Research
Systems and Synthetic Biology
We aim to understand microbial gene regulatory networks and engineer microbes for addressing energy, environmental, and health issues. Specifically, we are interested in developing synthetic biology tools, constructing genetic circuits, and engineering regulatory RNAs in diverse bacteria. Learn more
Tae Seok Moon
Postdoctoral research at MIT and University of California-San Francisco provided Dr. Moon with expertise in the design and construction of genetic circuits. As a graduate student at MIT, he learned how to construct and optimize novel metabolic pathways to produce biochemicals that can replace oil-based chemicals. Combining his research experiences with more than five years experience in the biotechnology industry, he envisions his career as transforming biology research from an “observation” approach to a “synthesis-based engineering” activity to address energy, environment and health issues. Learn more about Dr. Moon
Recent News & Announcements
2022
April
Professor Moon gave an invited talk at Joyn Bio, a sister company of Ginkgo Bioworks.
Professor Moon gave an invited talk at the BBTD seminar series in LLNL
Prof. Moon gave a talk at the Build-a-Cell seminar. Link
Dr. Priya Mullick joins the Moon lab as a postdoc. Welcome!
Prof. Moon gave an invited seminar at the University of Florida.
Puneet Dhatt receives the 2022 McDonnell International Scholars Academy fellowship, congratulations!
Dr. Nazia Khatoon has a new family member! Baby girl, congrats!
Prof. Moon gave a talk at the ECI Microbial Engineering II Conference in Portugal.
March
Prof. Moon discusses and writes on SynBYSS, which has been published in Nature Chemical Biology. Link
Prof. Moon gave a talk at the 2022 Climate Conference organized by Battelle in Columbus, OH.
Dr. Nazia Khatoon joins the Moon lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Welcome!
Prof. Moon serves as a Council Member of NSF ERVA’s Standing Council. Link
Jinjin, Chenggang, and Prof. Moon gave 4 talks at the 2022 ACS Spring conference.
Matt Amrofell & Dr. Manna individually get married! Congrats! Two more couples!
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Reliance Industries Limited seminar.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Microbiology and Immunology Department Seminar, University of British Columbia.
February
The Moon lab receives a grant from JGI, Department of Energy, which allows the lab to discover and engineer new plastic degrading enzymes.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at MIT and Harvard microbiome researchers’ meeting.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar, University of North Texas.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Integrated DNA Technologies seminar.
Bingdi Liu & Yuefeng Ma join the lab as PhD students, welcome!
Austin and Prof. Moon are featured by BioSpace. Link
Prof. Moon coauthored a paper on biosecurity and COVID research with EBRC members “Making Security Viral: Shifting engineering biology culture and publishing” Link
Prof. Moon gave an invited seminar at the Chemistry Department and NCERC of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Congrats, Austin, for his paper published in Nature Communications! Link | Press Release
January
Prof. Moon serves as a mentor for iGEM Mentors Network.
2021
December
Chemistry & Industry featured Dr. Moon and our neurochemical sensor development work published in Cell Systems. Link
Prof. Moon expressed his opinion on discrimination in academia and embracing each other in an interview with St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis. Link
Welcome, Yuxin Tian, Stephen Chiu & Nadiyah Alamri who join as PhD students!
Welcome, Dahlia Abdulsattar, Yuefeng Ma & Bingdi Liu who join as rotation students!
Prof. Moon chaired a radical paper review process workshop during which audiences can provide open comments on submitted papers.
Prof. Moon gave a keynote talk at the “Synthetic Biology as a Bioeconomy Prospect” workshop.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at the 2nd International BioDesign Research Conference.
Prof. Moon gave a keynote talk at BIOS2021.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at the Gogec conference.
Our paper “Engineering ligand-specific biosensors for aromatic amino acids and neurochemicals” was recommended by Faculty Opinions!
November
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk virtually in the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at the Technical University of Denmark.
Prof. Moon serves as an editorial member of Biomolecules (MDPI) & an editor of BioDesign Research journal (AAAS).
The high school iGEM team, which the Moon and Ling labs advised, received a Bronze medal. Congrats! Link
Prof. Moon serves as an editorial board member for two more journals: Metabolic Engineering Communications, Elsevier, and Synthetic Biology, Oxford University Press.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at the AFCC Global Biobased Economy meeting.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Columbia University.
Moon gave an invited talk at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Congrats, Austin, Chenggang et al.! Our paper is published in Cell Systems! Link | Press Release
Austin gave a talk at the 2021 AIChE meeting.
Prof. Moon gave a seminar at MIT.
Prof. Moon gave a seminar at Boston University.
Prof. Moon gave 3 talks at the 2021 AIChE meeting.
Prof. Moon gives a talk at the 4th International Conference on Microbiome Engineering.
October
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Reliance Industries Limited.
Gloria Zhou, Nadiyah Alamri, and Bojing Jiang join the Moon lab as Grad Rotation students! Welcome!
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk on the Nature Inspired & Biotechnology University Day at Doolittle Institute (AFRL).
Prof. Moon gave a keynote talk along with the plenary talks by Profs. Jim Collins, David Baker, Jay Keasling, Jens Nielsen et al. at the KSBB conference. Link
Prof. Moon gave a keynote talk with Chris Voigt et al. at the inaugural International Synthetic Biology & Biosecurity Conference in Uganda. Link
Prof. Moon gave a presentation at 4th International Conference on CRISPR Technologies.
September
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Seoul National University.
Prof. Moon & the lab are featured at Voice of America. Link
Prof. Moon’s life story and work are featured in Student Life. Link
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at JBEI.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Central Synthetic Biology Workshop (Northwestern U).
Shri and Stephen join our lab as PhD rotation students. Welcome!
DOE features our plastic upcycling research on its page. Link
The Moon lab project is featured as the top story on 9/7 by UPI. Link
Prof. Moon gave a talk at the 2021 DOE JGI meeting.
August
Prof. Moon gave 4 talks at ACS.
Prof. Moon gave a presentation at the Cold Spring Harbor meeting (Genome Engineering: CRISPR Frontiers).
Prof. Moon is organizing SynBYSS with the kickoff on 8/26. See details under Education & Outreach. Link
Franklin Zhong joins as a Grad student. Welcome!
Andrew Martin joins as an undergrad student. Welcome!
The Moon lab receives a DOE grant for “Developing a consolidated biological process to upcycle plastics” starting September. Link
Prof. Moon visited MIT, Yale U, Boston U, Manus Bio, Synlogic, and Ginkgo to give an invited talk, discuss a startup opportunity, and collaborate.
Dr. Abhijit Manna joins as a postdoc scholar. Welcome!
Puneet Dhatt joins as a Grad student. Welcome!
July
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at an EPA workshop.
Prof. Moon gave an invited talk at Synlogic.
Prof. Moon serves as an iGEM Grant Committee Member.
EPA Region 7 Administrator Edward Chu visits the Moon lab to give the EPA grant to Prof. Moon and CoPI Kim Parker. Link Link Link
Prof. Moon serves as an MIT Educational Counselor, conducting interviews and writing interview reports for MIT Undergrad Admissions.
The Moon lab receives an EPA grant with CoPI Dr. Parker. Link
Prof. Moon & Dr. Diao give three presentations at Metabolic Engineering 14.
Prof. Moon serves as an Editorial Board Member for Biotechnology Notes.
Prof. Moon serves as a Special Issue Editor for BioDesign Research (AAAS). Link