We develop genome engineering tools for the de novo synthesis of non-model gut bacteria, and we’re interested in the potential benefit of recoded genomes within the gut microbiome. This PhD project will develop de novo genome design and synthesis tools for recoded gut bacteria. The student will become an expert in synthetic biology, with a focus of genetic code compression and total genome syntheses.

References

Escherichia coli with a 57-codon genetic code
Robertson WE, Rehm FBH, Spinck M, Schumann RL, Tian R, Liu W, Gu Y, Kleefeldt AA, Day CF, Liu KC, Christova Y, Zürcher JF, Böge FL, Birnbaum J, van Bijsterveldt L, Chin JW
Science: (2025)

Escherichia coli with a 57-codon genetic code
Robertson WE, Rehm FBH, Spinck M, Schumann RL, Tian R, Liu W, Gu Y, Kleefeldt AA, Day CF, Liu KC, Christova Y, Zürcher JF, Böge FL, Birnbaum J, van Bijsterveldt L, Chin JW
Science: (2025)

Sense codon reassignment enables viral resistance and encoded polymer synthesis
Robertson WE, Funke LFH, de la Torre D, Fredens J, Elliott TS, Spinck M, Christova Y, Cervettini D, Böge FL, Liu KC, Buse S, Maslen S, Salmond GPC, Chin JW
Science 372(6546): 1057-1062 (2021)

Total synthesis of Escherichia coli with a recoded genome
Fredens J, Wang K, de la Torre D, Funke LFH, Robertson WE, Christova Y, Chia T, Schmied WH, Dunkelmann DL, Beránek V, Uttamapinant C, Llamazares AG, Elliott TS, Chin JW
Nature 569(7757): 514-518 (2019)