1998-2006: Ph.D., Genetics and Microbiology, Dept. Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

1994-1998: B.A., Cum Laude, Biochemistry, Dept. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

2008-current: AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship with Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed, US Dept. Energy, Office of the Biomass Program, Washington, D.C. Led the DOE Biomass program in various federal interagency efforts (Metabolic Engineering Working Group and the Biomass Conversion Interagency Working Group). Co-chair of the Public Private Partnership session at the National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap. Conducted site visits and reviews of National Laboratories and other federal grant/contract awardees. Lead advisor and manager of algal biofuels activities, including the planning and implementation of the Algal Biofuels Consortium Recovery Act project. Advisor to the Biochemical Conversion Platform.

2006-2008:  Postdoctoral research on phylogenetic and genomics of Teredinibacter turnerae and related endosymbionts of Teredinidae (shipworms) with Dr. Daniel Distel, Ocean Genome Legacy, Ipswich, MA.  Prepared genomic DNA for T. turnerae genome sequencing (The Institute for Genomic Research/J. Craig Venter Institute), learned fundamental gene annotation approaches, and used related software. Developed a cloning-based comparative genomics strategy to study closely related bacterial species and biodiversity.  Prepared tissue and bacterial cultures from the Pacific Northwest shipworm (Bankia setacea) to extract genomic DNA for metagenomic analyses.  Assayed protein lysates from Bankia setacea for cellulase and hemicellulase activities.

2004-2006: Graduate research on Gram-positive bacterial plasmid conjugation with Dr. Anthony Sinskey, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Discovered three megaplasmids of Rhodococcus erythropolis AN12. Demonstrated conjugative transfer of two AN12 megaplasmids by screening a transposon mutant library. Showed that a gene, which encodes a relaxase-like protein, is required for megaplasmid conjugation by using a novel Rhodococcus gene-disruption strategy. Assisted in Rhodococcus aetherivorans I24 genome assembly and contig gap closure using inverse PCR.

2002-2004: Graduate research on microtubule function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Dr. Frank Solomon, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Conducted an overexpression screen for genetic enhancers of a tubulin folding mutant, and addressed the cell biological consequences of limiting quantities of tubulin using immunofluorescence microscopy.

1998-2002: Graduate research on nervous system development in Drosophila melanogaster with Dr. Paul Garrity, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Used gene-targeting technology and tissue-specific transgene expression to address the function of a protein tyrosine phosphatase (Ptpmeg) in Drosophila nervous system development.

1998-1998: Summer internship on human macular dystrophy at Merck Pharmaceuticals with Dr. Konstantin Petruhkin, Department of Human Genetics, West Point, PA.

1996-1998: Undergraduate research on Rsp5p ubiquitin ligase function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Dr. Jon Huibregtse, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Determined the protein region required for substrate ubiquitination in vitro by generating deletion constructs of the yeast ubiquitin ligase, Rsp5p.

2006: Winner of the MIT 1K Entrepreneurship Competition (Alternative Energy Category).

2002: Anna Fuller Graduate Fellowship.

2001: MIT Department of Biology Poster Session Winner.

1998: Henry Rutgers Honors Thesis.

1998: Rutgers Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Departmental High Honors.

1996: Golden Key National Honors Society.

1995: Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society.

1994-1998: Rutgers College General Honors Program.

1994-1998: Edward Bloustein New Jersey State Scholarship.

Yang, JC, Pedamallu CS, Posfai J, and Distel DL. A comparative genomics approach to examine the natural biodiversity among Teredinibacter turnerae strains, endosymbionts of marine wood-boring clams.  Manuscript in preparation.

Yang, JC et al. The complete genome of Teredinibacter turnerae T7901: an intracellular endosymbiont of marine wood-boring bivalves (family Teredinidae). In press. PLOS One. 2009.

Yang JC, Lessard PA, and Sinskey AJ. Characterization of the conjugation determinants of pAN12, a

small replicon from Rhodococcus erythropolis AN12. Plasmid. 2007 Jan;57(1):71-81.

