Kookmin University biotechnology professor named to World's Top 2% Scientists list
Kwak Su-ryang, a professor in Kookmin University’s Department of Integrative Biotechnology / Courtesy of Kookmin University
Kwak Su-ryang develops functional microorganisms through synthetic biology
Kwak Su-ryang, a professor in Kookmin University’s Department of Integrative Biotechnology, has been named to the 2026 World’s Top 2% Scientists list jointly released by Stanford University and Elsevier.
The list recognizes the top 2 percent of researchers in their respective fields based on a comprehensive assessment of research performance, including citation metrics and publication output, using data from Elsevier’s Scopus database.
Kwak’s research focuses on designing functional microorganisms and biomaterials using synthetic and computational biology, and evaluating their potential applications in precision medicine through multi-omics approaches.
His notable achievements include a study published in Microbiome in 2020 that identified the effects of fecal microbiota transplantation on the gut microbiome and resistome, or the collection of antibiotic resistance genes in the human digestive system.
Another study, published in Biomaterials in 2022, used metabolic engineering to identify and enhance the prebiotic properties of oligosaccharides in yeast cell walls.
“I am grateful and delighted that the achievements made through collaboration with my students and domestic and international research partners have been recognized,” Kwak said.
“I will work to translate our laboratory-designed microorganisms and materials into industrial applications and expand our research to include clinical validation, with the ultimate goal of improving human health.”
Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, Kwak’s laboratory focuses on two main research areas: microbiome restoration and optimization, and the development of microbe-based functional materials.
In the first area, microbiome restoration and optimization, the team conducts clinical studies and multi-omics analyses to assess the effects of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics on the human gut microbiome. It is also developing designer probiotics with therapeutic or diagnostic functions.
In the area of microbe-based functional materials, the team identifies novel biosynthetic genes from metagenomic data and develops precision fermentation technologies to produce high-value health-promoting and pharmaceutical ingredients.
It is also developing next-generation antimicrobial platforms by engineering yeast cell-surface components to support beneficial gut bacteria or selectively target specific pathogens.