A Bottom Up Approach to Systems Biotechnology – Lessons Learned from Bacterial Signal Transduction

Dr. William E. Bentley, Robert E. Fischell Distinguished Professor, Chair, Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 2:00-3:00 PM EDT

This webinar is free for SBE members and $49.00 for non-members. 
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About this Webinar

Bacterial quorum sensing offers an interesting viewpoint from which to study and control cell phenotype. Through the perception of signal molecules (e.g., AHL, AI-2) and their transduction, bacteria coordinate their behavior and act as multicellular units. This coordination is responsible for establishing virulence among a variety of pathogens. A combination of negative (auto-regulation) and positive feedback mechanisms that control the flow of information can be examined by separating the network architecture into sub-networks. Biofabricated devices that report on signaling events are constructed to elucidate cell-cell communication and serve as a foundation upon which to develop new drugs and/or screen for pathogenic phenotype. Using bottom up approaches such as those we have developed will improve our chances to sense and intercept communication in pathogenic bacteria and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

William E. Bentley Biosketch

WILLIAM E. BENTLEY is the Robert E. Fischell Distinguished Professor of Engineering and founding Chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. He is also appointed in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park and the Center for Biosystems Research of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Dr. Bentley received his undergraduate (BS, ’82) and Master of Engineering degrees (’83) from Cornell University and his PhD (’89) from the University of Colorado, Boulder, all in chemical engineering. At Maryland since 1989, Dr. Bentley has focused his research on the development of molecular tools that facilitate the expression of biologically active proteins, having authored over 180 related archival publications. Recent interests are on deciphering and manipulating signal transduction pathways, including those of bacterial communication networks, for altering cell phenotype. He has served on advisory committees and panels for the NIH, NSF, DOD, DOE, USDA, and several state agencies. He has mentored over 25 PhDs, some of whom are academics at: Cornell (x2), University of Colorado, Clemson, University of Connecticut, Tufts, Postech (Korea), and Tsing-Hua (Taiwan). He co-founded a protein manufacturing company, Chesapeake PERL, based on insect larvae as mini bioreactors. Dr. Bentley is a Fellow of the AAAS and AIMBE and is an elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology.