TEAM
Principal Investigator
Kevin V. Solomon, Ph.D.
(He/Him)
Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
PDF Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
B.Eng. Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster University, 2006
kvs@udel.edu
(He/Him)
Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
PDF Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
B.Eng. Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster University, 2006
kvs@udel.edu
Biological Degradation of Plastics (coadvised w/ Mark Blenner)
Alex Hansen
(He/Him) BS University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2022 Metaomics of plastic deconstructing mealworm gut microbiomes |
Ross Klauer
(He/Him) CBI PhD Student BS Rose-Hullman Institute, 2019 Discovery of plastic deconstructing enzymes in mealworm gut microbiomes |
Jenna Ott, Ph.D.
(She/Her) PhD Princeton University, 2023 BS University of California, Santa Barbara, 2018 Identifying minimalistic synthetic communities for plastic degradation |
Nathan Milller
(He/Him) BS Arizona State University, 2023 Defining microbial communities with the ability to degrade and assimilate plastic waste. |
Wren Mallikarjunan
(They/Them) BS Georgia Tech, 2023 Engineering non-model organisms for plastics upcycling |
Fungal Strain Development Team
Radwa Hanafy, Ph.D.
(She/Her) PhD Oklahoma State University, 2020 BS Ain Shams University, 2006 Genomics & SynBio tools for anaerobic fungi |
Manish Pareek, PhD
(He/Him) PhD University of Delhi, 2017 MS Devi Ahilaya University, 2010 BS Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 2008 Chromosomal engineering of anaerobic fungi |
Ben Alexander
(He/Him) BS North Carolina State University, 2023 Targeted epigenetic control mechanisms for anaerobic gut fungi |
Raine Hagerty
(He/Him) BS University of California Irvine, 2023 Development of tx/tl platform for anaerobic gut fungi |
Samiha Zaman
(She/Her) MS Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2023 BS Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2021 Whole-cell Biosensor for Foodborne Pathogens |
Foundational Syn Bio Team
|
Namrata Charavarty, PhD
(She/Her) PhD IIT- Roorkee, 2022 MS Jamia Hamdard University, 2016 BS University of Delhi, 2014 Optimization of prokaryotic Argonautes activity |
|
Hayeon Park
(She/Her) BS University of California Davis, 2022 Biomolecular condensates for control of protein activity |
Drug Delivery Team
Mruthula Rammohan
(She/Her) BTech IIT Madras, 2019 Characterization and delivery of VLP-based nanovaccines |
Akash Vaidya
(He/Him) MS University of Delaware, 2020 BS Cornell University, 2018 Development of a Plant Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Platform |
Ming Hung Yen
(He/Him) BS National Tsing Hua University, 2020 Biological production of ssDNA containing materials |
Undergraduate Students
Ashley Kalan
BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar Jadira Fuentes Bautista BS AMB, '26 Jesal Patel BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar |
Evan Gillen
BS ChE '26 Austin Futty BS AMB, '27 Valeria Villadiego BS Bio, '27 |
Lab Alumni
2016
Sharifah Binti Syed Omar BS '18 - Farm Design
2017
Bowman Clark
2018
Logan Readnour, MS '18 - LanzaTech
Thesis: Development of novel elp-based transcriptional regulators for improved biomanufacturing
Emma Foster BS '18 - graduate student, Texas A&M
Abigail Hunnicut BS '18 - Applied Laboratories, Inc
Juya Jeon BS '18 - graduate student, Washington University at St. Louis
Arren Liu BS '18 - graduate student, ASU
Suraj Mohan BS '18 - graduate student, Purdue
Alex Murfee
Frances Opferman BS '21 (expected)
Yu Hong (James) Wang BS '18 - graduate student, Carnegie Mellon University
Thesis: Development of novel elp-based transcriptional regulators for improved biomanufacturing
Emma Foster BS '18 - graduate student, Texas A&M
Abigail Hunnicut BS '18 - Applied Laboratories, Inc
Juya Jeon BS '18 - graduate student, Washington University at St. Louis
Arren Liu BS '18 - graduate student, ASU
Suraj Mohan BS '18 - graduate student, Purdue
Alex Murfee
Frances Opferman BS '21 (expected)
Yu Hong (James) Wang BS '18 - graduate student, Carnegie Mellon University
2019
Dr. Jake Englaender - AgroSpheres
Postdoctoral work: Mevalonate pathway engineering
Michael Mechikoff, MS '19 - US Air Force
Thesis title: Development of an assay to identify and quantify endonuclease activity
Rohit Chatterjee BS '19 - MD student, IU
Trang Dieu BS ' 19 - Repligen
Ethan Gaskin BS '20
Archana Kikla BS '19
Kathryn Myers BS '21 (expected)
Adrian Ortiz-Velez BS ' 19 - grad student, SD State
Makayla Schacht BS '20
Evan Shank BS '19
Postdoctoral work: Mevalonate pathway engineering
Michael Mechikoff, MS '19 - US Air Force
Thesis title: Development of an assay to identify and quantify endonuclease activity
Rohit Chatterjee BS '19 - MD student, IU
Trang Dieu BS ' 19 - Repligen
Ethan Gaskin BS '20
Archana Kikla BS '19
Kathryn Myers BS '21 (expected)
Adrian Ortiz-Velez BS ' 19 - grad student, SD State
Makayla Schacht BS '20
Evan Shank BS '19
2020
Kevin Fitzgerald BS '20 - graduate student, Northwestern University
Zach Hartley BS '20 - graduate student, UC Riverside
Paula Pandolfi, BS '20 - graduate student, UCLA
Zach Hartley BS '20 - graduate student, UC Riverside
Paula Pandolfi, BS '20 - graduate student, UCLA
2021
Dr. Ethan Hillman
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Developing Tools for Anaerobic Fungi
Current Affiliation: University of Michigan Medical School
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Developing Tools for Anaerobic Fungi
Current Affiliation: University of Michigan Medical School
Dr. Kok Zhi Lee
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Characterizing NgAgo And Exploring Its Activities For Biotechnological Applications
Current Affiliation: Washington University at St. Louis Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Characterizing NgAgo And Exploring Its Activities For Biotechnological Applications
Current Affiliation: Washington University at St. Louis Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
Tyler Rankin BS Biology '22
Elizabeth Frazier BS BE '22
Ben Howard BS BE '21
Ben Rubino BS Biology '22
Grace Lee BS BE '22
Rebecca Slaughter BS BE '22
Elizabeth Frazier BS BE '22
Ben Howard BS BE '21
Ben Rubino BS Biology '22
Grace Lee BS BE '22
Rebecca Slaughter BS BE '22
2022
Altaf Bacchus BS ChE '25
Dylan Carman BS ChE '24 (Florida) - NSF REU Fellow
Aidan Kindopp BS ChE '25 (Univ. Rhode Island) - NSF REU Fellow
Krish Modi RAHSS Scholar - (Charter School of Wilmington)
Brigid Monahan BS ChE '24
Ashlesha Mohapatra BS ChE '24 - NSF REU Fellow
Dylan Carman BS ChE '24 (Florida) - NSF REU Fellow
Aidan Kindopp BS ChE '25 (Univ. Rhode Island) - NSF REU Fellow
Krish Modi RAHSS Scholar - (Charter School of Wilmington)
Brigid Monahan BS ChE '24
Ashlesha Mohapatra BS ChE '24 - NSF REU Fellow
Interested in joining?
We are a new and growing lab with open positions for all experience levels!
We are a new and growing lab with open positions for all experience levels!