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.

Enzyme promiscuity shapes adaptation to novel growth substrates.
Authors: Authors: Guzmán GI, Sandberg TE, LaCroix RA, Nyerges Á, Papp H, de Raad M, King ZA, Hefner Y, Northen TR, Notebaart RA, Pál C, Palsson BO, Papp B, Feist AM.
Mol Syst Biol
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An optimised series of substituted N-phenylpyrrolamides as DNA gyrase B inhibitors.
Authors: Authors: Tiz DB, Skok Ž, Durcik M, Tomašic T, Mašic LP, Ilaš J, Zega A, Draskovits G, Révész T, Nyerges Á, Pál C, Cruz CD, Tammela P, Žigon D, Kikelj D, Zidar N.
Eur J Med Chem
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Phylogenetic barriers to horizontal transfer of antimicrobial peptide resistance genes in the human gut microbiota.
Authors: Authors: Kintses B, Méhi O, Ari E, Számel M, Györkei Á, Jangir PK, Nagy I, Pál F, Fekete G, Tengölics R, Nyerges Á, Likó I, Bálint A, Molnár T, Bálint B, Vásárhelyi BM, Bustamante M, Papp B, Pál C.
Nat Microbiol
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CRISPR-interference-based modulation of mobile genetic elements in bacteria.
Authors: Authors: Nyerges Á, Bálint B, Cseklye J, Nagy I, Pál C, Fehér T.
Synth Biol (Oxf)
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New N-phenylpyrrolamide DNA gyrase B inhibitors: Optimization of efficacy and antibacterial activity.
Authors: Authors: Durcik M, Lovison D, Skok Ž, Durante Cruz C, Tammela P, Tomašic T, Benedetto Tiz D, Draskovits G, Nyerges Á, Pál C, Ilaš J, Peterlin Mašic L, Kikelj D, Zidar N.
Eur J Med Chem
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Directed evolution of multiple genomic loci allows the prediction of antibiotic resistance.
Authors: Authors: Nyerges Á, Csörgo B, Draskovits G, Kintses B, Szili P, Ferenc G, Révész T, Ari E, Nagy I, Bálint B, Vásárhelyi BM, Bihari P, Számel M, Balogh D, Papp H, Kalapis D, Papp B, Pál C.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria show widespread collateral sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides.
Authors: Authors: Lázár V, Martins A, Spohn R, Daruka L, Grézal G, Fekete G, Számel M, Jangir PK, Kintses B, Csörgo B, Nyerges Á, Györkei Á, Kincses A, Dér A, Walter FR, Deli MA, Urbán E, Hegedus Z, Olajos G, Méhi O, Bálint B, Nagy I, Martinek TA, Papp B, Pál C.
Nat Microbiol
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A standardized workflow for surveying recombinases expands bacterial genome-editing capabilities.
Authors: Authors: Ricaurte DE, Martínez-García E, Nyerges Á, Pál C, de Lorenzo V, Aparicio T.
Microb Biotechnol
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Genome-Wide Abolishment of Mobile Genetic Elements Using Genome Shuffling and CRISPR/Cas-Assisted MAGE Allows the Efficient Stabilization of a Bacterial Chassis.
Authors: Authors: Umenhoffer K, Draskovits G, Nyerges Á, Karcagi I, Bogos B, Tímár E, Csörgo B, Herczeg R, Nagy I, Fehér T, Pál C, Pósfai G.
ACS Synth Biol
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Correction: Phenotypic heterogeneity promotes adaptive evolution.
Authors: Authors: Bódi Z, Farkas Z, Nevozhay D, Kalapis D, Lázár V, Csörgo B, Nyerges Á, Szamecz B, Fekete G, Papp B, Araújo H, Oliveira JL, Moura G, Santos MAS, Székely T, Balázsi G, Pál C.
PLoS Biol
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