Leroy Davis Email and Phone Number

My research focuses on the genetic engineering and smart design of genes for biotechnological applications. Prominently, my dissertation thesis involved in vitro evolution of Arabidopsis thaliana glycolsyl hydrolase (GH) sequence space utilizing DNA shuffling. Chimeric GH gene libraries were constructed and utilized to genetically engineer bioreactors capable of processing cell wall biopolymers to simple sugars. Notably, the study accomplished transformation of spinach mesophyll protoplasts and S. cerevisiae to cellulosic bioreactors using plant genes.My recent work includes modeling of thermodynamic and stochastic interactions governing DNA shuffling. I am designing algorithms that allow simulation of DNA shuffling and evolution processes. The algorithms are based on Monte Carlo simulation of DNA hydridizations that are analogous to chromosomal crossovers. The work is described in the October 2014 edition of Biosystems.The current study I am conducting utilizes TASA to perform de novo protein synthesis. In the aforementioned, TASA is utilized to transform gene sequences into a DNA secondary code that is reengineered by replacing genomic alphabets with analogous sequences anticipated to occur during the evolution process.