Endri Yzellari ’26, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Endri Yzellari ’26

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project Title

Optimizing Chemical Production in E. coli through Optogenetics

I investigated the role of optogenetics — a method that uses light to control gene expression — in controlling bacterial growth to produce chemicals. In prior work, researchers found that chemical commodities, such as eugenol or phenol, could be produced in microbial consortia, which contains multiple, different bacterial groups with various gene knockouts and overexpressions. Specific bacterial ratios are optimal for producing the most chemical product and optogenetics may enable us to better control these ratios. By giving each E. coli species a different optogenetic circuit, we can engineer different species to grow only under specific wavelengths of light. Utilizing this method, our overall goal was to achieve exact bacterial ratios in microbial consortia to optimize production of highly sought after chemical commodities. I conducted bacterial transformations to insert the photosensitive plasmids necessary to produce photosensitive proteins for light control and designed and ran experiments under various light conditions. This project enabled me to acquire laboratory skills and hands-on microbiology experience. Ultimately, I plan to continue work in this field in my junior independent work, senior thesis and graduate studies.