Abstract: Strain engineering is critical for optimizing microbes in bioproduction and sustainability, yet the available methods to optimize diverse microbial strains for commercially viable solutions remain limited. In this lecture, I will present how adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), combined with custom automation and bioinformatics pipelines, provides an efficient and scalable approach to overcome the challenges of strain optimization. Through the development of a high-throughput ALE platform, we have enabled the precise evolution of microbial strains for various applications, ranging from substrate utilization and tolerance to enhanced biochemical production. I will present case studies to showcase the broad application of ALE in addressing strain engineering challenges within industrial biotechnology. By integrating advanced automation, process control, and bioinformatics, this platform not only accelerates metabolic engineering and strain optimization but also extends to emerging evolutionary-based discoveries in microbial communities and biomedical applications. Finally, I will highlight the extensive training opportunities offered by this research program across diverse engineering disciplines, fostering the development of next generation bioproduction solutions.

Bio: Adam M. Feist is a Research Scientist at UC San Diego's Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering and a Senior Researcher at the Technical University of Denmark’s Center for Biosustainability. Dr. Feist specializes in microbial adaptive laboratory evolution, systems biology, laboratory automation, and computational modeling of metabolic processes. Over the past decade, he has led a laboratory focused on automation-driven research, conducting internal projects and offering BioFoundry services across both academic and industrial sectors at two geographic sites. In 2018, Dr. Feist was awarded the Jay Bailey Young Investigator Award in Metabolic Engineering and has been recognized multiple times as a Top 2% Researcher by PLoS Biology. He has published over 115 peer-reviewed manuscripts and holds numerous patents. Dr. Feist received his PhD and MS in Bioengineering from UC San Diego in 2008 and 2005, respectively, and his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003. Additionally, Dr. Feist has two years of experience working with a startup focused on genome-scale modeling.