Scientific Projects
I work on how biotech, AI and robotics can address challenges in planetary health
Research Focus Areas
Engineering Evolution
Developing new methods for adaptive laboratory evolution of whole genomes and directed evolution of single genes. Engineering biological systems for healthcare, environmental, and industrial applications.
AI & Bioinformatics
Applying machine learning and computational approaches to biological data analysis, protein engineering, and bioprocess design.
Laboratory Automation
How can we leverage automation and robotics to enhance experimental workflows in engineering biology?
Current Research Projects
PhD Research - Adaptive Laboratory Evolution
ALE enables microbes to access phenotypes inaccesible by rational design alone. How can we speed up adaptive evolution and push the boundries of microbial fitness? Working on new methods for ALE supervised by Associate Professor Harrison Steel at the University of Oxford.
PhD Research - AI driven lab automation
How can we pair active learning with laboratory automation to optimise biomanufacturing with minimal experimental data? Developing new methods to embed active learning and LLLms into automated workflows to optimise bioprocesses strating with protein expression. Supervised by Associate Professor Jean-Baptiste Lugagne.
Honours Project - Mining metagenomic data for industrially relevant enzymes
In the the lab of Professor Colin Jackson at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, I built a pipeline to analyse the vast amount of public sequencing data to better characterise the diversity of enzymes in nature and identify new enzymes for biotechnology applications. Utilised sequence similarity networks, phylogenetic analysis and high throughput screening to identify new enzymes. First applied this to GH18 chitinases and solved the structure of two chitinase enzymes. Manuscript in preparation.
Research Output
Publications
Publication in protein engineering, bioinformatics, and biotechnology innovation.
Conference Presentations
Presentations at international conferences and symposiums on engineering biology and biotechnology.
Research Collaborations
Active collaborations with researchers across academia and industry to advance the field.
Applying ProteinMPNN, RFDiffusion & ColabFold tools for the generation & optimisation of useful protein-tools
J Kaczmarski, H Ashley, J Dalton, M Lorenzon, C Jackson PROTEIN SCIENCE 32 (12)
Previous Projects
ANU iGEM 2024: Tackling Coral Bleaching using SynBio
We aim to limit future coral bleaching events by neutralising excess ROS produced when coral are under heat stress. Our system, CORA, achieves this through the use of an ROS-detoxifying catalase, which we express in host coral probiotics.
ANU iGEM 2023: Virumediation
A modular bacteriophage-based bioaccumulation platform for remediation of heavy metals. We have designed a system of metal sequestering compartments that can be delivered into native soil bacteria by bacteriophages. Our bacteriophages have been engineered to deliver heavy-metal binding proteins (MBPs) localised to encapsulin-nanocompartments; these proteins can capture and sequester heavy metals in the environment.
In silico design of Anti-CD Nanobodies - Undergraduate Research Project
In the lab of Professor Thomas Huber I worked on designing and expressing nanobodies designed to bind to cell surface receptors. Pre-Print on its way.
ANU Australasian SynBio Challenge 2022: Fluorescent nanobody toolkit for research imaging
To increase the efficiency and reduce the price of nanobody production we aimed to develop a modular ‘plug and play’ cloning platform to express nanobodies in bacteria and plant expression systems
Research Collaboration
Interested in collaborating on research projects or discussing scientific opportunities? I'm always open to exploring new research directions and partnerships.