JEAN S. VANDERGHEYNST, Professor

Ph.D., Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, 1997
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
3040 Bainer Hall
Phone: 530-752-0989
Email: jsvander@ucdavis.edu
Web: http://vandergheynst.engineering.ucdavis.edu/

Current Research

Dr. VanderGheynst’s research involves investigating a diverse array of biological systems to address relevant problems in fields such as plant biotechnology, biofuels, and pest management. Many of the biological systems under investigation involve a variety of microbes and plant tissues. Aims of current projects include improving the storage and pretreatment of biomass for biofuel production, investigating microalgae as a feedstock for biofuels, improving the efficiency of genetic transformation in plant expression systems, and formulating microbes for long term stability. Educating the public and training future biological systems engineers are important components of her research activities.

Representative Recent Publications

Joh, L. D., T. Wroblewski, N. N. Ewing, and J. S. VanderGheynst. 2005. High-level transient expression of recombinant protein in lettuce. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 91(7):861-871.

Joh, L., K. McDonald and J.S. VanderGheynst. 2006. Evaluating extraction and storage of a recombinant protein produced in agroinfiltrated lettuce. Biotechnology Progress. 22: 723-730.

VanderGheynst, J.S., H. Scher and H.-Y. Gou. 2006. Design of formulations for improved biological control agent viability and sequestration during storage. Industrial Biotechnology. 2(3): 213-219.

VanderGheynst, J.S., H. Scher, H.-Y. Gou and D. Schultz. 2007. Water-in-oil emulsions that improve the storage and delivery of the biolarvacide Lagenidium giganteum. BioControl. 52:207-229.

Aslam, D.N. and J.S. VanderGheynst. 2008. Predicting phytotoxicity of compost-amended soil from compost stability measurements. Environmental Engineering Science. 25(1): 72-81.

Simmons, C.W., J.S. VanderGheynst and S.K. Upadhyaya. 2008. Physical factors that affect the vacuum infiltration of A. tumefaciens into harvested leaf tissue and subsequent in planta transgene transient expression. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. In press.

VanderGheynst, J.S., H.-Y. Gou and C.W. Simmons. 2008. Response surface studies that elucidate the role of infiltration conditions on Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transgene expression in harvested switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Biomass and Bioenergy. 32(4): 372-379.

Membership in Professional Societies

American Chemical Society
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Tau Beta Pi

Courses Offered

EBS 125 - Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Systems
EBS 267 - Renewable Bioprocessing
MCB 263 - Biotechnology Fundamentals and Applications

Research Support

National Science Foundation
Chevron Technology Ventures
UC Energy Institute
Department of Energy