Cong T. Trinh

Cong T. Trinh is a Professor and Ferguson Faculty Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, within the Tickle College of Engineering. His research focuses on systems and synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and biomanufacturing. He leads the Trinh Lab, which develops technologies like MODCELL and ViPaRe to engineer microbial systems for producing biofuels, biochemicals, and combatting antibiotic resistance. His work integrates computational tools and experimental approaches, with funding from agencies like NSF and DOE.

Trinh holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and B.S. from the University of Houston. He has received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award and DARPA Director's Fellowship. His lab has trained over 60 students/postdocs, many of whom now lead research/industry roles globally.

Key research areas include modular chassis cell design, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, and metabolic pathway evolution. The lab's software tools (CASPER, MODCELL) enable precise genome editing and strain development. Projects address challenges in biorefinery efficiency, pathogen resistance, and sustainable chemical production.

Trinh teaches courses in metabolic engineering and reactor design. His team collaborates across disciplines, with publications in Metabolic Engineering, ACS Synthetic Biology, and Biotechnol Bioeng. He advises multiple Ph.D./M.S. students and hosts visiting scholars from Brazil, Sweden, and Korea.