Patrick Cai

Patrick Cai is a Professor and MAE Chair in Synthetic Genomics at the University of Manchester's Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. His research focuses on synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and microbial systems. He holds editorial roles in journals like Nature Chemical Biology and has led major research initiatives including the ERC-funded 'Engineering Biology with Synthetic Genomes' project.

Education:

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech (2010)
• Postdoc Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University (2010-2013)
• MSc, University of Edinburgh (2006)
• BEng, Central South University of Technology (2005)

Research Interests: Patrick's work spans synthetic genomics, metabolic engineering, and biocontainment strategies. His lab develops novel genetic tools for yeast and bacterial systems, with applications in biomanufacturing and sustainable biotechnology. Key areas include:

• Design of synthetic genetic circuits
• Engineering non-canonical amino acid incorporation
• Development of safe synthetic organisms

Key Achievements: Recipient of the ERC Consolidator Award (2024) and EPSRC Open Plus Fellowship (2022). His work has been featured in over 200 news outlets and 800+ social media engagements.