Wendy Yang

Last updated
Wendy Yang
Born
Wendy Liu

1980 (age 43–44)
Alma materHarvard University (2003) University of California Berkeley (2010)
Occupation(s)Associate Professor of Plant Biology and Geology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Wendy Yang (born 1980) is an associate professor of Plant Biology and Geology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she works on soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology.

Contents

Early life and education

Yang is from Indialantic, Florida. She became interested in environmental science from an early age when she spent time at an environmental summer camp called Earth Corps at the Brevard Community College following 5th grade. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 2003, with a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy. She then moved to the University of California Berkeley, where she earned her PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management in 2010. For her dissertation, she worked with Whendee Silver on developing different methods to measure nitrogen (N2) production in tropical soils, for which she received a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. [1]

Career and research

Yang worked as a lab and field technician at the University of California Berkeley from 2003-2004. She is currently an associate professor of Plant Biology and Geology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [2] She is known for her work in soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology, specifically examining the way nitrogen cycles through an ecosystem and the effects that anthropogenic use of nitrogen has on ecosystems. [3] Her current research is focused on greenhouse gas emissions and soil and the role that microorganisms in the soil, like bacteria and fungi, have in producing these gases. [4] She received a NSF grant to pursue this work in 2018, [5] as part of a larger collaboration with scientists from Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee Knoxville to understand the role microbes have in nitrous oxide emissions from soil. [6]

Publications

Yang's most notable publications include her research on more precise methods for measuring nitrogen fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems, as it is often difficult to tell the amount of N2 gas released from soil due to the concentration of N2 gas already existing abundantly in the atmosphere. [7] Another notable publication was Yang's research on leaf litter, how climate impacts the rate of leaf decomposition and the amount of nitrogen released by decomposition. [8] Her most cited publications are as follows: [9]

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrogen</span> Chemical element with atomic number 7 (N)

Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh in total abundance in the Milky Way and the Solar System. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bond to form N2, a colorless and odorless diatomic gas. N2 forms about 78% of Earth's atmosphere, making it the most abundant chemical species in air. Because of the volatility of nitrogen compounds, nitrogen is relatively rare in the solid parts of the Earth.

Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen is converted into ammonia. It occurs both biologically and abiologically in chemical industries. Biological nitrogen fixation or diazotrophy is catalyzed by enzymes called nitrogenases. These enzyme complexes are encoded by the Nif genes and contain iron, often with a second metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrogen cycle</span> Biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into various chemical forms

The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (78%) is atmospheric nitrogen, making it the largest source of nitrogen. However, atmospheric nitrogen has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium</span> Chemical compound

Ammonium is a modified form of ammonia that has an extra hydrogen atom. It is a positively charged (cationic) molecular ion with the chemical formula NH+4 or [NH4]+. It is formed by the addition of a proton to ammonia. Ammonium is also a general name for positively charged (protonated) substituted amines and quaternary ammonium cations, where one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic or other groups. Not only is ammonium a source of nitrogen and a key metabolite for many living organisms, but it is an integral part of the global nitrogen cycle. As such, human impact in recent years could have an effect on the biological communities that depend on it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fen</span> Type of wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water

A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. The unique water chemistry of fens is a result of the ground or surface water input. Typically, this input results in higher mineral concentrations and a more basic pH than found in bogs. As peat accumulates in a fen, groundwater input can be reduced or cut off, making the fen ombrotrophic rather than minerotrophic. In this way, fens can become more acidic and transition to bogs over time.

In chemistry, azide is a linear, polyatomic anion with the formula N−3 and structure −N=N+=N−. It is the conjugate base of hydrazoic acid HN3. Organic azides are organic compounds with the formula RN3, containing the azide functional group. The dominant application of azides is as a propellant in air bags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denitrification</span> Microbially facilitated process

Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process where nitrate (NO3−) is reduced and ultimately produces molecular nitrogen (N2) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products. Facultative anaerobic bacteria perform denitrification as a type of respiration that reduces oxidized forms of nitrogen in response to the oxidation of an electron donor such as organic matter. The preferred nitrogen electron acceptors in order of most to least thermodynamically favorable include nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−), nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O) finally resulting in the production of dinitrogen (N2) completing the nitrogen cycle. Denitrifying microbes require a very low oxygen concentration of less than 10%, as well as organic C for energy. Since denitrification can remove NO3−, reducing its leaching to groundwater, it can be strategically used to treat sewage or animal residues of high nitrogen content. Denitrification can leak N2O, which is an ozone-depleting substance and a greenhouse gas that can have a considerable influence on global warming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anammox</span> Anaerobic ammonium oxidation, a microbial process of the nitrogen cycle

Anammox, an abbreviation for "anaerobic ammonium oxidation", is a globally important microbial process of the nitrogen cycle that takes place in many natural environments. The bacteria mediating this process were identified in 1999, and were a great surprise for the scientific community. In the anammox reaction, nitrite and ammonium ions are converted directly into diatomic nitrogen and water.

