Karen's research focuses in production of biofuels using C1-gas fermenting bacteria
As greenhouse gases emissions increase over the years, the need for non-fossil derived fuels becomes urgent. In collaboration with Schenk's group (SCMB) and LanzaTech, Karen aims to use the CO/CO2+H2-fixing bacteria, Clostridium autoethanogenum, to produce isobutanol, a next-generation biofuel. Throughout her PhD, she uses multi-omics analysis to better understand the recombinant isobutanol metabolism and further improve productivity to industrially relevant levels.
Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla (Mexico), where she graduated with distinction in 2017. Before starting her PhD, she first joined the AIBN in 2020, to research and develop small-scale, semi-perfusion systems for high density CHO cell cultures while studying her master’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Queensland.