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Photo of the Costas Maranas Research Group at a group picnic on August 13, 2023.

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About us

The group is led by Prof. Costas D. Maranas, Donald B. Broughton Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State.The C. Maranas group develops and deploys computational framework informed by systems engineering and mathematical optimization to understand, analyze and redesign metabolism and proteins. Research interests include: Computational protein design; enzyme and antibody engineering; design of protein pores for bioseparations; reconstruction, curation and analysis of metabolic networks; computational strain design and synthetic biology; metabolism of photosynthetic organisms; metabolism of obligatory anaerobes; modeling of microbial communities; optimization theory and algorithms.

We have a number of funded openings at all levels (i.e., undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral associates). One project track involves metabolic model construction and computational strain redesign to address nutrition, bio-renewables and biofuel needs for a growing planet. The second track involves the development of computational tools for the design of proteins as antibodies, enzymes and pores for bio-separations. Depending on the project, students will be expected to develop a strong biochemistry/biophysics background, good programming skills and knowledge of systems optimization. All projects are carried out in collaboration with leading experimental labs in the US with possible student exchange opportunities. Early participation in scientific conferences and opportunities for research presentations will be made available. You should contact Prof. Costas D. Maranas at costas@psu.edu for additional information.

You can learn more about our group's research and download our journal publications.



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