Geoffrey Otim specialises in synthetic and systems biology for gas fermentation, engineering Clostridium autoethanogenum to convert waste gases into isobutanol for sustainable aviation fuel production.
Geoffrey Otim is a PhD student in Bioengineering at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland. His research focuses on engineering Clostridium autoethanogenum to enhance the bioconversion of syngas (a mixture of CO, CO₂, and H₂) into isobutanol, a key precursor for sustainable aviation fuel. By applying advanced synthetic biology techniques, including enzyme encapsulation within synthetic bacterial microcompartments, his work aims to overcome key metabolic and process limitations in gas fermentation. Prior to joining AIBN, Geoffrey served as a Research Associate at the National University of Singapore where he worked on gut microbiome engineering for therapeutic applications, and he holds an MSc in Life Sciences from Université Paris Cité.
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Founder & CEO, SynBio Africa Leading cross-sector collaboration to drive synthetic biology, biosecurity policy, and capacity-building across Africa, involving partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, and biotech companies.