Systems and Synthetic Biological Engineering
The focus of the Papoutsakis Group is to study and modify the regulatory networks that control key cellular programs such as stem-cell differentiation and plasticity or prokaryotic sporulation and stationary-phase phenomena. Its research contributes to the understanding of cellular processes of both fundamental and industrial interests-such as stem-cell bioengineering or the link between sporulation, solvent production and stress response in solventogenic clostridia-and involves interdisciplinary work in the areas of systems biology, metabolic engineering, DNA microarrays, computational genomics, stem-cell biology, and immunology. By combining the use of state-of-the-art microarray platforms and data analysis techniques with classic molecular techniques and genomic tools, the Papoutsakis Group unravels the exquisitely crafted interplay of cellular processes that allow the exploration of cells for beneficial applications from Regenerative Medicine to Industrial Biotechnology.