Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Physiology
Open Access

James Weifu Lee

Biography

Dr. James W. Lee is current working as an Associate Professor in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University. He finished Ph.D. in Photosynthesis Research, Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry from Cornell University in 1993 and M.S. in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Cornell University in 1988.

Research Interest

Currently, Lee’s R&D interest is focused on the following two bioenergy research areas with the objective to provide green/clean energy and control global warming:
(1) Designer photosynthetic organisms for photobiological production of biofuels from water and carbon dioxide. This multidisciplinary R&D involves synthetic biology and genetic transformation of photosynthetic organisms to create designer organisms for photobiological production of advanced biofuels such as hydrogen, biooils/biodiesel, and/or butanol directly from water and carbon dioxide.
(2) Smokeless biomass pyrolysis for producing biofuels and biochar as a green/clean energy solution to control global warming. This “carbon-negative” biomass-pyrolysis energy-production concept applies biochar as a soil amendment and carbon sequestration agent. The key concept here is to use a smokeless (clean/effective) biomass-pyrolysis process to produce certain biofuels and to “lock” some of the unstable biomass carbon such as dead leaves, waste woods, cornstovers and rice straws into a stable form of carbon―biochar. The envisioned use of biochar as a soil amendment could improve soil fertility and at the same time, serve as a carbon sequestration agent to help control global warming and keep the environment cleaner.