Bin Liu
Contact
Bin Liu
PhD Student
Department of Environmental Microbiology
Working Group Microbiology of Anaerobic Systems
Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
in cooperation with
Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ)
Torgauer Str. 116, 04347 Leipzig, Germany
Phone +49 341 2434-589
liu.bin@ufz.de

CV / Scientific Career
Since 10/2016
PhD student
Fellowship by China Scholarship Council
Topic: Applied Microbial Ecology of Anaerobic Reactor Microbiomes
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Hauke Harms
Department Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in cooperation with the Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ)
2014 - 2016
Master of Science in Agronomy
Agricultural Resources and Environment (Biomass Engineering),College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University
Topic 1: Changes of components and microbial community dynamics during composting of biogas residues
Topic 2: Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulose to produce methane and dynamics in microbial community
2009 – 2014
Bachelor of Science in Environment
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University
Bachelor of Management in MarketingChina Agricultural University, Beijing
Research interests
My research focuses on the microbial ecology of anaerobic systems, particularly engineered ecosystems such as anaerobic reactors. My passion with microbial ecology is the potential to predict and further control microbial communities. An ultimate dream is using ecological principles to develop microbiome-based biotechnological processes that are environmentally friendly.I am also enthusiastic about isolating pure cultures, in particular of anaerobes.

Current research topic
My current topic is exploring how to shape the reactor microbiota in a newly developed platform - carboxylate platform, which recovers carbon from wastes or plant biomass with anaerobic fermenters in the form of medium-chain carboxylic acids (e.g., caproic acid and caprylic acid). Including these parts:
1. Acclimating chain-elongating reactor microbiota with defined carbon sources (xylan and lactate)
During long-term reactor operation under constant conditions, we found chain-elongating bacteria were outcompeted by butyrate-producing bacteria, leading to the increase of n-butyrate yield at the cost of medium-chain carboxylate yields in a closed model system. (Published in Frontiers in Microbiology)
2. Shaping reactor microbiota in chain elongation system
3. Isolating novel chain-elongating species
We aimed to obtain novel bacterial strains that can produce medium-chain carboxylic acids from lactic acid.
Publications
1. Liu, B., Kleinsteuber, S., Centler, F., Harms, H. and Sträuber, H. (2020). Competition between butyrate fermenters and chain-elongating bacteria limits the efficiency of medium-chain carboxylate production. Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol. 11, No. 336.2. Lian, S., Nikolausz, M., Nijenhuis, I., da Rocha, U. N., Liu, B., Corrêa, F.B., Saraiva, J.P. and Richnow, H.H. (2020). Biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexanes contaminated biomass for energetic utilization demonstrated in continuous anaerobic digestion system. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 384, No. 121448.
3. Meng, X. #, Liu, B. #, Zhang, H., Wu, J., Yuan, X. and Cui Z. (2019). Co-composting of the biogas residues and spent mushroom substrate: physicochemical properties and maturity assessment. Bioresource Technology, Vol. 276, pp. 281–287. (# these authors contributed equally to the work)
4. Meng, X., Liu, B., Chen X., Luo, X., Yuan, X., Wang, X., Zhu, W., Wang, H. and Cui, Z. (2018). Effect of pig manure on the chemical composition and microbial diversity during co-composting with spent mushroom substrate and rice husks. Bioresource Technology, Vol. 251, pp. 22-30.
5. Yu, J., Zhao, Y., Liu, B., Zhao, Y., Wu, J., Yuan, X., Zhu, W. and Cui, Z. (2016). Accelerated acidification by inoculation with a microbial consortia in a complex open environment. Bioresource Technology, Vol. 216, pp. 294–301.
6. Hua, B., Dai, J., Liu, B., Zhang, H., Yuan, X., Wang, X.and Cui. Z. (2016). Pretreatment of non-sterile, rotted silage maize straw by the microbial community MC1 increases biogas production. Bioresource Technology, Vol. 216, pp. 699–705.
7. Liu, B., Han, Y., Yuan, X., Zhu, W., Wang, X. and Cui. Z. (2016). Effects of five fungal chaff pretreatment methods on substrate properties and growth of rice seedlings. Scientia Agricultura Sinica, Vol. 49, No. 16, pp. 3098-3107. (in Chinese with an English abstract)
2020 (4)
- Liu, B., Popp, D., Sträuber, H., Harms, H., Kleinsteuber, S., (2020):
Draft genome sequences of three Clostridia isolates involved in lactate-based chain elongation
Microbiol. Resour. Announc. 9 (32), art. e00679-20
Volltext (DOI) - Liu, B., Popp, D., Müller, N., Sträuber, H., Harms, H., Kleinsteuber, S., (2020):
Three novel Clostridia isolates produce n-caproate and iso-butyrate from lactate: comparative genomics of chain-elongating bacteria
Microorganisms 8 (12), art. 1970
Volltext (DOI) - Liu, B., Kleinsteuber, S., Centler, F., Harms, H., Sträuber, H., (2020):
Competition between butyrate fermenters and chain-elongating bacteria limits the efficiency of medium-chain carboxylate production
Front. Microbiol. 11 , art. 336
Volltext (DOI) - Lian, S., Nikolausz, M., Nijenhuis, I., Nunes da Rocha, U., Liu, B., Borim Corrêa, F., Leonor Fernandes Saraiva, J.P., Richnow, H.H., (2020):
Biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexanes contaminated biomass for energetic utilization demonstrated in continuous anaerobic digestion system
J. Hazard. Mater. 384 , art. 121448
Volltext (DOI)
2019 (1)
- Meng, X., Liu, B., Zhang, H., Wu, J., Yuan, X., Cui, Z., (2019):
Co-composting of the biogas residues and spent mushroom substrate: Physicochemical properties and maturity assessment
Bioresour. Technol. 276 , 281 - 287
Volltext (DOI)
2018 (1)
- Meng, X., Liu, B., Xi, C., Luo, X., Yuan, X., Wang, X., Zhu, W., Wang, H., Cui, Z., (2018):
Effect of pig manure on the chemical composition and microbial diversity during co-composting with spent mushroom substrate and rice husks
Bioresour. Technol. 251 , 22 - 30
Volltext (DOI)