Our Group
Meet our dedicated team of researchers advancing cell biology through innovative science and collaborative research
Principal Investigator
Dr. Mattheos A. G. Koffas
B.S. National Technical University, Athens, Greece, 1994
Ph.D Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000
Ph.D Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Yuefan (Fiona) Song
Biopolymers: Condroitin
B.S. Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, 2003
Ph.D. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China, 2011
Ph.D. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China, 2011
PhD Students
Saurabh Rastogi
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Cell-free Metabolic Engineering
B.Tech. Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, 2019
Aditi Dey Tithi
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Biopolymers: Chondroitin
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
Sahiti Tamirisakandala
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Biopolymers: Chromoprotein
Textiles
B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio State University, 2022
William Lawler
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Genome Editing
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Steve Eshiemogie
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Biopolymers: Gamma-PGA
Plastic Upcycling
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Benin, 2021
Robert Carr Jr.
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Biopolymers: Silk
Plastic Upcycling
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2022
Undergraduate Students
Alumni
Md Tariful Islam
MS, 2025
Dr. Alex Connor
PhD, 2023
Thesis: "Development of production platforms for spidersilk proteins"
McKinsey & Company
Dr. Manish Rai
Postdoc, 2023
Post doctoral research associate at MIT
Maverick Bioh
MS, 2022
Thesis: "Metabolic engineering of E.coli for the synthesis of dermatan sulfate"
Dr. Alexander Perl
PhD, 2022
Thesis: "Development of toehold switches for dynamic regulation of metabolic pathways"
Scientist at Centrillion Technology Inc
Dr. Adeola Awofiranye
PhD, 2022
Thesis: "Biosynthesis of N-glycolyl glycosaminoglycans"
Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.
Dr. Clifford Steven Morrison
PhD, 2020
Thesis: "Enabling scalable electrochemical cofactor regeneration via improved soluble expression and application of mutant renalase"
Postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Riverside
Dr. Karolina Kalbarczyk
PhD, 2018
Thesis: "Coculture fermentation of Bacillus megaterium and Escherichia coli for the production of chemicals" (co-supervised with Cynthia Collins)
Scientist at Zymergen
Dr. Wenqin He
PhD, 2017
Thesis: "Chondroitin sulfate biosynthesis in Escherichia coli" (co-supervised with Bob Linhardt)
Scientist at Regeneron
Dr. Jake Englaender
PhD, 2016
Thesis: "Production and secretion of mammalian enzymes in Escherichia coli, Bacillus megaterium and Pichia pastoris"
Postdoctoral Associate, Purdue University
Dr. J. Andrew Jones
PhD, 2016
Thesis: "Metabolic balancing of recombinant pathways for the production of high value chemicals"
Assistant Professor, Miami University
Dr. Brady Cress
PhD, 2016
Thesis: "Metabolic Engineering of Heparin production in recombinant Escherichia coli"
Research Professor, University of California at Berkeley
Ömer Duhan Toparlak
MS, 2015
Thesis: "Metabolic pathway targeting in yeast peroxisomes for the production of acetyl-CoA derived high value chemicals"
PhD student at the University of Trento, Italy (Fullbright Fellowship recipient)
Dr. Namita Bhan
PhD, 2014
Thesis: "Rational design to improve production and biological activity and identification of natural products: Resveratrol"
Postdoctoral associate, Northwestern University
Dr. Peng Xu
PhD, 2013
Thesis: "Enhancement of malonyl-CoA flux in Escherichia coli"
Assistant Professor, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Dr. Ryan Lim
PhD, 2011
Thesis: "Development of methodologies for the efficient functional expression of P450 monooxygenases in microorganisms"
Research Scientist, Manus Biosciences
Hila Dvora
MS, 2011
Thesis: "Metabolic Engineering using computer simulation predictions and protein expression studies towards anthocyanin production in E.coli"
Process Engineer at Johnson and Johnson, San Francisco, CA
Lynn Wong
MS, 2011
Thesis: "Engineering resveratrol biosynthesis in microorganisms"
PhD student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Sankaranarayanan Venkiteswaran
MS, 2011
Thesis: "Identification of soluble anthocyanin 3-O-glucosyltransferases"
Greenlight Biosciences, Boston, MA
Sriram Ramamoorthi
MS, 2011
Thesis: "Antimicrobial and antifungal properties of non-natural flavanones"
Intel
Dr. Zachary Fowler
PhD, 2010
Thesis: "Design of optimal phenotypes for efficient plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis in microorganisms"
Research Scientist at Praxair
Dr. Joseph Chemler
PhD, 2009
Thesis: "Engineering non-natural polyphenols derivatives with applications in type II diabetes and obesity treatments"
Research Scientist, Zymergen
Karan Prakash Shah
MS, 2009
Thesis: "Use of antisense RNA for controlling gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"
Position unknown
Ramanan Sekar
MS, 2009
Thesis: "Identification of optimal genotypes for improved malonyl-CoA availability in Escherichia coli"
Intel
Dr. Yajun Yan
PhD, 2008
Thesis: "Metabolic engineering of plant pigment biosynthesis in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae"
Professor, School of Engineering, University of Georgia
Amruta Bedekar
MS, 2008
Thesis: "Use of riboswitches for regulating gene expression in Escherichia coli"
DuPont Industrial Biosciences
Ashish Pravinbhai Chitalia
MS, 2008
Thesis: "Development of Escherichia coli fermentation methodologies for isoflavonoids large production"
Cunnigham Manufacturer's Representative Inc., Houston, TX
Zhen Li
MS, 2008
Thesis: "Identification of knock-out targets for optimal plant pigment biosynthesis in Escherichia coli"
Stay-at-home mother (Dr. Yajun Yan's wife)
Dr. Effendi Leonard
PhD, 2007
Thesis: "Robust microbial fabrication of plant pharmaceuticals: complexities and solutions"
Senior Research Scientist at Provivi
Hsiying Gloria Chu
MS, 2007
Thesis: "Development of constrained-based modeling of diazotroph Azospirillum brasilense"
Procter and Gamble, NJ
Phan Nee Saw
MS, 2007
Thesis: "Recycling acetate for improving flavanone production from Escherichia coli"
Research Scientist, MEWAH Group, Singapore
Kok Hong Lim
MS, 2007
Thesis: "Exploring metabolons for carbon flux redistribution in Escherichia coli"
Research Scientist at Conagen
William Gikandi
MS, 2006
Thesis: "Optimization based frameworks and search methodologies for the analysis and redesign of the Escherichia coli metabolic network"
Manager at L'Oreal East Africa LTD, Kenya
Adam Krol
MS, 2006
Thesis: "Optimization of malonyl-CoA availability in E. coli through heterologous gene expression"
Position unknown
Christopher Renzi
MS, 2005
Thesis: "Optimization of flavanone production in Escherichia coli through inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis"
Formerly Research Scientist, Fermentation Process Development, AMRI (formerly Albany Molecular Research). Currently unknown
Dr. Asher Williams
PhD
Thesis: "Engineering microorganisms for the efficient synthesis of capsular polysaccharides and related enzymes"
Assistant Professor, Columbia University Department of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Kamil Gedeon
PhD
Thesis: "Development of cocultures for the production of biofuels"
Research Scientist, Estee-Lauder
Dr. Abinaya Bhadri
PhD
Thesis: "Dynamic regulation of PAPS production in E.coli"
Research Scientist, Ginkgo Bioworks
Dr. Matthew Wong
PhD
Thesis: "In vitro metabolic engineering for the production of biofuels"
Millipore