Howard Salis

Howard Salis is an Associate Professor in both Agricultural & Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on developing rational design methods for synthetic biological systems, including metabolic pathways, genetic circuits, and genomes. He creates kinetic and thermodynamic models of genetic regulation, testing these in microorganisms to understand genetic function quantitatively. His work also involves engineering synthetic microbes to produce bioenergy chemicals and study natural microbial dynamics.

Research Interests

• Design and optimization of genetic circuits and metabolic pathways
• Biophysical modeling of gene expression and regulation
• Development of automated design tools for synthetic biology
• Cell-free expression systems for biomanufacturing
• CRISPR-based gene regulation systems
• Environmental applications of synthetic biology (e.g., TNT detection sensors)

Key Achievements

Salis has pioneered computational tools like the Synthesis Success Calculator and Promoter Calculator, enabling rapid DNA fragment design and promoter optimization. His lab has developed microbial sensors for environmental contaminants and engineered systems for scalable protein production. Recent work includes breakthroughs in mRNA stability prediction and long-term microbial sensing in natural soils.

Grants & Collaborations

• Recipient of Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed Fund grants (2024)
• Co-chair of national synthetic biology investment roadmaps
• Collaborations across engineering, biology, and computational disciplines

Labs & Teams

Leads the Salis Lab at Penn State, specializing in synthetic biology, systems biology, and computational biodesign. The lab integrates experimental and computational approaches to solve challenges in bioenergy, healthcare, and environmental monitoring.