Wei Liao
- Professor
- anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment, renewable energy, and environmental sustainability
- Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
- Director, Anaerobic Digestion Research Education Center
- 524 S. Shaw Lane
- Room 202
- 517-432-7205
- liaow@msu.edu
WEBSITE
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Wei Liao is professor and director of the Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. His research focuses on integration of solar, biological and nano technologies for waste treatment and value-added fuels/chemical production. He also works on algal cultivation to reclaim water and generate value-added products, as well as innovative anaerobic cultivation systems to convert organic residues to renewable energy and other bioproducts.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
- Biological pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials such as straws, corn stover, wood residues etc. to produce mono-sugars.
- High density enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials to enhance sugar yield and sugar concentration.
- Development of innovative anaerobic digestion systems to convert animal wastes to renewable energy and other bioproducts.
- Organic acid production from lignocellulosic materials using fungal fermentation.
- Simulating bioprocesses such as organic acids production, anaerobic digestion, ethanol fermentation etc., considering both technical and economic aspects.
- Genetic modification of yeast to develop a strain that is able to tolerance high ethanol concentration.