Joshua Blodgett

Joshua Blodgett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Washington University. His research focuses on interdisciplinary studies of bacterial small molecule production, particularly in Streptomyces and related organisms. Key areas include chemical ecology, biosynthesis regulation, and the discovery of novel bioactive compounds with applications in medicine and agriculture.

Blodgett's work bridges biology, chemistry, and ecology, emphasizing the untapped biosynthetic potential of microbes through sequencing-based approaches. His lab explores evolutionary roles of chemical modulators and develops tools for metabolic engineering in Streptomyces species. Recent courses taught include Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology, integrating biochemistry, genetics, and bioinformatics for practical applications in biotechnology.

Publications highlight advancements in understanding antibiotic crypticity, P450 enzyme functions, and nonribosomal peptide discovery. His research has been supported by grants such as the NSF CAREER award for studying actinobacterial metabolic silencing mechanisms. Blodgett collaborates widely, with contributions to genomic and metabolomic analysis of microbial systems.