Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh he/him/his

Founder Professor
Executive Director, IBRL

(217) 333-9510

vsingh@illinois.edu

360 G Agricultural Engr Sciences Bld

For More Information

Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory

Education

Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 1998
M.S., Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 1995
B.S., Agricultural Engineering, G.B. Pant University Urbana Champaign, 1992

Biography

Dr. Vijay Singh is a Founder Professor in Grainger College of Engineering, Distinguished Professor of Bioprocessing in the college of ACES, Director of Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Deputy Director of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. His research is on the development of bioprocessing technologies for corn/biomass to ethanol, advanced biofuels, food and industrial products. Dr. Singh's recent research activities are at the nexus of plant biotechnology and bioprocessing and are leading the development of new technologies and renewable products in the industrial biotech space. In his role at IBRL, Dr. Singh provides leadership in developing industrial partnerships, bioprocess pilot-scale proof-of-concept activities, and techno-economic analyses to facilitate commercialization of innovative technologies.

A fellow of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACCI), Dr. Singh has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator for more than $27 million research and $202 million center grants, has authored 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, 16 book chapters, 72 other publications and holds fourteen patents/provisional patents related to corn and other cereal grains fractionation, coproduct recovery, starch/protein separation, biofuels production, process simulation, and techno-economic analyses. He was recognized with the 2003 Young Faculty Excellence Award from Corn Refiners Association, the 2005 New Holland Young Researcher Award and the 2020 International Food Engineer Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The American Association of Cereal Chemists-International recognized him with the Young Scientist Award (2007), Teaching Excellence Award (2013) and Applied Research Award (2018). Dr. Singh has also received College of ACES and Grainger College of Engineering Research Awards. In 2015, Dr. Singh was selected as University Scholar, the highest honor given to a faculty member at the University of Illinois-systemwide. Dr. Singh has served on the Advisory Board of Fulbright Commission, US-Brazil Biofuels Network and the Scientific Advisory Board of Great Lakes Biomass Research Center, US Department of Energy. Dr. Singh received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food and Bioprocess Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Academic Positions

Founder Professor of Ag. & Bio. Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering
Distinguished Professor of Bioprocessing, College of ACES
Deputy Director of Science & Technology, 2017-Present, Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Biproducts Innovation (CABBI), University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Professor, 2017-Present, Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Director, 2016-Present, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Faculty Affiliate, 2014-Present, Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Professor, 2013-Present, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Faculty Affiliate, 2013-2017, Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Associate Director of Engineering, 2011-2016, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Associate Professor, 2007-2013, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Assistant Professor, 2002-2007, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Visiting Assistant Professor, 1998-2002, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Visiting Scientist, 1998-2002, Eastern Regional Research Center/ARS/USDA, Wyndmoor, PA
Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1998, Agricultural Engineering and Biological Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Major Consulting Activities

Consultant for the US Grains Council in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Algiers, 2003 - Present

Professional Registrations

Member, American Oil Chemists Society
Member, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Member, Cereals & Grains Association
Member, American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Research Interests

Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts
Novel Corn/Biomass Fractionation Technologies
Corn Bioprocessing
Process Simulation and Economic Analysis

