I am Chair of Synthetic Genomics at the University of Manchester, where my research explores how we can design and build genomes to understand and engineer biology. My work sits at the intersection of synthetic biology, genetics and bioengineering, with a particular focus on rewriting genomes to uncover their fundamental principles and unlock new applications.
Understanding how genome structure influences function, from gene regulation to evolution, and how we can use this knowledge to construct synthetic chromosomes with novel properties is of particular interest. Much of my work involves developing new tools for large-scale DNA assembly, genome rewriting and automated design-build-test cycles. My group is deeply involved in the international Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) project, and we have helped pioneer some of the foundational technologies for synthetic eukaryotic genomics. At the LMB, my group collaborates with Julian Sale and Tom Ellis to redesign and resynthesise human chromosomes.
I am passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in genome-scale engineering, not only to understand life at a systems level, but also to build new biological platforms for health, agriculture and sustainability. I have been fortunate to publish widely in leading journals, but what drives me most is the chance to rethink how biology works and explore how we might reimagine it.