Mattheos Koffas, Ph.D.

For the first time, scientists have successfully produced sugar-based biologic molecules utilizing bacteria, without the need for animal products. The paper, published in Nature Communications on March 2, describes the production of a common designer polysaccharide, chondroitin sulfate (CS).

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear polysaccharides consisting of repeating disaccharide units composed of N-acetylhexosamine and uronic acid. They are ubiquitously distributed on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. GAGs play a role in a variety of cellular functions including cell to cell and cell to matrix adhesion, cell proliferation, cell division, morphogenesis, and the regulation of signaling molecules… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the pending induction of Mattheos Koffas, Ph.D., Dorothy and Fred Chau ’71 Constellation Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Dept. of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to its College of Fellows. Dr. Koffas was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows For outstanding contributions at the interface of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology through integrated modeling and experimental studies on metabolism.