Li Chieh Lu

About:

Dr. Li Chieh Lu's research interests stem from his graduate education which was focused on synthetic biology and, particularly, the engineering of bacteria to detect chemicals and changes in different environments such as various types of soils. Dr. Lu seeks to design novel whole-cell microbial biosensors that can produce indicator gases in response to the presence of potentially polluting chemicals in soils.

Prior to starting at Gordon, Dr. Lu was most recently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. His education and training include an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Oxford. Following his undergraduate studies, Dr. Lu pursued a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology under the guidance of Drs. Joff Silberg and Carrie Masiello at Rice University. At Rice, he was exposed to a wide range of synthetic biology research and able to see, and work, at the intersection of synthetic biology and geomicrobiology. Such work included implementing an indicator gas production system in bacteria isolated from natural soil environments and the description of a novel biosensor for reporting on soil water potential as reported in their publication in ACS Synthetic Biology. Upon completing his graduate studies, Dr. Lu moved to Taylor University where he taught classes in molecular and cell biology, molecular genetics, and microbiology. Dr. Lu also co-led a faculty discussion group about the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education during his time at Taylor.