Katie Breuckman Accepted into NSF Graduate Research Traineeship Program in Biological Feedback Control
Katie Breuckman of the Hao and Khalil Labs was accepted as a trainee in the NSF Graduate Research Traineeship Program in Biological Feedback Control for the 2024-2025 academic year. This program is an NSF funded research traineeship combining the study of the engineering principles in feedback control with investigations of how biological systems self-regulate, adapt, heal and evolve. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks to provide effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas. Selected students participate in an industry internship, professional development events, and a co-mentored dissertation project in a breadth of topic areas including molecular level control algorithms, microbial feedback control systems, control of tissues homeostasis and regeneration, biohybrid and bioinspired engineered systems.
Katie is developing yeast-based selection methods for improving protease and nanobody specificity toward therapeutic targets. She aims to integrate laboratory evolution and scalable screening methods to rapidly, and cost-effectively produce bespoke therapeutics. Furthermore, through the NRT in Biological Feedback Control, she plans to develop mathematical models to predict evolutionary trajectories and computationally design improved starting points for further protein evolution. Through this work, Katie aims to enhance our grasp of feedback-based control for navigating protein fitness landscapes.
Congratulations, Katie!