The summer cohort application deadline is May 18, 2025
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Bio-Industry

Bioindustry encapsulates the intersection of biological principles and technology, shaping the landscape of future industries. In this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how this dynamic field extends its influence across diverse sectors. Utilizing biotechnology and other innovative life science methods, this industry creates, alters, and optimizes biological systems, living organisms, and their processes in an effort to harness the full value of biomass. Beyond its immediate applications, bioindustry plays a crucial role in sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and the production of bio-based materials.

This course will navigate through the intricate threads of bioprocessing, illustrating its significance as a potential industrial revolution. Students can expect topics ranging from synthetic food, microbial biofuels, and cutting-edge therapies like CAR-T to emerging disciplinary directions such as algae bioproduction and enzymatic gold extraction from seawater. Possible research projects include the following:

Pre-approved Topic List

  1. Is bioprocessing the future industrial revolution?
  2. Synthetic food. Can we grow meat or milk in bioreactors to avoid growing animals?
  3. Beer and wine production. The origins of the bioindustry.
  4. Synthetic fuels. How can we produce biofuels using microorganisms?
  5. Future vaccines based on synthetic biology.
  6. Do you know the powder for the dishwasher and laundry contains enzymes? Why? How are they produced?
  7. Degrading plastic with enzymes. Is it really industrially feasible?
  8. CAR-T cells therapy. How to bring your T-cells to the lab to teach them how to fight your cancer cells before reintroducing them back into your body.
  9. Bioproduction and display of enzymes to remove toxic compounds from wastewater.
  10. Wastewater treatment plants. The biggest bioindustrial process. Is it possible to improve these massive installations?
  11. Bioproduction of algae in photobioreactors. Capturing CO2 to convert it into high-value molecules is the perfect business.
  12. The biggest source of gold in the world is in seawater. Can we capture it using enzymes?
  13. Can we expect life in our galaxy? Where and what kind of life forms?
  14. Can we bioengineer life to be able to survive on Mars?
  15. Can we bioengineer life to be able to survive on Venus?
  16. Is there any other planet a real alternative for humans in case something terrible happens to Earth?

Topics in Animal Biology

  1. Epidemiology of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms in Veterinary Medicine: Research the spread of multi-drug resistant organisms in veterinary settings and the implications for animal and human health.
  2. Role of Wildlife in the Ecology of Antibiotic Resistance: Study how wildlife populations act as reservoirs and vectors for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, affecting both animal and human populations.
  3. Impact of Agricultural Antibiotic Use on Ecosystem Health: Examine the broader ecological impacts of antibiotic use in agriculture, including effects on soil microbiomes and local wildlife.
  4. The Role of Livestock in the Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Study the impact of antibiotic use in livestock on the emergence of resistant bacteria like MRSA.
  5. Phylogenetic Approaches to Understanding Bacterial Host Specificity: Use phylogenetics to study how bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus evolve host specificity, impacting both animal and human health.
  6. Spillover Events in Zoonotic Bacterial Infections: Analyze how zoonotic diseases cross species barriers from animals to humans, with a focus on bacterial infections.
  7. One Health Approach to Managing Spillover and Host Jumps: Apply the One Health framework to manage diseases at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health.

Topics in Rare Diseases and Cancer

  1. Unlocking the power of the immune system: an in-depth analysis of cancer immunotherapy – How has cancer immunotherapy evolved over recent years, and what are its mechanisms and challenges?
  2. Personalized medicine: harnessing genomics to tailor cancer treatment – How is genomics reshaping the landscape of cancer treatment in the context of targeted therapies and predictive diagnostics?
  3. From bench to bedside: The odyssey of drug repurposing for rare diseases – How can drug repurposing help treat rare diseases? What are example success stories? The role of computational biology and AI in drug repurposing and what are some of the challenges in this space?
  4. Gene therapy for rare diseases: navigating the ethics – What are the ethical challenges and considerations in applying gene therapy for rare diseases? How are accessibility, potential unintended consequences, and ethical frameworks guiding these efforts?