Selected Articles in Journals

Arora, A. and Singh, V. 2020. Biodiesel production from engineered sugarcane lipids under uncertain feedstock compositions: Process design and techno-economic analysis. Appl. Energy 280:115933.
Aguiar, S., Sharma, N., Yang, L., Zhang, M., Singh, V. and Cusick, R. 2020. Phosphorus fractionation and protein content control chemical phosphorus removal from corn biorefinery streams. J. of Environ. Qual. 49:220-227.
Cheng, M.H., Liang, S., Jin, Y.S. and Singh, V. 2020. Production of xylose enriched hydrolysate from bioenergy sorghum and its conversion to Î²-carotene using an engineered saccharomyces cerevisiae. Bioresour. Technol. 308:123275.
Dien, B., Anderson, W., Cheng, M.H., Knoll, J., Marshall, L., O'Bryan, P., Singh, V., Sorensen, R., Strickland, T., Slininger, P. 2020. Field productivities of napier grass for production of sugars and ethanol. Sust. Chem. Eng. 8:2052-2060.
Jia, Y., Kumar, D., Winkler-Moser, J.K., Dien, B. and Singh, V. 2020. An efficient pretreatment process to improve recoveries of oil and hydrolyzed sugars from corn germ meal, a model feedstock for lipid producing energy crops. Energies 13:6022.
Juneja, A., Cusick, R. and Singh, V. 2020. Recovering the phosphorus as a coproduct from corn dry grind plants: a techno-economic evaluation. Cereal Chem. 97:449-458.
Juneja, A., Kumar, D., Singh, V.K., Yadvika. and Singh, V. 2020. Chemical free two-step hydrothermal pretreatment to improve sugar yields from energy cane. Energies 13:5805.
Juneja, A., Noordam, B., Pel, H., Basu, R., Appeldoorn, M. and Singh, V. 2020. Optimization of two-stage pretreatment for maximizing ethanol production in 1.5G technology. Bioresor. Technol. (In press).
Kumar, D., Mikel, J., Basu, R. and Singh, V. 2020. Enhancing ethanol yields in corn dry grind process by reducing glycerol production. Cereal Chem. 97:1026-1036.
Kurambhatti, C., Kumar, D., Rausch, K.D., Tumbleson, M.E. and Singh, V. 2020. Improving technical and economic feasibility of water based anthocyanin recovery from purple corn using staged extraction approach. Ind. Crops Prod. 158:112976.
Parajuli, S., Kannan, B., Karan, R., Georgina, S., Hui, L., Garcia-Ruiz, E., Kumar, D., Singh, V., Zhao, H., Long, S., Shanklin, J. and Altpeter, F. 2020. Towards oilcane: engineering hyperaccumulation of triacylglycerol into sugarcane stems. GCB Bioenergy. 12:476-490.
Qureshi, N., Lin, X., Lin, S., Saha, B.C., Mariano, A.P., Polaina, J, Ezeji, T.C., Friedl, A., Maddox, I.S., Klasson, K.T., Dien, B.S. and Singh, V. 2020. Global view of biofuel butanol and economics of its production by fermentation from sweet sorghum bagasse, food waste, and yellow top presscake: application of novel technologies. Fermentation 6:58.
Saini, P., Kumar, N., Kumar, S., Mwaurah, P.W., Panghal, A., Attkan, A.K., Singh, V.K., Garg, M.K. and Singh, V. 2020. Bioactive compounds, nutritional benefits and food applications of colored wheat: a comprehensive review. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. (In press).
Shraddha, M. and Singh. V. 2020. Balancing sugar recovery and inhibitor generation during energycane processing: coupling cryogenic grinding with hydrothermal pretreatment at low temperatures. Bioresour. Technol. (In press).
Viswanathan, M.B., Park, K., Cheng, M.H., Cahoon, E.B., Dweikat, I., Clemente, T. and Singh, V. 2020. Variability in structural carbohydrates, lipid composition, and cellulosic sugar production from industrial hemp varieties. Ind. Crops Prod. 157:112906.
Yoel, C.P., Kumar, D., Singh, V. and Guest, J.S. 2020. Biosteam: A fast and fexible platform for the design, simulation and techno-economic analysis of biorefineries under uncertainty. Sust. Chem. Eng. 8:3302-3310.
Cheng, M.H., Dien, B.S. and Singh, V. 2019. Sugar production from bioenergy sorghum by using pilot scale continuous hydrothermal pretreatment combined with disk refining. Bioresour. Technol. 289:121663
Cheng, M.H., Huang, H., Dien, B.S. and Singh, V. 2019. The costs of sugar production from different feedstocks and processing technologies. Biofuels, Bioprod. Biorefin. 13:723-739.
Cheng, M.H., Dien, B.S. and Singh, V. 2019. Economics of plant oil recovery: a review. Biotcatal. and Agric. Biotechnol. 18:101056.
Chen, M.H., Wang, Z., Dien, B.S., Silinger, P. and Singh, V. 2019. Economic analysis of cellulosic ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse using a sequential deacetylation, hot water and disk refining pretreatment. Processes 7:642.
Corray, S., Utterback, P., Ramchandran, D., Singh, V., Moose, S.P. and Parsons, C.M. 2019. Nutritional evaluation of three types of novel ethanol coproducts. Poultry Sci. 98: 2933-2939.
Juneja, A., Sharma, N., Cusick, R. and Singh, V. 2019. Recovery of phosphorus from corn wet milling plants: a techno-economic evaluation. Cereal Chem. 96:380-390.
Juneja, A., Zhang, G., Jin, Y.S. and Singh, V. 2019. Bioprocessing and feasibility analysis of simultaneous production of D-psicose and bioethanol using engineered yeast strain KAM-2GD. Bioresour. Technol. 275:27-34.
Kumar, D., Hager, A.S., Sun, A., Debyser, W., Guagliano, B.J. and Singh, V. 2019. Improving fermentation rate during use of corn grits in beverage alcohol production. Beverages 5:5.
Kurambhatti, C., Kumar, D. and Singh, V. 2019. Impact of fractionation process on technical and economic viability of corn dry grind ethanol process. Processes 7:578.
Li, Q., Singh, V., de Mejia, E.G. and Somavat, P. 2019. Effect of sulfur dioxide and lactic acid in steeping water on the extraction of anthocyanins and bioactives from purple corn pericarp. Cereal Chem. 96:575-589.
