|
Purdue University
School of Chemical Engineering
Mellichamp lecture
Dr. Hal S. Alper
McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
“Engineering an Expanded Chemical Palette in Cells”
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
3:00 - 4:15 p.m.
FRNY G140
Reception at 2:30 a.m. in Henson Atrium
Abstract: An industrial biotechnology revolution is approaching. Recent technical advances are leading to a rapid transformation of the chemical palette available in cells making it conceivable to produce nearly
any organic molecule of interest—from biofuels to biopolymers to pharmaceuticals. However, these feats require the ability to “hijack” native cellular machinery and metabolism and navigate the complexity inherent in cellular regulation. In this vain, this
talk will describe recent advances in engineering various yeasts for the production of important products, such as organic acids and oleochemicals, with a focus on the synthetic biology tools and paradigms required along the way. Collectively, these case
studies demonstrate the power and utility of using yeasts as a production host for chemicals.
Bio: Dr. Hal Alper is an Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006 and
was a postdoctoral research associate at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (2006-2008) and at Shire Human Genetic Therapies (2007-2008). His research focusses on metabolic and cellular engineering in the context of biofuel, biochemical, and
biopharmaceutical production. He has published over 60 articles and 7 book chapters. Dr. Alper is the recipient of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award (2008), the Texas Exes Teaching Award (2009), the DuPont Young Investigator Award (2010), the
Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (2011), the UT Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (2012), the 2013
Biotechnology and Bioengineering Daniel I.C. Wang Award, the Jay Bailey Young Investigator Award in Metabolic Engineering (2014), the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2014), and the SIMB Young Investigator Award (2015).
|
