Christopher Denes

Dr. Christopher Denes is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics within the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre. He holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Sydney (2020) and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the same institution. His research focuses on directed evolution platforms, CRISPR-based tools, and the discovery of therapeutic peptides from animal venoms.

Education:

• PhD in Medicine, University of Sydney, 2020

Research Interests:

• Developing novel CRISPR-based technologies for genome editing/activation
• Directed evolution methodologies in mammalian systems
• High-throughput identification of bioactive venom peptides
• CRISPR screens for host-virus interactions

Recent Research Trends: Recent work emphasizes AI integration into biological systems, viral platform engineering, and venom-derived therapeutics. Key projects include optimizing CRISPR activation screens and analyzing SARS-CoV-2 receptor biology.

Affiliations:

• Member of the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation
• Member of the Australasian Genomic Technologies Association (AGTA)

Grants & Labs: Active in the Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, focusing on projects like LRRC15's antiviral role and venom peptide discovery. Grant details not explicitly listed in provided texts.