Engineering Project Management

QUALIFICATIONS

. PhD-level scientist with ** years of independent and team-based

research experience in protein engineering and production, microbial

strain development, and synthetic biology

. Broad expertise in genetics/genomics, molecular biology, fermentation

and biochemistry

. Warm, collaborative teacher, trainer, and mentor to globally diverse

learners

. Creative and enthusiastic problem solver

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry, Chicago, IL

Postdoctoral Associate October 2011 -

Present

. Creating, screening, and characterizing a mutant library of

metalloenzymes for improved production of active pharmaceutical

ingredients (API).

. Techniques/Software: Site directed mutagenesis and recombinant protein

expression via amber codon suppression (to incorporate non-natural

amino acid), FPLC, Unicorn, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS), circular

dichroism (CD), fluorescent spectrophotometry (FRET), electron spray

ionization (ESI), and protein crystallization (hanging drop method); x-

ray crystallography in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory.

. Managing all lab ordering and equipment installation/maintenance.

. Training undergrad and grad students in recombinant protein expression

and purification.

University of Minnesota, BioTechnology Institute, St Paul, MN

Postdoctoral Associate July 2006 -

September 2011

. Engineered an efficient, high-yield biosynthetic pathway to produce

fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) and carotenoids in the industrial

yeast Yarrowia lypolitica. (EU-funded collaboration)

. Created and screened a combinatorial library of promoters and teamed

with a computation biologist to develop gene regulatory models

(biological circuits and logic gates) in E. coli.

. Identified novel promoter targets of the functionally conserved global

regulator 'Lrp' in E. coli, EHEC, and Vibrio cholera

. Techniques/Software: recombinant DNA cloning and transformation,

Vector-NTI, PCR, RT-PCR, HPLC, GC/MS, ChemStation, Western blot,

fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), high-throughput chromatin

immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing, and whole genome microarray

Mentor, Undergraduate Research Seminar (BIOL 3700) January - May

2011

. Assisted eight students with literature review, developing a research

question, designing experiments, data analysis, and presentation

skills.

Teaching Fellow, HHMI North Star Summer Institute June

2011

Developed a syllabus for a genetic engineering course for non-majors.

Guest Lecturer, Biochemistry (Hamline University, St Paul, MN) March

2010

Taught biochemistry fundamentals and lab for the Preparing Future

Faculty program.

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Dehli, India

Department of Biotechnology, Government of India

Research Fellow August 1998 - July 2000

. Collected and isolated Bacillus spp. from compost pits and termite

mounds.

. Created genomic library in phage to identify and isolate novel,

thermostable xylanases.

. Optimized recombinant xylanase production in Bacillus subtilis and E.

coli for industrial use.

DESIGN AWARDS AND PATENTS

iGEM (International conference on Genetically Engineered Machines), MIT,

Cambridge, MA

Gold Medal, Best BioBrick Part (2010) Engineering of in-vivo

nanobioreactors.

. Trained students in techniques to express bacterial microcompartments

(BMCs) in E.coli. http://2010.igem.org/Team:Minnesota

Gold Medal (2009) Computational synthetic biology: How synthetic biology

software suite aids

experiments.

. Designed experiments for synthetic regulatory networks in E. coli for

building a computational model of logic gates.

. Trained students in relevant experimental techniques and assisted with

project management, poster design, and presentation skills.

http://2009.igem.org/Team:Minnesota

India Patent (2003) Process development for the overproduction of rhIFN-

?2a.

Licensed by Shasun Biotech, Chennai, India

EDUCATION

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Dehli, India

PhD, Biotechnology (2006)

Development of Bioprocess Strategies for the Production of Recombinant

Human Interferon alpha-2

. Optimized maximum expression of recombinant protein in E. coli

. Investigated protein production kinetics in continuous stirred tank

reactor (CSTR) and fed-batch bioreactors

. Developed protein purification, refolding, and biological activity

assays on mammalian cell lines.

Fellow, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

August 2001-May 2005

University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India

MS, Organic Chemistry (1998) with 1st Division honors

Fergusson College, University of Pune, Pune, India

BS, Chemistry (1996) with 1st Division honors

SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (3 of 12)

Poonam Srivastava and Mukherjee K.J. Kinetic studies of recombinant human

Interferonalpha (rhIFN-?) expression in transient state continuous

cultures. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 26(1), 50-58 (2005).

Poonam Srivastava, Palash Bhattacharya, Gaurav Pandey and Mukherjee K.J.

Overexpression and purification of recombinant human Interferon alpha-2b

(rhIFN-?2b) in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif, 41 (2), 313-322,

(2005).

Poonam Srivastava and Mukherjee K.J. Cloning, characterization and

expression of xylanase gene from Bacillus lyticus in Escherichia coli and

Bacillus subtilis. Prep, Biochem and Biotechnol, 31 (4), 389-400, (2001).

LANGUAGES English (fluent), Hindi (fluent), Bangla regional language

(fluent)

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