Protein Engineering Laboratory

We focus on advancing the frontiers of synthetic biology to solve energy, environment, agriculture, and health challenges. Our research integrates protein engineering and microbial cell factory to develop innovative biological solutions. Corynebacterium glutamicum is a non-pathogenic, Gram-positive bacterium that has been widely used in the industrial production of amino acids. Recognized as a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) organism by the FDA. Due to its well-characterized genetics, high tolerance to metabolic burdens, and low extracellular protease activity, C. glutamicum has emerged as a promising microbial host for the efficient secretion of heterologous proteins. Its ability to secrete target proteins directly into the culture medium simplifies downstream processing and makes it an attractive alternative to conventional hosts. Our laboratory develops and applies advanced genomic tools for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. We utilize MAGE (Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering), CRISPR-Cas systems, and λ-Red recombinase to perform precise and efficient genome modifications for pathway optimization and strain development. In parallel, we are actively engaged in chassis engineering, including both genome minimization to eliminate non-essential functions and adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) to enhance stress tolerance and overall cellular performance. These strategies enable the construction of robust microbial platforms. Our laboratory focuses on developing scalable and efficient bioprocesses for microbial production. We have established scale-up fermentation process for seamless transition from lab to pilot scale. To improve stability and reduce costs, we apply cell immobilization and recycling techniques. We also employ whole-cell bioconversion,