Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Division

Our division proudly hosts the annual Stanley Dagley Lectureship Series featuring distinguished scientists in the field including Nobel Laureates.

Faculty and Research Interests

Primary members

Mikael Elias

Molecular promiscuity and recognition, extremophiles, molecular evolution

Michael F. Freeman

Secondary metabolism, uncultivated microorganisms, niche microbial expression platforms

Romas J. Kazlauskas

Protein engineering and evolution of new catalytic activities, ancestral enzyme reconstruction

Arkady Khodursky

Functional genomics, analysis of gene expression patterns, whole genome microarrays.

Claudia Schmidt-Dannert

Natural products biosynthesis, synthetic biology, protein engineering, metabolic engineering

Janet L. Schottel

Nucleic acid biochemistry; molecular biology

Burckhard Seelig (Division Director)

Biocatalysis, directed evolution, protein engineering, artificial enzymes, origin and evolution of proteins

Mike Smanski

Natural product discovery, metabolic pathway engineering, genetic design

Lawrence P. Wackett

Biofuels, enzyme sensors, biodegradation, metalloenzymes

Carrie M. Wilmot

Structural enzymology: metal ions & organic co-factors; human disease: cardiovascular, Alzheimers

Teaching

Faculty from our division teach the following courses related to synthetic biology and biotechnology:

 

COURSE NUMBER

COURSE TITLE

COURSE DIRECTOR

BioC 4331 (Spring)

Biochemistry I: Structure, Catalysis, and Metabolism in Biological Systems

Carrie Wilmot

BioC 4351/BioC 5351 (Fall)

Protein Engineering

Romas Kazlauskas & Mikael Elias

BioC 5352 (Spring)

Biotechnology for Biochemists

Claudia Schmidt-Dannert & Burckhard Seelig

BioC 5309 (Spring)

Biocatalysis & Biodegradation

Larry Wackett & Arkady Khodursky

BioC 5361 (Fall)

Microbial Genomics & Bioinformatics

Larry Wackett & Arkady Khodursky

BioC 8401 (Spring)

Ethics & Public Policies

Burckhard Seelig