Chemistry and Materials Science Seminar: Biological Architecture

Chemistry and Materials Science Seminar
Biological architecture: From protective biocrystals to 3D-printed biofilms

Dr. Anne S. Meyer
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
University of Rochester

Register Here for Zoom Link
This seminar may be attended in person in 1174 Gosnell Hall or online via Zoom.

Dr. Meyer’s talk will focus on two aspects of work being undertaken in her lab, including exploring and theorizing about the properties of compacted DNA in starving bacteria, and re-engineering bacteria to synthesize novel, bio-inspired materials using 3D bacterial printers.

Abstract:
The Meyer lab studies fundamental questions of chromosome organization in bacteria. In starving bacteria cells, Dps (DNA binding protein from starved cells) compacts DNA into a dense structure that resembles a crystal, both in vivo and in vitro. We found that this dramatic chromosome condensation does not affect gene expression in starved cells either directly or indirectly in the cell. We hypothesize that the compacted nucleoid forms a dynamic liquid crystalline structure that excludes some DNA-binding proteins yet allows RNA polymerase free access to the buried genes, a behavior characteristic of phase-separated organelles. We also perform research targeted at applying and re-engineering bacteria to synthesize bio-inspired materials with improved properties. We have targeted bacterial production of patterned artificial nacre, a biomineralized, optically active material lining seashells that combines high mechanical stiffness with high fracture toughness, as well as conductive graphene materials. Our custom-built 3D bacterial printers allow us to deposit bacteria into spatially-patterned biofilms and living materials. Combination of our biological materials-producing systems with our newly developed 3D bacterial printers allows the sustainable and straight-forward production of spatially-structured biomaterials.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Anne S. Meyer is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester, USA. Dr. Meyer received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Stanford University (USA) in 2005. She was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA). Dr. Meyer served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bionanoscience at TU Delft in The Netherlands, prior to moving her research group to the University of Rochester in 2018. She has served as the lead advisor for seven iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Organisms) teams, which have won numerous awards including the 2015 Grand Prize. Her research focuses on using quantitative techniques in the fields of biochemistry, microbiology, and biophysics to study structural dynamics, macromolecular interactions, and physiological responses of organisms to environmental stressors. She also uses tools of synthetic biology to engineer novel functions into microorganisms, with a particular focus on the production of improved, tunable biomaterials and the development of new tools for 3D patterning of bacteria.

Intended Audience:
Undergraduates, graduates, experts. Those with interest in the topic.

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