Sung Ok Han, who joined Korea University in 2007 with 16 years of overseas professional experience, holds Master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Sydney's Department of Microbiology, specializing in industrial microbiology. During postdoctoral years at the University of Oklahoma and the University of California, Davis, he honed his expertise in anaerobic microbiology and molecular biology. In 2005, Dr. Han joined RITE's Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Research Group, gaining practical experience in advanced bioengineering. As a senior staff scientist, his research encompassed enzymology, gene regulation, and the production of amino acids and biofuels.

Since 2007, Dr Han has served as a Professor at Korea University's School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (http://www.korea.ac.kr/) directing his efforts toward converting renewable bioresources into chemicals, biofuels, materials, and functional foods. As a microbial bioengineer, he applies knowledge-based bioengineering to tailor microbial systems for diverse biotechnological applications. Dr Han's significant contributions to metabolic/enzyme engineering and synthetic system biology are evident in his publication of over 100 papers in SCI journals.