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Willem H. van Zyl

D-Index & Metrics

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
63
Citations
20480
World Ranking
10012
National Ranking
13

Willem H. van Zyl publication distribution in Biology and Biochemistry in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Biology and Biochemistry in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Willem H. van Zyl sits on this spectrum.

47–56 publications: 8 scientists 57–66 publications: 35 scientists 67–76 publications: 106 scientists 77–86 publications: 231 scientists 87–96 publications: 414 scientists 97–106 publications: 546 scientists 107–116 publications: 704 scientists 117–126 publications: 849 scientists 127–136 publications: 980 scientists 137–146 publications: 942 scientists 147–156 publications: 969 scientists 157–166 publications: 950 scientists 167–176 publications: 951 scientists 177–186 publications: 915 scientists 187–196 publications: 787 scientists 197–206 publications: 841 scientists 207–216 publications: 735 scientists 217–226 publications: 709 scientists 227–236 publications: 651 scientists 237–246 publications: 605 scientists 247–256 publications: 510 scientists 257–266 publications: 524 scientists 267–276 publications: 434 scientists 277–286 publications: 418 scientists 287–296 publications: 350 scientists 297–306 publications: 363 scientists 307–316 publications: 315 scientists 317–326 publications: 296 scientists 327–336 publications: 261 scientists 337–346 publications: 240 scientists 347–356 publications: 219 scientists 357–366 publications: 197 scientists 367–376 publications: 154 scientists 377–386 publications: 161 scientists 387–396 publications: 155 scientists 397–406 publications: 145 scientists 407–416 publications: 124 scientists 417–426 publications: 112 scientists 427–436 publications: 132 scientists 437–446 publications: 116 scientists 447–456 publications: 99 scientists 457–466 publications: 81 scientists 467–476 publications: 91 scientists 477–486 publications: 80 scientists 487–496 publications: 80 scientists 497–506 publications: 60 scientists 507–516 publications: 36 scientists 517–526 publications: 46 scientists 527–536 publications: 54 scientists 537–546 publications: 44 scientists 547–556 publications: 43 scientists 557–566 publications: 43 scientists 567–576 publications: 42 scientists 577–586 publications: 25 scientists 587–596 publications: 34 scientists 597–606 publications: 23 scientists 607–616 publications: 33 scientists 617–626 publications: 31 scientists 627–636 publications: 27 scientists 637–646 publications: 25 scientists 647–656 publications: 28 scientists 657–666 publications: 34 scientists 667–676 publications: 18 scientists 677–686 publications: 16 scientists 687–696 publications: 10 scientists 697–706 publications: 12 scientists 707–716 publications: 21 scientists 717–726 publications: 12 scientists 727–736 publications: 12 scientists 737–746 publications: 10 scientists 747–756 publications: 7 scientists 757–766 publications: 13 scientists 767–776 publications: 15 scientists 777–786 publications: 13 scientists 787–796 publications: 9 scientists 797–806 publications: 9 scientists 807–816 publications: 7 scientists 817–826 publications: 4 scientists 827–836 publications: 9 scientists 837–846 publications: 7 scientists 847–856 publications: 3 scientists 857–866 publications: 5 scientists 867–876 publications: 5 scientists 877–886 publications: 11 scientists 887–896 publications: 3 scientists 897–906 publications: 4 scientists 907–916 publications: 7 scientists 917–926 publications: 5 scientists 927–936 publications: 6 scientists 937–946 publications: 6 scientists 947–956 publications: 3 scientists 957–966 publications: 7 scientists 967–976 publications: 2 scientists 977–986 publications: 2 scientists 987–996 publications: 1 scientists 997–1,006 publications: 5 scientists 1,007–1,016 publications: 2 scientists 1,017–1,026 publications: 2 scientists 1,027 publications: 1 scientists 1,028+ publications: 100 scientists
47 publications 1,028+

This scientist: 203 publications — 51st percentile

51% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 1,028 publications or more.

Willem H. van Zyl D-index placement in Biology and Biochemistry in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Biology and Biochemistry scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Willem H. van Zyl sits on this spectrum.

