UP NEXT...
March 27, 2026 Seminar
-
Rashi Jeeda
Cordero LabSpatial structure shapes the metabolic behavior of microbial communities in environments like the human gut. However, tools to rationally engineer this structure remain limited. We developed a “DNA velcro” system using cell-surface click chemistry to attach single-stranded DNA to cells, enabling controlled aggregate formation across species. We hypothesize this technique allows modulation of spatial organization to tune community metabolic flux without genetic modification, opening new possibilities for engineering microbial metabolic pathways.
-
Cora Wendlandt
Wittrup Lab Keating LabMotif grafting enables the design of small protein binders but is often limited by challenges in preserving binding geometry. Here, I present a computationally assisted approach combining AlphaFold3 and ProteinMPNN to optimize motif placement and sequence in ultra-stable protein scaffolds. This strategy enables binding in challenging cases and derisks design when grafting is already effective, advancing scalable development of therapeutic protein binders.
