Lidstrom Lab for C1 Metabolism

About Us

The Lidstrom laboratory is located in the Departments of Microbiology and Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Research in Dr. Lidstrom's laboratory is focused on molecular and metabolic manipulations of methylotrophic bacteria, which are capable of growth on methane, methanol, and methylated amines. Systems-wide and synthetic biology approaches are applied to metabolic networks to gain basic understanding and lay the groundwork for systems-based metabolic engineering. The long-term goal of this research is to develop environmentally sound and economically viable alternatives to current chemical production and cleanup strategies. A second focus of the laboratory is to develop bioreactor-based systems using methane-utilizing bacteria (methanotrophs) to slow climate change by removing methane from the atmosphere at scale.

Below, Mia Grayson, Naomi Kern, and Owen Rosenbluth, undergraduate researchers, showing off our bioreactor of M. buryatense growing at 500 ppm methane.

Recent News

2024

Stein LY, Lidstrom ME. Greenhouse gas mitigation requires caution. Science. 2024 Jun 7;384(6700):1068-1069. 

https://www.engr.washington.edu/news/article/2024-01-29/methane-mitigation-mary-lidstrom

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