Y. Y. Lee
Alumni Professor,
Department of Chemical Engineering
212 Ross Hall
Phone: (334)
844-2019, Fax: (334) 844-2063, E-Mail: yylee@eng.auburn.edu
Education
PhD, Chemical Engineering, 1972,
Research Interests
Bioconversion Processes, Biomass Pretreatment, Biofuels/Biomass Engineering Biochemical Engineering, Enzyme/Fermentation Process Technology, Reaction Kinetics and Modeling in Biomass Processing
Research Summary
Dr. Lee is conducting research in the area of bioprocessing of
lignocellulosic materials for production of fuels and chemicals. These studies
include physico-chemical properties of biomass, bioreactor development, and
enzyme and microbial process technology. His recent research topics include
development of a novel pretreatment/delignification of biomass for enzymatic
saccharification and Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation of biomass,
high temperature–low acid processing for total hydrolysis of biomass, transport
properties of acid catalyst in biomass, analysis and design of biomass reactor,
and ammonia recycled percolation (ARP) process for biomass pretreatment.
Major Publications (Since
2000)
1. Rajesh Gupta and Y Y Lee, “Mechanism of Cellulase
Reaction on Pure Cellulosic Substrates”, Biotechnology
and Bioengineering, 102, 1570-1581, 2009
2. R. Gupta, Y.Y.
Lee, “Pretreatment of hybrid poplar by aqueous ammonia,”, Biotechnology
Progress, 25, No.2,357-364, 2009
3. Charles E. Wyman, Bruce E. Dale, Richard T. Elander,
Mark Holtzapple, Michael R. Ladisch, YY Lee, Colin Mitchinson, John N. Saddler,
Comparative Sutar Recovery and Fermentation of Poplar Wood by Leading
Technologies, Accepted for publication, Biotechnology
Progress. 25, No.2,333-339, 2009
4. Rajesh
Gupta, Tae Hyun Kim, and Y. Y. Lee, “Substrate Dependency and Effect of
Xylanase Supplementation on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Ammonia-Treated Biomass”, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 148(1-3),
59-70, 2008
5. Tae Hyun Kim and
Y. Y.Lee. “Pretreatment of Corn Stover by Soaking in Aqueous Ammonia at
Moderate Temperatures”, Applied Biochem. and Biotechnol. Vol. 124,
1119-1131, 2007.
6.
Yongming
Zhu, Y. Y. Lee, and Richard T. Elander, “Conversion of Aqueous Ammonia-TreatedCorn Stover to Lactic Acid by
Simultaneous Saccharification and Cofermentation”, Applied Biochem.
and Biotechnol.
Vol. 124, 1119-1131, 2007.
7.
Suma
Perri, Srinivas Karra, Y. Y. Lee and M. Nazmul Karim. “Modeling Intrinsic
Kinetics of Enzymatic Cellulose Hydrolysis”, Biotechnol. Prog. 23, 626-637, 2007
8.
Tae
Hyun Kim and Y.Y. Lee, “Fractionation of Corn Stover by Hot-Water and Aqueous
Ammonia Treatment”, Bioresource Technology, 97, 224-232, 2006.
9.
Yongming
Zhu, Tae Hyun Kim, Y.Y. Lee, Rongfu Chen, and Richard T. Elander. “Enzymatic
Production of Xylooligsaccharides from Corn Stover and Corn Cobs treated with
Aqueous Ammonia”, in press, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 2006
10. Z. Colley, O. O. Fasina, D. Bransby, Y. Y. Lee.
“Moisture Effect on the Physical Characteristics of Switchgrass Pellets”,
Transactions of the ASABE, 49, 1845-1851, 2006
11. Yongming Zhu,
Tae Hyun Kim, Y.Y. Lee, Rongfu Chen, and Richard T. Elander. “Enzymatic
Production of Xylooligsaccharides from Corn Stover and Corn Cobs treated with
Aqueous Ammonia”, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 130, 586-598, 2006
12. Tae Hyun Kim,
Y.Y. Lee, Changshin Sunwoo, and Jun Seok Kim, “Pretreatment of Corn Stover by
Low-liquid Ammonia Percolation Process”, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., Vol. 123,
41-57, 2006
13. Tae Hyun Kim and
Y.Y. Lee, “Pretreatment and Fractionation of Corn Stover
by Ammonia Recycle Percolation (ARP) Process, Bioresource Technology”, 96,
2007-2013, 2005.
14. Tae Hyun Kim and
Y.Y. Lee, “Pretreatment of Corn Stover by Soaking in
Aqueous Ammonia”, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 121-124, 1119-1132, 2005
15. Yongming Zhu, Y.
Y. Lee and Richard T. Elander, "Optimization of High-Solids Dilute-Acid
Pretreatment of Corn Stover Using a Percolation Reactor", Applied
Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 121-124, 1045-1054, 2005
16. Yongming Zhu, Y. Y. Lee and Richard T. Elander, ''Dilute-Acid Pretreatment
of Corn Stover using a High-Solids Percolation Reactor", Applied
Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 117 (2), 103-114, 2004
17. Tae Hyun Kim, Jun Seok Kim, Changshin Sunwoo, and Y. Y. Lee, Pretreatment of
Corn Stover by Ammonia Recycle Percolation Process, Bioresource
Technology, 90, 39-47, 2003
18. Qian Xiang, JunSeok Kim, and Y.Y. Lee, A Comprehensive Kinetic Model for Acid
Hydrolysis of Lignocellulose, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 94-95,
337-352, 2003
19. Pär O.
Pettersson, Robert W. Torget, Qian Xiangc, Y.Y. Lee and Guido Zacchi,
Simplistic modeling approaches to the heterogeneous dilute-acid
hydrolysis of cellulose microcrystallites derived from lignocellulose, Appl.
