Ryo Morimoto is a Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, affiliated with Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS). He leads studies on the evolutionary foundations of adaptive immunity and host genome editing mechanisms. MD (2011) and PhD (2017) from University of Tokyo Postdoctoral work at Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology & Epigenetics (2017-2024) Project Leader (2022) and Group Leader (2024) at MIMS His research explores antigen receptor diversification in jawless vertebrates, evolutionary emergence of lymphopoietic systems, and self-tolerance mechanisms. Using non-conventional models, his lab integrates in vitro biochemistry, single-cell omics, and computational genomics to address genome integrity challenges in adaptive immunity. The lab's recent publications highlight evolutionary insights into immune system development and its implications for human immunity. Research focuses on conserved enzyme families mediating genome editing and their biotechnological applications. Ryo Morimoto's team emphasizes multicultural collaboration, interdisciplinary training, and skill development for early-career scientists. The lab maintains partnerships with Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR) and employs in vivo techniques alongside molecular and computational approaches.
Jörg Bohlmann is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia , affiliated with the Michael Smith Laboratories, Botany Department (Faculty of Science), and Wine Research Centre. His research spans genomics, biochemistry, and chemical ecology of plant specialized metabolism, focusing on terpenoids and phenolics for applications in forest health and bioproducts. Research Streams : Plant defense against insects/pathogens, metabolic engineering of bioproducts, forest genomics, and molecular evolution of terpenoid pathways. Collaborations : National and international partnerships with academia, government, and biotech industries. Recent Publications highlight genomic insights into Western Redcedar (2023), including its low genetic diversity and adaptation mechanisms despite self-fertilization. Earlier work (2001–2022) covers conifer defense systems, Arabidopsis terpenoid pathways, cannabis flavor genetics, and mass spectrometry infrastructure. Scientific Awards include: NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Fellow (2015), Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2015), Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral Fellowship (1995–1998), and Distinguished University Scholar (UBC). Funding Sources : NSERC (Discovery/Strategic grants), CFI, Genome Canada/BC, provincial/federal agencies. Labs & Facilities : Michael Smith Laboratories (UBC), National Centre of Excellence, Forest Sciences Centre, and a dedicated mass spectrometry lab for metabolite analysis.
Carol Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Soil & Physical Sciences at Lincoln University, New Zealand, where she serves as Head of Department since 2017. She has been an elected academic staff member of the Lincoln University Council from 2018-2022. Dr. Smith holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, an MSc from the University of Reading, and a BSc(Hons) from the University of Portsmouth, forming the foundation of her expertise in soil science and physical geography. Her research spans both fundamental and applied aspects of pedology. On the fundamental side, she investigates Quaternary pedology and paleoenvironmental reconstruction using loess stratigraphy, geomorphology, and micromorphology, which provides critical data for verifying future climate change predictive models. Applied research focuses on sustainable use of recycled organic matter and rehabilitation of degraded soils. She collaborates internationally on multidisciplinary projects involving paleoclimate reconstruction, paleoliquefaction, Antarctic soils, and viticulture. Dr. Smith is passionate about teaching and science communication, employing experiential learning methods to develop practical field skills in soil science through 'soil judging competitions' in New Zealand and Australia. Her research addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals including Life on Land (15), Climate Action (13), and Quality Education (4). Among her notable recognitions are the Norman H Taylor Memorial award 2020 from the New Zealand Society of Soil Science for outstanding contributions to soil science in New Zealand and Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society, London. She serves as Associate Editor of Natural Sciences Education and was previously editor of Quaternary Australasia. Dr. Smith has supervised numerous graduate students through research-based supervision, with completed projects covering diverse topics from soil patterns in Southland to Antarctic soil ecology. She teaches advanced courses in field research, soil science, and physical landscapes, and has developed innovative approaches to teaching during the pandemic, including virtual field trips.
