Seelig Lab | College of Biological Sciences

The Seelig Lab

Research Interests:
Synthetic Biology, Protein Engineering, Astrobiology, Directed Evolution, Origin of Life

Trends in Biotechnology; Golynskiy & Seelig (PDF)

The Seelig Lab implements Darwinian molecular evolution in a test tube to:

(A) Generate novel proteins for synthetic biology and biomedical applications

(B) Study the origin and evolution of functional proteins

We apply methods of in vitro and in vivo selection and evolution to generate de novo proteins with custom-made properties. We also tailor existing enzymes to a variety of useful applications. We established a general method to design novel enzymes from scratch - enzymes that have not been found in nature. This method is based on the mRNA display technology, which enables us to search for new enzymes in libraries of trillions of protein variants in a single experiment. These library complexities are well beyond the limits of conventional screening technologies.

Our projects comprise both applied and basic research. One objective of our work is to create enzymes as 'designer catalysts' to harness the power of enzymes for the synthesis of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and for biomedical applications. In addition, we study our new proteins in detail to help elucidate fundamental principles of biocatalysis, protein evolution and the origin of the genetic code.

The research carried out in our lab combines a number of different disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry and protein engineering.

News

University Press Release about our NASA collaboration grant.
Link to short talk by Burckhard at the "Space Fest 2021'" of the Bell Museum of Natural History.
Hosting 30 middle schoolers to promote STEM careers to underrepresented minorities. Taking the long view in science education. Building bridges to the next generation of biologists.

“I love to learn from others about their different views, ideas, interests and cultures. I want every lab member to feel respected, safe, and supported here. We try every day to make our laboratory a more welcoming and inclusive space. We want to hear from you how we can do better.” (Burckhard Seelig)

Nationalities in our group

Burckhard Seelig

Professor

Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysiscs

BioTechnology Institute

1479 Gortner Avenue | 140 Gortner Laboratory | St. Paul, MN 55108

Office: 612-626-6281 | E-mail: seelig@umn.edu