Submitted by Jay D. KEASLING on
I am looking for an undergraduate student who is interested in working with me (Aidan) in the lab of Jay Keasling during the spring (for credit) and summer 2023 (for $$) and who is interested in working in a lab environment for their time in college and beyond. Specifically I am looking for students who are passionate about sustainability and green energy, and have the background to be able to pick up metabolic and genome engineering techniques.
In Jay Keasling's lab we engineer microorganisms to produce useful molecules like fuels and chemicals (drugs, plastics, rocket propellant).
The main project you will be working on is the engineering of microorganisms (E. coli) to produce fuel using a simple form of captured carbon, formate, as an energy and carbon source. Using biology, can we create a platform for fuel recycling where the CO2 emitted during combustion is recaptured as formate and turned back into fuel using microorganisms? Formate is a simple molecule, essentially carbon dioxide with two extra electrons on it. It can be generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically, using renewable energy in a way which is carbon negative. This formate can then replace the standard sugars used to cultivate E. coli, supplying the carbon that the microorganism needs for biomass and the electrons it needs to do work. The goal of this project is to improve a highly engineered strain of E. coli which can grow on formate. This improvement will hopefully allow for robust enough growth that we can divert some of the E. coli metabolism into making a combustible byproduct (fuel) which is gasoline-like and can be upgraded to a jet fuel.
There is another project you will also work on developing a selection system to evolve enzymes to produce greater amounts of fuel by making the enzymes necessary for growth. The more fuel the organism produces the faster it grows and we can use this principle to evolve the strains/ enzymes to be better at producing fuel.
Students do not need any prior lab experience. Hours are flexible for spring 2023 while you are being trained/ working with SPUR, then you would find you a funding source to work full-time over the summer. My students spend 15-20 hours a week in the lab during the semester once they are proficient in lab skills. You will learn standard molecular cloning and microbial culture techniques as well as analytical chemistry techniques we use to analyze product formation in our bacteria. Applicants should be interested in starting a career in research. Please contact me (Aidan Cowan) at aidancowan@berkeley.edu if you have any questions (not Dr. Keasling).
The lab is located in Emeryville (google Joint Bioenergy Institute / JBEI) so you must be able/ willing to commute between campus and JBEI. There is a shuttle or you can bike/ drive (~15-20 minute bike or ~10-15 min drive).
You will spend the spring semester learning molecular cloning techniques to support the research project. This involves the manipulation of DNA molecules to move genes between organisms or to remove genes from the host genome. After a strong foundation is built students become more indipendent and can work on more advanced techniques such as analytical chemistry techniques, designing directed evolution experiments and can start their own projects in the lab. I am interested in getting you prepared to go to graduate school or start a carrear in research generally.
I am looking mostly for Sophmores who have taken some introductory classes and are interested in doing research for the rest of their time in college. Prior experience is not neccecary, but would be nice. You should be planning on taking Orgo or have already taken it.