Our research is centered on the design and assembly of recombinant microorganisms for the production of small molecules. More simply, we are harnessing the synthetic power of biology to build microbial chemical factories. Current efforts include the development of tools and methodologies for novel biosynthetic pathway design and the investigation of gene dosage effects on the physiology and productivity of engineered microbes. Our research combines the traditions of metabolic engineering with the practices of biocatalysis to expand and optimize the biosynthetic capacity of microbial systems. A particular focus is the elucidation of design principles for the production of unnatural organic compounds within the framework of the nascent field of synthetic biology.

Major Research Areas

• Metabolic Engineering
• Biochemical Engineering
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Synthetic Biology
  

• Dr. Kristala Jones Prather recognized in Science Career Magazine:
• Dr. Kristala Jones Prather won a seed grant from the MIT Energy Initiative to fund biofuels research
• Dr. Kristala Jones Prather named a 2007 Young Innovator by the Technology Review