Speaker: Dr. Mengyan Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, specializing in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Dr. Li received his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on untangling novel microbial processes that decompose and transform emerging contaminants (e.g., 1,4-dioxane, PFAS, and antibiotics) and developing effective treatment technologies suited for municipal, industrial, and agricultural settings. To tackle frontier challenges in the water-energy-health nexus, his group synergizes modern biotechnological tools (e.g., omics and single-cell analysis) with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Dr. Li is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and his research group has received funding support from government agencies (e.g., NIH, DoD, and EPA), foundations, and industrial collaborators.
Abstract. Anthropogenic activities have created a myriad of chemicals deemed to be persistent. Once entering the environment, these chemicals become contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) given their potent toxicity and exposure risk. In this presentation, I would like to discuss how microorganisms can contribute to the removal of 1,4-dioxane and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as representatives of CECs that have been most frequently detected in water. The combination of metagenomics and heterologous expression enables the discovery of bacterial enzymes responsible for initiating the biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane. Novel biodefluorination pathways are unveiled for the cleavage of the C-F bond in PFAS by enriched consortia and activated sludge using non-target screening by high-resolution mass spectrometry. These findings advance our understanding of the molecular basis of biodegradation and biotransformation of CECs, promoting the development of green and sustainable strategies to mitigate “forever” contaminants in the environment.
