Yilin Hu

Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Biography

Yilin Hu, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine. Hu received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Loma Linda University and has been at UC Irvine since 1999, initially as a postdoctoral researcher before joining the faculty in 2013. Her research focuses on the biosynthesis and catalytic mechanisms of nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for biological nitrogen fixation, with particular emphasis on the assembly and function of its complex metalloclusters.

Hu has been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award and a Hellman Fellowship. Her laboratory has made contributions to understanding nitrogenase cofactor assembly, including structural characterization of key biosynthetic intermediates and demonstration of substrate reduction mechanisms. The work has extended to engineering nitrogenase variants and developing heterologous expression systems in Escherichia coli for simplified nitrogenase analogs. Hu has also investigated the catalytic versatility of nitrogenase in reducing carbon-containing substrates such as CO and CO₂ to hydrocarbons.

Hu has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and has been named to the editorial boards of ChemistrySelect and mBio. She has served on multiple NIH and DOE grant review panels and holds several patents related to engineered nitrogen-fixing bacteria and enzymatic hydrocarbon synthesis. Hu has been elected Co-Chair of the Telluride Workshop on Exploring Nitrogen Activation Mechanism and serves on the UC Irvine Senate Committee on Privilege and Tenure.

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Education

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Loma Linda University, 1999
Bachelor of Science in Genetics, FuDan University, 1992

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Distinctions

mBio, Board of Editors, 2025-2028
Top 2% of World Scientists based on Publications and Citations, 2021
Elected Co-Chair, Telluride Workshop: Exploring Nitrogen Activation Mechanism, 2026
NSF CAREER Award, 2017
Author Profile: Angewandte Chemie Int Ed Engl, 2020
ChemistrySelect, Board of Editors, 2021
Hellman Fellowship, 2015

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Areas of Expertise

Metalloprotein Biosynthesis
Nitrogenase Cofactor Assembly
Biological Nitrogen Fixation
Radical SAM Enzyme Mechanisms
Heterologous Protein Expression Systems
Belt-Sulfur Mobilization Dynamics
Enzymatic Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Recent Publications

Neumann B, Brandon KA, Quechol R, Suder DS, Lee CC, Yang Y, Górecki K, Wiig JA, Hu Y, Gonen S, Ribbe MW., “Structural insights into metallocluster trafficking in the nitrogenase assembly scaffold NifEN”, Nature Catalysis, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 281-294, 2026.
Quechol R, Yang Y, Lee CC, Ribbe MW, Hu Y., “Minimal ATP-Independent N2-Reducing Systems Defined by L-Cluster-Bound Nitrogenase Assembly Platforms”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol. 65, no. 24, pp. e2968123, 2026.
Liu YA, Lee CC, Gorécki K, Stiebritz MT, Duffin C, Solomon JB, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Heterologous synthesis of a simplified nitrogenase analog in Escherichia coli” (opens in new tab), Science Advances, vol. 11, no. 18, pp. eadw6785, 2025.
Lee CC, Chatterjee K, Yano J, Kern J, Stiebritz MT, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Belt-sulfur mobilization as a crucial mechanistic feature shared between the vanadium and molybdenum nitrogenases” (opens in new tab), Chem Catalysis (Cell Press), vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 101366, 2025.
Lee CC, Stang M, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “ATP-independent turnover of dinitrogen intermediates captured on the nitrogenase cofactor” (opens in new tab), Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol. 63, no. 21, pp. e202400273, 2024.
Lee CC, Górecki K, Stang M, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Cofactor maturase NifEN: a prototype ancient nitrogenase?” (opens in new tab), Science Advances, vol. 10, no. 24, pp. eado6169, 2024.
Solomon JB, Lee CC, Liu YA, Duffin C, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Ammonia synthesis via an engineered nitrogenase assembly pathway in Escherichia coli” (opens in new tab), Nature Catalysis, vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 1130-1141, 2024.
Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Belt sulfur mobilization in nitrogenase biosynthesis and catalysis” (opens in new tab), Trends in Chemistry (Cell Press), vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 108-111, 2023.
Hu Y, Lee CC, Grosch M, Solomon JB, Weigand W, Ribbe MW, “Enzymatic Fischer-Tropsch-type reactions” (opens in new tab), Chemical Reviews, vol. 123, no. 9, pp. 5755-5797, 2023.
Quechol R, Solomon JB, Liu YA, Lee CC, Jasniewski AJ, Górecki K, Oyala P, Hedman B, Hodgson KO, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Heterologous synthesis of the complex homometallic cores of nitrogenase P- and M-clusters in Escherichia coli” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 120, no. 44, pp. e2314788120, 2023.
Lee CC, Kang W, Jasniewski AJ, Stiebritz MT, Tanifuji K, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Evidence of substrate binding and product release via belt-sulphur mobilization of the nitrogenase cofactor” (opens in new tab), Nature Catalysis, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 443-454, 2022.
Stripp S.T., Duffus B.R., Fourmond V., Leger C., Leimkuhler S., Hirota S., Hu Y., Jasniewski A., Ogata H., Ribbe M.W., “Second and Outer Coordination Sphere Effects in Nitrogenase, Hydrogenase, Formate Dehydrogenase, and CO Dehydrogenase” (opens in new tab), Chemical Reviews, vol. 122, pp. 11900-11973, 2022.
Kang W, Rettberg LA, Stiebritz M, Jasniewski AJ, Tanifuji K, Lee CC, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Crystallographic analysis of NifB with a full complement of clusters: Structural insights into the radical SAM-dependent carbide insertion during nitrogenase cofactor assembly” (opens in new tab), Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 2364-2370, 2021.
Solomon JB, Rasekh MF, Hiller CJ, Lee CC, Tanifuji K, Ribbe MW, Hu Y, “Probing the all-ferrous states of methanogen nitrogenase iron proteins” (opens in new tab), JACS Au, vol. 1, pp. 119-123, 2021.
Tanifuji K, Jasniewski AJ, Villarreal D, Stiebritz MT, Lee CC, Wilcoxen J, Okhi Y, Chatterjee R, Bogacz I, Yano J, Kern J, Hedman B, Hodgson KO, Britt RD, Hu Y, Ribbe MW, “Tracing the incorporation of the 9th sulfur into the nitrogenase cofactor precursor with selenite and tellurite” (opens in new tab), Nature Chemistry, vol. 13, no. 12, pp. 1228-1234, 2021.
Rettberg, L. A., Wilcoxen, J., Jasniewski, A. J., Lee, C. C., Tanifuji, K., Hu, Y., Britt, R. D., Ribbe, M. W., “Identity and function of an essential nitrogen ligand of the nitrogenase cofactor biosynthesis protein NifB” (opens in new tab), Nature Communications, vol. 11, pp. 1757, 2020.
Lee, C. C., Stiebritz, M. T., Hu, Y., “Reactivity of [Fe₄S₄] clusters toward C1 substrates: mechanism, implications and potential applications” (opens in new tab), Accounts of Chemical Research, vol. 52, pp. 1168-1176, 2019.

