Welcome
Welcome to the Mei Research Group working at the Microbiome-Environment Interface! We will start in winter 2024 in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Our group will study basic science (i.e., microbial diversity, physiology, and ecology) and apply the knowledge to engineered water systems (e.g., wastewater treatment), with the aim to develop microbiology-informed engineering strategies that improve the system performance and reduce the effects of various waste streams on the environment. To achieve our goals, we integrate bioinformatics, microbiology (e.g., microbial cultivation), and engineering principles. Learn more about our research here.
Diversity is essential in the microbial world we research - often microbes with varied traits cooperate to accomplish a metabolic task that would be impossible individually. Drawing a parallel, the diversity of human society, and our recognition of it, serves as a foundation for innovative ideas and creative accomplishments. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and support students and researchers of all backgrounds and identities.
News
[2024.6] Ran, Dr. Hiroyuki Imachi, and Dr. Masaru Nobu visited the Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs and Sichuan University.
[2024.3] WE ARE HIRING! One funded PhD student position for Spring or Fall 2025. Find out the details here.
[2024.3] Ran will join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a tenure-track assistant professor. Very excited about going back to Newmark and embarking on a new journey!
[2023.12] Our paper led by Dr. Hirakata about the isolation of dead cell-degrading bacteria is published in the ISME Journal.
[2023.9] Ran starts to serve as a Junior Editor of Letters in Applied Microbiology. Our journal aims to support early career scientists by providing rapid publication of short well-designed, solid studies. This happens to be the journal where I published my M.S. thesis. Please submit your work to LAM!
[2023.7] Ran is awarded the JGI CSP New Investigator by the Joint Genome Institute of the U.S. DOE.
[2023.2] Our paper about the evolutionary history of methanogenesis is published in PNAS Nexus.