Tanja Narancic is an Assistant Professor at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at University College Dublin (UCD). She is also an academic collaborator at the Bioeconomy Research Centre BiOrbic, where she coordinates multiple research projects among PIs, PostDocs, PhD students, and designs projects proposed by industrial partners. Dr. Narancic earned her PhD in Applied Microbiology from the University of Belgrade, Serbia in 2012, followed by postdoctoral research at the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering in Belgrade. In 2013, she joined University College Dublin as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow under Prof. Kevin O'Connor, where she investigated microbial metabolic pathways using proteomics, metabolomics, and synthetic biology tools as part of FP7 and H2020 projects. She became a Research Fellow at BiOrbic in 2019 before advancing to her current position as Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on elucidating bacterial metabolism and leveraging synthetic biology tools to exploit bacteria for producing high-value products. Key research areas include: Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Transcriptomics for microbial pathway analysis Metabolic engineering for bioproduction Biocatalysis and enzyme optimization Protein engineering and purification Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from waste streams Plastic upcycling and biodegradation technologies Dr. Narancic's publication record demonstrates a strong focus on converting plastic waste into valuable biodegradable materials through innovative biotechnological approaches. Her recent work has centered on developing microbial systems for upcycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyolefins, and other recalcitrant plastics into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and other high-value products. She has made significant contributions to understanding the metabolic pathways involved in plastic monomer conversion and has developed engineered strains with enhanced capabilities for plastic upcycling. As a principal investigator, Dr. Narancic leads multiple significant research projects including the Ad Astra Studentship (2023-2028), the UPLIFT project on sustainable plastics for food packaging (2021-2025), and the PROMOFER project (2024-2028) on optimizing PHB production. She also serves as a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals including Enzyme and Microbial Technology, Journal of Applied Microbiology, and Microbial Biotechnology. Her teaching portfolio includes coordination of multiple modules such as Bioprocessing, Metabolism and Disease, and SynBio for Bioeconomy, demonstrating her commitment to educating the next generation of scientists in both fundamental and applied aspects of biomolecular science.
Michele Klingbeil is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she leads the Klingbeil DNA Replication Laboratory. She received her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Toledo in 1996 and previously worked at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before moving to UMass in July 2007. Her educational background includes: PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Toledo, 1996 Dr. Klingbeil's research focuses on the unique biology of trypanosomatid parasites, particularly Trypanosoma brucei , the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. Her laboratory investigates two main areas: (1) replication of the unusual mitochondrial DNA network called kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), and (2) nuclear DNA replication initiation. Her work on kDNA is particularly significant as this structure is essential for parasite survival but has no counterpart in mammalian hosts, making it an attractive drug target. She employs a combination of reverse genetics (RNAi), cell biology, and biochemistry to understand the replication and repair mechanisms of kDNA, with a special focus on a family of four DNA polymerases related to bacterial Pol I. Dr. Klingbeil's recent publications reveal her laboratory's deep investigation into mitochondrial DNA polymerases in trypanosomatids, with discoveries showing multiple polymerases having specialized functions in kDNA replication and repair. Her research has established that several of these polymerases are essential for parasite viability, opening new avenues for drug development. She has also made significant contributions to understanding the simplified Origin Recognition Complex in trypanosomatids compared to other eukaryotes. Dr. Klingbeil has received the Thomas G. Lessie Distinguished Lectureship Award for her impact on teaching at the graduate level. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Joeph P. Healey Endowment, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, including current PhD candidates Dave Bruhn, Jeniffer Concepción, and Juemin Luo, as well as visiting scholar Eva Vidal Rico. Her former students have gone on to positions at institutions including Dana Farber/Broad Institute, Regis College, and Flagship Ventures. The laboratory regularly participates in scientific conferences including the Molecular Parasitology Meeting at Woods Hole and the Kinetoplastid Molecular Cell Biology conference. Dr. Klingbeil teaches several courses including Parasitology (MICRO 590S), Parasitology Lab (MICRO 590L), Molecular Mechanisms of Pathogenesis (MICRO 797P), Advanced Cell Biology (MCB 641), and Writing in Microbiology (MICRO 360). Her laboratory organizes regular social events including pumpkin carving parties and outings to Six Flags New England and Mt. Sugarloaf.
