Synthetic biology

Synthetic biologists apply engineering principles to solve biological challenges.  Here at CSU, synthetic biologists are working to create plants that can be used to detect toxins and desalinate water, as well as microbes to synthesize biofuels and other valuable metabolites.  In addition, computational approaches are used to predict DNA function and design protein crystals to deliver and protect nucleic acids.

Faculty

Claudia Boot
Associate Research Professor (Chemistry)

My research focus is on the feedback between the molecular structure of organic molecules and their fate in any ecosystem.

Siu Hung Joshua Chan
Assistant Professor (Chemical and Biological Engineering)

My research focuses on modeling and engineering microbiomes in terms of their evolution, stability and biochemical functions. 

Franck Dayan
Professor (Agricultural Biology)
The traits imparting weediness (competition, cold and heat stress tolerance etc…) to plants, and how these amazing organisms evolve resistance to herbicides.

Arjun Khakhar
Assistant Professor (Biology; Plant Biology)

Reengineering crops to be more productive, delicious and resilient to the effects of climate change.

June MedfordJune Medford
Professor (Biology)
Molecular and genetic studies of Arabidopsis; plant sentinels; synthetic biology.
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 Marcelo Melo Marcelo Melo
Assistant Professor (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

Develop computational tools to understand the behavior of protein complexes and their impact on cellular metabolism and gene expression.
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Tai MontgomeryDevin O’Connor
Assistant Professor (Biology)

Links plant development with the tools to engineer it with gene editing.

Jean PeccoudJean Peccoud
Professor (Chemical & Biological Engineering)
Predictive models of the phenotype encoded in natural and synthetic DNA sequences.

Christie PeeblesChristie Peebles
Associate Professor (Chemical and Biological Engineering)Plant metabolic engineering to produce pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, bio – based chemicals and fuels.

Graham PeersGraham Peers
Associate Professor (Biology)
Photosynthetic Efficiency and Algal Ecophysiology

Ashok PrasadAshok Prasad
Professor (Chemical and Biological Engineering and School of Biomedical Engineering)

Mathematical and computational modeling of biological processes.

Tom SantangeloTom Santangelo
Associate Professor (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
Leveraging archaeal physiology, metabolism, and molecular biology to produce high level metabolites & biofuels.

Chris SnowChris Snow
Associate Professor (Chemical & Biological Engineering)
Computer – guided protein and DNA engineering, particularly the engineering of crystals.

Affiliate Faculty

James Henriksen
Assistant Professor (Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory)

Coursework

CBE 570  Biomolecular Engineering / Synthetic Biology

Facilities & Resources
CMB Students

Angel McKay Whiteman (Medford Lab)
(MS, 2020 Cohort)
LinkedIn

Kristin Scott Kristin Scott (Santangelo Lab)
GAANN Teaching Fellow 2018 – 19
qCMB T32 Fellow 2019 – 20
LinkedIn

Sere Williams (Santangelo Lab)
(PhD, 2019 Cohort)
qCMB T32 Fellow 2020 – 21
AAAS Mass Media Fellow 2020
GAUSSI Fellow 2018-2019
LinkedIn ,AAAS MMF

Alumni

Sara OehmkeSara Oehmke (MS 2020, Medford Lab)
Forensic Scientist at the Department for Public Safety in Santa Fe, NM
LinkedIn

Allison Werner (PhD 2018 Peebles Lab) – Post – doctoral Fellow, NREL
Mike Caballero (PhD 2017, Peers Lab) – Data Scientist, Hackensack Meridian Health

Publications