The DAN lab seeks to quantitatively and holistically study microbial metabolism, whether that be in biofuel producers, gut microbes, or model organisms. We integrate systems-level approaches with computational modeling and genetic engineering to understand the effects of environmental changes on microbial metabolism and membrane lipid and fatty acid composition. Our research advances the fields of biofuel engineering, host-gut microbe interactions, and microbiology as a whole. 

Our lab is working on developing a variety of biofuel producing microbes, including Zymomonas mobilis, Clostridium thermocellum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to cleanly and sustainably curb the still overwhelming reliance we have on fossil fuels. Our work advances existing flux control principles and helps develop new ones that are widely applicable to biotechnology and biomedical research.

Lab News- At a Glance

  • Welcome to Jun!

    We are very excited to welcome our newest postdoc Jun. Welcome to the DAN lab!

  • Welcome to Eashant and Bhavana

    The DAN lab is excited to welcome our newest masters student, Eashant, and our new post-doc, Bhavana, to the lab! We are so glad to have you both here!

  • Chavin Graduates!

    Congratulations to Chavin for defending his Masters thesis and completing his degree in Bacteriology! The DAN lab wishes you all the best in your continued doctoral studies at Scripps and Oxford!

  • Lauren’s Paper Published

    Congrats to Lauren on getting her paper on novel bile acid conjugation by gut bacteria published!

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