How will an organism react when its genes are re-organized?
My name is Vincent Martin and I use synthetic biology to create “green” alternatives to petrochemicals.
As a researcher at the Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, I explore the potential of microbes to act as small environmentally-friendly factories that can convert simple carbon sources into bioproducts like fuel and pharmaceuticals.
I was trained as a microbiologist, but environmental concerns led me to synthetic biology. Combining science and engineering principals to design and build novel biological systems allows me to produce cleaner, better or cheaper products that are beneficial to society.
With my research team, and using specialized equipment at Concordia’s Genome Foundry – the only facility of its kind in Canada – I’m taking steps towards creating a new method for producing synthetic opium for use in painkillers and other drugs. For me, developing long-term sustainable solutions to replace petrochemicals is a no brainer.