Luna-Vital, D.A., Chatham, L., Juvik, J., Singh, V., Somavat, P. and de Mejia, E.G. 2019. Activating effects of phenolics from apache red zea mays L. on free fatty acid receptor 1 and glucokinase evaluated with a dual culture system with epithelial, pancreatic, and liver cells. J. Agric. Food Chem. 67:9148-9159.
Singh, V., Stone, J., Robert, J.P. and Vani, S.N. 2019. Industrial biotechnology shaping corn biorefineries of the future. Cereal Foods World 64:62.
Wang, Z., Dien, B.S., Rausch, K.D., Tumbleson, M.E. and Singh, V. 2019. Improving ethanol yields with deacetylated and two-stage pretreated corn stover and sugarcane bagasse by blending commercial xylose-fermenting and non-genetically modified Saccharomyces yeast. Bioresour. Technol. 148:108-115.
Zhang, Q., de Mejia, E.G., Luna-Vital, D. Tao, T., Chandrasekaran, S., Chatham, L., Juvik, J., Singh, V. and Kumar, D. 2019. Relationship of phenolic composition of selected purple maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with their anti-inflammatory, anit-adipogenic and anti-diabetic potential. Food Chem. 289:739-750
Chen, M., Kim, S.M., Raab, M., Li, X. and Singh. V.Â 2018.Â Heterologous expression of thermoregulated xylanases in switchgrass reduces the amount of exogenous enzyme required for saccharification.Â Biomas Bioener. 107:305-310.Â Â
Dien, B.S., Mitchell, R.B., Bowman, M.J., Jin, V.L., Quaterman, J., Schmer, M.R., Singh, V. and Slininger.Â 2018.Â Bioconversion of pelletized big bluestem, switchgrass, and low-diversity grass mixtures into sugars and bioethanol.Â Front. Ener. Res. (In press).Â
Kim, S.M., Lee, D.K., Thapa, S., Dien, B.S., Tumbleson, M.E., Rausch, K.D. and Singh, V. 2018. Cellulosic ethanol potential of feedstocks grown on marginal land. Trans. ASABE (In press).
Kumar, D., Juneja, A. and Singh, V. 2018. Fermentation technology to improve productivity in dry grind corn process for bioethanol production. Fuel Proc. Technol. 173:66-74.
Kumar, D. and Singh, V. 2018. Improving dry-fractionated corn fermentation by supplementation of corn germ meal and pasta mill feed from agro-food industries. Cereal Chem. (In press).
Kurambhatti, C.V., Kumar, D., Rausch, K.D., Tumbleson, M.E. and Singh, V. 2018. Increasing ethanol yield through fiber conversion in corn dry grind process. Bioresour. Technol. (In press).
Kurambhatti, C.V., Kumar, D., Rausch, K.D., Tumbleson, M.E. and Singh, V. 2018. Ethanol production from corn fiber separated after liquefaction in dry grind process. Energies (In press).
Ramchandran, D., Hojilla-Evangelista, M.P., Moose, S.P., Rausch, K.D., Tumbleson, M.E. and Singh, V. 2018. Changes in corn protein during storage and their relationships to dry grind ethanol production. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 95:923-932.
Somavat, P., Kumar. and Singh, V. 2018. Techno-economic feasibility analysis of blue and purple corn processing for anthocyanin extraction and ethanol production using modified dry grind process. Ind. Crops Prod. 115:78-87.
Wang, Z., Dien, B.S., Rausch, K.D. and Tumbleson, M.E. 2018. Fermentation of undetoxified sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzates using a two stage hydrothermal and mechanical refining pretreatment. Bioresour. Technol. 261:313-321
Wang, Z., Sharma, V., Dien, B. and Singh, V. 2018. High-conversion hydrolysates and corn sweetener production in dry grind corn process. Cereal Chem. 95:302-311.
Challa, R.K., Zhang, Y.B., Johnston, D.B., Singh, V., Engeseth, N.J., Tumbleson, M.E. and Rausch, K.D. 2017. Evaporator fouling tendencies of thin stillage and concentrates from the dry grind process. Heat Transfer Eng. 38:743-752.
Chen, C., Somavat, P., Singh, V. and Mejia, E.G. 2017. Chemical characterization of proanthocyanidins in purple, blue and red corn coproducts from different milling processes and their anti-inflammatory properties. Ind. Crops Prod. 109:464-475.
Huang, H., Moreau, R.A., Powell, M.P., Wang, Z., Kannan, B., Altpeter, F., Grennan, A., Long, S. and Singh, V. 2017. Evaluation of the quantity and composition of sugars and lipid in the juice and bagasse of lipid producing sugarcane. Biotcatal. and Agric. Biotechnol. 10:148-155.
Huang, H., Wang, Z., Pan, S.C., Shoup, L.M., Felix, T.L., Perkins, J.B., May, O. and Singh, V. 2017. Fungal pretreatment to improve digestibility of corn stover for animal feed. Trans. ASABE 60:973-979.
Juneja, A., Kumar, D. and Singh, V. 2017. Germ soak water as nutrient source to improve fermentation of corn grits from modified corn dry grind process. Bioresour. Bioprocess. 4:38.
Kim, S.M., Tumbleson, M.E., Rausch, K.D. and Singh, V. 2017. Impact of disk milling on corn stover pretreated at commercial scale. Bioresour. Technol. 232:297-303.
Kumar, D., Long S.P. and Singh, V. 2017. Bio-refinery for combined production of jet fuel and ethanol from lipid-producing sugarcane: A techno-economic evaluation. GBC Bioener. 10:92-107.
Li, Q., Somavat, P., Singh. V., Chatham, L. and Meija, E.G. 2017. A comparative study of anthocyanin distribution in purple and blue corn coproducts from three conventional fractionation processes. Food Chem. 231:332-339.
Ramchandran, D., Moose, S.P., Low, K., Arp, J. Parsons, C.M. and Singh, V. 2017. Ethanol yields and elevated amino acids in distillers dried grains with solubles from maize grain with higher concentrations of essential amino acids. Ind. Crops and Prod. 103:244-250.
Somavat, P., Huang, H., Kumar, S. Garg, M.K., Danao, M.C., Singh, V., Rausch, K.D. and Paulsen, M.R. 2017. Comparison of hermetic storage of wheat with traditional storage methods in India. Appl. Eng. Agric. 33:121-130.
Somavat, P., Li, Q., Kumar, D., Mejia, E.G., Liu, W., Rausch, K.D. Juvik, J.A., Tumbleson, M.E and Singh, V. 2017. A new lab scale corn dry milling protocol generating commercial sized flaking grits for quick estimation of coproduct yield and composition. Ind. Crops Prod. 109:92-100.

