KAIST prof. reelected as co-chair of Global Future Council on biotech

Lee Sang-yup, a distinguished professor of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST / Courtesy of KAIST

By Jun Ji-hye

Lee Sang-yup, a distinguished professor at the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been reelected as a co-chair of the Global Future Council on Biotechnology (GFCB), the university said Monday.

Prof. Lee served as the first co-chair of the council along with Feng Zhang, a core member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, for two years. Zhang is most well-known for his central role in the development of CRISPR technology.

The council held its annual meeting in Dubai for three days starting Nov. 10, during which time 600 experts and business leaders from diverse areas discussed global issues such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and regional issues such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The GFCB aims to “identify policy opportunities capable of accelerating new biotechnological discovery and application while guiding the dialogue with consumers about their implications,” according to the council.

Prof. Lee and another co-chair Elizabeth O'Day, founder and CEO of Olaris Therapeutics, will deal with major issues related to biotechnology, together with other members.

“I will make efforts to draw up diverse policies in the area of healthcare, which has been rapidly developing with core technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.

Lee earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at Seoul National University and a master's degree and a doctorate in the same field at Northwestern University.

His research focuses on metabolic engineering, systems metabolic engineering, systems biology/biotechnology, synthetic biology, systems medicine and healthcare, biochemical engineering, nanobiotechnology and industrial biotechnology, according to the university.

In recognition of his world-class research, he has received numerous awards, beginning with the First Young Scientist's Award in 1998.

Other accolades he has received include the Korea Best Scientist and Technologist Award from President Moon Jae-in in July 2017 and the George Washington Carver Award from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization in July this year.

Lee also serves as the editor-in-chief of the Metabolic Engineering and Biotechnology Journal.