Justin North

Justin North is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at The Ohio State University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on bacterial organic sulfur metabolism, microbial pathways for biofuel production, and metabolic interactions in photosynthetic bacteria and pathogens like E. coli. He holds a B.S. in Biology and Physics from Butler University (2006) and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Ohio State (2012). His work is supported by awards such as the Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship and the DOE EMSL grant. North leads collaborations in renewable energy projects, including engineering algae for biofuel production through the Presidential Research Excellence Catalyst Award. His lab actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students, with recent highlights including Elizabeth Morgan’s DADD RISE fellowship and Dr. Kamal Deep’s postdoctoral work on ethylene synthesis.

Research Interests: Bacterial sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen metabolism; photosynthetic bacteria; metabolic pathway discovery; protein structure-function relationships. Key affiliations include the OSU Biochemistry Program, Center for Applied Plant Sciences, and Sustainability Institute. His team’s recent advancements include novel metabolic engineering approaches and insights into microbial enzyme systems critical for industrial applications and human health.