TEAM
Principal Investigator
Kevin V. Solomon, Ph.D.
(He/Him)
Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
PDF Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
B.Eng. Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster University, 2006
kvs@udel.edu
(He/Him)
Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
PDF Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
B.Eng. Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster University, 2006
kvs@udel.edu
Biological Degradation of Plastics (coadvised w/ Mark Blenner)
Alex Hansen
(He/Him) GAANN Fellow BS University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2022 Metaomics of plastic deconstructing mealworm gut microbiomes |
Nathan Milller
(He/Him) BS Arizona State University, 2023 Composition of plastics-degrading microbial communities |
Jenna Ott, Ph.D.
(She/Her) PhD Princeton University, 2023 BS University of California, Santa Barbara, 2018 Identifying minimalistic synthetic communities for plastic degradation |
Chistopher Saul
(He/Him) MS Saint Joseph's University, 2019 BS West Chester University of PA, 2015 Genetic engineering of the mealworm microbiome |
Fungal Strain Development Team
Raine Hagerty
(He/Him) BS University of California Irvine, 2023 Development of tx/tl platform for anaerobic gut fungi |
Samiha Zaman
(She/Her) MS Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2023 BS Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2021 Whole-cell Biosensor for Foodborne Pathogens |
Ben Alexander
(He/Him) BS North Carolina State University, 2023 Targeted epigenetic control mechanisms for anaerobic gut fungi |
Foundational Syn Bio Team
Hayeon Park
(She/Her) BS University of California Davis, 2022 Biomolecular condensates for control of protein activity |
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Drug Delivery Team
Mruthula Rammohan
(She/Her) BTech IIT Madras, 2019 Characterization and delivery of VLP-based nanovaccines 
Talent Tien
(He/Him) MS National Tsing Hua University, 2024 BS National Tsing Hua University, 2022 Patterned surface functionalization of VLPs |
Akash Vaidya
(He/Him) MS University of Delaware, 2020 BS Cornell University, 2018 Development of a Plant Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Platform 
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Ming Hung Yen
(He/Him) BS National Tsing Hua University, 2020 Biological production of ssDNA containing materials |
Undergraduate Students
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Evan Gillen
BS ChE '26 Conrad 'Bo' Gravuer BS ChE '26 Austin Futty BS AMB '27 |
Meredith Rodney
BS ChE '26 Brooke Shubert BS AMB '27 Zaria Singleton BS AMB '26 |
Lab Alumni
2016
Sharifah Binti Syed Omar BS '18 - Farm Design
2017
Bowman Clark
2018
Logan Readnour, MS '18 - LanzaTech
Thesis: Development of novel elp-based transcriptional regulators for improved biomanufacturing
Emma Foster BS '18 - graduate student, Texas A&M
Abigail Hunnicut BS '18 - Applied Laboratories, Inc
Juya Jeon BS '18 - graduate student, Washington University at St. Louis
Arren Liu BS '18 - graduate student, ASU
Suraj Mohan BS '18 - graduate student, Purdue
Alex Murfee
Frances Opferman BS '21 (expected)
Yu Hong (James) Wang BS '18 - graduate student, Carnegie Mellon University
Thesis: Development of novel elp-based transcriptional regulators for improved biomanufacturing
Emma Foster BS '18 - graduate student, Texas A&M
Abigail Hunnicut BS '18 - Applied Laboratories, Inc
Juya Jeon BS '18 - graduate student, Washington University at St. Louis
Arren Liu BS '18 - graduate student, ASU
Suraj Mohan BS '18 - graduate student, Purdue
Alex Murfee
Frances Opferman BS '21 (expected)
Yu Hong (James) Wang BS '18 - graduate student, Carnegie Mellon University
2019
Dr. Jake Englaender - AgroSpheres
Postdoctoral work: Mevalonate pathway engineering
Michael Mechikoff, MS '19 - US Air Force
Thesis title: Development of an assay to identify and quantify endonuclease activity
Rohit Chatterjee BS '19 - MD student, IU
Trang Dieu BS ' 19 - Repligen
Ethan Gaskin BS '20
Archana Kikla BS '19
Kathryn Myers BS '21 (expected)
Adrian Ortiz-Velez BS ' 19 - grad student, SD State
Makayla Schacht BS '20
Evan Shank BS '19
Postdoctoral work: Mevalonate pathway engineering
Michael Mechikoff, MS '19 - US Air Force
Thesis title: Development of an assay to identify and quantify endonuclease activity
Rohit Chatterjee BS '19 - MD student, IU
Trang Dieu BS ' 19 - Repligen
Ethan Gaskin BS '20
Archana Kikla BS '19
Kathryn Myers BS '21 (expected)
Adrian Ortiz-Velez BS ' 19 - grad student, SD State
Makayla Schacht BS '20
Evan Shank BS '19
2020
Kevin Fitzgerald BS '20 - graduate student, Northwestern University
Zach Hartley BS '20 - graduate student, UC Riverside
Paula Pandolfi, BS '20 - graduate student, UCLA
Zach Hartley BS '20 - graduate student, UC Riverside
Paula Pandolfi, BS '20 - graduate student, UCLA
2021
Dr. Ethan Hillman
