About this Event
35 East 12th Street, Holland, MI 49423-3605
View map
BECKMAN SCHOLARS GUEST SPEAKER: Prof. Dylan Domaille, Colorado University of Mines
TITLE: Explorations at the Interface of Chemistry, Biology, and Biomaterials: Rational Design of Systems to Address Energy and Health Challenges
ABSTRACT: The chemical sector is the largest consumer of energy in US manufacturing. To move toward more sustainable chemical production, we are designing cascade reactions that combine biocatalysts and organocatalysts in single-flask processes. I will describe how a simple, inexpensive chemical catalyst can redirect flux in microbial systems to an industrially relevant intermediate instead of its native metabolic product. We can produce industrial chemicals from renewable feedstocks in single-flask processes with good yields (70%+) and titers (>6 g/L) using this methodology. The second portion of the presentation will focus on our efforts to detect signaling molecules in biological systems. I will describe a persistent selectivity challenge in the field and demonstrate how fundamental physical organic studies provide insight into solving this challenge. I will close by highlighting how the lessons learned can be applied to other materials design challenges with a final view toward future work and collaborative opportunities.
BIO: Dylan earned undergraduate degrees in both chemistry and biology at the University of Oregon before pursuing a Ph.D. in the chemical biology program with Chris Chang at the University of California, Berkeley. Here, he designed selective fluorescent probes for imaging copper in live cells. He continued to a post-doctoral position with Jen Cha at CU Boulder in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering developing nanomaterials, phage-based diagnostics, and biomaterials. He joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at Mines in the Fall of 2017 as an assistant professor, where his lab focuses on the bottom-up design of biomaterials and chemical tools and employs biocompatible chemistry for sustainable chemical production. He was named a Beckman Young Investigator in 2022 and awarded an NSF CAREER in 2023. His group is currently supported by the NSF, the DOD, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.
Event Details
See Who Is Interested
0 people are interested in this event
