The Blount Lab
We use synthetic genomics to understand how organisms work and to give them new abilities for sustainable biotechnology
We design and build DNA at chromosome scale — from single bases up to rewriting whole chromosomes.
We then use those designed genomes to interrogate the effects of genomic content and structure on cell function. We apply these approaches and findings to engineer microbes for a wide range of purposes, from minimal and modular genome construction to sustainable bioproduction, antibiotic discovery and vaccine development.
The Blount Lab is based in the Nottingham Engineering Biology Labs in the Biodiscovery Institute at the University of Nottingham. We are also part of the GlycoCell UKRI Engineering Biology Mission Hub and the UK – South Korea International Research Partnership for Engineering Biology.
We target:
- New medicines, vaccines and diagnostics
- Greener chemicals and cleaner feedstocks
- Uncovering the rules of genome function
- Establishing genome design rules
Our research:
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Shuffling genomes for new behaviours
SCRaMbLE is an inducible genome rearrangement system engineered into synthetic yeast chromosomes. A single strain can be turned into a population of highly diverse cells. We select and screen these populations for cells with improved properties e.g. using waste carbon sources, higher product yields, or generating novel biomolecules.
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Which combinations of genes matter
We design and build new chromosomes to establish which combinations of genes a cell needs for different functions and behaviours. That understanding could lead to streamlined genomes designed for particular tasks.
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Opening up synthetic genomics
Synthetic genomics has been confined to a handful of well-studied lab organisms. We are developing modular ways to build chromosome-scale DNA quickly and cheaply, independent of the host it is destined for — putting the approach within reach of more labs, working on a far wider range of organisms.
Commentary on our work
Features and coverage
Room B88 Biodiscovery Institute
University Park, Nottingham
NG7 2RD, UK