Using biocatalysts or enzymes in a chemical process has been regarded as an efficient approach to improving productivity and reducing waste generation. An effective whole-cell bioprocess generally comprises enzymes with desired reactivity and stability, however, a robust regulatory system is essential to strictly control enzymatic activities in the pathway to achieve maximum yields and conversion rates. We are interested in <1> engineering enzymes for industrially important biotransformation reactions, <2> assembling biochemical pathways to synthesize biologically significant small molecules, and <3> designing genetic circuits to control biological systems. We employ molecular biology methods, along with engineering principles, to create biomolecules and biological systems with a variety of applications in the pharmaceutical industry, biomedical engineering and material sciences. Our goal is to create useful biomolecules and biological systems and to illuminate the fundamental design principles of biological complex systems.
We have generated a range of engineered quorum sensing systems as an inducible gene expression method. Our systems is completely genetic encoded, and each can be activated autonomously at a unique cell density in a cell-density dependent manner.
