Skip to main content

Michael D Lynch

W. H. Gardner, Jr. Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

Research Interests


Focused on genetically engineering microbes to shut off their growth circuits and turn on new pathways to produce different compounds—improving production of biofuels, pharmacological molecules and industrial chemicals.

Selected Grants


Development and Systems Characterization of Completely Synthetic Cell Culture Media enabled by VHH growth factor alternatives.

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2027

University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 1994 - 2027

Sustainable, Low Cost Production of Biosynthetic 1,2,4-Butanetriol and Butanetriol Trinitrate

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Naval Air Warfare Center · 2021 - 2024

Automated CRISPR Enabled DNA Synthesis (CEDS)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2024

Biological Production of Thermal Stabilizers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory · 2020 - 2023

Rapid diagnosis and quantification of HIV by direct capture, labelling and detection of individual virions

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2023

Acquisition of a Biacore T200 Surface Plasmon Resonance Instrument for Shared Use

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2022 - 2023

Production of a beta-carotene derivatives using Dynamic Metabolic Control

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by BASF Corporation · 2019 - 2021

Process Intensification for Reduced Commercial CAPEX of Biofuels Production (PRICE CAP) using Dynamic Metabolic Control

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2016 - 2019

A Platform for Next Generation Biologics

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2018 - 2019

Sustainable Biological Production of Energetic Materials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2016 - 2019

Dynamic Metabolic Control for the Production of Limonene

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by DMC Limited · 2017 - 2019

A High through-put Automated Strain Evaluation Platform for Advanced Renewable Chemicals and Materials

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2017 - 2018

EAGER:Dynamic Flux Control Enabled by Synthetic Metabolic Valves

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2014 - 2017

Modular Microbial Chasses for the Rapid Scale Up of Living Foundary Molecules

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · 2014 - 2016

Multi-Site Public Engagement with Science-Synthetic Biology

ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Museum of Science · 2016 - 2016

External Relationships


  • DINYA DNA , Inc
  • DMC Biotechnologies
  • Roke Biotechnologies, LLC

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.