Welcome to the Kunjapur Lab

Launching January 2019!
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​Our lab uses genetic engineering to expand the kinds of chemistry that microbes can perform. By creating new possibilities in microbial chemistry, we strive to solve applied problems in industries ranging from energy to healthcare.

We are part of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department at the University of Delaware
and affiliated with the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.

Tools

Metabolic Engineering

The field of metabolic engineering has made tremendous strides over the last two decades, enabling commercialization of a diverse array of products. We are interested in accessing new classes of biochemical products by harnessing aldehydes as intermediates. We also aim to introduce more chemical elements in metabolic pathways.

Genome Engineering

Genome engineering, editing, and assembly technologies have advanced rapidly during the last decade. Although natural microbial genomes contain many components that hinder our ability to expand biochemistry, genomes are quite pliable using modern approaches such as MAGE and CRISPR-Cas9. For more complex alterations, we can eventually design and assemble synthetic genomes.

Protein Engineering

Proteins serve valuable roles as biocatalysts, biomaterials, and therapeutics. The ability to augment protein structures and functions through the incorporation of amino acids beyond the natural 20 can improve protein performance in each of these roles. We plan to further diversify protein chemistries and to intelligently evolve biocatalysts that selectively accept substrates containing new functional groups.

Synthetic Biology

We are part of the synthetic biology community that strives to make biology easier to engineer. Whether through the characterization and sharing of biological parts, the refinement of gene expression strategies, or the improvement of enabling technologies such as gene synthesis and sequencing, other synthetic biology labs aid our pursuit. (Image from MIT RLE)

Vision

Recent Lab News

Imagine a world in which we could grow everything that we need from just sunlight and CO2. A world where cells inside your body could sense disease and respond by producing therapeutics on their own. Instead, we currently rely on finite petroleum as input for energy, chemicals, materials, food additives, and medicines. In times of suffering, we rely on the consumption of chemicals that are ridden with side-effects and that distribute throughout our body.

​By expanding the chemistry capable in living systems, we can achieve sustainable alternatives and achieve breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatments. Using genetic engineering and minimally explored biochemical building blocks, we can advance the ability to turn cells into optimized factories for large-scale biomanufacturing or for local detection and production of small molecules and therapeutic proteins inside patients. Join our team and help us bring this future closer to  reality.

Jan 2019:
Lab opening

Nov 2018:
Grad student recruitment

Jul 2018:
Lab renovations underway