Moon recognized for research by Biotechnology & Bioengineering journal

Tae Seok Moon will be recognized for his research next spring by the Biotechnology & Bioengineering journal

Beth Miller 11.13.2018

Moon

The award, named for Daniel I.C. Wang, an Institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a pivotal leader in developing the biotechnology industry and in shaping biochemical engineering education and training for more than 50 years, honors an accomplished younger member of the biotechnology and bioengineering community for his or her commitment to the journal and to the community it serves.

Moon, who works with synthetic gene circuits to control and improve metabolic pathways for the production of biomass-based chemicals and drugs, will make a presentation and receive a plaque and honorarium at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in March 2019.

Moon's research focuses on constructing programmable cells that are able to process multiple input signals and to produce desirable outputs to solve problems in energy, environment, agriculture and health. He has a broad background in systems and synthetic biology, with expertise in gene regulation as well as design and construction of synthetic metabolic pathways, biosensors and complex genetic circuits. Currently, he is conducting research in engineering probiotic bacteria for medical applications; systems engineering of bacteria to enable production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulose; understanding biological robustness by building genetic sensors and complex circuits from the bottom-up; and engineering predictable RNA regulators. He received an NSF CAREER award in 2014 and an ONR Young Investigator award in 2017.

Moon earned a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master's and bachelor's degrees from Seoul National University.

The McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis promotes independent inquiry and education with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration without boundaries. McKelvey Engineering has top-ranked research and graduate programs across departments, particularly in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering and computing, and has one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. With 165 full-time faculty, 1,420 undergraduate students, 1,614 graduate students and 21,000 living alumni, we are working to solve some of society’s greatest challenges; to prepare students to become leaders and innovate throughout their careers; and to be a catalyst of economic development for the St. Louis region and beyond.