Synthetic Biophysical Systems Group

Welcome! We are a new research group at The University of Edinburgh. Led by Dr Nadanai Laohakunakorn, our vision is to master the use of cell-free synthetic biology to enable a wide variety of applications in biomanufacturing, biosensing, and healthcare.

Harnessing these simplified mimics of living cells gives us a unique approach to understanding life, by building it up from its most basic components.

Please check back regularly for updates!

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Photo: Z. Swank

News

  • We are hiring! We are looking for an exceptionally motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher to join our team, initially for one year (March 2025-March 2026). They will work on the bottom-up and rational enhancement of PURE using protein enhancers and synthetic metabolism. Please get in touch for more information if you are interested, view the advert here, and apply before 6 January 2025.

  • 28 November 2024 » We had a great time at Synthetic Biology UK, catching up with old friends and colleagues as well as meeting many new people. Well done to Aarushi for her great poster, and congratulations to Ella for her amazing talk (which also won the best presentation award)!

    • SBUK

  • 9 September 2024 » Surendra's preprint is now out on Biorxiv! Please find it here: ATP regeneration from pyruvate in the PURE system. Many congratulations for the stellar work throughout his PhD.

  • 24 August 2024 » Our review paper on Applications of cell free protein synthesis in protein design is now published. Congratulations to Ella, Sara, and Michael who have contributed to this, and collaborators Chris W. Wood and Lynne Regan who led the study.

  • 13 May 2024 » We welcome Sanika to the lab to start her MSc project with us, on investigating alternative ATP regeneration pathways in PURE, and at the same time say goodbye to Ryan who goes back to Toronto, and Paula who has finished her degree.

  • 18 Apr 2024 » Congratulations to Surendra who just presented his PhD work at the SynCell 2024 conference in Toulouse, France.

  • 14 Apr 2024 » Michael's preprint on applying machine learning to study physiochemical properties of natural and engineered proteins is now out on bioRxiv. A great collaboration with the Oyarzún and Wells Wood groups!

  • 15 Jan 2024 » We welcome Ryan Lee, visiting PhD student from the Chou lab in Toronto, and Paula Juve, undergraduate honours student, who are both starting their projects in the lab today.