Rodolphe Barrangou
Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences
Schaub Food Science Building, Room 339B
rbarran@ncsu.edu WebsiteBio
Area(s) of Expertise
Our laboratory focuses on the biology and genetics of CRISPR-Cas immune systems in bacteria. Using microbiology, molecular biology and genomics approaches, we investigate the use of CRISPR-Cas systems for three types of applications:
- The exploitation of CRISPR spacer hypervariability for genotyping and phylogenetic studies of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria
- Leveraging CRISPR-mediated interference for building up phage resistance in probiotic strains and starter cultures used in food manufacturing
- Harnessing of Cas9-mediated, re-programmable dsDNA cleavage for genome editing in bacteria
These activities provide insights into the genetic and molecular processes that drive CRISPR-mediated adaptive immunity in bacteria and generate novel tools for the manipulation of industrially relevant organisms for food and biotechnological applications.
Teaching Activities
- Introduction to Biopharmaceutical Sciences (BBS 201)
- MR Supervised Research (FS 693)
- Fermentation Microbiology (FS 725)
- DR Supervised Research (FS 893)
Education
B.S. Business Administration University of Wisconsin – Madison 2011
M.S. Functional Genomics North Carolina State University 2004
M.S. Food Science North Carolina State University 2000
Ph.D. Biological Engineering University of Technology in Compiegne 2000
MBA Life Sciences University of Paris V – Rene Descartes 1996
Publications
- A Protoplast System for CRISPR-Cas Ribonucleoprotein Delivery in Pinus taeda and Abies fraseri , PLANTS-BASEL (2025)
- Advances in lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy and bioproducts , NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2025)
- Bacterial evolution: CRISPR out and virulence in , CURRENT BIOLOGY (2025)
- CRISPRi-ART enables functional genomics of diverse bacteriophages using RNA-binding dCas13d , NATURE MICROBIOLOGY (2025)
- Characterization of diverse Cas9 orthologs for genome and epigenome editing , PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2025)
- Genome Editing Headwinds: Can CRISPR Stay on Target? , The CRISPR Journal (2025)
- Managing Expectations for CRISPR in a Volatile World , CRISPR JOURNAL (2025)
- The curated Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM genome provides insights into strain specificity and microevolution , BMC GENOMICS (2025)
- 'Tis the Season: CRISPR Products All Around , CRISPR JOURNAL (2024)
- AI and SynBio Meet CRISPR Heralding a New Genome Editing Era , The CRISPR Journal (2024)