Nathan Crook
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Engineering Building I (EB1) 2026
Bio
Research Areas:
Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Microbial Ecology
The Crook Lab develops new high-throughput experimental and computational genetic engineering techniques. In doing so, we hope to uncover novel biological phenomena and accelerate applied research and development in the broad areas of metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and microbial ecology.
Our current application focus is the human gut microbiota. The ability of the gut microbiota to influence health has recently been uncovered, enabled by high-throughput DNA sequencing and animal models in which community composition is precisely controlled. The ultimate goal of this focus is the development of foundational technologies by which engineered gut commensal ecosystems can be designed and assembled as a matter of practice, enabling the conversion of food into a healthy mixture of energy, nutrients, and therapeutics.
Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 2009
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin 2014
Publications
- Chips, guts, and gas: unraveling volatile microbial mysteries in real time! , TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY (2024)
- An integrated chemical engineering approach to understanding microplastics , AICHE JOURNAL (2023)
- Breakdown of polyethylene therepthalate microplastics under saltwater conditions using engineered Vibrio natriegens , AICHE JOURNAL (2023)
- Carotenoids and Their Health Benefits as Derived via Their Interactions with Gut Microbiota , ADVANCES IN NUTRITION (2023)
- Carotenoids in Health as Studied by Omics-Related Endpoints , ADVANCES IN NUTRITION (2023)
- Cellulose Acetate-Stabilized Pickering Emulsions: Preparation, Rheology, and Incorporation of Agricultural Active Ingredients , ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING (2023)
- Design of 8-mer Peptides that BlockClostridioides difficileToxin A in Intestinal Cells , (2023)
- Design of 8-mer peptides that block Clostridioides difficile toxin A in intestinal cells , COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY (2023)
- Engineering the Maize Root Microbiome: A Rapid MoClo Toolkit and Identification of Potential Bacterial Chassis for Studying Plant-Microbe Interactions , ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY (2023)
- Engineering the Maize Root Microbiome: A Rapid MoClo Toolkit and Identification of Potential Bacterial Chassis for studying Plant-Microbe Interactions , (2023)