Dr. Chih-Yu Cheng is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Biotechnology at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, with extensive experience in microbial enzyme engineering and bioprocess-oriented research.

Her research focuses on structure-guided engineering of chitosanases, integrating rational protein design with screening platforms to reprogram enzyme specificity and regulate chito-oligosaccharide product distributions. Her work emphasizes enzyme robustness, product controllability, and feasibility in reproducible production systems.

Through long-term studies on chitin- and chitosan-degrading enzymes, Dr. Cheng contributes to enzyme-enabled processing strategies relevant to microbial fermentation, biopolymer utilization, and applied bioprocess development.

The Enzyme and Engineering Lab (EELab) integrates enzyme science, microbial biotechnology, and bioprocess engineering to develop practical solutions for food innovation, sustainable biomaterials, and environmental applications. We provide an interdisciplinary and supportive research environment where students are encouraged to build strong experimental skills, independent thinking, and the ability to connect fundamental science with real-world challenges. We warmly welcome international interns who are interested in hands-on research and cross-disciplinary collaboration.