Principal Investigator Kristala Prather
Project Website http://web.mit.edu/prathergroup/
The Prather group's research is centered on the design and assembly of recombinant microorganisms for the production of small molecules. More simply, we are harnessing the synthetic power of biology to build microbial chemical factories. Current efforts include the development of tools and methodologies for novel biosynthetic pathway design and the investigation of gene dosage effects on the physiology and productivity of engineered microbes. Our research combines the traditions of metabolic engineering with the practices of biocatalysis to expand and optimize the biosynthetic capacity of microbial systems. A particular focus is the elucidation of design principles for the production of unnatural organic compounds within the framework of the nascent field of synthetic biology.
Current research falls into one of three main categories:(*) Design and assembly of novel pathways for biological synthesis(*) Enhancement of enzyme activity and control of metabolic flux(*) Bioprocess engineering and design