Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Biochemical engineering is a central focus in the Department. Seven faculty, including Professors Carbonell, Hall, Haugh, Kelly, Kilpatrick, Ollis, and Peretti, have research efforts in this area, and other faculty often lend their expertise to new directives. The activities of this group of researchers fall into two categories — metabolic analysis and molecular characterization.

Professor Kelly has long been involved in the characterization of enzymes and metabolic pathways in extreme thermophiles, organisms that exhibit growth optima in excess of 85°C. Professor Peretti is interested in genetically engineered microbialsystems used in the degradation of hazardous waste. Such bacteria have been manipulated to express novel, non-polluting biosynthetic pathways for chemical production (green chemistry). Projects involve studies of mixed-culture, mixed-substrate population dynamics and design of reactors for non-aqueous phase bioprocessing. Professor Haugh's laboratory investigates chemical reaction networks that are used for integrating information and prompting decision-making by mammalian (e.g. human) cells. These signal transduction mechanisms are regulated in a complex manner both temporally and spatially, and are of keen importance for the design of targeted therapeutic strategies and other biomedical applications.

Professor Carbonell's most recent bioprocessing activities include investigations into the use of combinatorial peptide libraries to screen for ligands for protein purification. These ligands offer several significant advantages: low costs relative to antibodies, easy coupling chemistry, and high thermal and ionic strength stability. Professor Hall's research is aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which solutes prevent protein aggregation by simulating the properties of model proteins and solutes on computer. Her goal is to ultimately model such medically important proteins as b-amyloid, the protein whose aggregation is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Professor Kelly also studies hyperthermophilic enzymes, including glucose isomerases and hemice llulases. These enzymes have important applications to the production of high fructose corn syrup and thickening agents for foods.

Modern biological research facilities within the Department support these research efforts, as do collaborations with life scientists at the University, at companies, and at other universities. These efforts reflect the rapid expansion of biotechnology activity at the University (including a dozen academic departments) and in companies in the Research Triangle Park and surrounding Triangle region. Graduate students interested in biotechnology traditionally take part in an intensive summer laboratory course, established by the University biotechnology faculty, which is designed to allow students to quickly master needed experimental techniques in molecular biology.