Gözde Demirer

Gözde Demirer is the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on developing nanotechnology-based solutions for plant genome editing, synthetic biology, sustainable agriculture, and rhizosphere engineering. She leads the Demirer Lab, which trains interdisciplinary scientists to improve plant systems through chemical engineering, materials science, and plant biology approaches.

• B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Koç University (2015)
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley (2020) under Markita Landry
• Postdoctoral work at UC Davis with Siobhan Brady studying crop nutrient efficiency

Dr. Demirer's research bridges nanotechnology with plant biology to create novel genetic engineering tools. Her work on nanoparticle-mediated gene delivery enables transient expression without DNA integration, offering sustainable solutions for crop improvement. Current projects include developing high-throughput functional genomics tools and engineering rhizosphere interactions for environmental remediation.

The Demirer Lab's publications demonstrate expertise in nanoparticle design for plant applications, with recent work on CRISPR/Cas integration, ratiometric reporter systems, and nutrient use efficiency in tomatoes. Her interdisciplinary approach combines chemistry, materials science, and plant synthetic biology to address global food security challenges.

• Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering

Dr. Demirer teaches graduate courses on chemical reaction engineering and mentors students in nanotechnology applications for plant systems. Her lab emphasizes diversity and inclusion while developing innovative tools for sustainable agriculture and environmental remediation.