Ipsita Tingi ’23, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ipsita Tingi ’23

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project Title

Case Studies of Yeast8 as a Genome-scale Model and Its Proof-of-concept Applications

Presentation Link

View Ipsita's Presentation

Certificate(s): Sustainable Energy

studied and modified the genome-scale model (GEM) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae — an organism widely used in industrial biotechnology — to assess the possibility of converting it into a synthetic autotroph. Because autotrophs generate biomass by using CO₂, this new synthetic organism could lead to more sustainable chemical manufacturing. To accomplish this, I added and deleted specific reactions within the yeast GEM to allow the organism to grow in silico. Through this internship, I improved my coding skills using MATLAB and COBRA software, developed effective time management and interpersonal communication skills, and learned how to work both individually and on a team. Moreover, I worked on a research project that prepared me for and sparked an interest in pursuing future independent work at Princeton. Overall, I learned about metabolic engineering with a GEM and its applications in environmental sustainability — something I hope to continue in future work.