Project Description:

Engineering non-conventional microbes has recently emerged as a potential strategy for increasing the productivity of biofuels and biochemicals from biomass hydrolysates. A key advantage of non-conventional strains is their higher stress tolerance than model organisms. This project will seek to establish a rational framework for engineering of non-model microbial platforms to expand utilization of renewable carbon sources. To accomplish this, we will (1) Develop a stress-tolerant yeast Issatchenkia orientalis platform for the simultaneous co-utilization of non-glucose carbon sources and (2) Validate the effect of multiplex metabolic pathways on bioproducts in an engineered I. orientalis platform. We are an interdisciplinary research team with complementary expertise in metabolic flux analysis and modeling (Prof. Morgan) and microbial metabolic engineering (Prof. Oh).

Start Date:

January 2023

Postdoc Qualifications:

Ph.D. in one of the following microbiology, chemical engineering, agricultural and biological engineering or food science

Experience with molecular biological skills including transformation, plasmid construction and editing. Microbiological skills including media preparation, strain mutagenesis, selection and storage. Fermenter/bioreactor operation is preferred.

Previous experience in synthetic biology or metabolic engineering highly encouraged.

Co-Advisors:

John A. Morgan, jamorgan@purdue.edu, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/people/ptProfile?resource_id=11220

Eun Joong Oh, ejoh@purdue.edu, Department of Food Science

Bibliography:

1. Simultaneous co-fermentation of mixed sugars: a promising strategy for producing cellulosic ethanol
SR Kim, SJ Ha, N Wei, EJ Oh, YS Jin
Trends in biotechnology 30 (5), 274-282

2. Recent advances in the biological valorization of citrus peel waste into fuels and chemicals
D Jeong, H Park, BK Jang, YB Ju, MH Shin, EJ Oh, EJ Lee, SR Kim
Bioresource Technology 323, 124603

3. The Model System Saccharomyces cerevisiae Versus Emerging Non-Model Yeasts for the Production of Biofuels
MP Lacerda, EJ Oh, C Eckert
Life 10 (11), 299

4. Systematic development of hybrid cybernetic models: Application to recombinant yeast co‐consuming glucose and xylose
HS Song, JA Morgan, D Ramkrishna
Biotechnology and bioengineering 103 (5), 984-1002