DNA-level editing of microbial communities for understanding and control.
Overview
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Microbial communities are major contributors to the uptake and release of greenhouse gasses and are critical regulators of human health; however, efforts to precisely engineer their constituents' DNA are nascent. Our laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley brings DNA-editing tools to microbiomes.
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In the short term, this approach should provide understanding of the interactions and unstudied organisms within communities.
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Over the longer term, community editing offers a precise means for controlling microbiomes that are instrumental to our health, agriculture, climate, and industry.
Funders
Diversity and Belonging
The Rubin Lab intentionally cultivates an inclusive, diverse, welcoming, and empathetic lab environment. We recognize that there are historical and institutional structures in science that marginalize under-represented communities. Accordingly, we strive to work consciously to dismantle these structures and foster a diverse community.