Dr. Danielle Tullman Ercek

Biography

Danielle Tullman-Ercek is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University. She serves as the Director of the Master of Biotechnology Program and is involved with the Center for Synthetic Biology and the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute. Her research primarily focuses on synthetic biology, biotechnology, metabolic engineering, and the development of novel biobased materials. Tullman-Ercek's work includes applying directed evolution to engineer proteins, designing vaccines, and creating drug delivery scaffolds made of self-assembling proteins. She is actively involved in understanding the evolution of efflux pumps, which play a critical role in antibiotic resistance, and in compartmentalizing biochemical reactions to improve the efficiency of protein production. Additionally, Tullman-Ercek has held leadership roles such as directing the SynBREU (synthetic biology-focused Research Experiences for Undergraduates) and serving as the chair for the education outreach of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, which is a professional group of synthetic biology researchers. She has received prestigious accolades including the Searle Leadership Award and the NSF CAREER award for her innovative contributions to the field.

Research Interests

Experience