Conversion: Turning Plants into High-value Chemicals
The scientists in this theme will further develop a versatile, automated “biofoundry” for rapidly engineering microbial strains that can efficiently produce diverse, high-value molecules such as biodiesel, organic acids, jet fuels, lubricants, and alcohols. Using the design-build-test-learn framework, research in the Conversion theme will overcome the challenges associated with driving biological systems to produce non-natural compounds.
Check out a video of an integral part of the CABBI Conversion theme: the Illinois Biological Foundry for Advanced Biomanufacturing (iBioFAB) >>>
STRAIGHT FROM THE SCIENTISTS: Research Profiles Offer Insight into CABBI Work
Huimin Zhao: Theme Leader
Zhao, the Steven L. Miller Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is also a Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, and Bioengineering. He has 17-plus years of experience directing research projects funded by DOE, NSF, NIH, DOD, the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, and various companies. His research develops and applies synthetic biology approaches to engineer functionally improved or novel proteins, pathways, and genomes. An expert in industrial biotechnology, Zhao received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1998 from the California Institute of Technology.
Joshua Rabinowitz: Deputy Theme Leader
Rao, a Professor of Chemistry and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, is an expert in chemical biology. He aims to achieve a quantitative, comprehensive understanding of cellular metabolism as it relates to disease — as well as small molecules that can be the basis of many important pharmaceuticals and other biochemicals. His research is in technology development
, metabolic regulation in model microorganisms , biofuel production, metabolic impact of viral and malaria infection
, and cancer cell metabolism. Rabinowitz received his Ph.D. in Biophysics in 1999 at Stanford University.
Christopher Rao: Deputy Theme Leader
Rao, a Professor and and Robert W. Schaefer Scholar of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, researches the rational engineering of non-model, living organisms for production of chemicals and fuels from plant biomass. His lab uses genetics, biochemistry, mass spectrometry, microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance on the experimental side to bioinformatics, finite element analysis, molecular dynamics, and stochastic and multi-scale simulation on the modeling/theory side. He received his Ph.D. in 2000 in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
The Research Team
Bruce Dien
Research Chemical Engineer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL
The Research Team
James A. Dumesic
Ernest Micek Distinguished Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin at Madison
The Research Team
David Flaherty
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Dow Chemical Co. Faculty Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Yong-Su Jin
Associate Professor of Food Microbiology, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ting Lu
Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Yi Lu
Jay and Ann Schenk Professor of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sergei Maslov
Professor of Bioengineering and Bliss Faculty Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Brian Pfleger
Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Nathan Price
Associate Director and Professor, Institute for Systems Biology
Vijay Singh
Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Saurabh Sinha
Professor of Computer Science, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Patricia Slininger
Research Chemical Engineer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL
The Bioenergy Research Unit page >>>
Jonathan Sweedler
James R. Eiszner Family Endowed Chair and Professor of Chemistry, Director of School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Martin Wühr
Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University
Yasuo Yoshikuni
Biologist/Staff Scientist, Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Chengxiang Zhai
Professor of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Operating Team
An alphabetical listing of all postdocs, research technicians, and graduate students doing CABBI research in the Conversion Theme.
A-F
Priyanka Baloni, Systems Biology Postdoc (Price), Institute for Systems Biology
Mingfeng Cao, Chem. and Biomolecular Eng. Research Scientist (Zhao), Univ. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Ming-Hsun Cheng, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Postdoc (Singh), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Kisurb Choe, Microbiology Ph.D. Candidate (Sweedler), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Payam Dibaeinia, Bioinformatics M.S. Candidate (Sinha), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Behnam Enghiad, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Zhao), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Zia Fatma, iSEE Postdoc (Zhao), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
G-L
Arian Ghorbanpour, iSEE Postdoc (Flaherty), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Meera Gupta, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Wühr), Princeton University
Paul Hanke, Chemical Engineering Research Technician (Zhao), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Ping-Hung Hsieh, Biology Postdoc (Yoshikuni), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Sujit Jagtap, Chem. and Biomolecular Eng. Postdoc (Rao), University of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign
Nurzhan Kuanyshev, iSEE Bioengineering Postdoc (Jin), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Stephan Lane, Food Science & Human Nutrition Ph.D. Candidate (Jin), U. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Jaewon Lee, Food Science & Human Nutrition Ph.D. Candidate (Jin), U. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Jing-Jing Liu, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Postdoc (Rao), Univ. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
M-R
W. Lance Martin, Senior Scientist (Wühr), Princeton University
Daniel McClelland, Chemical Engineering Postdoc (Dumesic), University of Wisconsin
Thao Nguyen, Chemical and Biological Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Wühr), Princeton U.
Congjian Ni, Biophysics and Quantum Biology Ph.D. Candidate (T. Lu), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Matthew Plutz, Chem. & Biomolecular Eng. Senior Research Scientist (Rao), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Lillia Ryazanova, Research Specialist (Wühr), Princeton University
S-Z
Yihui Shen, Chemistry Postdoc (Rabinowitz), Princeton University
Tong Si, Carl R. Woese Inst. for Genomic Bio. Postdoc (Sweedler/Zhao), Univ. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Shayan Tabe Bordbar, Computer Science Ph.D. Candidate (Sinha), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Vinh Tran, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Zhao), University of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign
Lam Vo, Chemistry Ph.D. Candidate (Zhao), University of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign
Hanna Walukiewicz, Chem. & Biomolecular Eng. Senior Research Scientist (Rao), U. of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Xiaoyi Wang, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Rao), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Matthew Waugh, iSEE Chemistry Postdoc (Lu), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tianxia Xiao, Chemistry M.S. Candidate (Rabinowitz), Princeton University
Xi Xing, Chemistry Research Scientist (Rabinowitz), Princeton University
Mason Xue, Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate (Zhao), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Qiang Yan, Chemical and Biological Eng. Postdoc (Pfleger), University of Wisconsin at Madison