EMERGING GROUP
Peng Group
Yeast Engineering and Synthetic Biology (YESBio) for Sustainability
The Peng Group led by Dr Huadong Peng focuses on engineering biology, synthetic biology and metabolic engineering to develop advanced microbial cell factories and synthetic microbial communities for sustainable biomanufacturing.
His group’s research interests include 1) developing innovative synthetic biology tools, such as gene assembly methods, CRISPR-based genome editing tools, and biosensors; 2) modular metabolic engineering for advanced microbial cell factories, 3) synthetic microbial communities and 4) emerging Bio+ enabling technologies for applications in food ingredients, biochemicals, biofuels, and biomedicines.
A central theme of his research is applying these technologies to address global challenges in food security, biosustainability, and climate change mitigation. By integrating genetic engineering, adaptive evolution, consortia design, and multi-omics, his group seeks to create scalable and environmentally friendly bioprocesses, while also advancing the fundamental understanding of microbial interactions and regulation in engineered systems.
Research Areas
- Developing innovative synthetic biology tools
- Modular metabolic engineering
- Synthetic microbial communities
- Emerging “Bio+” enabling technologies
Research Approach
What makes the group’s approach to research unique is the integration of deep metabolic engineering in single microbes with system-level design of synthetic microbial communities, rather than treating them as separate problems. The group moves deliberately from tool development (e.g., CRISPR systems, pathway assembly, and biosensors) to strain construction and finally to scalable bioprocess concepts, ensuring that each project connects fundamental biology with real-world application.
Another distinctive aspect is the focus on modularity and transferability. The group designs pathways, parts, and consortia that can be reused across different hosts and products, enabling faster iteration and broader impact. This allows the research to not only deliver specific target molecules (such as food ingredients or lipids) but also generate general engineering principles for sustainable biomanufacturing.
Research Highlights
Funding
- 2025 Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)-Cauldron ferm, $2M, CIB/3
- 2025 Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)-Noumi Operations, $2M, co-CIA/2
- 2025 NCRIS Synthetic Biology Voucher Scheme, $40K, Sole CI
- 2024 UQ Biosustainability hub seed funding, $50K, Sole CI
- 2024 Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator seed funding, $160K, sole CI
- 2023 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, $15K
- 2022 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship ($266K, 8% success rate)
Publications
Click here to view Peng group publications
