Our Research

Exploring innovative solutions at the intersection of biotechnology and engineering

Research Areas

Our lab focuses on several key areas of bioprocess and metabolic engineering research

Metabolic Engineering

We engineer microbial metabolism to produce valuable chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. Our approaches include pathway optimization, enzyme engineering, and machine learning tools

  • Chassis engineering for novel pathway integrations
  • Adaptive laboratory evolution for strain improvement
  • Rational enzyme engineering

Bioprocess Engineering

We develop scalable and sustainable bioprocesses for industrial applications, focusing on fermentation optimization, downstream processing, and bioreactor design

  • Batch and Fed-batch fermentation
  • Lab-scale lignin valorization strategies
  • Life cycle and techno-economic analysis for process sustainability

Downstream Processing

We develop and optimize scalable processes to recover, purify, and formulate proteins and biomolecules from fermentation broth, ensuring product quality and consistency

  • Periodic counter-current chromatography (PCC)
  • MAtrix Assisted Refolding
  • Purification scale-up for bulk chemicals and proteins

Synthetic Biology

We design and construct novel biological systems and parts for applications in biotechnology

  • Genetic circuit design
  • Promoter library generation for tunable gene expression
  • Toe-hold switches and riboregulators

Microbial Strains & Target Products

Engineered microbial platforms for sustainable production of high-value biochemicals and biotherapeutics

Lactococcus lactis

Engineered for the production of:

  • Hyaluronic Acid (HA) - Array of different molecular weights

Escherichia coli

Engineered for the production of:

  • Antibodies as Single Chain Variable Fragments (scFvs)
  • Theranostic proteins
  • 3-Hydroxypropionic acid

Lactobacillus plantarum

Engineered for the production of:

  • Lactic acid
  • Acetoin

Acinetobacter baylyi

Engineered for the production of:

  • Muconic acid
  • Protocatechuate

Recent Publications

Highlights from our recent research work

Tailored molecular weight hyaluronic acid production by engineered Lactococcus lactis

Microbial Cell Factories, 2026

This study presents the production of HA with tailored MWs using multiplexed approaches on recombinant L. lactis strains.

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A consortium-based approach to adaptive laboratory evolution of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 reveals novel genetic targets for lignin valorization

Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2025

We developed a adaptive laboratory evolution strategy to optimize the simultaneous utilization of multiple lignin-related aromatics (LRAs).

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Silica coating of thermal decomposition-based hydrophilic and hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles for nucleic acid extraction

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2025

Our work investigates the silica coating of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic IONPs synthesized via the thermal decomposition method for their application in nucleic acid extraction detected using RT-PCR.

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