Our laboratory views microbes as small “green” factories that can convert simple carbon sources such as CO2, glucose or even plant residues into valuable bioproducts such as fuels, commodity and specialty chemicals or pharmaceuticals. Using a combination of functional genomics and metabolic engineering techniques, we study microbes normally found in the environment in order to better understand their metabolism and physiology with the purpose of eventually engineering them as alternatives to producing, cleaner, better, cheaper or even novel products. Read about our ongoing projects.