Byung-Kwan Cho

Byung-Kwan Cho is an Endowed Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), where he leads the Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory in the Department of Biological Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from Seoul National University and directs a research team of approximately 25 members, including postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and researchers.

Research Focus

His laboratory pioneers interdisciplinary work in microbial systems and synthetic biology, with emphasis on:

• Designing minimal genomes for microbial cell factories
• Engineering acetogenic bacteria for C1 gas conversion
• Developing therapeutic gut microbes for metabolic diseases
• Synthesizing actinomycete genomes for antibiotic production
• Advancing enzymatic DNA synthesis for artificial genomes

Achievements

• CJ Special Academic Award (2025) for contributions to synthetic biology

The lab has produced ~200 publications, secured multiple patents, executed technology transfers, and presented at international conferences. Research is supported by industrial collaborations focusing on biomanufacturing and medical applications.