Assistant Professor
Contact Information
Garcia Lab Website
Education
B.A. Chemistry – Ripon College, 2014
Ph.D. Energy Science and Engineering – The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2020
Research Interests
Our research utilizes the tools of cell-free synthetic biology to perform high-throughput characterization of cell-free biological systems with the goal of both understanding their fundamental function and improving their ability to generate novel mechanisms for biological sensing and biological production. The modular nature of cell-free synthetic biology enables us to not just engineer but design systems made to function in specific complex environments whether it be a clinical setting, an industrial plant, or a resource-limited setting.
Select Publications – Google Scholar
- Semiautomated Production of Cell-Free Biosensors. Brown, D.M.; Phillips, D.A.; Garcia, D.C.; Arce, A.; Lucci, T.; Davies Jr, J.P.; Mangini, J.T.; Rhea, K.A.; Bernhards, C.B.; Biondo, J.R. (2025). ACS Synthetic Biology 14(3), 979-986.
- High-Throughput Optimization of Paper-Based Cell-Free Biosensors. Garcia, D.C.; Davies, J.P.; Davidson, C.E.; Phillips, D.A.; Miklos, A.E.; Lux, M.M. (2024). bioRxiv.
- Cell-Free Optimized Production of Protoporphyrin IX. Garcia, D.C.; Davies, J.P.; Rhea, K.; Lee, M.; Lux, M.W. (2023). bioRxiv.
- A lysate proteome engineering strategy for enhancing cell-free metabolite production. Garcia, D.C.; Dinglasan, J.L.N.; Shrestha, H.; Abraham, P.E.; Hettich, R.L.; Doktycz, M.J. (2021). Metabolic Engineering Communications 12.