James R. Swartz

Professor of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering

Leland T. Edwards Professor in the School of Engineering

Member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

D. Sci. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

CELL-FREE BIOLOGY (SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS)

SWARTZ LAB GENERAL RESEARCH FOCUS

The current and projected research in the Swartz lab balances basic research in systems biology, protein expression, and protein folding with a strong emphasis on compelling applications. The power and versatility of cell-free methods coupled with careful evaluation and engineering of these new systems enables a whole new range of applications and scientific investigation. Fundamental research on: the mechanisms and kinetics of ribosomal function, fundamental bioenergetics, basic mechanisms of protein folding, functional genomics, and metabolic pathway analysis is motivated by a variety of near- and medium term applications spanning medicine, energy, and environmental needs.

SWARTZ LAB APPLICATION FOCI
                                                                                                  

In the medical area, current research addresses the need for patient-specific vaccines to treat cancer.  Particularly for lymphomas,there is a strong need to be able to make a new cancer vaccinefor each patient. Current technologies are slow andexpensive, but cell-free approaches are rapid and inexpensive. We have already Express GMCSFscTCR Fusion Diseased T- Cell Displaying Unique Receptor Recover DNA Encoding TCR Variable Region Immunize Patient’s Immune System Antibodies Attacking Diseased T Cells demonstrated feasibility in mouse tumor challenge studies and are now expanding the range of applications and working to improve the relevant technologies. Experience with these vaccines has also suggested a new and exciting format for making inexpensive and very potent vaccines for general use.

To address pressing needs for a new and cleaner energy source, we are working towards an organism that can efficiently capture solar energy and convert it into hydrogen. The first task is to develop an oxygen tolerant hydrogenase using cell-free technology to express libraries of mutated enzymes that can be rapidly screened for improved function. Even though these are very complex enzymes, we have produced active hydrogenases with our cellfree methods. We are now perfecting the screening methods for rapid and accurate identification of improved enzymes. After these new enzymes are identified, the project will progress toward metabolic engineering and bioreactor design research to achieve the scales and economies required.

To address environmental needs, we are developing an improved water filters using an amazing membrane protein, Aquaporin Z. It has the ability to reject all other chemicals and ions except water. We have efficiently expressed the protein into lipid bilayer vesicles and are now working to cast these membranes on porous supports to complete the development of a new and powerful water purification technology. The same lessons will be applied toward the development of a new class of biosensors that brings high sensitivity and selectivity.

Swartz received Gaden Award at ACS Meeting (9/27/06)

Swartz Gains Professorship

Professor James Swartz-Global Climate and Energy Project

Founding Faculty

James Swartz and Nathan Lassig: Meeting of the minds: Student finds ideal setting for protein research

Featured Events at Stanford: Engineering

Outdoor Science Talks

Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Symposium - August 31, 2006