Guangyu Chen

Guangyu Chen is a Faculty member at the School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research focuses on chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying chlorophyll biosynthesis and the development of engineered photosynthetic systems. Chen's work explores the genetic engineering of photosystems in model organisms, aiming to expand the spectral utilization of phototrophs and construct functional photosystems in heterotrophic microorganisms. His research integrates biochemical, structural, and genetic approaches to study cyclase enzymes and their role in chlorophyll biosynthesis. Chen joined Shanghai Jiao Tong University as a Tenure-track Associate Professor in 2020, following postdoctoral and doctoral training at the University of Sheffield under Professor C. Neil Hunter.

Guangyu E. Chen's research focuses on biochemistry, synthetic biology, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, and metalloenzyme. Their work explores the enzymatic pathways involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, including the identification of complete enzyme sets for chlorophyll production in Escherichia coli and the role of oxygen-dependent cyclases in chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis. Chen investigates chlorophyll-binding proteins, the evolution of Ycf54-independent pathways, and the synthesis of chlorophyll in cyanobacteria. Their studies also examine the coordination of chlorophyll biosynthesis with light-harvesting protein transport and the function of 8-vinyl reductases in chlorophyll maturation. This research contributes to understanding photosynthetic systems and engineering synthetic pathways for chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll production.