Yilin Zhang Ph.D.

Yilin Zhang, Ph.D.

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Assistant Professor
Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

Degrees:
Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2021
B.S., Environmental Engineering, Beihang University, 2016

Publications, Awards, Grants, and Patents

MSU Scholar

Biography

Dr. Yilin Zhang is an 1855 Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. His research focuses on developing polymer- and biopolymer-based nanomaterials to enhance crop resilience against diseases and climate stress, enable the biomanufacturing and delivery of functional proteins, and develop plant stress sensing technologies. He also investigates the fundamental interactions between emerging contaminants, particularly nanoplastics, and crops to assess environmental and dietary exposure risks and inform mitigation strategies. Dr. Zhang's research integrates polymer chemistry, nanofabrication, advanced spectroscopy and spectrometry, multi-omics, and machine learning to uncover the molecular mechanisms governing nanomaterial–plant interactions and to establish predictive design principles for sustainable nanotechnologies. His long-term research vision is to leverage polymer and biopolymer nanotechnology to advance resilient, safe, and sustainable agricultural and food systems.