Research

Addressing Synthetic Biology Scaling, Release, and Translation Out of the Lab

Sponsored by: NSF, BioMADE, DoD, DARPA

This project addresses critical issues in how synthetic biology is scaled, how it translates out of the lab and into the more complex settings like large-scale bioreactors, and the open environment. We address biocontainment for safe release of microbes ultimately for bioremediation purposes. Our team also addresses making downstream processes easier and cheaper through synthetic biology innovations. New projects will address ways to scale up pathway design and construction, and biosensor development.

Team: Patrick Beardslee, Phil Gitman, Jaya Gupta, Derron Ma, Austin Morgan, Rachel Silvestri, Anthony Stohr

Collaborators: Howard Salis, Eric Young, Yinjie Tang, Deepti Tanjore, CleanJoule, Michael Betenbaugh, Nate McDonald, Jessica Paradysz, Michael Spagnuolo

Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for Oleochemical Production & Natural Products Biosynthesis

Sponsored by: NIH, NDSEG, NSF, NASA, DARPA, NOAA, ACREC, USDA

This project uses oleaginous yeast as a host for the production of oleochemicals and complex plant-derived natural products with unusual therapeutic potential. We are building platforms for making a diverse array of compounds that have anti-cancer, anti-hypertension, and anti-addiction properties. We combine scalable synthetic biology, novel tools for pathway flux optimization, and biochemical insights to make products at much higher titers than has been reported previously. The use of microbial systems enables system scaling and avoids the uncertainty of agricultural sourcing.

Team: Ayushi Agrawal, Phil Gitman, Rachel Keown, Derron Ma, Phil O'Dell, Prem Pritam, Rachel Silvestri, Anthony Stohr.

Collaborators: WIlfred Chen, Yinjie Tang, Nate McDonald, Jessica Paradysz, Michael Spagnuolo

Enhancing Mammalian Cell Line Development for Biopharmaceuticals using Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology

Sponsors: AMBIC, IEHD, UD, NIIMBL, NSF GRFP, Waters

We use synthetic biology to give mammalian biopharmaceutical systems advanced capabilties to enable novel and more efficient production and efficacy. Topics of interest include epigenetics, and cell heterogeneity, AAV viral vector production, oscillating genetic circuits, more effective cell line development tools, bispecific antibody production, and cellular therapies.

Team: Spencer Grissom, Emily Doleh, Sam Fine, Topher Pirner

Collaborators: Cathy Fromen, Marc Birtwistle, Abhi Singh, Seongkyu Yoon, Jamie Spangler, Waters Corporation

Plastic Degradation and Upcycling by the Microbes from Insect Microbiomes

Sponsors: DOE, FICUS, NIH T32, CPI

We are harnessing the biodiversity of insect gut microbiomes to degrade non-hydrolyzable plastics, such as polyethylene. Our work explores gut microbiome composition, metagenomics, and enzyme identification. We are actively elucidating the degradation pathways, and identifiying community interactions.

Team: Ross Klauer, Alex Hansen, Wren Mallikarjunan, Nathan Miller, Jenna Ott

Collaborators: Kevin Solomon, Yinjie Tang, LaShanda Korley, Zoe Schyns, Zach Hinton, Adam Guss, Carrie Eckert, Bill Alexander, Gustav Vaaje-Kolstad, Estaban Lopez-Tavera, Anton Stepnov.

Research: Research