Lily Fenton Accepted into NSF Graduate Research Traineeship Program in Biological Feedback Control
Lily Fenton of the Dunlop Lab was accepted as a trainee in the NSF Graduate Research Traineeship Program in Biological Feedback Control for the 2025-2026 academic year. This program is an NSF funded research traineeship combining the study of the engineering principles in feedback control with investigations of how biological systems self-regulate, adapt, heal and evolve. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks to provide effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas. Selected students participate in an industry internship, professional development events, and a co-mentored dissertation project in a breadth of topic areas including molecular level control algorithms, microbial feedback control systems, control of tissues homeostasis and regeneration, biohybrid and bioinspired engineered systems.
Lily is investigating methods of optogenetic post-translational control in E. coli. Her current project involves exploring different molecular methods to successfully engineer a light-switchable protease to degrade proteins of interest. She hopes to apply this system of post-translational control to a variety of biologically-relevant proteins, such as those involved in bioproduction.
Congratulations, Lily!