Lee Sang-yup, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST), has been named recipient of the prestigious Charles D. Scott Award from the U.S. Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology(SIMB).

Lee, a distinguished professor in KAIST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the first Asian scientist to receive the honor.

Since 1995, the award has recognized those who have discovered innovative uses of biotechnology to produce fuels and chemicals.

As a renowned systems metabolic engineer, Lee developed various source technologies for microbial cell factories, which are capable of efficiently producing biofuels, bulk and fine chemicals, polymers, amino acids, natural products and drugs.

The award will be presented at the annual Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals set to be held virtually from Monday to Wednesday.