Jean Zhao

Principal Research Associate - Strain Engineering group @ Berkeley Lab

About

As a Principal Research Associate at Berkeley Lab, I lead the strain engineering project to expand the CRAGE platform in diverse microorganisms and develop CRISPR editing strategies for functional investigation. With over 15 years of experience in synthetic biology, microbial engineering, NGS, plant-microbial interactions, and metagenome bioinformatic analysis, I have contributed to multiple patents, publications, and projects that advance the understanding and application of biological systems. I am in the UC Davis Bioinformatics and Computational Biology MS program and hold an MS in Cell & Systems Biology from the University of Toronto. I am proficient in Git, Python, and metagenome assembly tools. I am passionate about applying my skills and knowledge to address global challenges in energy, environment, and health. I am always eager to learn new technologies, collaborate with diverse teams, and share my expertise with the scientific community.

Country

City

United States

Industry

Biotechnology

Skill

Metagenomics, Metagenome Assembly, Python, Data Analysis, Crispr, Plant-Microbial Interaction, Characterization, Assay Development, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Statistics, Troubleshooting, Geneious, Research and Development (R&D), Molecular, Organization Skills, Microbiology, Biology, Molecular Microbiology, CRISPR editing, Project Management

Experience

Principal Research Associate - Strain Engineering group

Berkeley Lab

2023-1 - Present · 3 yrs 9 mos

Berkeley

Expand the CRAGE platform in diverse microorganisms and develop CRISPR editing strategies for functional investigation.

Senior Research Associate - Synthetic Biology group

LBNL (working at DOE Joint Genome Institute)

2014-6 - 2022-12 · 8 yrs 7 mos

Berkeley, California, United States

Develop CRAGE (Chassis-independent recombinase-assisted) and CRAGE-Duet technology for genome integration and activation of biosynthetic gene clusters.

Senior Research Associate - Genomic Technology Group

LBNL (working at DOE Joint Genome Institute)

2006-10 - 2014-5 · 7 yrs 8 mos

Walnut Creek, California, United States

validate and implement 454, Illumina, ABI-SOLiD, and PacBio next-generation seq platform optimize high GC sample and full-length cDNA 454 sequencing develop Illumina large DNA Mate-pair sequencing method CLIP

Education

University of California, Davis

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

2021-9 - 2026-3 · 4 yrs 7 mos

Graduate student in the Integrative Genetics and Genomics (IGG) program, specializing in molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and microbiome analysis. Experienced in applying metagenomic tools to analyze microbial communities. Actively participates in workshops and conferences. Passionate about advancing genomics to drive innovation in science and health.