News & Updates
Stay informed about our latest discoveries, publications, awards, and laboratory milestones
Mattheos Koffas Receives Inaugural Feltham ReEquip Award to Advance Genome Editing Research
Dr. Mattheos Koffas and PhD student William Lawler receive the inaugural Feltham ReEquip Award, enabling their lab to accelerate genome editing research through the acquisition of advanced automation technology.
Mattheos Koffas Named Chair of the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE)
Dr. Mattheos Koffas receives the honor of being named Chair of AIChE’s Society for Biological Engineering, recognizing his leadership in advancing interdisciplinary bioengineering research and innovation.
Mattheos Koffas Joins OSU‑Led TARDISS Research Center on Domestic Rubber Production
Dr. Koffas is named a core collaborator in the foundational TARDISS initiative headquartered at OSU Wooster, advancing engineering and biological research to develop a domestic rubber production “Silicon Valley.”
Dr. Mattheos Koffas Featured on SBE's "BioTalk" Podcast
In this engaging podcast episode, Dr. Mattheos Koffas joins host Kevin Swift to discuss advances in metabolic engineering, the future of synthetic biology, and his team’s work on using engineered microbes to produce therapeutic compounds.
Steve Eshiemogie Honored as Rising Black Scientist by Cell Press
Dr. Koffas’s doctoral student Steve Eshiemogie receives honorable mention in the annual Cell Press Rising Black Scientists Awards for his inspiring essay “From village to lab: An African scientist’s quest for a sustainable future.”
RPI Scientists Secure NIH TARGETED Grant to Develop Gene‑Editing Technology for Alzheimer's
A team led by Dr. Mattheos Koffas and doctoral student William Lawler receives a prestigious NIH TARGETED Challenge grant to advance in‑body gene‑editing delivery systems targeting genetic mutations linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Biosynthesis of Animal-Free Recombinant Chondroitin Sulfate E in E. coli Published in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Dr. Koffas and collaborators report the successful microbial production of chondroitin sulfate E using a functional sulfotransferase in E. coli, providing a sustainable and animal-free alternative for glycosaminoglycan synthesis.
Papain Expression in E. coli Cytoplasm via T7‑Promoter Engineering and Co‑expression with Human PDI and GPx7
Dr. Koffas and collaborators engineered a T7-promoter E. coli system co-expressing human PDI and GPx7 to produce soluble, correctly folded papain in the cytoplasm, achieving yields up to 349 mg/L :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
RPI Researchers Engineer Bacteria That Eat Plastic, Make Multipurpose Spider Silk
Dr. Mattheos Koffas and Dr. Helen Zha led a groundbreaking study where engineered *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* bacteria convert polyethylene waste into biodegradable, bio-inspired spider silk, offering sustainable alternatives for textiles, cosmetics, and medical applications.
Common Bacteria Modified to Make Designer Sugar-Based Drug
Dr. Mattheos Koffas and collaborators engineered *E. coli* to produce chondroitin sulfate, an animal-free alternative to traditional sources, offering scalable and ethical production for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
RPI Researchers Explore 'Fast Fashion' Alternatives
Dr. Helen Zha and Dr. Mattheos Koffas lead a team awarded a $745,000 NSF grant to develop sustainable, biodegradable textiles from fungi, plants, and artificial silk proteins, aiming to reduce environmental impact of synthetic fabrics.
Enhanced Biobased Textiles and Composites via Microbially Produced Silk Proteins
Dr. Mattheos Koffas collaborates on an NSF-funded project to develop fossil-free, biodegradable textiles by combining fungal and plant biomass with engineered silk proteins, aiming to replace conventional materials in the fashion industry.
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