Wilfred Chen – Adding Logic to Complex Protein Functions

Abstract:

Inspired by the remarkable ability of natural proteins to sense and respond to a wide range of environmental queues, here we reported strategies to engineer synthetic protein switches to dynamically organize proteins with highly diverse and complex architectures. This new framework can be used to dynamically control the spatial proximity and the corresponding functions of different proteins for both in vitro and in vivo applications. The general utility of the strategy was used to performing Boolean logic operations to provide explicit control of protein function using multi-input, reversible, and amplification architectures suitable for a wide range of applications.

Speaker’s Bio:

Professor Wilfred Chen joined the University of Delaware in January 1, 2011 as the Gore
Professor of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his B.S. degree from UCLA in 1988 and his
Ph.D. from Caltech in 1993, both in Chemical Engineering. After one-year postdoc in Switzerland,
he joined UC Riverside in 1994. He was Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
and the holder of Presidential Chair until he joined Delaware in 2011. His research interests are
in Synthetic Biology and Protein Engineering. Prof. Chen has published more than 280 journal
papers and delivered over 100 invited lectures. He serves on the editorial board for many
scientific publications including Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
and Bioengineering. He is also the editor/associate editor for Biochemical Engineering
Journal, Biotechnology Journal, and AICHE Journal. He is a fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Institute for Medical
and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

Prof. Chen has also received numerous awards, including NSF Career Award, AIChE Food,
Pharmaceutical, and Bioengineering Division 15c Plenary Lecture, Biotechnology Progress
Award for Excellence in Biological Engineering Publication, Daniel I.C. Wang Award for
Excellence in Biochemical Engineering from AICHE/SBE, Marvin J. Johnson Award in
Microbial & Biochemical Technology from ACS, and the AICHE Food, Pharmaceutical &
Bioengineering Division Award.