOAA funded LMRCSC Summer Internship Program at IMET specifically attracts students from underrepresented groups and institutions. Stephanie’s work in our lab is also selected by the Winter Enrichment Program in the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia and she will be visiting KAUST.

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