Mica Fiorito

ARC CoE in Synthetic Biology Node Administrator/ Lab Manager.

Thesis title:  A platform for engineering chemically induced dimerization (cid) systems and their use in protein biosensors

Principal Supervisor:  Prof Kirill Alexandrov

Associate Supervisor/s:  Dr Zhenling Cui and Dr Zhong Guo

Expected final thesis submission date:  Before 31 December 2024

CAB Research program:  Synthetic Biology

Mica Fiorito is a current PhD student. She is a dedicated biotechnologist with a strong foundation in both academic and research settings. She completed her bachelor’s degree with honours in biotechnology in Argentina, where she spent five years honing her skills. During her undergraduate studies, she worked under the guidance of Prof Hugo Gramajo, focusing on finding antibiotics for tuberculosis. This experience allowed her to master techniques such as protein purification, lipid extraction from Mycobacterium smegmatis, and various inhibitory and activity assays.

Following this, she worked as a Research Assistant with Prof Kirill Alexandrov, where she delved into synthetic biology and biosensors. Her PhD journey has further enriched her expertise, particularly in designing phage display libraries and measuring protein activity. She has gained proficiency in advanced techniques such as mRNA display, ITC, MST, and BLI, and has extensive experience in protein purification. Her research is driven by a passion for innovation and a commitment to advancing biotechnological applications.