Meidi Wang

Meidi Wang is currently a PhD student in the Bennett lab at Rice University. Her current research focuses on engineering microbial communities and designing emergent responses to environmental signals including gradient sensing ability and collective chemotaxis, which expand the capability of microbial population-level performances. Coming from an engineering background, she finds engineering biology is the perfect combination of accurate control of artificial systems and infinite possibilities of natural systems and is passionate about exploring more in the field of synthetic biology.

Ithai Rabinowitch

Ithai started his academic path studying Industrial Engineering at Tel Aviv University, acquiring quantitative approaches to the analysis and design of complex systems. He then steered to neuroscience, embarking on a Ph.D. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, investigating theoretically how the morphology and structure of neurons determine the dynamic interactions between synaptic inputs. Ithai then continued with postdoctoral training in Cambridge, UK and in Seattle, USA, this time doing experimental work on neural circuits in the tiny nematode worm C. elegans. Bringing together his passion for neurobiology and engineering, Ithai contributed to establishing a neuro-synthetic biology. Ithai joined the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine in late 2017 where his lab is continuously studying and designing C. elegans neural circuits.

Simon dOelsnitz

I grew up in a woodsy suburb outside of Albany, New York and migrated down to Long Island to study Pharmacology at Stony Brook University. There I explored molecular biology in a lipid/cancer lab, but later found my true calling as part of an fun, overly-ambitious, and underqualified iGEM team where I was introduced to Synthetic Biology. This lead me to join Andy’s lab at UT where, besides research, I enjoy bouldering, baking bread, and goofing around.

VIVEK NARISETTY

Dr. Vivek Narisetty is a postdoctoral research associate in Biomass/Bioenergy Systems in Centre for Climate and Environmental Protection (CCEP), School of Water, Energy and Environment (SWEE) at Cranfield University (CU), UK. He has received his Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences from the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). His research interests include the process development for sustainable fuels and chemicals. In detail, valorization of Production of lignocellulosic biomass, and food waste to value-added chemicals; Genetic engineering of chassis strains to improve their efficiency and thereby understanding the basic mechanism of substrate utilization and product formation in yeast and bacteria. He has about 14 publications/communications, which include 4 book chapters and 10 original and review articles in internationally reputed journals with h-index of 8 and 240 citations. He has won Anna University – Centre for Biotechnology (AU-CBT) Young researcher award in the year 2017.

John Lazar

I am a chemical engineering graduate student working with Dr. Jeff Tabor at Rice University. Previously, I obtained my B.S. at Northwestern University where I primarily worked under Dr. Keith Tyo, collaborating with Dr. Julius Lucks, Dr. Danielle Tullman-Ercek and the Northwestern Center for Structural and Infectious Diseases, and focused on projects pertaining to metabolic engineering, RNA synthetic biology, multi-omics, and protein crystallography. Building off my previous research, I now work at the crossroads off synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, developing optogenetic platforms for programmable control of metabolic pathways.

Mariah Austin

I am currently a fourth-year graduate student in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at UT-Austin. My research lab aims to engineer biomimetic materials using sequence-controlled polymers and tunable hydrogel systems for cell culture. My work focuses on non-natural peptide modifications to direct proteolytic susceptibility for applications in controlled degradation and biosensing. Beyond research, I am passionate about science communication, the accessibility and inclusivity of STEM, and science diplomacy/policy.

Meidi Wang

Ithai Rabinowitch

Kelsey Deaton

I am a 5th year PhD student in Environmental Health Engineering at Duke University. My doctoral research is centered around the optimization of organic pollutant treatment. My approach to optimization is through microbioreactor design and microbial community engineering.

Thomas Plocek

Focused on using synthetic biology to manufacture fragrance and flavor ingredients. Managed the project to make the first musk ingredient (Ambrettolide HC Supreme) made from sugar on a commercial basis starting with an intermediate produced in a 135,000 liter fermenter.

Alberto Nava

I’m a 3rd year graduate student in Jay Keasling’s Lab at UC Berkeley and the Joint Bioenergy Institute. I study the unique enzymology of polyketide synthases, and seek to develop a platform to harness their biosynthetic potential.

Simon dOelsnitz

VIVEK NARISETTY

John Lazar

Mariah Austin

Kamesh Narasimhan

I am a research fellow at Harvard Medical School with Prof. George Church. I am excited about synthetic biology and its potential applications for the betterment of the planet and humanity. I am interested in futuristic technologies, enjoy reading books and hiking outdoors.

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