Page 59 - Plant Canada 2024 Proceeding
P. 59
PLANT CANADA 2024
Monday, July 8
Dr. Nicola Patron
University of Cambridge
“Synthetic biology for metabolic pathway
engineering in photosynthetic organisms”
Abstract: Over the past decade, synthetic
biology has significantly advanced the
reconstruction of biosynthetic pathways for high-
value natural products in "chassis" organisms. In
our lab, we integrate genomics, metabolomics,
and bioactivity assays to identify the molecules
responsible for the bioactivities of medicinal
plants and to elucidate the genetic basis of
these natural products. This comprehensive
approach enables us to understand the mechanisms of metabolic diversification and to
explore innovative methods for biomanufacturing. Additionally, we develop plants as
photosynthetic biomanufacturing platforms, engineering synthetic circuits and tailoring
plant genomes to optimize yield.
Bio: Nicola Patron is an Associate Professor in Plant Synthetic at the University of Cambridge,
UK. Nicola has a PhD in plant molecular biology and pursued postdoctoral research at The John
Innes Centre and The University of British Columbia. In 2015, she was identified as an
emerging leader in synthetic biology and awarded a SynBioLEAP fellowship. She started her
research group at the Earlham Institute in 2016 to apply engineering approaches to plant
biology. Her group relocated to Cambridge in February 2024 and is focused on understanding
how phenotypes emerge from network functions and exploring and utilising metabolic diversity.
58
