Peng Cai Associate Professor
Education and Work Experience
2007-2011 Nanjing Forestry University Bachelor
2011-2014 Nanjing Forestry University Master
2014-2017 Shanghai Jiaotong University Doctoral Candidate
2017-2018 Zhejiang University Research Assistant
2018-2022 DICP CAS and Dalian University of Technology Joint Doctor
2022-2025 DICP CAS Postdoctor
2025-now DICP CAS Associate Professor
Research Interest
Efficient bioconversion of methanol and develop
ment of yeast synthesis biology methods
Te: 0411-88133490 Email: jasoncai@dicp.ac.cn
Featured Publications
1. Zhang K.#, Ni X.#, Cai P., Zhou Y.J.*, Engineering xylose catabolism in the yeast Komagataella phaffii, Metab. Eng., 2026, 95, 39-49.
2. Bai F., Cai P., Yao L., Shen Y.W., Li Y.X., Zhou Y.J.*, Inducible regulating homologous recombination enables precise genome editing in Pichia pastoris without perturbing cellular fitness, Trends Biotechnol., 2025, 43(6), 1385-1402.
3. Wu X.Y., Ren Y.Y., Chen S.S., Cai P.*, Zhou Y.J., Production of L-lactic acid from methanol by engineered yeast Pichia pastoris. Bioresour. Technol., 2025, 415, 131730.
4. Chen S.S., Zhang M.Y., Wu X.Y., Bai F., Gao L.H., Shen Y.W., Dou S.H.*, Cai P.*, Zhou Y.J., Promoter engineering for enhanced 3-hydroxypropionic acid production in Pichia pastoris, Synth. Syst. Biotechnol. 2025, 10, 916-924.
5. Zhang H.Y., Cai P., Guo J., Gao J.Q., Xie L.F., Su P., Zhai X.X., Jin B.L., Cui G.H.*, Zhou Y.J.*, Huang L.Q.*, Engineering cellular dephosphorylation boosts (+)-borneol production in yeast, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B., 2025, 15(2), 1171-1182.
6. Ren Y.Y., Celińska E., Cai P.*, Zhou Y.J.*, Combing Directed Enzyme Evolution with Metabolic Engineering to Develop Efficient Microbial Cell Factories. Chem. & Bio. Engineering, 2025, doi.org/10.1021/cbe.5c00002.
7. Gao L.H.#, Hou R.#, Cai P., Yao L., Wu X.Y., Li Y.X., Zhang L.H.*, Zhou Y.J.*, Engineering Yeast Peroxisomes for α-Bisabolene Production from Sole Methanol with the Aid of Proteomic Analysis, JACS Au, 2024, 4(7), 2474-2483.
8. Shen Y.W., Cai P., Gao L.H., Wu X.Y., Yao L., Zhou Y.J.*, Engineering high production of fatty alcohols from methanol by constructing coordinated dual biosynthetic pathways, Bioresour. Technol., 2024, 412, 131396.
9. Gao L.H., Zhang K., Shen Y.W., Cai P.*, Zhou Y.J.*, Engineering a versatile yeast platform for sesquiterpene production from glucose or methanol, Biotechnol. J., 2024, 19, 2400261.
10. Cai P., Wu X. Y., Xie L. F., Shen Y. W., Gao L. H., Zhou Y. J.*, Advances in microbial bioconversion of methanol. SCIENTIA SINICA Chimica, 2024, 54(11), 2199-2218.(in Chinese)
11. Zhang M.Y., Cai P., Zhou Y.J.*, Synthetic biology drives the sustainable production of terpenoid fragrances and flavor, Synth. Biol. J., 2024, DOI: 10.12211/2096-8280.2024-057.(in Chinese)
12. Wu X.Y., Cai P., Yao L., Zhou Y.J.*, Genetic tools for metabolic engineering of Pichia pastoris, Eng. Microbiol., 2023, 3, 100094.
13. Qiao S.J., Bai F., Cai P., Zhou Y.J., Yao L.*, An improved CRISPRi system in Pichia pastoris, Synth. Syst. Biotechnol., 2023, 8, 479-485.
14. Wu X.Y., Cai P., Gao L.H., Li Y.X., Yao L., Zhou Y.J.*, Efficient bioproduction of 3‑hydroxypropionic acid from methanol by a synthetic yeast cell factory, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2023, 11, 6445-6453.
15. Cai P., Wu X.Y., Deng J., Gao L.H., Shen Y.W., Yao L., Zhou Y.J.*, Methanol biotransformation toward high-level production of fatty acid derivatives by engineering the industrial yeast Pichia pastoris, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 119(29), e2201711119.
16. Cai P., Li Y.X., Zhai X.X., Yao L., Ma X.J., Jia L.Y., Zhou Y.J.*, Microbial synthesis of long‑chain α‑alkenes from methanol by engineering Pichia pastoris, Bioresour. Bioprocess., 2022, 9, 58. (Featured article)
17. Zhang K., Duan X.P., Cai P.，Gao L.H., Wu X.Y., Yao L., Zhou Y.J.*, Fusing an exonuclease with Cas9 enhances homologous recombination in Pichia pastoris, Microb. Cell Fact., 2022, 21, 182.
18. Cai P.#, Duan X.P.#, Wu X.Y., Gao L.H., Ye M., Zhou Y.J.*, Recombination machinery engineering facilitates metabolic engineering of the industrial yeast Pichia Pastoris, Nucleic Acids Res., 2021, 49(13), 7791-7805.
19. Cai P., Gao J.Q., Zhou Y.J.*, CRISPR-mediated genome editing in non-conventional yeasts for biotechnological applications, Microb. Cell Fact., 2019, 18, 63.
