SEE Distinguished Lecture: Showcasing Innovative CO₂ Conversion via Photobioreactor Design

The School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) recently hosted a SEE Distinguished Lecture featuring Professor Yinghong Peng, a leading expert in nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Prof. Peng serves as Professor and Dean of the SJTU Asia Pacific Graduate Institute, as well as Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).

Prof. Peng was invited by SEE to deliver the lecture, which was moderated by Prof. Xuneng Tong, Assistant Professor at SEE. Titled “A Novel Photo-bioreactor Development Towards the Synthetic Biology for CO₂ Conversion”, the session offered attendees valuable insights into advanced technologies driving carbon-negative biomanufacturing.

Prof. Tong (right) presented a souvenir to Prof. Peng (left).

During the session, Prof. Peng introduced a novel photobioreactor system designed to enhance CO₂ conversion efficiency using photosynthetic autotrophic cells. His team’s integrated approach combines flow field optimization, solar light collection via optical fibers, electromagnetic field-assisted growth, and digital twin technology. Notably, the system achieved a 24% increase in cyanobacterial productivity and demonstrated significant potential for intelligent, scalable CO₂ bioconversion.

Prof. Peng’s extensive leadership in international initiatives such as E2S2 (Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities) and CNSB (Carbon-Negative Synthetic Biology), along with his experience leading over 28 national projects and 8 international collaborations, demonstrate his significant contributions to AI-driven manufacturing and urban sustainability.

The lecture sparked meaningful engagement among attendees and further underscored SEE’s commitment to advancing environmental science and pioneering sustainable technologies.