Biochem. Biotechnol., 94-95, 451-456, 2003
20. Qian Xiang, Y.Y.
Lee, Robert W. Torget, and Pär O. Pettersson, “Heterogeneous Aspects of Acid
Hydrolysis of a-Cellulose”, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 94-95,
505-514, 2003
21. Qian Xiang , and
Y.Y. Lee, Robert W. Torget, “Kinetics of Glucose Decomposition During Dilute
Acid Hydrolysis Of Lignocellulosic Biomass” Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. (2003)
22. Qian Xiang and
Y.Y. Lee, Production of Oxychemicals
from Precipitated Hardwood Lignin, Appl.
Biochem. Biotechnol., 91-93, 71-80, 2002
23. S. B. Kim and Y. Y. Lee, “Diffusion of Sulfuric Acid within
Lignocellulosic Biomass Particles and Its ImpactonDilute-Acid Pretreatment”, 83,
165-171, Bioresource Technology, 2002
24. Jun Seok Kim,
Y.Y. Lee, and Robert W. Torget,
Cellulose Hydrolysis Under Extremely Low Sulfuric Acid and
High-Temperature Conditions, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 91-93,
331-440, 2002
25. Niru
Balasubramanian, Jun-Seok Kim, and Y.Y. Lee,
Fermentation of Xylose into Acetic Acid by Clostridum termoaceticum,
Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 91-93, 367-376, 2001
26. R. W. Torget,
Jun Seok Kim, and Y.Y. Lee, “Theoretical Aspects of Dilute-Acid
Hydrolysis/Fractionation Kinetics of Hardwood Carbohydrates - Part I: Cellulose
Hydrolysis”, I&EC, Res. , 39, 2817-2825, 2000
27. J.R Borden., Y.
Y. Lee. and H. H. Yoon, “Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of
cellulosic biomass to acetic acid”, Applied Biochemistry &
Biotechnology , V.84-86 , 963-970 , 2000
28. P. V. Iyer,
Suzanna Thomas, and Y. Y. Lee, “High-yield fermentation of
pentoses into lactic acid”, Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology,
V.84-86 , 665-677 , 2000
29. Q. Xiang and Y.
Y. Lee, “Oxidative cracking of precipitated hardwood lignin by hydrogen
Peroxide” Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology , V.84-86 ,
153-162 , 2000
30. Jun-Seok Kim, Y. Y. Lee, and S. C. Park, “Pretreatment of wastepaper and pulp mill sludge by aqueous ammonia and hydrogen peroxide”, Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology , V.84-86 , 129-139, 2000
Patents/Inventions:
Y. Y. Lee and
Hatem Harraz, “Production of Non-Crystalline Cellulose from Refined and
Unrefined Cellulosic Materials”, Provisional Patent Application Filed to US
Patent and Trademark Office, August 3, 2004, AU Disclosure #04-038.
Confirmation No. 7400.
Y. Y. Lee and
Tae Hyun Kim, “Soaking in Aqueous Ammonia at Moderate Temperataures for
Improvement of Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocellulosic Biomass”,
Provisional Patent Application Filed to US Patent and Trademark Office, April
13, 2004, AU Disclosure #04-029.
Y. Y. Lee,
“Low-temperature treatment of lignocellulosic biomass with aqueous ammonia for
improvement of enzymatic digestibility”, Provisional Patent Application Filed
to US Patent and Trademark Office, April 2, 2003. AU Disclosure #03-022.
Current Research Contracts/Grants
·
Integration
of Leading Pretreatment Technologies with Enzymatic Hydrolysis and
Fermentation, DOE/EERE, Biomass Research and Development Initiative Awarded to
Biomass Refining Consortium for Applied and Fundamental Innovations,
Administered by University of California, Riverside, Principal Investigator for
AU
·
Fundamental Study on Kinetics of Hemicellulose
Hydrolysis and Transport Phenomena in Dilute-Acid Pretreatment of Corn Stover, NREL, PI
·
Characterization
of Biomass Feedstocks, Novel Intermediates, and Conversion Products. Abengoa
Bioenergy R&D, Inc., Principal Investigator
·
Production
of ethanol and cellulase from pulp mill sludges, AU/Laboratory of Biofuels and Biomaterials
Synergistic Activities:
On Editorial Board of:
Applied
Biochemistry Biotechnology
BioResources
J.
Biotechnology
for Biofuels
Founding Member of Biomass
Refining Consortium of Applied and Fundamental Innovation (CAFI), 2000-present
Session chairs at numerous
symposiums including Symposium in Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, AIChE
Annual Meetings, International Solar and Renewable Energy Congress
Member of US delegates to US/USSR
Cooperative Research in Science and Technology-Division of Enzyme Technology,
1978-1980.
Honors & Awards:
Alumni
Professor,
John
and Mary Sanders Professor, Auburn University, 2000-2006
William
F. Walker Teaching Award,
Auburn
Engineering Award for Excellence of Research, (1996, 2000)
Outstanding
Faculty in Chemical Engineering, 1985
Honor Societies: Phi Kappa Phi,
Sigma Xi, Phi Lamda Upsilon, Omega Chi Upsilon