1. The mechanism of efficient lignocellulose degradation by microorganisms and its application in bioconversion of biomass resources.
2. Catalytic mechanism and protein engineering of important enzymes and regulating proteins in industrial microorganisms.

1995 Sep. - 1999 Jun. Bachelor, Department of Physics, Nanjing University
1999 Sep. – 2004 Jun. Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2004 Jul. – 2006 Jun. Postdoctoral Researcher, Beijing NMR Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University
2006 Jul. – 2011 May Associate Professor, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2011 Jun. – now Professor, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Representative publications

(Full list with >100 publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yingang_Feng/publications)

1. Jie Li#, Haonan Zhang#, Dongyu Li, Ya-Jun Liu, Edward A. Bayer, Qiu Cui, Yingang Feng*, Ping Zhu* (2023) Structure of the transcription open complex of distinct σI factors. Nat. Commun. 14:6455.

2. Chao Chen, Sheng Dong, Zhaoli Yu, Yichen Qiao, Jie Li, Xiaoke Ding, Renmin Li, Jinzhong Lin, Edward A. Bayer, Ya-Jun Liu, Qiu Cui, Yingang Feng* (2023) Essential autoproteolysis of bacterial anti-σ factor RsgI for transmembrane signal transduction. Sci. Adv. 9(27):eadg4846.

3. Jie Chen#, Sheng Dong#, Wenhan Fang#, Yiping Jiang, Zhifeng Chen, Xiangquan Qin, Cong Wang, Haifeng Zhou, Longyi Jin, Yingang Feng*, Binju Wang*, Zhiqi Cong* (2023) Regiodivergent and enantioselective hydroxylation of C-H bonds by synergistic use of protein engineering and exogenous dual-functional small molecules. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62(4):e202215088.

4. Fei Yan#, Sheng Dong#, Ya-Jun Liu#, Xingzhe Yao, Chao Chen, Yan Xiao, Edward A. Bayer, Yuval Shoham, Chun You, Qiu Cui*, Yingang Feng* (2022) Deciphering cellodextrin and glucose uptake in Clostridium thermocellum. mBio 13(5):e01476-22.

5. Sheng Dong, Ya-Jun Liu, Haixia Zhou, Yan Xiao, Jian Xu, Qiu Cui*, Xinquan Wang*, Yingang Feng* (2021) Structural insight into a GH1 β-glucosidase from the oleaginous microalga, Nannochloropsis oceanica. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 170:196-206.

6. Xingzhe Yao#, Chao Chen#, Yefei Wang#, Sheng Dong, Ya-Jun Liu, Yifei Li, Zhenling Cui, Weibin Gong, Sarah Perrett, Lishan Yao, Raphael Lamed, Edward A. Bayer, Qiu Cui, Yingang Feng* (2020) Discovery and mechanism of a pH-dependent dual-binding-site switch in the interaction of a pair of protein modules. Sci. Adv. 6(43):eabd7182.

7. Ya-Jun Liu*, Bin Li, Yingang Feng*, Qiu Cui* (2020) Consolidated bio-saccharification: Leading lignocellulose bioconversion into the real world. Biotechnol. Adv. 40:107535. (Review)

8. Zhen Wei, Chao Chen, Ya-Jun Liu, Sheng Dong, Jie Li, Kuan Qi, Shiyue Liu, Xiaoke Ding, Lizett Ortiz de Ora, Iván Muñoz-Gutiérrez, Yifei Li, Hongwei Yao, Raphael Lamed, Edward A. Bayer, Qiu Cui, Yingang Feng* (2019) Alternative σI/anti-σI factors represent a unique form of bacterial σ/anti-σ complex. Nucleic Acids Res. 47(11):5988-5997. 

9. Sheng Dong, Xi Liu, Gu-Zhen Cui, Qiu Cui*, Xinquan Wang*, Yingang Feng* (2018) Structural insight into the catalytic mechanism of a cis-epoxysuccinate hydrolase producing enantiomerically pure D(-)-tartaric acid. Chem. Commun. 54(61):8482-8485. 

10. Lei Du#, Sheng Dong#, Xingwang Zhang, Chengying Jiang, Jingfei Chen, Lishan Yao, Xiao Wang, Xiaobo Wan, Xi Liu, Xinquan Wang, Shaohua Huang, Qiu Cui, Yingang Feng*, Shuang-Jiang Liu*, Shengying Li* (2017) Selective oxidation of aliphatic C-H bonds in alkylphenols by a chemomimetic biocatalytic system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 114(26):E5129-E5137.