Liwen Fan

University of Science and Technology of China

Papers

Total Citations

184

H-Index

About

Liwen Fan is a pioneering synthetic biologist whose work has fundamentally advanced genome engineering in industrially relevant microorganisms. Her primary research focuses on developing high-efficiency genetic tools for *Corynebacterium glutamicum*, a workhorse bacterium used in amino acid and biochemical production. Fan’s most notable contribution is the creation of MACBETH (Multiplex Automated Corynebacterium glutamicum Base Editing Method), a breakthrough platform that enables rapid, precise, and multiplexed base editing without requiring double-stranded DNA breaks. This method, detailed in her 2018 paper (184 citations), dramatically accelerates strain engineering for metabolic pathway optimization. By combining CRISPR-Cas9 nickase with cytidine deaminase, MACBETH allows simultaneous introduction of multiple point mutations, transforming how researchers engineer *C. glutamicum* for industrial applications. Her work has been widely adopted, with the foundational paper cited over 180 times, reflecting its impact on both fundamental research and applied biotechnology. Fan’s innovations have opened new avenues for sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals, positioning her as a leading figure in the next generation of synthetic biology tool development.