Prof. Timothy K Lu

Research focuses on using synthetic biology and systems biology tools to engineer gene networks from the bottoms-up and to decipher natural gene networks from the top-down. We have developed high-throughput platforms for building and studying gene networks. These approaches have been applied to therapeutically relevant contexts. For example, we have engineered synthetic viruses to combat antibiotic resistant, genetically modified probiotics to treat inflammatory bowel disease in the gut, and next-generation viral therapies for cancer. In addition, we have used these technologies to study genetic interactions and potential targets for combinatorial therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.