Gene regulatory systems are built from interacting molecular components — transcription factors, their ligands, and their DNA targets — whose properties shape how cells sense and respond to signals. We use high-throughput phenotyping and large-scale sequence–function mapping to investigate how variation in these components affects regulatory specificity, functional variation, and phenotypic output. By linking genotype to regulatory behavior at scale, we seek to uncover the principles that govern regulatory function, its evolution, and its redesign.
Using insights from natural systems and sequence-function maps, we design and build synthetic communication modules that allow cells to exchange information in new ways. These engineered systems open possibilities for programming novel applications in biotechnology and synthetic communities.
Gene regulatory networks are constantly reshaped by the acquisition of new genes and transcription factors via horizontal gene transfer. We investigate how such events generate novel regulatory interactions, alter cellular functions, and contribute to the evolutionary innovation of microbes.