Tae Seok Moon
Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Tae Seok Moon (Associate Professor, Washington University in St. Louis) has 24 years of research experience in chemistry, metabolic engineering, systems biology, and synthetic biology, including 5.5 years of industry experience. During his career in the biotechnology industry, his chemical derivatization technology led to the synthesis of novel biopolymers and four patent applications. As a multi-team project manager, he coordinated pre-clinical studies and helped launch four products, including biopolymers for osteoarthritis treatment and ophthalmic surgery, injectable fillers for wrinkle correction, and biodegradable materials for drug delivery. For commercialization, he also participated in bioprocess scale-up, construction and operation of commercial-scale bioreactors and downstream facilities, and submission of a Drug Master File to the US FDA. During his academic training at MIT and UCSF (Kris Prather and Chris Voigt labs), he has built expertise in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed the tremendous power of systems and synthetic biology in the creation of genetic parts, devices, and systems, which helps understand complex biological systems. However, its potential for real-world applications has not been fully exploited. One of its promising applications is the construction of programmable cells that are able to integrate multiple environmental signals and to implement synthetic control over biological processes. My research interests are focused on developing microbes that are able to process multiple input signals and to generate user-defined outputs. Specifically, I aim to build genetic programs in order to control various bacterial processes such as gene expression, chemical reactions, and evolution. I will present unpublished results of my research projects by discussing the potential and challenges of systems and synthetic biology to address global problems, including plastic and agricultural waste issues, non-invasive diagnostics and disease treatment using smart probiotics, sustainable bioproduction, and biocontainment of engineered organisms.
For details of his research and recent publication, please visit HERE.