Yang JC, Lessard PA, Sengupta N, Windsor SD, O’Brien XM, Bramucci M, Tomb J-F, Nagarajan V,

Sinskey AJ. TraA is required for megaplasmid conjugation in Rhodococcus erythropolis AN12.

Plasmid. 2007 Jan;57(1):55-70.

Whited JL, Robichaux MB, Yang JC, and Garrity PA. PTPMEG is required for the proper establishment and maintenance of axon projections in the Drosophila central brain. Development. 2007 Jan;134(1):43-53.

Wang G, Yang J, Huibregtse JM. Functional domains of the Rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Mol Cell

Biol. 1999 Jan;19(1):342-52.

Huibregtse JM, Yang JC, Beaudenon SL. The large subunit of RNA polymerase II is a substrate of

the Rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Apr 15;94(8):3656-61.

Yang, JC. Algal Biofuels R&D Opportunities at the U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program. Invited oral presentation at the Algal Biomass Summit. San Diego, California, October 8, 2009.

Yang, JC. Algal Biofuels Outlook: The DOE Biomass Program Perspective. Invited oral presentation at the International Phycological Congress. Tokyo, Japan, August 2-8, 2009.

Yang, JC. Biomass R&D at DOE. Invited oral presentation at Massachuetts Institute of Technology, Sinskey Lab Meeting. Cambridge, MA, May, 15, 2009.

Yang, JC. Present and Future Biomass R&D at DOE. Invited oral presentation at the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC. April 23, 2009.

Yang, JC. Present and Future Biomass R&D at DOE. Invited oral presentation at the Algal Biofuels World Summit- Government panel, San Francisco, CA. March 25, 2009.

Yang, JC. Present and Future Biomass R&D at DOE. Invitated oral presentation at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD. January 13, 2009.

Yang JC , Pedamallu CS, Posfai J, Khouri H, Durkin S, Badger JH, and Distel DL. Characterization of Shipworm Symbionts Using Comparative Genomic Approaches.  American Society of Microbiology 108^th General Meeting Poster.  June 2, 2008.

Yang JC and Distel DL. A Comparative Genomics Approach to Examine the Natural Biodiversity of Closely Related Marine Endosymbionts.  Invited oral presentation at Marine Biological Laboratories.  Woods Hole, MA.  October, 2007.

Yang JC and Distel DL.  Resolution of genotypic differences among marine endosymbionts with identical ribotypes using partial ribosomal operon tagged cloning (PROTC).  Boston Bacterial Meeting Poster Session II.  Boston, MA.  June, 2007.

Yang JC, Ekborg NA, Luyten YA, Eisen JA, Ward NL, Distel DL. Genomic analysis of the cellulolytic bacterium, Teredinibacter turnerae T7902: towards an understanding of shipworm symbiosis and marine bacterial evolution.  NSF/USDA Microbial Genome Sequencing Project Awardee Workshop at the Plant and Animal Genome XV Conference Poster.  San Diego, CA.  January, 2007.

Yang JC and Sinskey AJ. Mobilization of three extrachromosomal replicons of Rhodococcus

erythropolis AN12. DuPont-MIT Alliance Student Symposium. Cambridge, MA.  September, 2005.

Yang JC and Sinskey AJ. Understanding the biology of Rhodococcus replicons. MIT Department of

Biology Koch Building Annual Retreat Presentation. North Falmouth, MA.  May, 2005.

Yang JC and Sinskey AJ. Identification of a genetic determinant of horizontal megaplasmid transfer

in Rhodococcus. DuPont-MIT Alliance Student Symposium Presentation. Cambridge, MA.  October, 2004.

Yang JC and Solomon F. Regulated tubulin expression, heterodimer formation, and normal

microtubule function. MIT Center for Cancer Research Departmental Retreat Poster Session II.

Waterville Valley, NH.  October, 2003.

2009-present: International Phycological Society. Full member.

2005-present: American Association for the Advancement of Science. Student, Postdoctoral, Full member

2005-present: American Society of Microbiology. Student and Postdoctoral member.