Honors

Founder Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois, 2020
International Food Engineer Award, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 2020
Funk Team Award, College of ACES, University of Illinois, 2020
Best Engineering and Technology Paper Award, ADM/Protein & Coproducts Division, American Oil Chemistsâ€™ Society, 2019
Applied Research Award, American Association of Cereal Chemists International, 2018
Fellow, American Association of Cereal Chemists International, 2018
Advisory Board, Great Lake Biomass Research Center, US Department of Energy, 2018
Best Poster Award, Bioresource Technology for Bioenergy, Bioproducts & Environmental Sustainability, 2018
Distinguished Professor of Bioprocessing, University of Illinois, 2016
Achievement Award, Bioenergy Society of Singapore, 2016
University Scholar, University of Illinois, 2015
Excellence in Teaching Award, American Association of Cereal Chemists International, 2013
Xerox Award for Faculty Research, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, 2011
Ben and Gorgeann Jones Excellence in Teaching Award, 2010
Advisory Board Member, Fulbright Commission, US-Brazil Biofuels Network, 2008
Young Scientist Award, American Association of Cereal Chemists International, 2007
Scholar, ACES Academy for Global Engagement, 2007
Research Excellence Award, College of ACES, University of Illinois, 2007
Participant and Organizer, Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering, 2006, 2007
Best Paper Award, ADM/Protein & CoProducts Division, American Oil Chemists Society, 2006
New Holland Young Researcher Award, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2005
Innovation Hall of Fame, Office of Technology Management, University of Illinois, 2004
List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent, University of Illinois, 2003 - 2019
Young Faculty Excellence Award, Corn Refiners Association, 2003
Best Research Paper Award, CCSE Research Unit, ERRC, ARS, USDA, 2003
Outstanding Poster Award, American Association of Cereal Chemists International, 1998