(2t) Protein- and Virus-Based Materials for Environmental and Agricultural Applications

Proteins are biopolymers of defined sequence whose amino acid side chains define their structure and function. There is an almost infinite number of sequences for naturally occurring proteins, suggesting there is a trove of undiscovered functional proteins waiting to be identified. Newer tools such as metagenomic screens and bioinformatics allow us to rapidly screen and identify putative functions for new proteins, and the development of in silico structure simulators such as AlphaFold can give us information about these new proteins without having to express, purify, and crystallize them. Further, the decades of technology advancements for molecular cloning and protein expression systems can facilitate the optimization and evolution of proteins with specific or novel functions designed from existing backbones or combined from two separate functional sequences for a bifunctional fusion protein. With all these tools in hand, protein-based biotechnology could be a wellspring of new technologies for some of the most difficult challenges ahead, such as food security, environmental sustainability, and waste management. My current and prior training have equipped me to identify and develop new protein- and virus-based nanomaterials for applications in agriculture and biocatalysis.

My doctoral training was primarily based on enzyme immobilization established through the sequestration of a reactive protein to a solid phase material, such as a nanoparticle. To immobilize the enzyme on a nanomaterial, one can adsorb the enzyme directly through non-covalent interactions, link the enzyme to the material through a covalent interaction, or use protein affinity interactions to drive site-specific interactions. One distinctive yet flexible strategy to achieve this enzyme immobilization is by fusing the enzyme to a binding protein for which the complementary sequence is attached to the material. This creates a more generalized plug-and-play immobilization system, as the binding domain could be attached to any number of enzymes. My background in creating an enzyme immobilization system and developing the process for its application, as well as verifying several candidate enzymes via metagenomic screen, gives me a unique perspective on the path of development to application of enzyme-based technologies.

Building on this experience, I am now developing bionanotechnology platforms using plant virus nanoparticles. Viruses are proteins which repeat several hundred to thousand times in the same nanoparticle, displaying the same chemical surface over and over for each capsid protein. This can be exploited for residue-specific chemical reactions to covalently load hundreds of active ingredient molecules onto the virus. Viral nanoparticles find application in a variety of areas, including nanodelivery systems, drug delivery, agricultural delivery, and gene delivery. Depending on the application, a covalent or non-covalent approach for loading of functional molecules can be considered. My current project involve the optimization of Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV) for agrochemical delivery in plants. To achieve this, my current research has focused on covalent modification of the surface exposed residues of TMGMV and transforming TMGMV into spherical nanoparticles for encapsulation of a range of molecules. The applications have spanned pest management, development of immune responsive material for plants, and developing new strategies for cargo loading in rod-shaped viral nanoparticles.

Looking forward, these experiences give me the background required to develop biotechnology for environmental applications. The challenges I hope to take on include waste management, resource recovery from agricultural and municipal runoff, and in situ bioremediation using gene delivery in plants. A combination of fusion protein design, enzyme immobilization, and viral nanoparticle development can be used in tandem to assess and address these applications.

Teaching Interests

Teaching is one of the primary reasons I became interested in academia while I was applying to graduate programs. Before I felt the rush of a deep dive into my own research, I had been taken by the passion I had for my chemical engineering education and helping to explain the concepts to my peers. In a broader view, while an institution is primarily about research prestige to the faculty and graduate students, to the undergraduate students and the public, a university’s prestige comes from the quality of its education. I think one of the most beautiful things about university education is how many ways we can improve the student experience at all levels. Student success is the product of the mutual efforts of the professor and students, and I think professors are uniquely responsible for giving the students the tools they need to do well. Particularly considering students come from many different educational backgrounds, I plan to be a professor that practices empathy, flexibility, and approachability to improve their experience and their likelihood for success.

When I think of myself teaching, I think I would perform the best in areas closest to my research interests. Particularly, I’m fond of kinetics/reactor engineering, mass transport, and separations processes. However, I do believe I am highly adaptable and able to tackle almost any course in a chemical engineering department. My experiences with enzymes and heterogeneous catalysis, reactor design, soil mobility, and drug or gene delivery in the lab give me a wealth of interesting concepts and research to infuse into my lectures to make them engaging and fresh. I plan to highlight the research success of my peers from all backgrounds so students can see how the field is continuing to evolve, rather than thinking the concepts have not changed since the 20th century. In another attempt to liven up the curriculum, it is my hope to expand the number of electives and core courses that focus on biomolecular engineering. My education has often treated biomolecular engineering as something to be learned on the side or during research, but I want to make these concepts more front and center in my future department, adding courses like bioseparations, protein engineering, and bioreactor design to be part of an alternative curriculum track that is offered regularly. I have experiences teaching and learning in these types of courses, and I would be excited to have the opportunity to develop more courses like these at my future institution.

I consider myself to be deeply introspective and committed to advancing our field. One of the best ways to advance our field is to show a commitment to the success of undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom. By thinking about how and why we teach certain concepts, considering new materials to infuse into the classroom, and being more proactive on diversity, I believe we can create a forward thinking and exemplary chemical engineering curriculum, and I would be very excited to take part in leading that initiative. I am always thinking about how I fit into the field and society at large, and I hope I can pass this sense of responsibility and excitement onto my students.