40–41 D-Index: 80 scientists 42–43 D-Index: 183 scientists 44–45 D-Index: 317 scientists 46–47 D-Index: 504 scientists 48–49 D-Index: 718 scientists 50–51 D-Index: 900 scientists 52–53 D-Index: 1,026 scientists 54–55 D-Index: 1,150 scientists 56–57 D-Index: 1,236 scientists 58–59 D-Index: 1,253 scientists 60–61 D-Index: 1,163 scientists 62–63 D-Index: 1,131 scientists 64–65 D-Index: 1,032 scientists 66–67 D-Index: 897 scientists 68–69 D-Index: 814 scientists 70–71 D-Index: 715 scientists 72–73 D-Index: 709 scientists 74–75 D-Index: 596 scientists 76–77 D-Index: 512 scientists 78–79 D-Index: 473 scientists 80–81 D-Index: 412 scientists 82–83 D-Index: 373 scientists 84–85 D-Index: 358 scientists 86–87 D-Index: 285 scientists 88–89 D-Index: 273 scientists 90–91 D-Index: 227 scientists 92–93 D-Index: 208 scientists 94–95 D-Index: 193 scientists 96–97 D-Index: 153 scientists 98–99 D-Index: 157 scientists 100–101 D-Index: 148 scientists 102–103 D-Index: 120 scientists 104–105 D-Index: 113 scientists 106–107 D-Index: 100 scientists 108–109 D-Index: 86 scientists 110–111 D-Index: 67 scientists 112–113 D-Index: 72 scientists 114–115 D-Index: 73 scientists 116–117 D-Index: 64 scientists 118–119 D-Index: 53 scientists 120–121 D-Index: 60 scientists 122–123 D-Index: 54 scientists 124–125 D-Index: 43 scientists 126–127 D-Index: 38 scientists 128–129 D-Index: 49 scientists 130–131 D-Index: 26 scientists 132–133 D-Index: 18 scientists 134–135 D-Index: 23 scientists 136–137 D-Index: 32 scientists 138–139 D-Index: 32 scientists 140–141 D-Index: 27 scientists 142–143 D-Index: 19 scientists 144–145 D-Index: 22 scientists 146–147 D-Index: 12 scientists 148–149 D-Index: 16 scientists 150–151 D-Index: 14 scientists 152–153 D-Index: 10 scientists 154–155 D-Index: 13 scientists 156–157 D-Index: 10 scientists 158–159 D-Index: 7 scientists 160–161 D-Index: 9 scientists 162–163 D-Index: 13 scientists 164–165 D-Index: 4 scientists 166 D-Index: 4 scientists 167+ D-Index: 98 scientists
40 D-Index 167+

This scientist: 63 D-Index — 49th percentile

49% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 167 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa

Overview

Willem H. van Zyl is affiliated with Stellenbosch University in South Africa and has a multidisciplinary research background spanning biochemistry, molecular biology, and engineering. Their primary focus areas include biofuel production and bioconversion, microbial metabolic engineering and bioproduction, and enzyme production and characterization.

Their work addresses several key topics, underscoring expertise in the following areas:

  • Biofuel production and bioconversion
  • Microbial metabolic engineering and bioproduction
  • Enzyme production and characterization
  • Fungal and yeast genetics research
  • Fermentation and sensory analysis
  • Enzyme catalysis and immobilization
  • Lignin and wood chemistry

Van Zyl's publications have appeared frequently in specialized scientific venues, including:

  • Bioresource Technology
  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Enzyme and Microbial Technology
  • Biotechnology Advances
  • Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins

Some recent representative scientific papers from van Zyl's body of work are:

  • Consolidated bioprocessing of raw starch to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Achievements and challenges (2020, Biotechnology Advances)
  • Microbial lignin peroxidases: Applications, production challenges and future perspectives (2020, Enzyme and Microbial Technology)
  • Rational engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae towards improved tolerance to multiple inhibitors in lignocellulose fermentations (2021, Biotechnology for Biofuels)
  • Improving the functionality of surface-engineered yeast cells by altering the cell wall morphology of the host strain (2021, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology)
  • Engineered yeast for the efficient hydrolysis of polylactic acid (2023, Bioresource Technology)

The frequent collaborators in their research include Marinda Viljoen-Bloom, Rosemary A. Cripwell, Lorenzo Favaro, Marthinus W. Myburgh, and Johann F. Görgens, reflecting ongoing cooperative efforts in related fields.

The scientist's publications contribute to several main fields of study:

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • Engineering
  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Within these fields, major subfields explored are biomedical engineering, molecular biology, biotechnology, plant science, and nutrition and dietetics.

Van Zyl is recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, an award that denotes a certain standing in the scientific community without specifying the year of conferment.

Best Publications

  • Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology.

    Lee R. Lynd;Paul J. Weimer;Willem H. van Zyl;Isak S. Pretorius

  • Consolidated bioprocessing of cellulosic biomass: an update.

