Speakers
Plenary Session
As the final keynote in our Greenhouse Gas Cycling and Mitigation theme, Professor Sung-Keun Rhee will bring a fresh lens on the natural microbial processes that sit at the intersection of methane and nitrous oxide cycling. His talk explores how unique acidophilic methanotrophs, adapted to low pH and low oxygen environments, can reduce both CH₄ and N₂O — offering surprising pathways for climate mitigation hidden in extreme soils and geothermal systems.
By tracing microbial evolution, niche specialisation and the genomics of these overlooked organisms, Rhee invites us to rethink the microbial limits of greenhouse gas sinks. This keynote closes the day by connecting fundamental discovery to the broader challenge of climate action — showing how untapped microbial metabolisms could reshape our approach to integrated emissions control.
Sung-Keun Rhee is a professor of environmental microbiology at Chungbuk National University, where he leads the Environmental Microbiology and Genomics Lab and serves as Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology. He also directs the university’s BK21 Program for emerging biosystems leaders. His research focuses on the microbes that drive biogeochemical cycles — especially those that sit at the nexus of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. From ammonia-oxidising archaea in polar oceans to acidophilic methanotrophs in geothermal soils, his work reveals how microorganisms adapt to extreme environments and shape Earth’s greenhouse gas balance.
Renowned for combining field studies with metagenomics, microbial physiology and taxonomic discovery, Professor Rhee’s recent publications have highlighted the overlooked role of facultative methanotrophs in nitrous oxide reduction, providing new insights into microbial pathways that link carbon and nitrogen cycles. He is also a passionate educator, with a long-standing commitment to mentoring the next generation of environmental microbiologists in Korea and beyond.