Farren Isaacs named a Beckman Young Investigator

Farren Isaacs, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Systems Biology Institute at West Campus, was one of five scientists nationally to be named a Beckman Young Investigator for 2012.

The designation by The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports the work of the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of academic careers in the chemical and life sciences.  The goal is to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science.

Isaacs’ research proposal was titled “Programming Genomes to Re-engineer Life’s Functional Repertoire.”

“Our research is focused on developing foundational genomic and cellular engineering technologies to understand natural systems and program systems with new biological function,” Isaacs said. “We seek to apply these advances to address global challenges in medicine, energy supply and the environment.”