Dr. Michael Chae has helped oversee several research programs in the area of biomass conversion during his five-year tenure as the Program Manager of the Biorefining Conversions and Fermentation Laboratory (UofA). This experience has cultivated a desire to advocate for the development of novel bio-based technologies that can accommodate the growing global demand for renewable fuels, products, and chemicals. In addition to his vast experience in facilitating laboratory research, Dr. Chae has also served as a Project Manager for BioFuelNet Canada and is currently serving as a member of the Bioeconomy Alberta team.
Through his various laboratory experiences, Dr. Chae has received extensive training in genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and inorganic chemistry. Working in the Biorefining Conversions and Fermentation Laboratory has exposed Dr. Chae to the value of multidisciplinary collaborations in accelerating the development of innovative and disruptive technologies. This tenet was a key factor leading to Dr. Chae’s involvement in the establishment of the Biomass Energy Network.
Dr. Chae received his PhD from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta in Molecular Genetics. His work focused on using a model organism, Neurospora crassa, to study intracellular signaling pathways. Following his graduation, he was awarded a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the process of ageing at Saitama University in Saitama, Japan. He then moved to Dallas, Texas for another postdoc at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythms. In 2012, he moved back to Edmonton, Alberta to work for Maxxam Analytics, an environmental testing laboratory, as a Scientific Specialist, and was later promoted to Soils Supervisor of the Inorganics Department. In April 2014, Dr. Chae was recruited to the University of Alberta where he serves as the Program Manager for the Biorefining Conversions and Fermentation Laboratory, and the Operations Director of the Biomass Energy Network.