Denitrifying bacteria are a diverse group of bacteria that encompass many different phyla. This group of bacteria, together with denitrifying fungi and archaea, is capable of performing denitrification as part of the nitrogen cycle. Denitrification is performed by a variety of denitrifying bacteria that are widely distributed in soils and sediments and that use oxidized nitrogen compounds such as nitrate and nitrite in the absence of oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor. They metabolize nitrogenous compounds using various enzymes, including nitrate reductase (NAR), nitrite reductase (NIR), nitric oxide reductase (NOR) and nitrous oxide reductase (NOS), turning nitrogen oxides back to nitrogen gas or nitrous oxide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithoautotroph</span> Microbe which derives energy from minerals

A lithoautotroph is an organism which derives energy from reactions of reduced compounds of mineral (inorganic) origin. Two types of lithoautotrophs are distinguished by their energy source; photolithoautotrophs derive their energy from light while chemolithoautotrophs (chemolithotrophs or chemoautotrophs) derive their energy from chemical reactions. Chemolithoautotrophs are exclusively microbes. Photolithoautotrophs include macroflora such as plants; these do not possess the ability to use mineral sources of reduced compounds for energy. Most chemolithoautotrophs belong to the domain Bacteria, while some belong to the domain Archaea. Lithoautotrophic bacteria can only use inorganic molecules as substrates in their energy-releasing reactions. The term "lithotroph" is from Greek lithos (λίθος) meaning "rock" and trōphos (τροφοσ) meaning "consumer"; literally, it may be read "eaters of rock". The "lithotroph" part of the name refers to the fact that these organisms use inorganic elements/compounds as their electron source, while the "autotroph" part of the name refers to their carbon source being CO2. Many lithoautotrophs are extremophiles, but this is not universally so, and some can be found to be the cause of acid mine drainage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human impact on the nitrogen cycle</span>

Human impact on the nitrogen cycle is diverse. Agricultural and industrial nitrogen (N) inputs to the environment currently exceed inputs from natural N fixation. As a consequence of anthropogenic inputs, the global nitrogen cycle (Fig. 1) has been significantly altered over the past century. Global atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O) mole fractions have increased from a pre-industrial value of ~270 nmol/mol to ~319 nmol/mol in 2005. Human activities account for over one-third of N2O emissions, most of which are due to the agricultural sector. This article is intended to give a brief review of the history of anthropogenic N inputs, and reported impacts of nitrogen inputs on selected terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricultural pollution</span> Type of pollution caused by agriculture

Agricultural pollution refers to biotic and abiotic byproducts of farming practices that result in contamination or degradation of the environment and surrounding ecosystems, and/or cause injury to humans and their economic interests. The pollution may come from a variety of sources, ranging from point source water pollution to more diffuse, landscape-level causes, also known as non-point source pollution and air pollution. Once in the environment these pollutants can have both direct effects in surrounding ecosystems, i.e. killing local wildlife or contaminating drinking water, and downstream effects such as dead zones caused by agricultural runoff is concentrated in large water bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands</span> Source of gas emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands of concern consist primarily of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric methane in the world, and are therefore a major area of concern with respect to climate change. Wetlands account for approximately 20–30% of atmospheric methane through emissions from soils and plants, and contribute an approximate average of 161 Tg of methane to the atmosphere per year.

CandidatusScalindua wagneri is a Gram-negative coccoid-shaped bacterium that was first isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. This bacterium is an obligate anaerobic chemolithotroph that undergoes anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). It can be used in the wastewater treatment industry in nitrogen reactors to remove nitrogenous wastes from wastewater without contributing to fixed nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas emission.

"Candidatus Scalindua" is a bacterial genus, and a proposed member of the order Planctomycetales. These bacteria lack peptidoglycan in their cell wall and have a compartmentalized cytoplasm. They are ammonium oxidizing bacteria found in marine environments.

Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), also known as nitrate/nitrite ammonification, is the result of anaerobic respiration by chemoorganoheterotrophic microbes using nitrate (NO3−) as an electron acceptor for respiration. In anaerobic conditions microbes which undertake DNRA oxidise organic matter and use nitrate (rather than oxygen) as an electron acceptor, reducing it to nitrite, and then to ammonium (NO3− → NO2− → NH4+).

Whendee Silver is an American ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist.