Michael Groll serves as Professor and Chair of Biochemistry at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where he leads structural biology and enzymology research with a focus on proteasome mechanisms and inhibitor development. His laboratory, located at the Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8 campus in Garching, maintains active collaborations in drug discovery for cancer and infectious diseases. His primary research domains include proteasome inhibition, enzyme catalysis, and natural product biosynthesis, employing X-ray crystallography, biochemical assays, and bioengineering to dissect molecular mechanisms. Recent work emphasizes AI-guided enzyme optimization, bacterial stress response targeting, and structural characterization of halogenation enzymes, reflecting interdisciplinary approaches bridging chemistry and biology. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals consistent innovation in proteasome-targeted therapeutics, with 15 high-impact papers featuring structural insights into enzyme-inhibitor complexes and biosynthetic pathways. Key trends include engineering megasynthetases for immunoproteasome inhibitors, optical control of protein degradation, and elucidating metal-dependent mechanisms in antibiotic biosynthesis. No scientific awards were documented in the provided source material. While specific grant details and student mentorship records were not disclosed, his extensive publication record indicates leadership in collaborative research projects involving structural biology and chemical biology methodologies. The Chair of Biochemistry under Prof. Groll operates as a hub for structural enzymology, housing facilities for protein crystallography, enzyme kinetics, and natural product characterization. His team actively contributes to TUM's research ecosystem through partnerships with pharmaceutical groups and international structural biology consortia.
Josh Atkinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute at Princeton University. His research focuses on using synthetic biology and protein engineering to control electron transport in microbes for environmental applications, such as bioelectronic sensors and bioremediation. The Atkinson Lab investigates microbial energy processing, biofilm-electronic interfaces, and sustainable biotechnologies. Affiliations: Princeton University, Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute Research Interests: Microbial electron transport, bioelectronic systems, environmental monitoring, sustainable catalysis His work bridges disciplines like electrochemistry, bioengineering, and environmental science to engineer living materials for real-world challenges. The lab recruits students across levels, emphasizing diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recent projects include real-time contaminant sensors and light-controlled biofilm patterning. Articles highlight innovations in bioelectronics and microbial systems engineering. The lab’s future directions involve scaling-up bioelectronic devices and enhancing microbial community understanding.
Jonathan Conway is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University and an associated faculty member of the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI). He leads the Conway Lab, which focuses on engineering plant-microbe interactions for applications in bioagriculture, bioenergy, and biochemical industries. Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Notre Dame (2011) M.S. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2013) Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University (2017) Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill & Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2017-2021) Research Interests: The Conway Lab develops genetic engineering approaches for non-model bacteria at plant-microbe interfaces. Key research areas include: chemical signaling between plants and microbes, microbiome impacts on plant immunity, environmental stress responses in agricultural systems, and enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass using thermophilic bacteria. The lab employs bacterial genetics, systems biology, and biomolecular engineering to create technologies for sustainable bioindustries. Publication Trends: Recent work demonstrates strong emphasis on molecular mechanisms of plant-microbe communication (2020-2024), enzyme characterization in biomass degradation (2024-2025), and development of synthetic microbial communities for climate resilience (2024). Earlier research focused on extremophile enzymology and metabolic engineering (2012-2019). Student Advising: Currently mentors 4 graduate students and 8 undergraduates. Alumni include 9 former advisees who graduated between 2022-2024. The lab actively recruits students through Princeton's Chemical Engineering graduate program and undergraduate research initiatives. Laboratory: The Conway Lab develops microfluidic systems for root microbiome studies and genetic tools for engineering plant-associated bacteria. Current projects include designing thermophilic microbial consortia for consolidated bioprocessing and characterizing bacterial immune evasion strategies.
Dr. Pamela D. Roberts is a Professor of Plant Pathology and State Extension Specialist for Vegetable Pathology at the University of Florida's Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee, FL. She holds a B.Sc. in Horticultural Sciences from Kansas State University, an M.S. in Plant Pathology from the University of Hawaii, and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on sustainable disease management in vegetables and specialty crops, emphasizing integrated management strategies for bacterial and fungal-like pathogens. She leads the Florida Extension Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at SWFREC, offering diagnostic services and disease management recommendations. Her extension programs include educational outreach on plant diseases and field demonstrations of integrated management techniques. Dr. Roberts has received prestigious awards such as the UF/IFAS Jim App Team Award and the Dallas Townsend Distinguished Extension Award. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the American Phytopathological Society journal Plant Health Progress . Her work spans disease diagnosis, epidemiology, and pathogen evolution, with a strong emphasis on crops like tomato, pepper, and citrus. Her research publications address topics such as Xanthomonas pathogen diversity, remote sensing for disease detection, and sustainable agricultural practices. She collaborates on projects involving molecular diagnostics, pest management strategies, and crop resilience. Ongoing efforts include combating bacterial spot diseases, whitefly-transmitted viruses, and citrus black spot.
