Xixi Zhao

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About

Xixi Zhao is a synthetic biologist whose work is reshaping how we engineer microbial cell factories. Her primary research focuses on metabolic engineering, automated strain construction, and the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle in *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*. Zhao’s most notable contribution is the development of a modular, integrated protocol that fully automates the Build step of the DBTL cycle—a critical bottleneck in biosynthetic pathway screening. By providing both the workflow design and open-source code, her 2025 paper (7 citations) enables researchers to bypass labor-intensive manual steps and accelerate the construction of yeast strains for producing valuable compounds. This work bridges the gap between robotic integration and synthetic biology, making high-throughput pathway screening more accessible and reproducible. Zhao’s achievements stand out for their practical impact: her automated pipeline reduces human error, increases throughput, and shortens development timelines for industrial biotechnology. For students and researchers entering the field, Zhao’s research exemplifies how automation can unlock the full potential of synthetic biology, turning complex genetic designs into reliable, scalable production systems. Her contributions are already inspiring next-generation platforms for bio-based chemical synthesis.