New Hosts for Synthetic Biology

Microbial diversity is only beginning to be explored. In the Young Lab, we engineer non-model microbes that have interesting metabolic networks but have limited tools. Our efforts are supported by DARPA, IARPA FELIX, the DOE Joint Genome Institute Community Science Program, and seed funding from the WPI-UMass Lowell partnership.
Signaling in Soil. Soil microbes thrive within complex communities, and there is extensive molecular communication between member species. Some of these signals are transmitted through "fungal highways" - mycelia that extend for meters underground - that enable long-range communication. We are pushing the boundaries of genetic circuits by testing synthetic communication over large length scales within the soil.
Nonconventional Yeasts. The ethanologenic yeast S. cerevisiae is the foundation of the beer and wine making industries, as well as industrial synthetic biology. Even so, we reason that different metabolic networks naturally present in microbes like oleaginous yeasts or basidiomycete yeasts, coupled with improved tolerance phenotypes, can be a foundation for improved cell factories. This is because fewer genetic manipulations in these hosts could lead to higher product titers than achieved in S. cerevisiae. In other words, the metabolic network is primed by nature for the desired biosynthesis. We are adopting this "right host for the right product" strategy to produce terpenoids and free fatty acids (FFAs) in nonconventional yeasts.


New Parts and Functions

Parts-based synthetic biology is the foundation on which predictable organism engineering is built. In the Young Lab, we develop new parts where needed functions are missing. Our efforts are part of an interdisciplinary team of engineers, data scientists, and social scientists that are developing software to accelerate synthetic biology design, with support from the National Science Foundation Harnessing the Data Revolution (NSF HDR). 


​Detection of Engineered Organisms

Engineered organisms are proprietary and carry a risk of release. We are part of an interdisciplinary group of machine learning experts, computational biologists, and single-cell genomics experts that are developing a technology to detect engineering signatures, with the goal of managing risk and protecting trade secrets. Covered in the Worcester Telegram, this work is supported by the IARPA FELIX program.


​Biologically Synthesized Materials

Natural biological materials are beautiful, useful structures. In the Young Lab, we engineer organisms to produce novel materials for biomedical applications within active academic and industry collaborations. We focus primarily on biosynthesis of cellulose and protein-based materials and structures. The work is supported by a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Building Breakthroughs Award.


Membrane Protein Engineering

Membrane proteins are essential components of biological membranes, facilitating interaction with the environment, energy production, and efficient compartmentalization. In the Young Lab, we engineer membrane proteins that are involved in import, export, and signaling. We are particularly interested in exploring nutrient transport in mammalian cells.