    Lee R Lynd;Willem H van Zyl;John E McBride;Mark Laser

  • Consolidated bioprocessing for bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Willem H. van Zyl;Lee R. Lynd;Riaan den Haan;John E. McBride

  • Degradation of aflatoxin B1 by fungal laccase enzymes

    J.F. Alberts;W.C.A. Gelderblom;W.C.A. Gelderblom;A. Botha;W.H. van Zyl

  • Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for xylose utilization.

    Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal;C. Fredrik Wahlbom;Márk Gárdonyi;Willem H. van Zyl

  • Degradation of aflatoxin B1 by cell-free extracts of Rhodococcus erythropolis and Mycobacterium fluoranthenivorans sp. nov. DSM44556T

    O.D. Teniola;P.A. Addo;I.M. Brost;P. Färber

  • Biological degradation of aflatoxin B1 by Rhodococcus erythropolis cultures

    J.F. Alberts;Y. Engelbrecht;P.S. Steyn;W.H. Holzapfel

  • Hydrolysis and fermentation of amorphous cellulose by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Riaan Den Haan;Shaunita H. Rose;Lee R. Lynd;Willem H. van Zyl

  • Role of cultivation media in the development of yeast strains for large scale industrial use

    Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal;Kaisa Karhumaa;Christer U Larsson;Marie Gorwa-Grauslund

  • Fungal β-mannanases: Mannan hydrolysis, heterologous production and biotechnological applications

    Willem H. van Zyl;Shaunita H Rose;Kim M Trollope;Johann F Görgens

  • Engineering yeast for efficient cellulose degradation

    Pierre Van Rensburg;Willem H. Van Zyl;Isak S. Pretorius

  • Generation of the improved recombinant xylose-utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae TMB 3400 by random mutagenesis and physiological comparison with Pichia stipitis CBS 6054

    C.Fredrik Wahlbom;Willem H. van Zyl;Leif J. Jönsson;Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal

  • Deletion of the GRE3 aldose reductase gene and its influence on xylose metabolism in recombinant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the xylA and XKS1 genes.

    K. L. Träff;K. L. Träff;R. R. Otero Cordero;W. H. van Zyl;B. Hahn-Hägerdal

  • Molecular Analysis of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutant with Improved Ability To Utilize Xylose Shows Enhanced Expression of Proteins Involved in Transport, Initial Xylose Metabolism, and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway

    C. Fredrik Wahlbom;Ricardo R. Cordero Otero;Willem H. van Zyl;Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal

  • Expression of a Trichoderma reesei beta-xylanase gene (XYN2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    D C la Grange;I S Pretorius;W H van Zyl

  • High level secretion of cellobiohydrolases by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Marja Ilmén;Riaan den Haan;Elena Brevnova;John L. McBride

  • Engineering cellulolytic ability into bioprocessing organisms

    Daniel C. la Grange;Riaan den Haan;Willem H. van Zyl

  • Progress and challenges in the engineering of non-cellulolytic microorganisms for consolidated bioprocessing

    Riaan den Haan;Eugéne van Rensburg;Shaunita H Rose;Johann F Görgens

  • Characterization and heterologous expression of a class IIa bacteriocin, plantaricin 423 from Lactobacillus plantarum 423, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    C.A Van Reenen;M.L Chikindas;W.H Van Zyl;L.M.T Dicks

  • Degradation of Xylan to D-Xylose by Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Coexpressing the Aspergillus niger β-Xylosidase (xlnD) and the Trichoderma reesei Xylanase II (xyn2) Genes

    D. C. La Grange;I. S. Pretorius;M. Claeyssens;W. H. van Zyl

Frequent Co-Authors

Johann F. Görgens
Johann F. Görgens Stellenbosch University
Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal
Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal Lund University
Lee R. Lynd
Lee R. Lynd Dartmouth College
Isak S. Pretorius
Isak S. Pretorius Macquarie University
Peter Biely
Peter Biely Institute of Chemistry
Leif J. Jönsson
Leif J. Jönsson Umeå University
Tomohisa Hasunuma
Tomohisa Hasunuma Kobe University
Paul J. Weimer
Paul J. Weimer University of Wisconsin–Madison
Shih-Hsin Ho
Shih-Hsin Ho Harbin Institute of Technology
Bernard A. Prior
Bernard A. Prior Stellenbosch University

External Links

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Best Scientists Citing Willem H. van Zyl

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Publications: 174

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Publications: 40

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Charles E. Wyman

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Publications: 38

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Publications: 37

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Publications: 36

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Publications: 34

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Publications: 34

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Publications: 34

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Publications: 33

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