CandidatusAnammoxoglobus propionicus is an anammox bacteria that is taxonomically in the phylum of Planctomycetota. Anammoxoglobus propionicus is an interest to many researchers due to its ability to reduce nitrite and oxidize ammonium into nitrogen gas and water.

Anammox is a wastewater treatment technique that removes nitrogen using anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). This process is performed by anammox bacteria which are autotrophic, meaning they do not need organic carbon for their metabolism to function. Instead, the metabolism of anammox bacteria convert ammonium and nitrite into dinitrogen gas. Anammox bacteria are a wastewater treatment technique and wastewater treatment facilities are in the process of implementing anammox-based technologies to further enhance ammonia and nitrogen removal.

Sulfate reduction coupled to ammonium oxidation, or sulfammox, is a novel multi-step microbial process especially pertinent to industrial wastewater treatment. Microbial species associated with sulfammox include but are not limited to Anammoxoglobus sulfate, Bacillus benzoevorans, Candidatus_ Anammoxoglobus, Bacillus cereus SUD-1. This list includes species that may perform sulfammox alongside other microbes, though SUD-1 was shown to perform sulfammox when isolated in an experiment.

References

  1. 1 2 "NSF Award Search: Award#0808383 - "Dissertation Research: "Anaerobic ammonium oxidation:a new pathway for N2 losses from humid tropical forest soils?"". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  2. 1 2 "Sustainability | Center for Advanced Bioenergy & Bioproducts Innovation". cabbi.bio. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  3. 1 2 "Ecological Society of America Announces 2018 Fellows". The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 99 (3): 299–303. 2018-06-29. Bibcode:2018BuESA..99..299.. doi: 10.1002/bes2.1404 . ISSN   0012-9623.
  4. 1 2 3 "Office Hours with Aldo: Wendy Yang (w/ video)" . Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  5. ↑ "NSF Award Search: Award#1656027 - Unraveling the paradox of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in upland soils". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  6. ↑ "NSF announces new awards for research to better understand Earth's biodiversity | NSF - National Science Foundation". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  7. ↑ Yang, Wendy H.; McDowell, Andrew C.; Brooks, Paul D.; Silver, Whendee L. (2014-02-01). "New high precision approach for measuring 15N–N2 gas fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems". Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 69: 234–241. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.11.009. ISSN   0038-0717.
  8. 1 2 CUSACK, DANIELA F.; CHOU, WENDY W.; YANG, WENDY H.; HARMON, MARK E.; SILVER, WHENDEE L. (2009-04-07). "Controls on long-term root and leaf litter decomposition in neotropical forests". Global Change Biology. 15 (5): 1339–1355. Bibcode:2009GCBio..15.1339C. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01781.x. ISSN   1354-1013. S2CID   39890498.
  9. ↑ "Wendy H. Yang - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  10. ↑ Sack, L.; Melcher, P. J.; Liu, W. H.; Middleton, E.; Pardee, T. (2006-06-01). "How strong is intracanopy leaf plasticity in temperate deciduous trees?". American Journal of Botany. 93 (6): 829–839. doi: 10.3732/ajb.93.6.829 . ISSN   0002-9122. PMID   21642145.
  11. ↑ Yang, Wendy H.; Weber, Karrie A.; Silver, Whendee L. (2012-07-29). "Nitrogen loss from soil through anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to iron reduction". Nature Geoscience. 5 (8): 538–541. Bibcode:2012NatGe...5..538Y. doi:10.1038/ngeo1530. ISSN   1752-0894.
  12. ↑ Burgin, Amy J; Yang, Wendy H; Hamilton, Stephen K; Silver, Whendee L (2011-02-01). "Beyond carbon and nitrogen: how the microbial energy economy couples elemental cycles in diverse ecosystems" (PDF). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9 (1): 44–52. Bibcode:2011FrEE....9...44B. doi: 10.1890/090227 . hdl:1808/21008. ISSN   1540-9295.
  13. ↑ Liu, Wendy H.; Bryant, David M.; Hutyra, Lucy R.; Saleska, Scott R.; Hammond-Pyle, Elizabeth; Curran, Daniel; Wofsy, Steven C. (2006-02-04). "Woody debris contribution to the carbon budget of selectively logged and maturing mid-latitude forests". Oecologia. 148 (1): 108–117. Bibcode:2006Oecol.148..108L. doi:10.1007/s00442-006-0356-9. ISSN   0029-8549. PMID   16463056. S2CID   22153326.
  14. ↑ "NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award Recipients, 2006 - Data.gov". catalog.data.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  15. ↑ "Plant Biology News: Wendy Yang honored as LEAP Scholar | School of Integrative Biology | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign". sib.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
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