Chase L. Beisel, PhD, is a group leader in the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research. Dr. Beisel received his BS in chemical engineering from Iowa State Univ. and his PhD in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and he held a postdoctoral fellowship in bacterial genetics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He then began his faculty career as an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University. After being promoted to associate professor with tenure, Dr. Beisel transitioned to the Helmholtz Institute.
His research group focuses on developing genetic tools for non-model bacteria. These tools have been principally based on CRISPR-Cas immune systems and have been applied to genome editing, gene control, and sequence-specific antimicrobials. His research efforts have garnered recent awards, including the Biotechnology & Bioengineering Daniel I. C. Wang Award, a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, the Emerging Leader Award from the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a Faculty Research Award from the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, and a Faculty Scholar Award from North Carolina State Univ. Dr. Beisel is a member of AIChE, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, and the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.