The molecules of life and the building
blocks of our society are synthesized by the chemical reactions of metabolism.
In understanding metabolism better, we open the door to new ways of curing
disease and environmentally friendly chemistry. Work in the lab focuses on three
aspects of this overarching theme: investigating unique organisms,
understanding metabolism and how it can be engineered to do useful things, and
developing new and exciting tools for metabolic research.
We, like Pasteur, think that it is microbes
who will have the last word. There is a vast richness of metabolic
strategies employed by microbes. We’re interested in studying these unique bugs
and developing lesser-studied organisms into model systems for learning how
cells live and grow while performing amazing chemistry.
The planet, from the upper atmosphere to deep-sea
trenches, is shaped by cellular metabolism. We’re interested in defining how
important pathways, such as photosynthesis, function in their
organismal context and what this means for the environment and for developing
new solutions for sustainable chemistry.
Despite their complexity, we are beginning to unravel
the parts list and wiring diagram of microbial cells. In the Savage Lab, we’re
constructing novel gene circuits and other tools to tease apart how cells live
and grow. In the long-term we will use these tools as the building block for
engineering new functionalities into microbes.