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Most Cited Publications

Lee, C. C., Hu, Y., Ribbe, M. W., “Vanadium nitrogenase reduces CO” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 329, pp. 642, 2010.
Wiig, J. A., Hu, Y., Lee, C. C., Ribbe, M. W., “Radical SAM-dependent carbon insertion into nitrogenase M-cluster” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 337, pp. 1672-1675, 2012.
Hu, Y., Lee, C. C., Ribbe, M. W., “Extending the carbon chain: Hydrocarbon formation catalyzed by vanadium/molybdenum nitrogenases” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 333, pp. 753-755, 2011.
Dos-Santos, P. C., Dean D. R., Hu, Y., Ribbe M. W., “Formation and insertion of the nitrogenase iron-molybdenum cofactor” (opens in new tab), Chemical Reviews, vol. 104, pp. 1159-1174, 2004.
Jasniewski, A. J., Lee, C. C., Ribbe, M. W., Hu, Y., “Reactivity, mechanism, and assembly of the alternative nitrogenases” (opens in new tab), Chemical Reviews, vol. 120, pp. 5107-5157, 2020.
Kang, W., Lee, C. C., Jasniewski, A. J., Ribbe, M. W., Hu, Y., “Structural evidence for a dynamic metallocofactor during N₂ reduction by Mo-nitrogenase” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 368, pp. 1381-1385, 2020.
Ribbe, M. W., Hu, Y., Hodgson, K. O., Hedman, B., “Biosynthesis of nitrogenase metalloclusters” (opens in new tab), Chemical Reviews, vol. 114, pp. 4063-4080, 2014.
Kaiser, J. T., Hu, Y., Wiig, J. A., Rees, D. C., Ribbe, M. W., “Structure of precursor bound NifEN: A nitrogenase FeMo cofactor maturase/insertase” (opens in new tab), Science, vol. 331, pp. 91-94, 2011.
Hu, Y., Lee, C. C., Ribbe, M. W., “Vanadium nitrogenase: A two-hit wonder?” (opens in new tab), Dalton Transactions, vol. 41, pp. 1118-1127, 2012.
Hu, Y., Fay, A. W., Ribbe, M. W., “Identification of a nitrogenase iron-molybdenum cofactor precursor on NifEN complex” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 102, pp. 3236-3241, 2005.

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Contact Information

Email: yilinh@uci.edu

Phone: (949) 824-4615

Address: 2230 McGaugh Hall

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This profile was created with the help of AI.

Last updated on 7/1/2026.