BIO

Tarryn Miller is an NREL Director's Fellowship Postdoctoral Researcher in the Bioenergy Science & Technology (BEST) Directorate in the Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center. Tarryn earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Biochemistry and a minor in Bioengineering and Life Sciences from Colorado School of Mines and a Doctorate of Natural Sciences from Philipps University, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology where her work focused on powering synthetic carbon fixation with light. 

ABSTRACT

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), microscopic bubbles secreted by microbes, offer a fascinating solution to biological upcycling of waste. Naturally, OMVs are versatile in function and play a pivotal role in biological processes, like waste removal and communication. These bubbles are filled with cargo like protein, DNA, and other molecules. This work set out to load OMVs with cargo to perform a specific task. Harnessing OMVs potential holds great promise, from addressing environmental cleanup and sustainable waste recycling to innovative applications in synthetic biology, all leading us towards a more sustainable future where we turn ‘trash into treasure.’