SEE PhD Student Wins Silver Award at the 4th International Conference on Bioprocess and Sustainability (ICBS2026)
The School of Energy and Environment (SEE) is delighted to announce that Mr. Ziyao Liu, a PhD student supervised by Prof. Carol Lin, Professor of SEE, has been awarded the Silver Award at the 4th International Conference on Bioprocess and Sustainability (ICBS2026).
Mr. Liu received the award in recognition of his outstanding presentation titled, “Enhanced 2,3-Butanediol Bioproduction via isFBB and Catalytic Upgradation to 1,3-Dioxolane: A Route to SAF Building Blocks”.
Organized by the International Society of Bioprocess and Sustainability (ISBS), ICBS 2026 was held at City University of Hong Kong from 22 to 23 June 2026. The conference serves as a premier international platform for researchers and industry experts to exchange ideas and showcase advances in biological sciences, bioengineering, sustainability, waste valorization and carbon-neutral technologies.
In his presentation, Mr. Liu introduced an innovative biorefinery approach that converts lignocellulosic sugars and yard waste into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) building blocks. Leveraging a highly efficient alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathway, the proposed process offers a promising and environmentally friendly solution for reducing carbon emissions aviation industry, with the potential to lower lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 80%.
The utilization of agricultural residues as a feedstock for the in-situ Fibrous Bed Bioreactor (isFBB), combined with the robust bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae PM2, embodies the “Waste-to-Wealth” principle of the circular economy. Furthermore, the proposed methodology enables the efficient fermentation of sugars into 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) and its subsequent thermochemical upgrading into high-value SAF products. The resultant strategy provides a robust, scalable pathway for advancing waste valorization, decarbonization, and global carbon neutrality.
Congratulations to Mr. Ziyao Liu on this significant achievement in his research journey!