LiME is a place where innovative ideas in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology come to life. At LiME, we engineer microbial cells to produce novel and valuable unnatural compounds, program bacterial behaviors for translational therapeutic applications, and optimize cellular systems for high-titer production from sustainable feedstocks.

Through upstream innovations in microbial biosynthesis, including the reprogramming of modular polyketide synthases and AI-guided enzyme engineering, we aim to establish robust and programmable biological platforms capable of producing valuable new-to-nature chemicals that are inaccessible through existing biosynthetic pathways.

Building upon these synthetic platforms, we further translate engineered biological systems into downstream medical applications by developing sophisticated genetically encoded biosensors for precise, real-time control of cellular behavior. These technologies enable controlled therapeutic delivery and the targeted orchestration of live biotherapeutic cells for next-generation neurotherapeutic applications.

To advance sustainable biomanufacturing, LiME also engineers next-generation microbial hosts capable of converting renewable and waste-derived feedstocks into valuable chemicals and therapeutics.

Lab News

10.26.2026 LiME lab to be officially established at the University of Georgia, Athens!