Sang Yup Lee, Distinguished Professor at KAIST, POSCO TJ Park Prize Laureate in Science (2011), and a member of the Board of Directors of the POSCO TJ Park Foundation, has published a new book titled World-Changing Engineering Technologies. A world-renowned authority in the field of metabolic engineering, Professor Lee presents in this book his deep reflections and solutions on how engineering technologies can address the grand challenges facing humanity, such as climate crisis, infectious diseases, energy depletion, aging, and the flood of digital information.

 

Viewing engineering not merely as technology but as a “practical tool to solve the world’s problems,” the book introduces advanced engineering technologies across diverse fields in an accessible way—from environmental and energy issues to medicine, biotechnology, and information and communication technologies. It vividly explains cutting-edge technologies once only seen in the news, including carbon dioxide utilization, biofuel production using microorganisms, AI-based drug development, and DNA data storage.

 

Dubbed the “alchemist of the 21st century,” Professor Lee has pioneered groundbreaking achievements in biotechnology and the bioindustry by developing, for the first time in the world, microbial spider silk protein stronger than steel (2010), bio-gasoline (2013), medical polymer PLGA (2016), lactam as a nylon precursor (2017), heme for plant-based meat (2018), natural pigment carmine (2021), lutein (2022), and an eco-friendly liquid egg substitute (2024).

 

Currently serving as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Vice President for Research at KAIST, Professor Lee is also Vice Chair of the National Bio Committee of Korea. He is the only scientist in the world elected as a foreign member of all three major science academies: the US National Academy of Sciences, the UK Royal Society, and the US National Academy of Engineering. His new book is a culmination of the insights and experiences he has gained through research, industry, policy advising, and international collaboration.

 

World-Changing Engineering Technologies presents engineering, often perceived as complex and difficult, as both “the power to solve problems and the language of change.” It promises to serve as a reliable guide not only for students and general readers but also for all those who dream of a better world through innovation.

 

* Metabolic Engineering: A field of study that utilizes genetic recombination and quantitative analysis of metabolic pathways to increase the production of specific metabolites or to redesign metabolic pathways.