janikl@lbl.gov
Education
M.S. student in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
B.S. in Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
Research
My research project focuses on advancing the biosynthesis of fuelimycins—polycyclopropanated fatty acids with high energy density—by optimizing the cyclopropanase enzyme (Pop2) in Streptomyces venezuelae, using protein language models and directed evolution to enhance production yields. This work aims to develop a scalable, renewable alternative to fossil-derived aviation fuels like Syntin, addressing a critical bottleneck in sustainable biofuel development. I am genuinely intrigued by biology and its applications to cure diseases, remediate climate change and produce in a renewable way – this is all represented in the Keasling Lab.