Assistant Scientist
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center | Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
Kevin Myers is an Assistant Scientist at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He obtained his PhD in microbiology studying anaerobic growth of bacteria at UW-Madison and performed post-doctoral research on engineering an evolved yeast for biofuel production at UW-Madison. As a computational and bioinformatic scientist he analyzes data to determine how to use microbes to produce biofuel and other valuable bio-products from non-food based plant biomass grown on marginal lands. He has presented research at both academic conferences, as an invited speaker at other universities, and at community events.
Talks:
A Wild Strain of Brewer's Yeast Engineered to Make Biofuel
Yeast are amazing microbes that have been used for millennia to brew beer and make bread. However, they also hold the potential to produce biofuels. Here I discuss my work engineering a strain of brewer’s yeast for optimal biofuel production.
From Bacteria to Biofuels
Microbiology is a wonderful and broad subject. I will describe my basic research on E. coli as well as my applied research on brewer’s yeast. I will also touch on the cutting edge research I am currently performing to better understand how microbes can be used to produce biofuels and other valuable byproducts from non-food based plant biomass.
Computational Tools for Microbiology
Genomic sequencing technology is transforming what is possible in microbiology and helping us better understand the wonderful microorganisms in and around us. I’ll introduce the basic concepts of computational biology and bioinformatics and provide examples of how we can use these analyses to better understand the microbial world.