Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Illinois University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
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Christopher V. Rao

Christopher V. Rao
Rao Group Web Site

Contact Information:
e-mail:
phone: (217) 244-2247
fax: (217) 333-5052

211 Roger Adams Lab
MC-712, Box C-3
600 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801

Assistant Professor
B.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 1994
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2000
Postdoctorate, University of California, Berkeley, 2000-2004

Computational Biology and Cellular Engineering

Complex arrays of interconnected pathways govern the behavior of many cellular processes, including those used to process environmental information and coordinate development. In our research, both computational and experimental approaches are used to discover the system-level mechanisms regulating intracellular pathways and also to engineer these pathways for novel medical and industrial applications.

Comparative Genomics

Understanding how similar genes interact to form pathways in diverse organisms is an important step towards a predictive theory for biological networks. The goal is to compare the pathways and mechanisms used to regulate similar processes in divergent species, and then to identify both the molecular and design principles that explain the differences. We are currently comparing the pathways regulating motility and signal transduction in diverse microorganisms using both computer simulation and experimental analysis. Tools are being developed to identify, validate, and interrogate computational models using heterogeneous data sources such as high-throughput experiments and genomic data.

Pathway Engineering

An alternate approach to investigating cellular pathways is to reprogram or engineer novel pathways in cells. One goal is to identify the necessary elements for a functional pathway. A second goal is to design pathways for novel applications such as biosensors and biocomputers. Specific projects include the rational design of receptors and transcription factors, hybrid signal transduction pathways, and intracellular feedback controllers. A common theme is the use of quantitative engineering principles for synthesis and analysis.

Bacterial Pathogenesis

Many pathogens are able to invade their host by targeting only a few specific proteins and molecules in a cell. This process illustrates how a small number of disturbances can propagate through a large networks and then lead to catastrophic failures. It is also an example of two pathways interacting across species. The goal of this research is to understand how pathogenic bacteria, in particular Salmonella typhimurium, initiate and then coordinate invasion.

Selected Publications

S. Saini, J. A. Pearl, and C. V. Rao, "Role of FimW, FimY, and FimZ in regulating the expression of type I fimbriae in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium," Journal of Bacteriology, (Accepted for publication, 2009).

T. A. Desai, D. A. Rodionov, M. S. Gelfand, E. J. Alm, and C. V. Rao, "Engineering transcription factors with novel DNA-bind specificity using comparative genomics," Nucleic Acids Research, (Accepted for publication, 2009).

M. Onsum and C. V. Rao, "Calling heads from tails: the role of mathematical modeling in understanding cell polarization," Current Opinion in Cell Biology, (In Press, 2009).

J. D. Brown, S. Saini, C. Aldridge, C. V. Rao, and P. A. Aldridge, "The rate of flagella protein secretion dictates the temporal dynamics of flagellar gene expression," Molecular Microbiology, 70, 924-937 (2008).

C. V. Rao and G. W. Ordal. "The three adaptation systems of Bacillus subtilis chemotaxis," Trends in Microbiology, 16, 408-487 (2008).

C. V. Rao and G. W. Ordal, "The molecular basis of excitation and adaptation during chemotactic sensory transduction in bacteria," Contributions to Microbiology, (Accepted for publication, 2008).

L. M. Chubiz and C. V. Rao, "Computational design of orthogonal ribosomes," Nucleic Acids Research 36, 4038-46 (2008).

S. Saini, J. D. Brown, P. D. Aldridge, and C. V. Rao, "FliZ is a post-translational activator of FlhD4C2-dependent flagellar gene expression," Journal of Bacteriology, 190, 4979-88 (2008).

D. Lin, C. V. Rao, and J. M Slauch, "The Salmonella SPI1 type three secretion system responds to periplasmic disulfide bond status via the flagellar apparatus and the RcsCDB system," Journal of Bacteriology, 190, 87-97 (2008).

M. Onsum and C. V. Rao, "A mathematical model for neutrophil polarization and gradient sensing," PLoS Computational Biology, 3, 436-450 (2007).

C. Rao, J. Kirby and A. Arkin, "Design and diversity in bacterial chemotaxis: A comparative study of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis," PLoS Biology, 2, 239-252 (2004).

C. Rao, J. Rawlings and D. Mayne, "Constrained state estimation for nonlinear discrete-time systems: stability and moving horizon approximations," IEEE Transactions on Automatic ControlC, 48, 246-258 (2003)

Rao, C. and A. Arkin, "Stochastic chemical kinetics and the quasi-steady-state assumption: application to the Gillespie algorithm," J. Chem. Phys., 118, 4999-5010 (2003).

C. Rao, D. Wolf, and A. Arkin, "Control, exploitation and tolerance of intracellular noise," Nature, 420, 231-237 (2002).