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Department of Biology and Microbiology

Nicholas Butzin

Dr. Butzin in the Lab

Title

Associate Professor of Synthetic Biology

Office Building

Alfred Dairy Science Hall

Office

225E

Mailing Address

Alfred Dairy Science Hall 225E
Biology and Microbiology-Box 2104A
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

Dr. Butzin joined the Department of Biology and Microbiology at South Dakota State University in 2017 as an assistant professor. He previously was a research scientist and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics, Virginia Tech and a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut. The Butzin lab explores microbial systems using an evolutionary perspective and a synthetic biology approach. His goal is to understand the principles behind robustness in both natural and synthetic microbial systems. He is particularly interested in how individual cells cope with constant fluctuations in natural environments and limited enzymatic resources. Although his lab has several ongoing projects ranging from the development of new robust synthetic circuits to the study of antibiotic resistance and biofilms, all projects utilize synthetic biology to understand natural phenomena or to develop products for industrial and medical applications. His lab uses mathematical and computational approaches along with wet-lab experiments to probe and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that generate cellular plasticity and robustness.

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Academic Responsibilities

  • Fall: Introductory Microbiology (MICR-233)
  • Spring: Microbial Physiology (MICR-332)

Awards and Honors

  • Feb. 19, 2020 Dr. Sherwood and Elizabeth Berg Young Faculty Award, South Dakota State University.
    • Awarded based on a commitment to teaching, research and outreach. Consisted of a monetary portion to support research and scholarly activities.

Grants

  • . National Science Foundation (NSF), 2021, $243,000.
  • Role of priority effects on gut microbiota assembly on gut mucosal interface. National Science Foundation (NSF), 2020, $49,999.
  • . National Science Foundation (NSF), 2019, $1,138,000.
  • . National Science Foundation (NSF), 2019, $3,828,361.

Work Experience

  • 2017-present, assistant professor of synthetic biology, Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University
  • 2016-2017, research scientist, Department of Physics, Virginia Tech
  • 2012-2016, postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Physics, Virginia Tech
  • 2009-2012, postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut
  • 2005-2009, graduate research assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Areas of Research

  • Metabolic engineering; synthetic biology.
  • Molecular microbial physiology and evolution.
  • Natural and synthetic microbial networks: oscillators, biosensors, etc.
  • Robustness and fitness of microbial life and biological systems:
    • Antibiotic resistance, tolerance, and persistence
    • Bacterial dormancy
    • Microbial adaptation
    • Microbial ecology
  • Life at the extreme (extremophilic organisms) and the origin of cellular life.

I am broadly interested in molecular microbial physiology and evolution, which I have studied in the past using traditional microbiology, molecular biology and bioinformatic tools. We also use the more holistic approach of synthetic and systems biology. Current work utilizes several organisms including escherichia coli, mycoplasma and a few thermophiles. We utilize these organisms and synthetic systems to study persistence, synthetic ecologies, bottlenecks, cellular response to stress and other phenomena. We use both mathematical and computational methods alongside wet-lab experiments to probe and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that generate and maintain bacterial robustness. This combination of approaches encompasses several disciplines: microbiology, molecular and cell biology, engineering, physics, biophysics, and bioinformatics. Much of our work involves using cutting-edge techniques such as microfluidic devices and machine learning algorithms.

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