Prof. dr. Tessa Quax is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, leading research in Molecular Microbiology . Her work focuses on archaeal virology and virus-host interactions, supported by prestigious grants including an ERC Starting Grant (2022) and NWO Vidi Grant (2023). Key Research Areas: Archaeal virus entry/egress mechanisms Cell surface dynamics and motility Extreme environment microbiology Genetic tool development for archaea Recent publications in Nature Reviews Microbiology (2025) and Current Opinion in Microbiology (2024) highlight her work on viral host recognition and structural diversity. Her lab's 44 research outputs span archaeal cell biology, viral evolution, and ecological impacts of virus-induced lysis. Scientific Recognition: KNAW Beijerinck Premium (2022) KNAW Early Career Award (2021) Hector Research Career Development Award (2021) ERC Starting Grant (2022) As Chair of the International Society for Viruses of Microbes SAB and Speaker of the German Microbiology Society's Microbial Viruses group, she coordinates global research networks including a HFSP grant (2023) with Japan/Australia/USA collaborators. Her lab currently includes PhD candidate Zaloa Aguirre Sourrouille and multiple postdoctoral researchers.
Dr. Xi Chen is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. His research spans carbohydrate chemistry, glycobiology, and cancer biology, with notable contributions to chemoenzymatic methods for glycoconjugate synthesis. Dr. Chen's work focuses on developing hybrid chemical-enzymatic approaches to synthesize complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates, characterizing glycosyltransferase mechanisms, and designing enzyme mutants for improved catalysis. He also investigates carbohydrate-based diagnostics and therapeutics, particularly in cancer and inflammatory diseases. His recent publications highlight interdisciplinary studies linking carbohydrate metabolism to p53 tumor suppression pathways and RNA-binding protein regulation in cancer. Awards include AAAS Fellow (2015), ACS Isbell Award (2012), and NSF CAREER Award (2006). He earned his Ph.D. at Wayne State University (2000) and B.S. at Xiamen University (1994). Scientific Awards American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2015) Dean's Team Award for Excellence (2013) Carbohydrate Research Award for Creativity (2013) ACS CARB Horace S. Isbell Award (2012)
Dr. Audrey Lamb is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), within the College of Sciences. She joined UTSA in 2020 after rising to full professor at the University of Kansas, where she served as interim dean of graduate studies in 2019. Her leadership extends to professional organizations, including serving as an elected council member for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Lamb received her B.S. in Chemistry from Furman University in 1993 and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1998. She completed postdoctoral studies in biochemistry at Northwestern University before beginning her academic career at the University of Kansas in 2003. Dr. Lamb's research focuses on understanding bacterial pathogenesis through mechanistic enzymology and structural biology. Her lab investigates how human pathogens biosynthesize metallophores for metal ion scavenging and riboflavin (Vitamin B2) biosynthesis pathways. These studies aim to identify targets for novel antibiotic development against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Her work spans bacterial enzymology, structural biology, and metabolic pathway analysis, with applications in antimicrobial drug design. Analysis of Dr. Lamb's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on enzyme mechanisms in bacterial metabolism, particularly in metallophore and riboflavin biosynthesis pathways. Her work combines structural biology with kinetic analysis to elucidate catalytic mechanisms. Many publications investigate enzymes from pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Trypanosoma cruzi, highlighting the translational potential of her basic science research for antimicrobial development. Dr. Lamb has received notable recognition including: Election as a 2022 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Award-winning teaching and mentoring at undergraduate and graduate levels Dr. Lamb has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral fellows, with many alumni now in academic, industrial, and research positions. Her lab has received funding from prestigious sources including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Lung Association, and W.M. Keck Foundation. She actively collaborates with researchers at Loyola University Chicago, Texas A&M University, University of Kansas Medical Center, and UTSA's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. The Lamb Lab maintains a comprehensive suite of equipment for protein biochemistry and structural studies, including multiple AKTA FPLCs, a stopped-flow spectrophotometer, crystallization robot, various spectrophotometers, and HPLCs. This infrastructure supports their research on enzyme mechanisms and structural biology of bacterial metabolic pathways.