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Developing Tools for Anaerobic Fungi
Current Affiliation: University of Michigan Medical School
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Developing Tools for Anaerobic Fungi
Current Affiliation: University of Michigan Medical School
Dr. Kok Zhi Lee
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Characterizing NgAgo And Exploring Its Activities For Biotechnological Applications
Current Affiliation: Washington University at St. Louis Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
PhD 2021
Dissertation Title: Characterizing NgAgo And Exploring Its Activities For Biotechnological Applications
Current Affiliation: Washington University at St. Louis Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
Tyler Rankin BS Biology '22
Elizabeth Frazier BS BE '22
Ben Howard BS BE '21
Ben Rubino BS Biology '22
Grace Lee BS BE '22
Rebecca Slaughter BS BE '22
Elizabeth Frazier BS BE '22
Ben Howard BS BE '21
Ben Rubino BS Biology '22
Grace Lee BS BE '22
Rebecca Slaughter BS BE '22
2022
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Casey Hooker
Ph.D. 2022 Dissertation Title: Reference Genomes and Genetic Tools for Anaerobic Fungi Current Affiliation: AquaCultured Foods |
Altaf Bacchus BS ChE '25
Dylan Carman BS ChE '24 (Florida) - NSF REU Fellow
Aidan Kindopp BS ChE '25 (Univ. Rhode Island) - NSF REU Fellow
Krish Modi RAHSS Scholar - (Charter School of Wilmington)
Brigid Monahan BS ChE '24
Ashlesha Mohapatra BS ChE '24 - NSF REU Fellow
Dylan Carman BS ChE '24 (Florida) - NSF REU Fellow
Aidan Kindopp BS ChE '25 (Univ. Rhode Island) - NSF REU Fellow
Krish Modi RAHSS Scholar - (Charter School of Wilmington)
Brigid Monahan BS ChE '24
Ashlesha Mohapatra BS ChE '24 - NSF REU Fellow
2023
Mrugesh Parasa
PhD 2023
Dissertation Title: Programmable Control of Protein Activity Via Formation of Biomolecular Condensates in Bacteria
PhD 2023
Dissertation Title: Programmable Control of Protein Activity Via Formation of Biomolecular Condensates in Bacteria
Toni Akin-Adenekan, BS ChE '23
Julia Donlevie, BS ChE '23
Megane Noubissi Tabouguia, BS ChE '23
Robyn Logue, BS Eng Phys '26 (DESU)
Derek Wu, MS ChE '23
Julia Donlevie, BS ChE '23
Megane Noubissi Tabouguia, BS ChE '23
Robyn Logue, BS Eng Phys '26 (DESU)
Derek Wu, MS ChE '23
2024
Radwa Hanafy, Ph.D.
(She/Her)
PhD Oklahoma State University, 2020
BS Ain Shams University, 2006
Genomics & SynBio tools for anaerobic fungi
(She/Her)
PhD Oklahoma State University, 2020
BS Ain Shams University, 2006
Genomics & SynBio tools for anaerobic fungi
Manish Pareek, PhD
(He/Him)
PhD University of Delhi, 2017
MS Devi Ahilaya University, 2010
BS Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 2008
Chromosomal engineering of anaerobic fungi
Kunwoo Khim, MS
(He/Him)
MS University of Delaware, 2024
BS Seoul National University, 2022
Developing plasmid tools for anaerobic fungi
Jadira Fuentes Bautista
BS AMB, '26
(He/Him)
PhD University of Delhi, 2017
MS Devi Ahilaya University, 2010
BS Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 2008
Chromosomal engineering of anaerobic fungi
Kunwoo Khim, MS
(He/Him)
MS University of Delaware, 2024
BS Seoul National University, 2022
Developing plasmid tools for anaerobic fungi
Jadira Fuentes Bautista
BS AMB, '26
Wren Mallikarjunan
(They/Them)
BS Georgia Tech, 2023
Engineering non-model organisms for plastics upcycling
(They/Them)
BS Georgia Tech, 2023
Engineering non-model organisms for plastics upcycling
2025
Namrata Charavarty, PhD
(She/Her)
PhD IIT- Roorkee, 2022
MS Jamia Hamdard University, 2016
BS University of Delhi, 2014
Optimization of prokaryotic Argonautes activity
(She/Her)
PhD IIT- Roorkee, 2022
MS Jamia Hamdard University, 2016
BS University of Delhi, 2014
Optimization of prokaryotic Argonautes activity
Ross Klauer
PhD 2025
(He/Him)
CBI PhD Student
BS Rose-Hullman Institute, 2019
Discovery of plastic deconstructing enzymes in mealworm gut microbiomes
PhD 2025
(He/Him)
CBI PhD Student
BS Rose-Hullman Institute, 2019
Discovery of plastic deconstructing enzymes in mealworm gut microbiomes
Arya Gupta - BS Biochem '29
Ashley Kalan - BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar
Jesal Patel - BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar
Ethan Passino - BS ChE '26
Zoe Pecson - BS ChE '26 INBRE Summer Scholar
Christina Rodriguez - BS Appl Biotech INBRE Summer Scholar ’24 | AMBB Practicum
Valeria Villadiego - BS Bio Sci, '27
Ashley Kalan - BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar
Jesal Patel - BS ChE '25 INBRE Summer Scholar
Ethan Passino - BS ChE '26
Zoe Pecson - BS ChE '26 INBRE Summer Scholar
Christina Rodriguez - BS Appl Biotech INBRE Summer Scholar ’24 | AMBB Practicum
Valeria Villadiego - BS Bio Sci, '27
Interested in joining?
We are a new and growing lab with open positions for all experience levels!
We are a new and growing lab with open positions for all experience levels!