Elizabeth Gardner

Elizabeth Gardner is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University. She leads the Genetic Design and Engineering Center (GDEC), focusing on scalable DNA assembly pipelines, robotic automation, and next-generation sequencing to develop plasmid libraries for applications in protein engineering, cellular reprogramming, and clinical research. The GDEC is supported by CPRIT funding and collaborates with the Texas Medical Center.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Bioengineering, University of Texas at Austin (2022)
• B.Sc. in Bioengineering, Pennsylvania State University (2015)

Research interests include synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and biomedical applications. Her work spans drug discovery, virology, and immunology, leveraging yeast-based biosensors and CRISPR technologies. Recent publications highlight advancements in cannabinoid receptor engineering, SARS-CoV-2 antibody research, and orthogonal gene expression systems.

Advising and Funding:

• Recipient of CPRIT funding for the GDEC
• Collaborations with the Texas Medical Center

Labs/Teams: Director of the Genetic Design and Engineering Center (GDEC), Rice University.