Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Professor, Department of Bioengineering
Senior Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Philomathia Foundation Chair in Alternative Energy
CEO, Joint BioEnergy Institute
Email: keasling@berkeley.edu
Office: 5885 Hollis St., 4th Floor Emeryville, CA 94608
UC mailcode: MC 3224
Phone: (510) 495-2620
Fax: (510) 495-2630
Metabolic engineering of microorganisms
The mission of the research in the Keasling Laboratory is to develop foundational tools for engineering metabolism inside cells and to use those tools to solve important societal problems. We have created a variety of tools for regulating metabolic pathways inside cells, novel metabolic pathways to produce unnatural molecules, and robust microbial hosts for producing chemicals under a variety of industrial conditions. We have used these tools to produce the antimalarial drug artemisinin, a variety of commodity and specialty chemicals, and biofuels.
Joined the UC Berkeley Faculty in 1992
| Education | |
|---|---|
| 1986 | B.S., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Chemistry and Biology |
| 1988 | M.S., University of Michigan, Chemical Engineering |
| 1991 | Ph.D., University of Michigan, Chemical Engineering |
| 1991-1992 | Postdoctorate, Stanford University, Biochemistry |
| Major Awards | |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Distinguished Scientists Fellow, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy |
| 2019 | Doing a World of Good, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) |
| 2016 | Election as a Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| 2015 | Eric and Shiela Samson Prime Minister’s Prize in Innovation in Alternative Fuels for Transportation. Tel Aviv, Israel |
| 2015 | Honorary Doctorate, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 2014 | Innovator Award – Biosciences, Economist Magazine |
| 2014 | Eni Renewable Energy Prize, Eni S.p.A. |
| 2013 | George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotechnology, Biotechnology Industry Organization |
| 2012 | Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment, Heinz Family Foundation |
| 2010 | National Academy of Engineering |
| 2009 | Inaugural Biotech Humanitarian Award, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) |
| 2006 | Scientist of the Year, Discover Magazine |
| 2005 | Technology Pioneer, World Economic Forum |
| Professional Experience | |
|---|---|
| 2007-Present | Chief Executive Officer, Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), Emeryville, CA |
| 2006-Present | Senior Faculty Scientist, , Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA |
| 2004-Present | Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA |
| 2001-Present | Professor, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA |
| 2013-Present | Investigator, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark |
| 2012-Present | Sydney Brenner Visiting Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore |
| 2010-2017 | Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA |
| 2010-2012 | Nanyang Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore |
| 2009-2010 | Acting Deputy Laboratory Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA |
| 2006-2016 | Director, Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (Synberc), University of California, Berkeley, CA |
| 2005-2009 | Division Director, Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA |
| 1992-2006 | Faculty Scientist, Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA |
| 1998-2001 | Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA |
| 1992-1998 | Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA |
| 1991-1992 | Post doctoral fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA |
| 1986-1991 | PhD student, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI |