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Sanjay Vashee is a professor in the Synthetic Biology Group and the Rockville, MD Campus Director at the 51²è¹Ý¶ù. After joining 51²è¹Ý¶ù in 2003, Dr. Vashee helped the Synthetic Biology Group develop synthetic genomics methods and technologies that led to the creation of a synthetic organism based on Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri. His research interests leverage these synthetic genomics technologies to better study and develop therapeutics for human and animal diseases.
Currently, Dr. Vashee is the Principal Investigator on a project funded by the NSF under the BREAD program to develop a more effective vaccine for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), an economically very important cattle disease that affects much of Africa, restricting trade and limiting the availability of protein sources for nutrition. He and his colleagues at INRA, France and UBERN, Switzerland are adapting the 51²è¹Ý¶ù synthetic genomics technology to allow genetic manipulation of the CBPP pathogen, M. mycoides subspecies mycoides, expanding the mycoplasma genetic toolbox and using the latest genome sequencing platforms to identify virulence factors.
Together, these advances should help develop a more effective and safe vaccine based upon a rationally designed attenuated strain. Dr. Vashee also helps lead ongoing NIH funded projects that leverage synthetic genomics approaches to engineer large DNA viruses, including human herpesviruses on a genome-wide and combinatorial scale. Collaborators in these efforts include researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Herpes simplex virus 1 and Epstein Barr virus) as well as researchers at Tomegavax and Synthetic Genomics Vaccines, Inc. to develop a synthetic human cytomegalovirus vaccine. More recently, Dr. Vashee leads IDRC-funded efforts to develop genetic tools to manipulate African swine fever virus and DARPA-funded efforts to develop a Forensic Microbial System.
Prior to joining 51²è¹Ý¶ù, Dr. Vashee was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University-School of Medicine where he was the first to characterize the in vitro DNA-binding properties of the human origin recognition complex, the initiator protein of eukaryotic DNA replication. Dr. Vashee holds a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master's degree in Chemistry from Western Illinois University and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.
Research Priorities
Development of therapeutics for viral diseases using synthetic genomics
- Genome-wide engineering of human herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1, human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus) to develop vaccines
- Improving genetic tools for African swine fever virus to facilitate development of an effective vaccine
Development of vaccines for bacterial diseases using synthetic genomics
- Generating safe vaccines for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia based on live rationally attenuated strains
- Exploring the use of M. mycoides subspecies capri as vector for animal bacterial and viral diseases
Publications
Frontiers in public health. 2024-08-09; 12.1399731.
Whole-genome sequencing-based genetic diversity, transmission dynamics, and drug-resistant mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in western Ethiopia
PloS one. 2024-07-25; 19.7: e0304060.
Pangenome and genomic signatures linked to the dominance of the lineage-4 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in western Ethiopia
Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2024-07-01; 147.102399.
Predictive biomarkers for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
PLoS pathogens. 2024-05-23; 20.5: e1011669.
SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 modulates lung inflammation and clinical disease progression
Frontiers in microbiology. 2023-09-27; 14.1293129.
Corrigendum: Evidence for the cytoplasmic localization of the L-α-Glycerophosphate oxidase in members of the "Mycoplasma mycoides cluster"
mBio. 2023-08-31; 14.4: e0119423.
SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 protein does not antagonize interferon signaling in respiratory epithelial Calu-3 cells during infection
Nature communications. 2023-05-25; 14.1: 3026.
A neonatal mouse model characterizes transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants and reveals a role for ORF8
Critical care (London, England). 2023-04-20; 27.1: 155.
Major adverse cardiovascular events are associated with necroptosis during severe COVID-19
Viruses. 2022-09-13; 14.9:
Co-Deletion of A238L and EP402R Genes from a Genotype IX African Swine Fever Virus Results in Partial Attenuation and Protection in Swine
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022-09-13; 119.37: e2204717119.
SARS-CoV-2 variant spike and accessory gene mutations alter pathogenesis
Cell. 2022-07-21; 185.15: 2708-2724.
Synthetic chromosomes, genomes, viruses, and cells
ACS synthetic biology. 2022-05-20; 11.5: 1919-1930.
Genome Engineering of the Fast-Growing Mycoplasma feriruminatoris toward a Live Vaccine Chassis
Science translational medicine. 2022-03-02; 14.634: eabn7842.
Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses
Applied and environmental microbiology. 2022-02-08; 88.3: e0148621.
Cross-Genus "Boot-Up" of Synthetic Bacteriophage in Staphylococcus aureus by Using a New and Efficient DNA Transformation Method
Frontiers in genetics. 2021-08-30; 12.733674.
Rapid CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Genotype IX African Swine Fever Virus Circulating in Eastern and Central Africa
Current opinion in systems biology. 2020-12-01; 24.1-8.
Budding yeast as a factory to engineer partial and complete microbial genomes
NPJ vaccines. 2020-07-24; 5.1: 66.
Contagious Bovine and Caprine Pleuropneumonia: a research community's recommendations for the development of better vaccines
NPJ vaccines. 2020-07-24; 5.1: 66.
Contagious Bovine and Caprine Pleuropneumonia: a research community's recommendations for the development of better vaccines
Microbiology resource announcements. 2020-04-16; 9.16:
Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus aureus Phage SA75, Isolated from Goat Feces
Frontiers in microbiology. 2019-06-19; 10.1344.
Evidence for the Cytoplasmic Localization of the L-α-Glycerophosphate Oxidase in Members of the "Mycoplasma mycoides Cluster"
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2017-10-17; 114.42: E8885-E8894.
Genome-wide engineering of an infectious clone of herpes simplex virus type 1 using synthetic genomics assembly methods
mSphere. 2017-09-01; 2.5:
Cloning, Assembly, and Modification of the Primary Human Cytomegalovirus Isolate Toledo by Yeast-Based Transformation-Associated Recombination
Nucleic acids research. 2017-04-20; 45.7: e50.
Efficient size-independent chromosome delivery from yeast to cultured cell lines
Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.). 2017-04-01; 10.4: 226-234.
The Human Microbiome and Cancer
Nucleic acids research. 2016-09-30; 44.17: 8501-11.
Impact of donor-recipient phylogenetic distance on bacterial genome transplantation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2016-05-10; 113.19: 5406-11.
MIB-MIP is a mycoplasma system that captures and cleaves immunoglobulin G
ACS synthetic biology. 2016-01-15; 5.1: 104-9.
In-Yeast Engineering of a Bacterial Genome Using CRISPR/Cas9
Molecular microbiology. 2016-01-01; 99.1: 55-70.
Galactofuranose in Mycoplasma mycoides is important for membrane integrity and conceals adhesins but does not contribute to serum resistance
Standards in genomic sciences. 2015-10-29; 10.89.
High quality draft genomes of the Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides challenge strains Afadé and B237
Genome research. 2015-03-01; 25.3: 435-44.
Bacterial genome reduction using the progressive clustering of deletions via yeast sexual cycling
BMC genomics. 2014-12-24; 15.1180.
TREC-IN: gene knock-in genetic tool for genomes cloned in yeast
Current opinion in biotechnology. 2012-10-01; 23.5: 659-65.
Synthetic genomics: potential and limitations
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2010-07-02; 329.5987: 52-6.
Creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a chemically synthesized genome
Nucleic acids research. 2010-05-01; 38.8: 2558-69.
Cloning whole bacterial genomes in yeast
Journal of molecular evolution. 2009-10-01; 69.4: 360-71.
The evolution of RecD outside of the RecBCD complex
Science (New York, N.Y.). 2009-09-25; 325.5948: 1693-6.
Creating bacterial strains from genomes that have been cloned and engineered in yeast
Research Priorities
Development of therapeutics for viral diseases using synthetic genomics
- Genome-wide engineering of human herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1, human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus) to develop vaccines
- Improving genetic tools for African swine fever virus to facilitate development of an effective vaccine
Development of vaccines for bacterial diseases using synthetic genomics
- Generating safe vaccines for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia based on live rationally attenuated strains
- Exploring the use of M. mycoides subspecies capri as vector for animal bacterial and viral diseases
Coronavirus Research
Overview of various projects related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.Designer Phage
Synthetic Engineering of Bacteriophage for Treatment of Wound InfectionsViral Synthetic Genomics to Engineer Large dsDNA Viruses
Rapid engineering of large dsDNA viruses using synthetic genomics assembly tools.
Assembly of HSV-1
Use of cutting-edge synthetic genomics technology to revolutionize the study of herpesvirus biology.
A Synthetic Human Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Platform
Generation of an HCMV low passage clinical isolate using synthetic genomics.