About
Prof. Sukhwan Yoon, head of the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at KAIST since 2014, has dedicated his academic career to investigating microbiology and microbial ecology related to greenhouse gases CH4 and N2O. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Seoul National University in 2006 and his postgraduate degrees from University of Michigan (2008, 2010). He continued his research as a postdoctoral fellow at MPI Marburg (-2011) and University of Tennessee / Oak Ridge National Laboratory (-2014) before joining KAIST.
Throughout his academic career, his focus has been on (1) advancing the understanding of microbial physiology and ecology associated with natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks of CH4 and N2O, and (2) designing, testing, and modeling of innovative bioreactor systems to achieve a net lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. His research on CH4 biofilter design and modeling, published in 2008, was cited in the NASEM report, and his trilogy on biofiltration for N2O removal from wastewater treatment plant gas effluent were published in ES&T, the leading journal in the field. He also co-authored two of the most cited review articles about methanotrophs, Methanotrophs and Copper published in FEMS Microbiol. Rev. (2010) and Metals and Methanotrophs published in AEM (2018). Additionally, he has contributed a number of seminal research papers on methanotrophy and nitrogen cycling pathways, particularly those associated with N2O production or reduction, in prestigious journals such as ISME Journal (4 articles), ES&T (7), mBio (1), and AEM (7). He is currently serving as an associate editor for ES&T since 2024 and a member of Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology.
His research background and academic credentials serve as strong evidence that only a select few are as well suited for developing bioengineering solutions for removal of atmospheric or diffuse CH4.
Joined
February 2025
