On October 7th, the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology (PPEM) at Iowa State University welcomed Dr. Laura Jarboe, Cargill Professor in Chemical Engineering, for a seminar that drew an audience of faculty members, students, and guests.
Dr. Jarboe shared insights from her own research, which centers on improving biocatalysts under real-world applications. She delivered a compelling presentation that methodically explained how Escherichia coli can be genetically modified to produce value chemicals from targeted feedstocks. She walked attendees through the process of engineering microbial pathways, which highlighted the scientific breakthroughs and the challenges in optimizing biocatalyst performance. Her talked emphasized the importance of understanding microbial metabolism and growth dynamics.
Dr. Allen Miller, Professor in PPEM, reflected on the seminar, noting, “the process and outcomes of evolving Esherichia coli to produce a desired product and the difficulty in explaining the resulting genetic changes are particularly fascinating.”
Looking ahead, the PPEM Fall Seminar Series continues next week with a presentation by Dr. Britta Rued, Iowa State Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Preventative Medicine, on Tuesday, October 14th. Dr. Rued will explore the impact and regulation of streptococcal RaS-RiPPs, offering another opportunity for cross-disciplinary learning about collaboration.