A blond man with glasses

Akos Nyerges, Ph.D.

Nyerges Lab

Our lab at Harvard Medical School works at the interface of directed evolution, synthetic genomics, and protein engineering. We rewrite genomes and reassign codons to equip engineered cells with functions inaccessible to natural organisms: complete resistance to natural viruses, escape-free containment of cells and their transgenes, and ribosomal synthesis of polymers, peptides, and biologic drugs with chemistries beyond the canonical amino-acid alphabet.

We are exploring how the genetic code can be radically rewritten — establishing genetic firewalls that make engineered cells resistant to all natural viruses and biocontain their genetic information from the natural ecosystem — and harnessing these advances for drug discovery and delivery. We strive to translate our findings and technologies into next-generation therapeutics and secure biotechnologies.

Rational design of balanced dual-targeting antibiotics with limited resistance.
Authors: Authors: Nyerges A, Tomašic T, Durcik M, Revesz T, Szili P, Draskovits G, Bogar F, Skok Ž, Zidar N, Ilaš J, Zega A, Kikelj D, Daruka L, Kintses B, Vasarhelyi B, Foldesi I, Kata D, Welin M, Kimbung R, Focht D, Mašic LP, Pal C.
PLoS Biol
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Targeted mutagenesis of multiple chromosomal regions in microbes.
Authors: Authors: Csörgo B, Nyerges A, Pál C.
Curr Opin Microbiol
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Improved bacterial recombineering by parallelized protein discovery.
Authors: Authors: Wannier TM, Nyerges A, Kuchwara HM, Czikkely M, Balogh D, Filsinger GT, Borders NC, Gregg CJ, Lajoie MJ, Rios X, Pál C, Church GM.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
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High-Efficiency Multi-site Genomic Editing of Pseudomonas putida through Thermoinducible ssDNA Recombineering.
Authors: Authors: Aparicio T, Nyerges A, Martínez-García E, de Lorenzo V.
iScience
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Dual Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase A and B Inhibitors with Antibacterial Activity.
Authors: Authors: Fois B, Skok Ž, Tomašic T, Ilaš J, Zidar N, Zega A, Peterlin Mašic L, Szili P, Draskovits G, Nyerges Á, Pál C, Kikelj D.
ChemMedChem
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Second-generation 4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazoles as novel DNA gyrase inhibitors.
Authors: Authors: Lamut A, Skok Ž, Barancoková M, Gutierrez LJ, Cruz CD, Tammela P, Draskovits G, Szili PÉ, Nyerges Á, Pál C, Molek P, Bratkovic T, Ilaš J, Zidar N, Zega A, Enriz RD, Kikelj D, Tomašic T.
Future Med Chem
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Multiple-Site Diversification of Regulatory Sequences Enables Interspecies Operability of Genetic Devices.
Authors: Authors: Hueso-Gil A, Nyerges Á, Pál C, Calles B, de Lorenzo V.
ACS Synth Biol
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Mismatch repair hierarchy of Pseudomonas putida revealed by mutagenic ssDNA recombineering of the pyrF gene.
Authors: Authors: Aparicio T, Nyerges A, Nagy I, Pal C, Martínez-García E, de Lorenzo V.
Environ Microbiol
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Rapid Evolution of Reduced Susceptibility against a Balanced Dual-Targeting Antibiotic through Stepping-Stone Mutations.
Authors: Authors: Szili P, Draskovits G, Révész T, Bogár F, Balogh D, Martinek T, Daruka L, Spohn R, Vásárhelyi BM, Czikkely M, Kintses B, Grézal G, Ferenc G, Pál C, Nyerges Á.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother
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Limited Evolutionary Conservation of the Phenotypic Effects of Antibiotic Resistance Mutations.
Authors: Authors: Apjok G, Boross G, Nyerges Á, Fekete G, Lázár V, Papp B, Pál C, Csörgo B.
Mol Biol Evol
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