Division/Committee: [BIOT: Division of Biochemical Technology]

Various emerging fields within microbial biotechnology harness the power of synthetic biology to produce different chemical and biological products of interest to humans from microbial hosts. Recent progress in gene editing, metabolic engineering, genome-scale modeling, multi-omics, synthetic ecosystems, and systems biology continue to bring new insights and exciting opportunities to further advance the field. Moreover, symbiotic and synergistic interactions among microbial co-cultures enable various applications beyond the capabilities of individual microorganisms. This highly multidisciplinary field also integrates methods such as cell-free protein synthesis and semi-synthetic transformations to expand its reach in bioproduction and therapeutics. This session aims to bring together innovative methodologies aimed at employing synthetic biology to create new opportunities for production of molecules such as biomaterials and biofuels, development of new therapeutics and disease diagnostics, improvement of agriculture, environmental sustainability, industrial production, or other biotechnological objectives. Some examples of topics include but not limited to: Generating synthetic gene circuits through functional gene mining and gene editing Genome-scale modeling, multi-omics, and metabolic flux analysis employing novel computational methods, advanced mass spectrometry and stable isotope labeling for accurate evaluation of metabolic networks Harnessing microbial co-cultures to advance industrial bioproduction and therapeutics Developing microbial biosensors for uncovering molecular pathways, environmental monitoring, bioremediation, and disease diagnostics Cell-free synthesis and semi-synthesis as promising approaches for construction of the minimal cell and production of biotherapeutic compounds Topics related to the theme but not covered here are also encouraged.

Qing Sun

Univ Delaware

Appearances