Ketika Garg is a Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), with an office in the Broad Center for Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on the interplay between individual and social decisions, using experimental and computational methods to explore how social environments influence decision-making and collective behavior. She investigates contexts ranging from traditional foraging paradigms to modern social media landscapes, developing innovative experimental frameworks to study these dynamics. Her research interests span computational neuroscience, social media analysis, and collective behavior, with a particular emphasis on understanding exploration-exploitation trade-offs in both natural and digital environments. She has contributed to studies on hunter-gatherer foraging networks, online toxicity dynamics, and the evolution of search strategies in collective foraging systems. Her work bridges disciplines such as psychology, ecology, and computer science to address fundamental questions in decision-making and social interaction. Dr. Garg’s publications reflect her interdisciplinary approach, covering topics like synergy in collective problem-solving, the roots of online toxicity, and the application of Lévy walks in virtual foraging experiments. While no formal awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided materials, her research trajectory demonstrates a commitment to advancing methodologies in computational social science. Contact: kgarg@caltech.edu Office: Broad Center for Biological Sciences (96) Phone: 626-395-1755
Associate Professor Colin Jackson is affiliated with the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences . His research spans enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and protein evolution, with a focus on directed evolution approaches for biocatalysis and molecular biophysics. Former CSIRO and Weizmann Institute researcher Key projects: plastic degradation enzymes, viral protease inhibitors, noncanonical amino acid incorporation His work leverages ancestral sequence reconstruction and machine learning to explore protein sequence spaces, with notable outputs in fitness landscape analysis and biocatalytic applications . Recent publications highlight advancements in: Plastic biodegradation enzyme engineering Antiviral peptide design targeting SARS-CoV-2 Fluorinated noncanonical amino acids for protein studies Marine bacterial transport proteins Organophosphate resistance mechanisms While no formal awards are listed in this data, his research portfolio demonstrates strong industry and biomedical applications through: ANU Researcher Portal publications Collaborative projects with international institutions 50+ funded projects including gene therapy platforms and food waste solutions
Gustavo M. Silva is the Jack H. Neely Associate Professor of Biology at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, a position he has held since 2025. Previously, he served as Associate Professor of Biology (2024-present) and Assistant Professor of Cell Biology (2022-present) at Duke. His research is conducted through the Silva Lab (sites.duke.edu/silvalab), which focuses on molecular mechanisms of cellular stress response. Education: Ph.D. from University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), 2010 B.Sc. from University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), 2004 Dr. Silva's research centers on understanding how gene expression is regulated at transcriptional and translational levels during cellular stress. His lab specifically investigates how the ubiquitin system controls protein synthesis and degradation dynamics under stress conditions, which are critical for cellular physiology. His work has significant implications for understanding disease mechanisms where protein homeostasis is disrupted. The research combines biochemical, genetic, and proteomic approaches to dissect these complex regulatory networks. His publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from fundamental studies on redox regulation and proteasome function to more complex investigations of ubiquitin signaling in translation control and stress response. Recent work increasingly focuses on K63-linked ubiquitination's role in ribosome function and translation regulation, with growing emphasis on the clinical implications of these mechanisms in disease contexts including cancer. Scientific Awards & Recognition: Paul T. Englund Emerging Scholar Award (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 2024) Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring (Duke Graduate School, 2023) Science Diversity Leadership Award (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, 2022) Best Professor Award (Vanderbilt Basic Sciences Juneteenth Committee, 2022) 100 inspiring Black scientists in America (CellPress, 2020) Dr. Silva actively mentors students at multiple levels, as evidenced by his Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring. His research is supported by substantial funding including NIH grants such as the Tri-Institutional Molecular Mycology and Pathogenesis Training Program (2024-2029) and 'Stalling cancer at the ribosome' from the V Foundation for Cancer Research (2025-2028). He also serves as Principal Investigator on multiple R01 grants focused on ubiquitin's role in translation control and stress response. The Silva Lab maintains strong collaborative relationships with institutions including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and ETH Zurich, and participates in several interdisciplinary training programs at Duke that support underrepresented students in biomedical sciences.
