Chase Beisel PhDLaure Woods Emerging Leader Award Recipient, Chase Beisel, PhD

Chase L. Beisel, PhD
Scientist, Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research

Dr. Chase L. Beisel is currently a group leader in the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research in Germany. Prior to this role, Dr. Beisel began his faculty career as an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU). While at NCSU, Dr. Beisel was selected as the 2016 Laure Woods Emerging Leader Award Recipient for his research on the CRISPR-Cas system. After being promoted to associate professor with tenure, Dr. Beisel transitioned to the Helmholtz Institute.  Dr. Beisel holds a BS in chemical engineering from Iowa State Univ. and a PhD in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in bacterial genetics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has received funding for his work in anti-microbials from the National Science Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

Project Overview
Dr. Beisel’s ELA award utilized CRISPR-Cas genome targeting in Borrelia burgdorferi. The work provided a proof of principle demonstration that targeting the Borrelia genome with CRISPR is lethal. The project assessed the anti-microbial efficacy of CRISPR against B. burgdorferi and elucidated the Borrelia genome’s potential mechanisms of escape from CRISPR attack.