Advances in genetic engineering allow biologists to turn genes on or off in a controllable manner, but we struggle to guide complex multi-gene behaviors.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Cuyler aims to build a new toolkit to allow greater “on-demand” control to shape cellular activity and identity. To do this, he will utilize the abilities of transcription factors, proteins that have naturally evolved to control which genes are expressed and when.
This work could advance the development of cells with specific desirable traits, for example, developing crops adapted to thrive in certain environments, or growing cells and organs to address transplant shortages.
Cuyler will pivot from Cancer Biology to Synthetic Biology