We leverage the latest advances in Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry to understand and engineer complex systems.

**1. Genetic Design Optimization**

Living organisms build the most complex and useful chemicals known to man. We use novel engineering strategies to re-write the genetics of natural product biosynthesis. We apply this to discover and over-produce molecules from nature that have applications as drugs, pesticides, and herbicides.

**2. Engineered Speciation**

Species boundaries are defined by pre-zygotic and post-zygotic barriers to genetic exchange. By engineering such barriers, we can essentially create ‘new’ species. We apply this technology to limit the gene flow between populations and as a mechanism to control or eradicate pest organisms. Synthetic species can also be used as drivers of evolution in competitive co-cultures.

**3. Complex Systems Engineering**

Since the advent of recombinant DNA technology in the early 1970’s, most biotechnology applications are comprised of relatively simple, single-gene systems. We are leveraging advances in algorithmic DNA assembly to design, build, and test large, multi-gene systems with applications in medicine, agriculture, and the environment.

Recent Publications

1. Sychla A, Casas-Mollano JA, Zinselmeier M, Smanski MJ (2022) Characterization of programmable transcription activators in the model monocot Setaria viridis via protoplast transfection. Methods Mol Biol 2464:223-244 doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-2164-6_16

2. Upadhyay A, Feltman NR, Sychla A, Janzen A, Das SR, Maselko M, Smanski MJ (2022) Genetically engineered insects with sex-selection and genetic incompatibility enable population suppression. eLife;11:e71230 doi: 10.7554/eLife.71230

3. Connolly JA, Harcombe WR, Smanski MJ, Kinkel LL, Takano E, Breitling R (2021) Harnessing intercellular signals to engineer the soil microbiome. Natural Product Reports. DOI: 10.1039/D1NP00034A.

4. Smanski MJ (2021) Spotlight on genetic design in a spotted wing crop killer. The CRISPR Journal. 4 (5) https://doi.org/10.1089/crispr.2021.29136.msm

5. Das SR, Maselko M, Upadhyay A, Smanski MJ (2020) Genetic engineering of sex chromosomes for batch cultivation of non-transgenic, sex-sorted males. PLoS Genet 16(11): e1009180. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009180.

6. Casas-Mollano JA, Zinselmeier MH, Erickson SE, and Smanski MJ. (2020) CRISPR-Cas Activators for Engineering Gene Expression in Higher Eukaryotes. The CRISPR Journal. Oct 2020.350-364. http://doi.org/10.1089/crispr.2020.0064

7. Maselko M., Feltman N., Upadhyay A. et al., Smanski MJ. (2020) Engineering multiple species-like genetic incompatibilities in insects. Nat Commun 11, 4468 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18348-1

8. Heinsch SC, Hsu S, Otto-Hansen L, Kinkel L, Smanski MJ (2019) Complete genome sequences of Streptomyces spp. isolated from disease-supressive soils. BMC Genomics 20:994.

9. Stach CS, et al. Hu WS, Smanski MJ (2019) Model-driven engineering of N-linked glycosylation in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. ACS Syn. Biol. doi:10.1021/acssynbio.9b00215.

10. Hsu S. et al. (2019) The Five Primer Challenge: an inquiry-based learning module for synthetic biology. bioRꭓiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/745794.

Google Scholar Link to Complete Publications…

Group Members

**Julie Badger** Graduate Student beenk006@umn.edu

**Savio De Siqueira Ferreira** Postdoctoral Scholar sdesique@umn.edu

**Signe Penn** Lab Technician penn0171@umn.edu

Michael Smanski Group Leader smanski [at] umn [dot] edu — **Michael Smanski** Group Leader smanski@umn.edu

**John Barfoot** Graduate Student barfo006@umn.edu

**Nate Feltman** Postdoctoral Scholar feltm006@umn.edu

Dimitri Perusse Postdoctoral Scholar dperusse [at] umn [dot] edu — **Dimitri Perusse** Postdoctoral Scholar dperusse@umn.edu

**Maxime Boneza** Graduate Student bonez001@umn.edu

Colby Johnson Graduate Student joh15243 [at] umn [dot] edu — **Colby Johnson** Graduate Studentjoh15243@umn.edu

**Leland Pornschloegl** Graduate Student porns003@umn.edu

**Jonathan Cors** Graduate Student corsx006@umn.edu

**Seonyun Moon** Graduate Student moon0215@umn.edu

**Ratnasri Pothula** Postdoctoral Scholar ratnasri@umn.edu

Past Members

Thomas Hougard, Medical School

Duncan Mincks, Graduate Student, UMN

Madeline Nicol, Manufacturing Associate, Takeda

Basem Al-Shayeb, Graduate Student, UC Berkeley

Duc Hoang, Graduate Student

Dakota Snustad, Medical Scribe

Aleksander Bajer, Scientist

Jack Dalluge, Student

Ambuj Upadhyay, Biomedical Technology Transfer Fellow, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Nicholas Jacob, Joint Masters program, University of Göttingen (Germany) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Norway)

Adam Sychla, Postdoctoral Scholar at Harvard Medical

Anna Saboe, Research and Development Scientist at Bimeda

Alec Vallota-Eastman, Graduate Student, UC Santa Barbara

Sabina Kim, Student

Maciej Maselko, Assistant Professor, Macquarie University

Edward Large, University of Missouri

Mariela Rivera-DeJesus, Graduate Student, Cornell University

Christopher Stach, Scientist, Asimov

Jesse Gates, Medical School

Suzie Hsu, Scientist at Beckman Coulter

Matthew Zinselmeier, Scientist at Google X

Sam Erickson, Doctoral candidate, University of Minnesota

Sarah Jo Devore, Data Scientist at Recursion

Stephen Heinsch, Bioinformatics Scientist at Jord BioScience

Juan Armando Casas-Mollano, Genome Modification Post-Doctorate Scientist at Bayer

Recent News

Three Healthtech Teams Win Big at Sixth Walleye Tank LINK

RT @UMNresearch: UMN #startup @NovoClade recently won a $1 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant from @NSF, whic… https://t.co/dFG1kpGZcJ
Jun 20, 2022, 9:30 AM
RT @NaturePortfolio: Women in academia have fallen behind with publications and grant funding during the COVID-19 pandemic and risk drop… https://t.co/w4LIQbN0jV
Mar 2, 2022, 9:43 AM
Genetically engineered insects with sex-selection and genetic incompatibility enable population suppression… https://t.co/WhL6MBVO3X
Feb 2, 2022, 3:39 PM
RT @c_hertweck: FYI, people who are vaccinated have an immune system, too. This is how vaccination works. On top, they have a brain. https://t.co/xdnYoEFkaT
Jan 27, 2022, 6:07 PM
We are hiring a postdoc to work on an insect engineering project. Seeking a PhD with experience in molecular biolog… https://t.co/b30x4U25CB
Oct 20, 2021, 1:19 PM

Come work with us!

We are part of the Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics (BMBB) Graduate Program at the University of Minnesota. We are looking for postdocs, students, and scientists in bioinformatics and computational biology, microbiology, chemical engineering, and related areas. Please send the following information to the address given below:

Cover letter, including research and career interests
CV
Preprints of publications listed on your CV but not published
Letter of recommendation from your most recent advisor
Mike Smanski: smanski@umn.edu

Smanski Lab Advising Statement

Smanski Lab

Mail:

1479 Gortner Ave Room 140
St Paul, MN, 55108

Visit:

Gortner Laboratory Room 344 1479 Gortner Ave
St Paul, MN, 55108